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How to hire a College Head Football coach 101:
Posted on 11/20/25 at 1:22 am
Posted on 11/20/25 at 1:22 am
1. Only consider coaches with ascending winning records at their major previous jobs.
2. Only consider coaches between 40 and 56 years of age.
3. Only consider coaches who have served as both offensive and defensive coaches (or players) multiple times in their prior careers.
4. Only consider coaches with a winning percentage of 70% or better.
5. Only consider coaches with stable marriages, children, and solid family lives.
6. Never hire a coach who has never been a Head Coach.
***You can break one of these rules but not two - except Rule #1. Any prospective hire MUST have an ascending winning record at previous major jobs or he is absolutely disqualified***
2. Only consider coaches between 40 and 56 years of age.
3. Only consider coaches who have served as both offensive and defensive coaches (or players) multiple times in their prior careers.
4. Only consider coaches with a winning percentage of 70% or better.
5. Only consider coaches with stable marriages, children, and solid family lives.
6. Never hire a coach who has never been a Head Coach.
***You can break one of these rules but not two - except Rule #1. Any prospective hire MUST have an ascending winning record at previous major jobs or he is absolutely disqualified***
This post was edited on 11/20/25 at 1:31 am
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Posted on 11/20/25 at 1:24 am to TrendingRight
Ok, how many coaches like that actually exist today?
Posted on 11/20/25 at 1:52 am to TrendingRight
Number 6 could be a bit tricky. I’m sure there are coaches out there that have been divorced once or twice because of the hours that being a coach requires. I’m sure most coaches wives handle things just fine. There are some women though that want to see the man they are married too every now and then lol. Being a coaches wife is very similar to being married to someone in the military. Not everyone is cut out for that kind of lifestyle. Most coaches make a lot more money than someone in the military and I’m sure the money helps. There are some women though that wants to see their husbands for more than a couple of months in the offseason if they are lucky enough to get a couple of months at all. Then all the hours required to be a coach becomes a problem.
Posted on 11/20/25 at 5:08 am to TrendingRight
Your fifth rule is completely irrelevant.
Posted on 11/20/25 at 5:19 am to TrendingRight
Add that they’ve had success with their own players.
Posted on 11/20/25 at 5:23 am to TrendingRight
quote:
3. Only consider coaches who have served as both offensive and defensive coaches (or players) multiple times in their prior careers.
Is that common enough? Doesn’t seem like it.
Posted on 11/20/25 at 5:26 am to TrendingRight
Deboer has 2 years as a head coach and less than 5 years experience coaching scholarship players…
Posted on 11/20/25 at 5:26 am to TrendingRight
quote:
1. Only consider coaches with ascending winning records at their major previous jobs.
2. Only consider coaches between 40 and 56 years of age.
3. Only consider coaches who have served as both offensive and defensive coaches (or players) multiple times in their prior careers.
4. Only consider coaches with a winning percentage of 70% or better.
5. Only consider coaches with stable marriages, children, and solid family lives.
6. Never hire a coach who has never been a Head Coach.
Thanks. Would've never hired our coach. You may have heard of him. He's kind of a big deal.
Posted on 11/20/25 at 5:41 am to TrendingRight
quote:
Never hire a coach who has never been a Head Coach.
Stoops, TBOW and venable were never head coaches.so to say you need a hc s bull. There are good coordinators out there.
Posted on 11/20/25 at 5:41 am to TrendingRight
Just off the top of my head - this would exclude Kirby, Elko and Saban.
Posted on 11/20/25 at 5:51 am to TrendingRight
6 would be dumb. Bama fans always bring up Mike Dubose even though plenty of successful head coaches at major programs were assistant coaches when hired.
You telling me Jim Leonhard couldn't be a great hc?
Vince Kehres?
You telling me Jim Leonhard couldn't be a great hc?
Vince Kehres?
This post was edited on 11/20/25 at 5:56 am
Posted on 11/20/25 at 5:53 am to JustEd
Amen, I've admired Catstiglione as an AD from afar. Greg Byrne isn't too shabby himself.
Posted on 11/20/25 at 6:00 am to TrendingRight
Popped your list into ChatGTP and it spit out this answer:
quote:
Short answer: Zero.
Quick illustration with high-profile near-misses (public records / bios):
Lincoln Riley — age in the low-40s and a career winning pct well above .700; however Riley’s background is overwhelmingly offensive (OC/HC) — he has not served multiple times as both an offensive and defensive coach.
Marcus Freeman — former defensive player/defensive coach and (as of 2025) a very strong head-coaching winning pct, but he’s under 40 (born 1988) so fails your age rule.
This post was edited on 11/20/25 at 6:02 am
Posted on 11/20/25 at 6:02 am to TrendingRight
3 is crap
6 is a nice to have but not mandatory.
I personally like head coaches that have a defensive background.
Similar to baseball managers that were fielders, particularly catchers. They typically have a better overall approach for their team.
6 is a nice to have but not mandatory.
I personally like head coaches that have a defensive background.
Similar to baseball managers that were fielders, particularly catchers. They typically have a better overall approach for their team.
This post was edited on 11/20/25 at 6:07 am
Posted on 11/20/25 at 7:42 am to TrendingRight
That lets Kirby Smart out. We made a mistake!
I can assume he is out on this point, too, since he had no winning percentage as a head coach:
quote:
3. Only consider coaches who have served as both offensive and defensive coaches (or players) multiple times in their prior careers.
quote:
6. Never hire a coach who has never been a Head Coach.
I can assume he is out on this point, too, since he had no winning percentage as a head coach:
quote:
4. Only consider coaches with a winning percentage of 70% or better.
Posted on 11/20/25 at 7:44 am to TrendingRight
I bet UGA and Oregon are glad they didn’t abide by #6
Posted on 11/20/25 at 7:45 am to rbtgoodson
quote:
Your fifth rule is completely irrelevant.
Yes, and no. I mean if the marriage is not stable it could open up to embarrassment if they coach starts sleeping around. Mel Tucker, Michigan State, for instance?
Posted on 11/20/25 at 7:49 am to TrendingRight
None of the active coaches who've won a national championship (Kirby, Day, Dabo) would have been hired using these requirements.
This post was edited on 11/20/25 at 8:05 am
Posted on 11/20/25 at 7:52 am to TrendingRight
Replace your rule #3 with: "Must have demonstrated the ability to achieve success despite roster and coaching staff turnover (in other words, his success cannot be solely attributed to having a particular star player or assistant on his team)."
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