"Is AR the most influential state of all time for college football?"

I did search and didn't find anything, and this is an old article albeit the first time I've seen it, but with all of the coaching tree discussions....How about a State coaching tree?

I think this article is the end all of that discussion, and AR is the hands down winner.

LINK

Paul “Bear” Bryant: born in Fordyce, Arkansas.

Frank Broyles: Coach Broyles was the head coach at the University of Arkansas for 19 years, compiling a record of 149-62-6 (69 winning percentage), making him the all-time winningest coach in school history. Coach Broyles won a national championship in 1964 and seven Southwest Conference titles from 1958-1976.

Lou Holtz: Holtz won the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award in 1977 after leading Arkansas to a 1978 Orange Bowl victory over Oklahoma. Had Oklahoma won that game, it would have been the third national championship in four years for the Sooners. OU was coached by Barry Switzer.

Houston Nutt: Coach Nutt won three SEC West titles and was named SEC Coach of the Year three times. In 1998 Coach Nutt was awarded coach of the year by The Football News for leading Arkansas to a 9-3 record after being picked to finish last in the SEC West during the preseason.

Jimmy Johnson: Jimmy Johnson played his college ball at the University of Arkansas before becoming the defensive coordinator under Broyles from 1973-1976. Coach Johnson won the 1987 national championship at Miami before taking over as the Dallas Cowboys head coach in 1989. While in Dallas, Johnson won the Super Bowl in 1992 and 1993. The foundation Johnson laid for the Cowboys set up another Super Bowl win in 1995. Johnson’s coaching tree includes native Arkansans Tommy Tuberville and Butch Davis. Johnson also helped start the careers of Norv Turner, Dave Wannstedt and Dave Campo.

Barry Switzer: Switzer played for the Razorbacks from 1956-1960 before taking a position as an assistant from 1961-1965 with the Hogs. Coach Switzer was born in Crossett, Arkansas. As the head coach at University of Oklahoma from 1973-1988, Barry Switzer had a college record of 157-29-4, winning three national championships (1974, 1975 and 1985) and won 12 Big Eight Conference Titles. Coach Switzer won 82 percent of his games at OU. His teams finished in the Top 10 of the AP Poll 12 times during his tenure. He won Super Bowl XXX in 1995 as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

Ken Hatfield: Ken Hatfield was born in Helena, Arkansas. He played at Arkansas under Frank Broyles, was the head coach at Arkansas from 1984-1989 compiling a record of 55-17 with three 10 winning seasons—1985, 1988 and 1989

Butch Davis: Coach Davis was a defensive end for the Razorbacks before starting his coaching career at Fayetteville High School in Arkansas. Coach Davis helped turn the University of Miami program around and laid down the tracks for success for Larry Coker and their BCS Championship winning team in 2001.

Hayden Fry: Coach Fry got his big coaching break when Frank Broyles brought him on staff as his offensive backfield coach in 1961. After Arkansas was the Southwest Conference co-champions that same year, SMU hired Fry as their head coach for the 1962 season.

Johnny Majors: Coach Majors may be considered “Mr. Rocky Top,” but before he became the head coach at Tennessee he was an assistant under Frank Broyles from 1964-1967.



Other coaches born in AR:
Fred Akers
Gus Malzahn
Charlie Strong
Tommy Tuberville
Fitz Hill

Other assistant coaches at AR:
Joe Gibbs
Garrick McGee
Monte Kiffin

Other AR football influences:
Jerry Jones
Pat Summerall