With rosters being turned every year, the head coaches are the faces of college football. They get all the endorsements, they get the big money and they are the best salesmen of their respective programs. We’re going to rank the Top Ten coaches in college football in a two-piece segment.
10. Les Miles, LSU
This seems a little low for a guy who has won a national title and seemingly has his program in contention every year. Miles is obviously unconventional and sometimes a caricature of himself but he has taken over a great program and kept it successful, something that isn’t always easy to do especially in the toughest division of the toughest conference.
9. Steve Spurrier, South Carolina
In a past coaching life, the wonderfully mouthy Steve Spurrier sat at the top of college football as his Florida Gators won the 1996 National Championship. A few years later, Spurrier left for greener pastures and when the NFL didn’t work out for him he decided to build a program almost from scratch at South Carolina. In this win or nothing type of culture, what Steve Spurrier has done in Columbia sometimes goes unappreciated. He has built a consistent winner in a place that’s never seen that and if things break right for him this year he will have a great chance at an SEC title.
8. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
Bob Stoops started off his Oklahoma career with a bang by winning his first BCS title in 2000 and has led the Sooners to three other national title game appearances. With a 4-5 record in BCS bowl games, Stoops losses are probably more memorable than some of his wins but there’s something to be said for building a consistent winner which he’s done at OU.
7. David Shaw, Stanford
David Shaw hasn’t had any National Championship success like many of the others on the list but he’s also operating with much more restraints than any of his colleagues. Shaw has helped build a winner in one of the toughest conferences in the country at a university that values academics over football. Sure, he didn’t do it by himself as he took over for Jim Harbaugh, but he’s kept the success going and has made Stanford a destination for recruits.
6. Bill Snyder, Kansas State
There aren’t a lot of squeaky clean, coaching legends left in the game but Bill Snyder is one of them. Snyder is often overlooked but he has built a program completely by himself in “The Little Apple,” and has experienced success in three different decades. He’s produced plenty of NFL players, all while bringing a program that was dead when he got there to its now full life form.
