College Football Untouchables: Top Ten Coaches Who Have Carte Blanche

Things were much simpler when the Bear was around.

Loyalty meant everything and turnover was something that occurred on the field a lot more than off of it.

Fast forward to today. Job security in most of the public sector is virtually non-existent.

That could not be more true where college football coaches are concerned.

In the past half-decade we've seen the No. 2 winningest coach of all time run out of town mercilessly. We watched a 16-year head coach who had 100 more wins than losses thrown out with nothing but his $6-million buyout to land on.

But there are a handful of coaches in big-time college football who have a never-ending supply capital to spend for their respective programs.

Out of 120 FBS programs there are about 15 coaches who are safe no matter what.

Here are the top 10.

10. Jeff Tedford, California

“Because mediocre is good enough!” – Opening line on Cal job application.

Don’t get me wrong. Jeff Tedford has taken California from complete nothingness to a middling Pac-10 team in his eight years on the job. But it’s a good thing the powers that be have judged Tedford based on Cal’s own past rather than it’s comparison to USC or the rest of the Pac-10.

He would be considered “on the hot seat” at an SEC school.

The good news for Tedford is that USC is facing NCAA sanctions and has a child as its new head coach. UCLA is stuck in neutral. Oregon cannot keep players out of jail and Oregon State continues its treadmill act.

Coach Tedford will definitely have the time to take California to the top of the Pac-10. Time will tell if he has the ability.

9. Mike Riley, Oregon State

Riley is cut out of that same Tedford mold.

In two separate stints as Oregon State head coach Riley is a meager 64-47. Yet he has enough goodwill and comfort to turn his back on the NFL, turn down his alma mater Alabama twice, and say no to USC.

Quite an interesting list of prospective jobs, especially when you have the clout to turn each of them down.

Fact is, Riley has taken a terrible program and made it respectable. The last two seasons his Beavers were one win away from the Rose Bowl.

He is incredibly close with his assistants and the powers that be in Corvalis apparently love him.

Riley has built up enough equity to leave on his own terms, but that's not going to happen any time soon.

8. Jim Tressel, Ohio State

I know what you are thinking. And yes, I have heard the rumblings of discontent over his conservative style the past few years. But Tressel is a beloved figure at one of the greatest programs in America.

With a rabid fan-base that has very few rivals, one would think the coach will always be judged year-to-year. Not so with Tressel.

One National Championship, multiple conference titles, and a constant presence in the top 10 gives Tressel all the time he needs to continue to place his stamp on the program.

Oh yeah, and defeating Michigan on a yearly basis doesn't hurt either. And that streak is not likely to stop anytime soon.

7. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma

Twelve years ago Stoops was asked to revive a former college football giant.

Mission accomplished.

His second season resulted in a 13-0 record and a national championship. Since then he's led the Sooners to seven 11-plus win seasons. They have played for three national titles and have been to mutliple BCS bowls.

Too bad Stoops has lost four BCS bowls in a row at this point.

Stoops' 8-5 record was his worst since his first season in Norman when the Sooners went 7-5. But he has earned the right to call his own shots with a 117-29 overall record, four national championship game appearances, six Big 12 titles, and one national title.

6. Steve Spurrier, South Carolina

Although the Old Ball Coach has not been nearly as successful in Columbia as he was in Gainesville, South Carolina did not hire Spurrier to discard him like he probably deserves.

Spurrier is clearly not what he used to be, yet his past success putting Florida on the national map has given him limitless equity to do the same at South Carolina.

Five years in, it appears that’s simply not going to happen.

The 2010 season will be his make or break year as the Gamecocks return a ton of talent. Talent that barely managed seven wins in ’09 and looked terrible against UConn in the papajohns.com Bowl.

After ’10, Spurrier will either be exalted to SEC-superiority again, or he will politely exit stage right.

You can count on one thing, however. He will not be asked to leave.

5. Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech

Ah, Beamer Ball.

Simply put, Frank Beamer is one of the most respected coaches in the ACC—if not the nation.

Unfortunately he does not get nearly enough national publicity for his efforts at Virginia Tech. Beamer has been the Hokies head coach since 1987. In that span, Tech has gone from Independent status to three-time Big East Champions, and now three-time ACC Champs. The team has played for a national title as well.

Beamer is approaching 200 wins at his alma mater and when he is done in Blacksburg he’ll be enshrined as the greatest coach in their history.

There’s no doubt he will leave on his own terms when the time comes.

4. Nick Saban, Alabama

Saban could have been on this list when he was the head coach at LSU. The NFL beckoned and he listened. When Alabama came calling back, he could not resist the pull.

After taking over a fledgling Tide program that had been through three national embarrassments at head coach in the past decade, Saban became the savior.

He has reached Messiah-like status in the Capstone State and its doubtful even the most high-powered booster would chase him out. After going 7-6 in his first year in T-Town, Alabama has gone 26-2 with one SEC title and a national championship.

After three years on the job, a statue is already being constructed in his honor outside of Bryant-Denny Stadium.

In a program where things can quickly turn ugly for a head coach, Saban has earned the right to be considered “Untouchable.”

3. Mack Brown, Texas

Probably the top coach in America right now, Mack Brown has solidified his spot in Texas lore.

His exit strategy is already mapped out and a successor, Will Muschamp, has been named. But Brown’s not going anywhere soon.

After a moderately successful stint at North Carolina, Brown left for Texas in 1997.

Since his first season in Austin, 1998, Texas is 128-27. He has one national championship and two Big 12 titles.

On top of all that, Brown just became the highest paid college coach in the country as well.

He will finish out his days as the Texas top gun sometime in the next decade and will ride off into the sunset as one of the greatest coaches to ever call a play in college football.

2. Joe Paterno, Penn State

If the 83-year old legendary coach was going to be fired it would have happened earlier this decade when the Nittany Lions struggled mightily.

As his legend dictated, the school stuck by JoePa and has since been pleasantly rewarded.

Penn State got back into the national limelight and is currently one of the better teams in the Big Ten. Just like most of the other 40-plus years in Paterno’s tenure.

If and when JoePa decides to leave it will be completely up to him.

Too bad Bobby Bowden let his handlers and assistant coaches have too much power or we could have said the same for him.

1. Urban Meyer, Florida

Meyer quit his job one day and came back the next with the full support of his boss. Not only was he allowed to come back he was given a three month sabbatical to boot.

Not many college programs in the country would afford any coach that luxury.

Obviously winning two national titles in the span of three years while spending a lot of those three years as the No. 1 team in the nation has its advantages.

Of course, at Florida it had been done before. Basketball coach Billy Donavan left the Gators for the NBA’s Orlando Magic after his second consecutive national title only to change his mind and get his old job back from that same boss, Florida AD Jeremy Foley, the very next day.

Lending further proof that if you are good enough, you don’t have to be worried about losing your job at Florida.

Sorry, Ron Zook.