College Football: 13 Coaches We'd Most Like to See as TV Analysts

They are the drivers of college football.

Head coaches plan the trip, select the pit stops and pick the passengers.

In their captains' chairs, steering ships every which direction in search of football glory, head coaches are in their elements and seldom are frazzled. This is their zen, this is where they do their business.

But with the 24/7 media model that entertainment and news corporations have built, TV programming has become a huge spotlight for the former sports icon.

Some can talk football, others can please the crowd. The rest can do both.

Here are 13 coaches many would enjoy seeing as TV analysts.

Mark Richt

Mark Richt has been through the good and bad in the Southeastern Conference during his time at Georgia.

The longest-tenured active boss in the SEC has kept the Bulldogs relevant amongst some of the best programs in the country.

Stability and success are two great characteristics of a winning program, and Richt has created just that in Athens.

Tommy Tuberville

Tommy Tuberville simply comes off as a great college football politician.

The Texas Tech head coach is set to become president of the American Football Coaches Association, so it seems to follow that he is a great spokesman for the game.

He may be new to the Texas landscape and how the game operates in the Lone Star State, but his tenure at Auburn was a great run that ended perhaps a little prematurely.

When all the dust settles, Tuberville's undefeated season in 2004 is what we remember. 

Frank Beamer

In the Atlantic Coast Conference, where we often forget that there are contenders and legitimate programs within, Frank Beamer has held a model of consistency at Virginia Tech, where he seems to always do more with less on a national landscape.

Beamer has held his position in Blacksburg, Va., since 1987. During his tenure with the Hokies, his program molded a reputation of defensive prowess with athleticism on offense.

He's one of the better old coaches still doing the dirty work, and his knowledge runs deep.

Les Miles

He has never been a by-the-book head coach, but Les Miles has done very well for himself at LSU after little to show at Oklahoma State.

Miles won't be the best candidate to breakdown two-minute drills and clock management strategy, but he's as good of an Xs and Os coach as the next one.

He image outside of Louisiana is obviously not as prophetic as within the state, but he is still one of the better head coaches today.

June Jones

June Jones' revival of a Hawaii program that had disappeared is old news.

Now, the Oregon native has brought his blueprint to SMU, where the Mustangs simply haven't recovered from its death penalty seasons in 1987 and 1988.

A program builder isn't just a good driver who can dodge all the obstacles. Rather, Jones has developed road maps lined with his own Xs and Os.

He does his business in Conference USA, but Jones is quietly one of college footballs more under-appreciated head bosses.

Butch Davis

He's perhaps one of the best at evaluating talent in this generation of college athletes, and the list of former high school recruits who now take to the gridiron every Sunday follows him wherever he goes.

With Miami, Butch Davis reeled in high-profile names like Ray Lewis, Edgerrin James, Clinton Portis, Frank Gore, Jeremy Shockey, Reggie Wayne and Jonathan Vilma, among a slew of others.

In just a few years, Davis has brought North Carolina back into relevance.

While he may not be the best Xs and Os kind of coach, he knows talent when he sees it.

Gary Patterson

Much like Chris Petersen at Boise State, Gary Patterson has built TCU into a winning brand, evident by the move from the Mountain West to the Big East next season.

Though Patterson will have to approach this year differently without Andy Dalton, the head coach has proven he can do less with more and has shown to be great at evaluating talent from one of the biggest pools in the nation.

Because his program lacked legitimate BCS status, Patterson's charisma under a national spotlight has had less documentation than others, but a program changer always makes for a overall package guy.

Steve Spurrier

The Ol' Ball Coach may not have the most efficient win-loss record of top coaches these days, but his experience is wide and deep.

With two stints in the NFL, although about 20 years apart, Spurrier has been there and back again in regards to witnessing changes in the sport.

He has shown on minimal occasions to be a great media personality, and his old-school ball coach mentality and approach still pins him as one of the most recognizable and valued names in the sport.

Joe Paterno

The seemingly age-less Joe Paterno has built a program synonymous with winning and success that cannot be phased by anything, even time.

If JoePa has been in the business this long, he's doing something or everything right.

And though he may not be the brightest face for an analyst, his old school tactics and breadth of football know-how is something of which we could all use a dose.

Classy and letting his resumé talk for him since the 1970s.

Mack Brown

Mack Brown has worked his way nearly to demigod status in Austin, Texas, and the progress and consistency he's maintained within the program speaks volumes of his success as a head coach.

But his personality and depth of knowledge about the game, the big picture and everything in between are what make him more attractive as an analyst.

Brown took part as a guest analyst on NFL Network's 2010 draft coverage team, so he is no newcomer to the broadcast arena.

And as one of the top five head coaches in college football, his name and his word usually commands respect.

Nick Saban

One of the fiercest head coaches in the sport today has to be Nick Saban, and the defensive product he consistently fields is first-class.

As a top defensive mind, his know-all as a TV analyst would provide a completely different level of broadcast than what any fan could imagine.

His aggressive coaching and program building application at both LSU and Alabama have labeled Saban as one of the premier in college football.

He may not be much of a personality, but his knowledge base would more than make up for it.

Chris Petersen

Chris Petersen has some relative youth on his side.

Also going his way is his offensive machinations. As one of the brightest offensive heads in the country, Petersen's ability to break apart the game into fundamentals to shape his own offense would lend a great deal to any broadcast team.

We all have witnessed the transformation from meddling mid-major to BCS contender through which Boise State has gone, and the thanks goes to Petersen.

Jimbo Fisher

Jimbo Fisher visibly lived under Bobby Bowden's shadow for quite a while at Florida State, but with Bowden having retired, the spotlight is all Fisher's.

A 10-4 record in 2010 is enough to write home about for a debut season, but for an offensive master like Fisher, expectations will continue to rise.

Though he worked quite under the radar when Bowden was running shop, Fisher should have the make-up the control the show for some time.

With an old school coach's philosophy from Bowden, and an impressive offensive resumé on his own, Fisher could make quite the personality for an analyst.