The 10 Most Overrated Head Coaches in College Football
As we finish up the 2010 regular season, it's time to re-evaluate things. And we'll begin with the head coaches.
It's no secret that reputations generally have greater weight than results in this game, but sports are a "what have you done for me lately" business.
And when it comes to coaching, there are a lot of big names out there that aren't producing up to their reputations for one reason or another.
Here are our 10 most overrated college football head coaches.
10. Joe Paterno, Penn State
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Joe Paterno is a college football legend whose tenure at Penn State has made him one of the most successful coaches of all time, but we're more than 40 years into this one and at 83 years old, you have to wonder how much he has left in the tank.
In a year where many expected Penn State to struggle, a 7-5 record isn't really surprising, but most fans outside of Pennsylvania see him as a figurehead while his staff of assistants, led by Tom Bradley, does most of the game-planning.
9. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
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Kirk Ferentz is widely considered one of the top coaches in all of college football, but after a disappointing 2010 campaign that ended with three straight losses to Northwestern, Ohio State and Minnesota, there's a feeling some of that credit is undeserved.
Ferentz is the second-longest tenured coach in the Big Ten, but has a record of 81-55 over that time. And while he's won a share of two Big Ten titles, he's never won the conference outright. Take away an 11-2 record in 2009 and Ferentz overall record since 2005 is 35-27.
8. Pat Hill, Fresno State
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Pat Hill garnered Fresno State a ton of attention with his play-anyone attitude, but the fact remains that while the strategy has made him somewhat of a media darling and given the Bulldogs more of a bit, they haven't actually beaten the elite opponents on the schedule.
Hill has only won the WAC once since taking over at Fresno State in 1997 and the Bulldogs have only finished one season ranked over that time as well. So while you have to give him credit for coaching without fear, the accomplishments have been minimal.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Mack Brown, Texas
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Before Texas fans start throwing rocks, keep in mind that while Brown had never led Texas to less than a nine-win season before the debacle this year, he only has one national championship and two Big 12 titles to show for it.
Only one national championship? Yeah it sounds harsh to say but when you routinely field top-rated talent and bring in top-rated recruiting classes more is expected. After a 5-7 season, we're wondering if Brown is really as good a coach as he is a recruiter.
6. Mark Richt, Georgia
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It's hard to admit that Richt belongs on this list considering how well Georgia has played under his tenure, but after being good and not great for a decade, Bulldogs fans are understandably wanting more.
Six seasons with at least 10 wins from 2002 to 2008 and no national championships to show for it has put Richt on the hotseat. Watching the team collapse on itself this season with a 6-6 record makes you wonder how much longer Richt will be around.
5. Jeff Tedford, Cal
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There's no denying that Jeff Tedford turned things around at Cal. Before he came along in 2002, the program had fallen into embarrassment and no one should take more credit for turning the Golden Bears back into a national power.
If not for USC he might have won the Pac-10 more than once, but the fact remains that Cal has been on the downward trend for awhile now and after a 5-7 season in 2010 it's become clear that this is no longer one of the elite teams in the Pac-10. And yet Tedford maintains his reputation that should be close to expiring.
4. Les Miles, LSU
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Les Miles is a coach you'll always find on overrated lists. Of course there's the popular belief that he won his 2007 national championship with Nick Saban's players, but this one goes beyond that.
Miles poor game management, particularly when it comes to the clock, is notorious. Considering this team has lost 11 games in the last three seasons to a wide variety of teams, it becomes clear that Miles is capable of coaching his team to victory over the best and losing to the worst. He might have given himself another year after a good season, but he'll be on the hotseat yet again in 2011.
3. Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
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Kelly earned his reputation as a Division II coach in his years with Grand Valley State and there's no denying that he's the main reason Cincinnati had as much success as it did, but most Notre Dame fans expected him to come to South Bend and instantly turn the Irish into national contenders.
But let's face it, the Big East isn't exactly a power conference. Kelly might have led Notre Dame to victories against overrated opponents like USC and Utah, but he also lost every other big game on the schedule. It may be early to pick on him, but we're just not sold that success at Cincinnati makes him the next great coach at Notre Dame.
2. Lane Kiffin, USC
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Lane Kiffin is consistently considered one of the better coaches in college football, but what exactly has he done to this point in his career to earn the reputation he seems to hold?
Kiffin's NFL experiment was a disaster. He went 7-6 in his lone season at Tennessee and led USC to a 7-5 record this year. Sure, he was solid offensive coordinator with the Trojans under Pete Carroll, but being the head coach is a different ball game and he's done little to show he can be a success at it.
1. Rich Rodriguez, Michigan
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Lets face it, it seems like ages since Rich Rodriguez was leading West Virginia to Big East titles and national relevance. But at the same time, he still seems to be riding that reputation in his years with Michigan.
But after three years and a 15-21 record, watching Michigan lose five of its last seven games. If you're wondering when to bet on Rodriguez getting the boot, now is as good a time as any.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
