College Football: To Cement Their Legacies, These 10 Coaches Need a Title
Do coaches really care about their legacy?
You darn well better believe it.
Paul "Bear" Bryant was a hard-nosed, demanding coach, but he also cherished the fact he won six national championships and at one time was the all-time winningest coach in the game.
If Joe Paterno didn't care about how he would be remembered does anyone really believe he'd still be coaching at 84?
They all care.
So here are 10 current coaches who could solidify their legacies by winning just one more BCS Championship.
Mark Richt, Georgia
1 of 10
Is he on the hot seat or isn't he?
Until Georgia starts playing like Georgia football is accustomed to playing, this will be the mantra surrounding Mark Richt in 2011.
Unfortunately, the Bulldogs faithful seem to forget Richt is 96-34 since taking over in 2001 and he has a 7-3 record in bowl games.
What's lacking from the resume is a BCS Championship, and that hurts considering the SEC has been a dominant force in title games.
The elusive championship probably won't come in 2011, but the talent pool seems to be deeper again in Athens and Richt is the right guy to make it happen.
Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech
2 of 10
What Frank Beamer has accomplished in Blacksburg, Va., is legendary. He actually doesn't need a championship to cement his legacy.
But think what it would mean if he did win it all? Heck, it would finally give the ACC a nugget of respectability in the college football world.
While Hokies fans think their football team is actually relevant nationally, what most everyone else has realized is Virginia Tech is a nice little football team that doesn't win any big games.
Just last season when Virginia Tech had an opportunity to make a statement the Hokies lost to Boise State and Stanford.
Beamer probably won't experience a BCS Championship before he retires, and it shouldn't diminish what he's accomplished as he gets ready for his 25th season.
Lane Kiffin, USC
3 of 10
Lane Kiffin is one of the most controversial coaches in the game, and it's usually for all of the wrong reasons.
But Kiffin is coaching one of the premiere programs in USC and the Trojans have talent and should continue to attract some of the best players in the nation.
A championship would validate his decision to bolt from Tennessee after just one season for his dream job, and it would no doubt quiet some of his detractors.
However, Kiffin is one of those coaches who would probably have to win multiple championships before he would truly earn any respect.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Gene Chizik, Auburn
4 of 10
It seems almost unfair to put Gene Chizik in this discussion, but expectations are high in the SEC. One championship is nice but a second one would be sweet.
Winning a championship on the back of Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton made the controversial hire of Chizik just two years ago look like a stroke of genius.
Don't be shocked if Auburn falls back in the pack a little of the SEC in 2011, but Chizik and his staff have attracted some of the nation's top recruits and the Tigers should become a legitimate powerhouse in the country's best league.
Just a word of advice for Mr. Chizik: If you win another title, don't be surprised when they want more.
Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
5 of 10
Bob Stoops has won nearly 81 percent of his games and collects a cool $4.3 million a year to coach the Sooners.
But his pitiful BCS record (3-5) is a liability to his legacy.
He does have one championship (2000) and seven Big 12 crowns to his credit, but expectations are high every season in Norman, Okla., and many are trying to figure out why he hasn't discovered the winning formula again.
Stoops' reputation is helped by the fact he has been extremely loyal to Oklahoma when Notre Dame and the NFL have come calling with big-time money and he shoos them away every time.
Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
6 of 10
Sorry, but Kirk Ferentz is that coach outsiders can't figure out why people in Iowa love him so much.
If he were the coach at countless other programs and had an 89-60 record and just two Big Ten championships to go with a $3.65 million salary he'd be on the hot seat.
Somehow he's not.
A quick fix to all of his doubters would be to win a BCS Championship.
Is that realistic at Iowa? Maybe not, but he certainly gets a paycheck that suggests he should at least get a shot at playing for one.
Les Miles, LSU
7 of 10
Let's face it, Les Miles doesn't get a lot of respect (can't you just hear Rodney Dangerfield?).
Still, Miles led the Tigers to the 2007 BCS Championship despite suffering two losses. LSU beat Ohio State 38-24 in the title game.
Even with a 90-38 overall record, Miles is considered lucky by many. He is thought of as an outstanding recruiter, but many question his ability to actually coach that great talent.
If Miles figured out a way to harness the Tigers' ability and earn another championship in Baton Rouge, the talk about his coaching acumen would diminish.
Jim Tressel, Ohio State
8 of 10
In just his second season in Columbus, Jim Tressel led the beloved Ohio State Buckeyes to an upset victory over Miami to claim his first BCS Championship.
Eight years later he's still waiting on that second one that many believed he would have by now.
Of course, he's had opportunities. The Buckeyes lost back-to-back championship games to Florida (2006) and LSU (2007).
Tressel and the Buckeyes got a bad rap of not being able to handle the SEC speed and ever since Ohio State has been trying to disprove that myth.
Consecutive BCS Bowl victories have helped, but until Tressel leads OSU to a second championship his legend will fall just below Woody Hayes.
Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
9 of 10
You've heard it before—Brian Kelly just wins.
He won Division II championships at Grand Valley State and he won conference titles at Central Michigan and Cincinnati.
At Notre Dame only one type of championship means anything and that's the big trophy they hand out at the end of the season.
After a rocky start in his first year in South Bend, it appears Kelly is back on track.
The Irish closed with four consecutive wins, including a blow out of rival Miami in the Sun Bowl, and recruiting was especially kind to Kelly.
If Kelly could win at Cincinnati (even though it was a much easier Big East schedule) he can clearly win at Notre Dame.
The Irish haven't enjoyed a title since the 1988 season, so if Kelly can continue his magical ways the Notre Dame faithful will love this guy forever.
Steve Spurrier, South Carolina
10 of 10
Spurrier's legacy is solid and he'll always be remembered as one of college football's greatest coaches.
He has the great record (186-73-2) to go with six SEC championships and one ACC championship, but Spurrier has managed just one national championship.
Of course there are many coaches who would kill for one title, but with all of the hype and high salary ($1.75 million annually) that follow Spurrier you would expect a little more.
Recruiting has gone well for the Gamecocks the past few years and he has South Carolina headed in the right direction.
Spurrier is one of the greats, but adding a second championship would elevate him to a new plateau.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
