College Football: The 25 Most Personable Coaches in College Football
Coaching a college football team takes fortitude, a sense of humor and an unlimited supply of visors.
Through the pages of this list, you will find the guys who don't take themselves too seriously, command respect or are always open to a conversation.
While not all of them are the funniest guys in the world, and not all of them are the most famous coaches of their time, they still make us laugh, listen and learn.
Personable basically mans a person people want to be around, and these coaches definitely fit that category...
So let's kick it off with the retiree who will have you rolling on the floor, and maybe you will have to run out by the end of this slideshow and buy a visor of your own.
25. Joe Green: Montana Tech Orediggers
1 of 25Joe Green retired last year after 24 years at Montana Tech.
What a shame.
Green was the, arguably, most quotable coach in the history of the game.
24. Brady Hoke: Michigan Wolverines
2 of 25
After piloting the San Diego State Aztecs to semi-respectability, Brady Hoke may now have more pressure on him than any coach in the country.
While he sits atop a virtual powder keg in the Michigan coaching job, he has handled the transition with aplomb and flair that have most Wolverine fans believing what Hoke has to sell.
And to top it all off, RichRod was never on Letterman.
23. Gary Pinkel: Missouri Tigers
3 of 25
For all that the media would have us believe the Michigan job was the best offer a man could get, Coach Pinkel is the second man on this list who turned it down.
Pinkel has built a previously downtrodden program into a very solid club that performs well, year in and year out.
Pinkel is also an avid motorcyclist.
He spends much of his time roaring around the streets of Colombia on his Harley and has used his passion for riding to help raise awareness of motorcycle safety.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
22. Lane Kiffin: USC Trojans
4 of 25
Kiffin is a very polarizing figure, but love him or hate him, one has to admit he does not shy away from the public eye.
And while he has been tough on some other head coaches, Kiffin has a pretty avid following among fans of the team he currently coaches, whatever that school may be.
Kiffin has a manner of speaking and personality that draw people to him, and it shows in his recruiting. I guess you could call him charismatic.
21. Mack Brown: Texas Longhorns
5 of 25
Mack Brown commands respect, and while the definition of "personable" nowhere includes anything remotely approaching that term, it's easy to see why he made this list.
With his Texas twang and easy manner, Brown is very pleasant to talk with and has a manner of speaking that oozes personability.
20.Gary Patterson: TCU Horned Frogs
6 of 25
Gary Patterson has turned the Horned Frogs into somewhat of a juggernaut on the field while displaying poise off of it.
Through all of the Non-AQ bashing prior to the Rose Bowl, Patterson remained very low key, not getting into fights or calling people out, but instead choosing to let his team do the talking on the field.
And he handles hijacked conference calls with the press very well.
19. Joe Paterno: Penn State Nittany Lions
7 of 25
JoePa...
The man has been coaching football since Abe Lincoln was alive, or so it seems, and yet he still manages to remain relevant.
With his snappy one-liners and absolute refusal to leave the sidelines, Paterno has earned his place on this list.
Even at the age of 84, he hasn't lost his fire, but Paterno definitely cares about PSU and "his boys".
18. Brian Kelly: Notre Dame FIghting Irish
8 of 25
Say what you will about Brian Kelly and Notre Dame's struggles last season, but he has handled a high pressure job with dignity and class.
And while a BCS may be far fetched this season, he has the Irish heading in the right direction.
Check out his media day quotes from last season and the way he has handled his quarterback controversy.
Kelly had this to say about Dayne Crist: "We come into this year with two guys who’ve won football games and a quarterback who fits the system that we recruited. We don’t have Dayne Crist feeling like he has to carry the load of the entire Irish nation on his shoulders. It’s a totally different feeling when you come in and have those dynamics working for you, compared to what it was last year."
17. Jimbo Fisher: Florida State Seminoles
9 of 25
Fisher may not be the funniest guy in the world, but it seems he is always willing to analyze when needed and share his thoughts for the press.
Taking over a job from an icon is no easy task, but Fisher has accomplished it to this point with grace and ease.
All that being said, he is dealing with more important things than football right now.
Please keep the Fisher family in your thoughts and prayers.
16. Jim Tressel: Ohio State Buckeyes
10 of 25
Liar or not, good guy or bad, Coach Tressel embodies personable.
He is a guy who exudes confidence and character, and even in the wake of scandal, he still commands respect
While he has rocked the college football world by lying about infractions, Tressel is still a very well-spoken man and has the intelligence and command of the English language to make people sit up and take notice.
15. Al Golden: Miami Hurricanes
11 of 25
Al Golden did a great job putting life into an otherwise dormant Temple football team and has now been thrust into one of the more prominent coaching jobs in the country.
He has handled the transition with all the panache and humility of a grizzled veteran and has all the answers to all the questions regarding his new job.
14. Mark Richt: Georgia Bulldogs
12 of 25
Mark Richt may be on the hot seat, but Georgia fans have long worshipped him for his straightforward manner and honest approach to the game.
While he has been maligned by some for being too soft, Richt has perservered in his position and turned out some very talented stars with his soft-spoken style.
13. Bret Bielema: Wisconsin Badgers
13 of 25
Bielema has no problem being "social".
Just listen to his plethora of interviews last season after UW scored 83 points on Indiana and he had to respond to the backlash.
Bielema is unassuming, but will not back down from tough questions and always seems willing to talk to the press.
12. Les Miles: LSU Tigers
14 of 25
Miles is a guy who is absolutely a riot in a press conference.
His sanity may be somewhat in question, but he is still fun to be around.
11. Chris Petersen: Boise State Broncos
15 of 25
Petersen's attitude and take-on-all-comers attitude regarding his football program make him a compelling figure in the world of college football.
Add into the mix that he has propelled tiny Boise State into the national consciousness, and you have a guy who draws people's attention.
He's pretty innovative with his offenses as well.
10. Chris Ault: Nevada Wolf Pack
16 of 25
You may not know it, but this guy was hugely instrumental in the integration of the pistol formation into offenses and has been around the game for a long time.
He is currently serving in his third stint since 1976 as head coach at Nevada, and his presence demands respect.
He has been a mentor to the young men on his team and is a fine example of a man that cares about people as well as winning.
9. Bronco Mendenhall: BYU Cougars
17 of 25
Other than having one of the greatest names in college football history, Mendenhall has a talent for speech.
He does a pretty good job here of explaining BYU football.
Not only does he coach, he has represented Kahuna Creations, a boarding company, and is not afraid to show off his skill, or lack thereof.
8. Doc Holliday: Marshall Thundering Herd
18 of 25
Doc Holliday is the head coach of the Marshall Thundering Herd.
Here is a quick interview.
When a guy is from Hurricane, WV and has a name like that, he has to make this list.
7. Skip Holtz: South Florida Bulls
19 of 25
Anyone with the last name of "Holtz" has to be semi-personable, right?
Coach Holtz, Skip that is, has an easygoing manner about him reminiscent of his famous father, but he is definitely his own man.
Check out this interview about moving from his position at East Carolina to USF.
6. Derek Dooley: Tennessee Volunteers
20 of 25
Dooley, son of iconic Georgia coach Vince Dooley, has some large shoes to fill, coaching in the same conference as his larger-than-life father.
While Teneesse was not exactly a world beater on the field, Dooley is fun to watch interact with fans and the press.
His first year at Tennessee offered up some memorable quotes, particularly about his parents.
5. Jerry Kill: Minnesota Golden Gophers
21 of 25
Jerry Kill, new head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers, has battled seizures and kidney cancer in his time as head coach.
And he has stayed pretty upbeat and easy to talk to throughout the whole ordeal.
When asked about his surgery, Kill responded:
“Basically I'm going into surgery and I'm rolling the dice. I said, 'Why not go to Vegas?' But I never did get to feeling good enough to do that.”
A man that can stay in good humor even after a life threatening battle with cancer is a man who should definitely be on this list.
4. Turner Gill: Kansas Jayhawks
22 of 25
Turner Gill is easily one of the classiest coaches in the game.
While the Jayhawks were atrocious last season, Gill has always displayed class and respect, from his time as a player at Nebraska to leading the Buffalo Bulls to a MAC championship.
Hey, anyone who can lead a team from Buffalo to any kind of championship is OK in my book.
3. Pat Fitzgerald: Northwestern Wildcats
23 of 25
Coach Fitzgerald has had some success leading a team with a limited talent pool to the post season.
He is also one of the most well-spoken coaches in the game today.
However, he will still have some fun when he can.
Fitzgerald once shaved his head during spring practice to raise awareness for pediatrics cancer.
Espn.com had reported that Michigan expressed interest in Fitzgerald for their head coaching position, yet Fitzgerald remains in Evanston, winning with half the resources and talent of other schools.
2. Steve Spurrier: South Carolina Gamecocks
24 of 25
Throughout his entire coaching career, "The Old Ball Coach" has been delivering laughs and zippy one-liners from a sideline near you.
Once, Spurrier addressed some Florida Gator fans when he was the head coach, telling them a fire had broken out at Auburn's football dorm, burning 20 books.
"The real tragedy", said Spurrier, " was that fifteen of them hadn't been colored yet."
1. Chip Kelly: Oregon Ducks
25 of 25
Kelly has turned Oregon into the most prolific offense in the nation and has become one of the most interesting people to watch being interviewed in the realm of college football.
From comparing Arizona State players "faking" injuries to the World Cup, to dressing as the Ducks mascot for Gameday, Kelly has a plethora of hilarious interview out there for your viewing enjoyment.
The guy is fun to watch.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
