College Football: Is Every BCS Coach's Best Years Ahead of or Behind Him?

Each coach who has risen to the helm of a BCS program has a different story and career path completely unique to him.

Most played college ball somewhere and then paid their dues as an assistant in the collegiate ranks, while others spent considerable time in the NFL.

All have had to pack up their families and travel from city to city as their career path trended upwards to the pinnacle of college football—a head spot at a program in a BCS conference.

An interesting question to pose when looking back at these guys’ career timelines in coaching is whether what falls before this year represents their biggest successes or, instead, do their biggest achievements lay somewhere in the future?

And that’s exactly what this slideshow does, by predicting one scenario or the other for each of the current BCS coaches.

Factors affecting this provocative question are their age, the unique situation at their current program, their past successes and a bunch of unknown variables we can’t foresee regardless of how much we know (i.e. if one of these guys unexpectedly makes a BCS run in 2011, all bets are off).

Frank Spaziani, Boston College

Frank Spaziani played linebacker at Penn State from 1965-68 and then spent the next 40 years as an assistant before finally landing the head job at Boston College in 2009.

Even though Spaziani is 64 years old, you have to figure his best years as a head man are ahead of him and that he will improve on his 16-11 record over two seasons and possibly add a divisional title and better his 1-2 record in bowl games.

Dabo Swinney, Clemson

Dabo Swinney played wide receiver at Alabama before embarking on a 15-year odyssey as an assistant that led to his capturing the head job at Clemson in 2008.

Swinney is 19-15 overall at Clemson and 1-2 in bowls; at the youthful age of 41, you have to assume that his best years are ahead of him.

Jimbo Fisher, Florida State

A native of West Virginia, Jimbo Fisher played QB at the collegiate level at both Samford and Salem College. Fisher debuted as a college assistant in 1991 as the OC at Samford and then, after numerous coaching stops, he took over as the head man at Florida State in 2010.

Fisher led the Seminoles to a 10-4 finish in his first season which included an ACC Atlantic title and a 26-17 win over South Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

All indicators are that Fisher’s best years as a head coach are ahead of him with 2011 looking very promising for FSU to return to the BCS for the first time since 2005-06.

Randy Edsall, Maryland

Edsall played college football at Syracuse where he was a QB from 1976-79.  He coached at his alma mater from 1980-90 before making several stops as a defensive assistant until 1999 when he landed the head job at UConn.

Edsall successfully guided the Huskies from the FCS to the FBS and the on to the Big East and overall went 74-70 at UConn including a 3-2 record in bowls and two Big East titles.

Edsall is a spry 52, and his body of work at UConn needs to be viewed while considering the Huskies didn’t move up to the big time until 2000 which makes their record considerably more impressive.

The move to Maryland is probably a good one for Edsall, but he will have to struggle to get the Terrapins to the top of the ACC Atlantic; they are a solid squad but don’t enjoy the media or fan attention of divisional rivals Florida State and Clemson.

If Edsall can be successful, you could easily predict he will move on again in several years making me believe that what lies ahead is even better than what he has already accomplished.

Tom O’Brien, NC State

For a 62-year-old guy, Tom O’Brien has a relatively brief resume (as far as football coaches are concerned).

O’Brien played defensive end at the Naval Academy from 1968-70 and then started his coaching career at his alma mater where he was an offensive positional coach from 1975-81, then went on to a long stint with Virginia as an offensive line coach from 1982-96.

O’Brien took the head job at Boston College in 1997 and compiled a 75-45 record before being offered the NC State job in 2007.

O’Brien is 25-25 over four seasons with the Wolfpack, but took NC State to its first nine-plus-win season since 2002 when they went 11-3 under Chuck Amato.

Tom O’Brien won a Big East conference title (2004) and an ACC Atlantic crown (2005) with Boston College, so predicting that his best years are “ahead” of him means eclipsing these titles and adding more.

I think O’Brien has about a 50/50 chance of making this happen and, since I’m an optimist, I’m going to say his best years are ahead of him; a possibility that comes totally true with a BCS bid for the Wolfpack.

Jim Grobe, Wake Forest

Jim Grobe played both guard and linebacker for Ferum and then Virginia in the early 1970s before starting his career in coaching.

After spending two decades as an assistant, Grobe landed the head job at Ohio in 1995 and led the Bobcats to a 33-33-1 record over six seasons.

Grobe secured the Wake Forest job in 2001 and thus far has posted a 62-60-1 record and is 3-1 in bowl games.  His banner year came in 2006 when he led the Demon Deacons to an 11-3 record which included an ACC Atlantic title and a BCS bid that resulted in a loss to Louisville in the Orange Bowl.

Grobe is nearly 60 years old and you have to figure that, unless he moves on to a more historically successful program (which will be harder to do after going 8-16 over the last two seasons), his best head-coaching years are behind him.

David Cutcliffe, Duke

David Cutcliffe attended Alabama and, though he didn’t play football for the Tide, was a student assistant on Bear Bryant’s staff.

Cutcliffe spent about 15 years as an assistant at Tennessee before landing the head job at Ole Miss in 1998 where he led the Rebels to a 44-29 record (4-1 in bowls) over seven seasons.

After three seasons as an assistant at Notre Dame and then a brief stint back at Tennessee, Cutcliffe was named the head coach at Duke in 2008.

Cutcliffe is 12-24 thus far at Duke which is perhaps the toughest coaching job in the ACC.

So, was the pinnacle of Cutcliffe’s head-coaching career at Ole Miss or does he have something else up his sleeve?

Well, at 56 years old, there is still plenty of time left; but the Duke job is almost impossible to catapult into something bigger and better unless Cutcliffe can manage a major coup (like their first bowl appearance since 1995 or their first bowl win since 1961).

Cutcliffe’s glory days as a head man might be behind him, but he is a very good football coach who may well be plucked by a wise AD in the future.

Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech

Paul Johnson holds two national titles at the NCAA DI-AA level; both came when he was the head coach at Georgia Southern where he posted a 62-10 record over five sizzling seasons.

Johnson left Georgia Southern for the Navy job in 2002 and amassed a 45-29 record from 2002-07 as the Midshipmen’s gridiron leader.

Johnson took over at Georgia Tech in 2008, and since then has gone 26-14, is 0-3 in bowls but has already secured two divisional and one conference titles.

Paul Johnson is only 53 years old and, though he has already been very successful as a head coach, you have got to believe he is young enough to build on his achievements in the future; whether at Georgia Tech or at another BCS location.

Al Golden, Miami FL

Al Golden played tight end at Penn State from 1987-91 and, after bouncing around at assistant positions for a little over a decade, landed the Temple job in 2006.

Golden’s overall record at Temple, 27-34, should be viewed by taking into consideration that he took a one-win team to eight and nine wins by the end of his five-year tenure.

Golden took the Miami job this offseason and it will be interesting to see if he can take Miami back to the heights they last enjoyed as members of the Big East.

I think it is safe to say, looking backwards and then forwards, that the 41-year-old Golden has a lot of gridiron glory ahead of him.

Butch Davis, North Carolina

Butch Davis played defensive end at Arkansas before starting a coaching career that included significant stops at the high school, collegiate and pro level.

Davis’ first head-coaching gig came at Miami in 1995; he led the Hurricanes to a 51-20 record and three Big East crowns over his six-year tenure.

After four seasons as the NFL Cleveland Brown’s head man, Davis moved on to North Carolina where he has gone 28-23 in four years.

Davis will turn 60 this fall and, though he could lead Carolina to greater heights, the bulk of his sideline success might be in the rear view mirror.

Mike London, Virginia

Mike London played defensive back at FCS Richmond from 1979-82, which is the same institution that gave him his first shot at a head-coaching job in 2008.

London’s Richmond teams went an impressive 24-5 over his two seasons at the helm and won the FCS national championship in 2008.

London took over as the head coach at Virginia last season and the Cavaliers went 4-8 in his first campaign.

Mike London is a spry 50 years old and, though he already claims a NCAA national title, he is exactly the type of coach who is primed for plenty of FBS success.

Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech

Frank Beamer played cornerback at Virginia Tech from 1966-69 and, after three coaching stops, took over as the head man of his alma mater in 1987.

Beamer is 198-95-2 all-time as the Hokies coach and has earned three Big East and four ACC crowns thus far.

Frank Beamer will turn 65 this October, but I’m going out on a limb and saying that this long-time coach’s best years are ahead of him; in the form of a first ever national title for the Hokies.

Art Briles, Baylor

Art Briles played wide receiver at Houston (but is a 1979 graduate of Texas Tech) and coached at the high school level before becoming the running backs' coach at Texas Tech in 2000.

Briles was named the head coach at Houston in 2003 where he led the Cougars to a 34-28 record over five seasons and captured a Conference USA title in 2006.

Briles took over at Baylor in 2008 and though his 15-22 record might seem underwhelming, he is the coach who finally took the Bears over .500 which meant bowl eligibility for the first time since they joined the Big 12 in 1996.

Briles will be 55 this fall and, if can continue to turn the tide at Baylor, you have to figure bigger and better things lay ahead for the coach from Rule, Texas.

Paul Rhoads, Iowa State

Paul Rhoads played defensive back at Missouri Western from 1985-88 and served as the defensive coordinator at Auburn in 2008 before securing the Iowa State job in 2009.

Rhoads is 12-13 in his first two seasons as the Cyclones head guy which should be qualified by the fact that ISU played what Phil Steele ranked (preseason) the toughest schedule in college football in 2010.

Rhoads is only 44, is highly talented and enthusiastic and has all the “right stuff” to be one of the real coaching giants in the next decade.

Paul Rhoads’ best years are ahead of him.

Turner Gill, Kansas

Turner Gill played QB at Nebraska from 1980-83 and spent a couple of seasons playing in the CFL before bouncing around the country in an assistant-coaching capacity.  He landed the head job at Buffalo in 2006.

Buffalo went 20-30 over Gill’s four years on the sidelines which included one MAC title (2008).

Gill took the Kansas job prior to last season and the Jayhawks went 3-9 in his inaugural BCS campaign.

Kansas is a tough place to coach football and it is the kind of job that can launch a career as easily as it can end it; Gill is a talented young coach but success at Kansas will be a chore as will be the task of taking his career to the next level.

I like Gill, but you could go either way with whether his best years are ahead of him or behind him; my best guess is the latter.

Bill Snyder, Kansas State

Bill Snyder played QB at Missouri and then William Jewell in the late 1950s and traversed all over college football before securing the head job at Kansas State in 1989.

Bill Snyder is Kansas State football and he is the engineer of the Wildcats revival that earned Snyder a 149-80-1 record, a 6-6 mark in bowl games, a Big 12 crown (2003) and four divisional titles.

Snyder will be 72 this fall and, though he might have the Wildcats back in contention during his second era in Manhattan Kansas, age is perhaps the only thing that makes you believe that what lies behind will eclipse what lays ahead for the kid from St. Joseph, Missouri.

Gary Pinkel, Missouri

Gary Pinkel played tight end at Kent State from 1970-73 before spending approximately 15 years as a college football assistant which led to him being named the head coach at Toledo in 1991.

Pinkel led the Rockets to a whopping 73-37-3 record and a MAC title in 10 seasons which was enough evidence for Missouri to hire him in 2001.

Pinkel is 77-49 thus far at Mizzou, a record that includes a 3-4 record in bowl games and three Big 12 North titles.

Gary Pinkel is nearly 60 years old, but I believe that the best of his long coaching career lays ahead of him; whether it’s finally capturing a Big 12 conference crown for the Tigers or bringing another program to glory in the BCS.

Bob Stoops, Oklahoma

Bob Stoops grew up in a football household in Youngstown Ohio and went on to play defensive back at Iowa from 1979-82.

After defensive coaching stops at Kansas State and Florida, Stoops became the head man at Oklahoma in 1999 and has, quite literally, never looked back.

Stoops' stats in Norman are overwhelmingly good; 129-31 overall, 6-6 in bowls, eight BCS appearances in 12 seasons, one national title and seven Big 12 crowns.

So, is what lies ahead for Coach Stoops (only 50 years old) better than what he has accomplished thus far?

As much as this guy has done, you have to think that the sky is the limit for Stoops, wherever he might go; and this means championships.

Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State

Mike Gundy is only 43 years old and, other than a brief stop at Baylor and four years at Maryland, he has spent his entire playing and coaching career at Oklahoma State.

After leading the Cowboys as a QB from 1986-89, Gundy was an assistant coach in Stillwater from 1990-95 and then returned “home” in 2001 to take the OC position which he held until being named the head man in 2005.

Gundy is 47-29 so far at Oklahoma State, is 3-2 in bowl games and captured a piece of the Big 12 title last season.

Though Gundy’s ultimate success might be found outside of Stillwater, he is young enough and polished enough to, at the very least, get a shot to extend his achievements in the future.

Mack Brown, Texas

The highest priced coach in the land began his collegiate career as a running back at Vanderbilt and then Florida State in the early 1970s and landed his first head coaching job at Appalachian State in 1983.

After an underwhelming three seasons at Tulane (11-23), Brown led North Carolina to a 69-46 mark from 1988-97 which was enough to secure the highly coveted Texas job in 1998.

Brown is 133-34 all-time at Texas, 8-4 in bowls and led the Longhorns to the 2005 national title.

Though it’s hard to totally accept the notion that 2010’s 5-7 finish is indicative of further angst in Austin, it almost seems like Brown will stick around just long enough to return Texas to respectability.

Mack Brown’s best years may well lay behind him.

Mike Sherman, Texas A&M

Mike Sherman played lineman at Central Connecticut State from 1974-77 and, other than his current role, is probably best known for being the head coach at Green Bay from 2000-05.

Sherman is 19-19 thus far at Texas A&M and is 0-2 in bowl games; 2011 will be the tell tale as to whether Sherman will finally take the Aggies back to national relevance or instead become the next former Texas A&M head coach.

With the balance of the Big 12 being so strong coming into 2011, it may be that Sherman’s timing is bad and that the Aggies, though a good team, won’t have enough gas to make a second-ever BCS appearance and save Sherman as a part of the bargain.

Tommy Tuberville, Texas Tech

Tommy Tuberville has held head-coaching jobs at three BCS schools; Ole Miss from 1995-98 (25-20), Auburn from 1999-08 (85-40) and now Texas Tech where he took over last season (8-5).

Tuberville is 7-3 all-time in bowls and has earned one SEC championship and five SEC west crowns.

Can he do more and is he young enough to provide the years necessary to do so?

At 56, Tuberville has youth in his corner—even if Texas Tech isn’t the place to get it done, he definitely has the skills to eclipse his past success somewhere in the future (and the homer in me says, “please let it be in Lubbock”).

Butch Jones, Cincinnati

Butch Jones was an assistant at Central Michigan from 1998-2006 before landing the head job there in 2007.

Jones went 20-13 in three seasons at CMU which included two MAC titles and two bowl losses.

Jones took over at Cincinnati last season and led the Bearcats to a disappointing 4-8 finish.

What’s interesting about Jones’ success at Central Michigan is the participation of QB Dan LeFevour who was there for the entire run which begs the question: What if LeFevour hadn’t been at CMU, then what?

Though there are no definitive answers to hypothetical questions, Butch Jones’ best years (at least as a head coach) might have played out in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.

Paul Pasqualoni, Connecticut

Paul Pasqualoni played linebacker at Penn State from 1968-71 and is most well known for his 14 seasons as the head coach at Syracuse (1991-04) where he led the Orange to a 107-59-1 record including four Big East titles.

Pasqualoni took the UConn job this past offseason and most recently served as an NFL assistant at the Dolphins and Cowboys.

At age 61, Pasqualoni has been active in coaching for almost 40 years and the Connecticut job is not necessarily a place where glory comes easy, which makes you believe that his best years are behind him.

Charlie Strong, Louisville

Charlie Strong has a long coaching resume that stretches almost three decades and finally culminated in his first shot at a head job last season when he led the Louisville Cardinals to a 7-7 finish and a bowl victory.

Strong is only 50 and has to be considered a rising star in coaching—watch for his name to be mentioned for higher profile jobs within the next five years, this is a guy who has a lot to look forward to.

Todd Graham, Pittsburgh

Todd Graham played defensive back for East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma from 1983-86 and got his first shot at a head coaching job at Rice in 2006.

Graham led Rice to a 7-6 finish which was enough for Tulsa to offer him a job which lasted four seasons and resulted in a 36-17 record, three divisional titles, three bowl victories and the Hurricanes' first postseason raking in 20 years.

It’s no mystery why Pitt put the ball in Graham’s capable hands after their coaching drama this offseason; a decision that may pay off handsomely.

Graham is only 46 and is another guy who may become a hot commodity in the coaching market as time marches on.

Greg Schiano, Rutgers

The enthusiastic Greg Schiano played linebacker at Bucknell from 1985-88 and, after spending just over a decade as both a collegiate and NFL assistant, he landed the Rutgers job in 2001.

The Scarlet Knights are 59-63 under Schiano, are 4-1 in bowls and finished 2006 at 11-2 and ranked No. 12 in the nation.

Schiano is a young guy (45) but you have to wonder if he should have left Rutgers when his star was rising—sadly, now his loyalty is repaid by him needing to make another magnificent run in order for him to be eligible to move onwards and upwards (to a program with more potential for success).

Still, and despite the logic, it’s hard to count Schiano out this early, which leads me to think he still has a bright future (and I personally hope it’s at Rutgers).

Skip Holtz, USF

Being the son of one of college football’s most famous coaches is both a huge advantage (you’ve got the name and the connections) and a huge determent (how will you ever earn respect on your own).

Skip Holtz has handled this precarious position with a lot of grace thus far and his 34-23 run at UConn (at the FCS level) and his 38-27 mark at East Carolina proves that he is far more than just “daddy’s boy.”

Holtz took a young USF team to an 8-5 finish (and bowl victory) in his inaugural season in South Florida last year and, despite the obvious name recognition, Holtz has all the right stuff to be a big time head coach.

Doug Marrone, Syracuse

Doug Marrone played offensive lineman at Syracuse from 1983-85 and eventually took over the head job at his alma mater (in 2009) after spending almost 20 years as a collegiate and NFL assistant.

Marrone is only 46 and his two-season mark of 12-13 at the ‘Cuse should be qualified by pointing out that the Orange’s 8-5 finish in 2010 (which included their first bowl win since 2001) was almost miraculous.

Boy, would it be fun to see Marrone hang around at Syracuse and put the Orange in contention to win the Big East consistently; but, wherever he winds up, you have to believe that his greatest achievements lie in front of him.

Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia

Dana Holgorsen has been an offensive assistant since 1993 and has been transforming air attacks in that capacity for almost 20 years.

Now that Holgorsen has the full weight of the reins in his hand, how will his offense (and maybe more importantly his defense) perform?

My guess is that the 40-year-old Iowa native (perhaps that’s his next stop) is destined to be one of the great coaching minds of our era of college football.

Ron Zook, Illinois

Ron Zook played defensive back at Miami (OH) from 1973-75 and spent nearly two decades as an assistant coach (college and pro) before finally landing the head job at Florida in 2002.

Zook went 23-15 in three seasons at Florida and then accepted the Illinois job in 2005. Zook’s Illini are 28-45 thus far (in six seasons) and they have only been bowl-eligible twice. 

Zook is approaching 60, and unless he can seriously improve on his 7-6 mark in 2010 (in short order, which will be made more difficult by the new Big Ten format) he might be on the wrong side of the success line.

Kevin Wilson, Indiana

Kevin Wilson played offensive line at North Carolina in the early '80s and has served as an offensive assistant all over the country—most recently, he was Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator, a position he held from 2002-10.

Wilson took the Indiana job during the offseason which marks his first foray into head-coaching.

Coaching the Hoosiers is no easy task, but if he can have even limited success at Indiana, a program that has a reputation for struggling, it could catapult him onwards and upwards.

Kevin Wilson will turn 50 this fall and is well situated for a successful head-coaching career.

Luke Fickell, Ohio State

Luke Fickell played nose guard at Ohio State from 1993-96 and, other than coaching defensive line at Akron from 2000-01, has spent his entire coaching career at OSU.

Fickell is probably in the most precarious position of any of the coaches on this list as he takes over the reins in Columbus from ousted Jim Tressel for the scandal-ridden Buckeyes, who are answering questions about cash and tattoos rather than linemen and yardage.

Fickell is young enough (37) to rebound from whatever happens next, but it’s difficult to buy-in to the fact that this guy is the answer for the Buckeyes long term.  To me, he seems more like a stop gap solution to get Ohio State through the storm only to be dumped so they can hire a “big name” coach.

But, if he’s successful over the next season or so, and even if Ohio State won’t keep him, you have to believe he has a reasonable chance at future success at the head-coaching level.

Joe Paterno, Penn State

Joe Paterno played QB and cornerback at Brown from 1946-49 and has never coached any place other than Penn State.

After serving as an assistant for 15 years, JoePa became the Nittany Lions head coach in 1966 and since then has posted a 401-135-3 record, is 24-12-1 in bowls, has two national titles and three Big Ten crowns.

Paterno’s age combined with his absolutely unprecedented run of success at Penn State, make it a pretty sure bet that his past achievements won’t be eclipsed by those that occur this season and onwards.

Yes, Penn State could win it all next year but, as amazing as that would be (and it would be stellar), that couldn’t shake a stick at 401 wins.

Danny Hope, Purdue

Danny Hope laced it up in college as an offensive tackle for Eastern Kentucky in the late 1970s.

After coaching offensive line all over the country (including Purdue from 1997-01), Hope landed the head job at his alma mater (Eastern Kentucky) in 2003-07 where he posted a 35-22 record.

Hope took over as the head man at Purdue in 2009 and thus far has gone 9-15 over two seasons.

Danny Hope is a young guy (52) but Purdue is another job that is hard to use as a jumping board to bigger and better things.  If he can start to improve the Boilermakers (no easy task in the stacked Big Ten) then he could either eclipse his EKU success there or move to another job where victory comes easier.

It’s another toss up and I’m going to say that Danny Hope’s best years (as a head coach) are out the back window of his truck.

Bret Bielema, Wisconsin

Bret Bielema played nose guard for Iowa from 1989-92 and held three college assistant jobs over a decade before being named the head coach at Wisconsin in 2006.

Bielema is a sizzling 49-16 in five seasons as the Badgers head man, is 2-3 in bowl games and is 21-5 over the past two seasons.

Bret Bielema may be in the best spot of anyone on this list to achieve grand things in the future; he’s at the right place, at the right time and he’s only 41 years young.

Kirk Ferentz, Iowa

Kirk Ferentz played linebacker for UConn (then an FCS team) from 1974-76 and landed his first head job at Maine in 1990.

Maine went 12-21 over three seasons under Ferentz who moved on to coach offensive line in the NFL from 1993-98 before being offered the Iowa job in 1999.

The Hawkeyes are 89-60 all-time under Ferentz, are 6-3 in bowl games and have won two Big Ten titles.

Ferentz is approaching 60 but you have to believe that a third BCS appearance and a national title run are still in the landscape of his future which makes impending triumphs look better than those that fall in the past.

Brady Hoke, Michigan

Brady Hoke played linebacker at Ball State from 1977-80 and served as an assistant coach (including at Michigan from 1995-02) before being named the head man at his alma mater in 2003.

Hoke went 34-38 at Ball State and was offered the San Diego State job in 2009 where he led the Aztecs to a 13-12 mark in two seasons.

Hoke was offered the Michigan job during the offseason and now sits in the precarious position of either being a legendary coach in Ann Arbor or being that guy who “coached at Michigan for a couple of years.”

Well, it could swing either way for Hoke who is an underwhelming 47-50 (1-2) in bowls as a head coach, but I’m going to side with the faction that says the man from Kettering, Ohio won’t botch his “once in a career” opportunity and say it’s glory that lies ahead, not behind, Brady Hoke.

Mark Dantonio, Michigan State

Mark Dantonio played defensive back at South Carolina from 1976-78 and made nine whistle stops on the assistant coaching trail before landing the head job at Cincinnati in 2004.

The Bearcats went 18-17 in Dantonio’s three seasons which was enough for Michigan State to hire him in 2007 to stalk Sparty’s sidelines.

Dantonio is 33-19 at MSU, including sharing the 2010 Big Ten title; he is in his mid-50s and, despite his recent health issues, Dantonio’s future looks bright.

If nothing else, he should be able to improve on his 1-4 record in bowl games.

Jerry Kill, Minnesota

Jerry Kill played college ball at Southwestern (in Kansas) from 1979-82, and after nine brief years as an assistant coach he began to fill out his impressive resume as a head football coach.

First Kill went 38-14 at Saginaw State (1994-98) from which he moved on to Emporia State (11-11 from 1999-00), Southern Illinois (55-32 from 2001-07) and Northern Illinois (23-16 from 2008-10).

Kill secured the Minnesota job this past offseason.

So, can Kill eclipse a 127-73 record and four conference titles at Minnesota?

Well, he’s just now 50 and if he can produce even vaguely similar success levels at Minnesota to those of his past stops, he could move again and really make some waves in the FBS.

I say Jerry Kill is going to put a little “shock and awe” treatment on our favorite game.

Bo Pelini, Nebraska

The vein-popping, head-coaching Pelini started his long journey in college football by playing safety at Ohio State (things that make you go hmm) from 1987-90.

After making stops all over college and pro football as an assistant, Pelini landed the coveted Nebraska job in 2008 and has, thus far, led the Cornhuskers to a 30-12 record including three consecutive Big 12 North divisional titles.

At just shy of 45 years of age, Bo Pelini is going to be screaming fanatically from the sidelines for years to come and you can bet that what he’s done so far is just a precursor to something giant.

Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern

It’s hard not to like Pat Fitzgerald, and it’s hard not to root for him and his Northwestern squad.

Fitzgerald played linebacker at Northwestern from 1993-96 and was named the head coach of his alma mater in 2006.

His record is 34-29 thus far—when you watch Northwestern play better each season and consider the fact that this guy isn’t even 40, you realize that he is going to win some titles, some bowl games and possibly more; regardless of where he goes in the future.

Mike Stoops, Arizona

Another product of Youngstown Ohio, Mike Stoops played defensive back at Iowa from 1982-84 before becoming an assistant at Iowa, Kansas State and then Oklahoma.

Stoops secured the Arizona job in 2004 and since that time has gone 40-45 and has reached bowl eligibility just three times in seven seasons.

Whether Stoops will hang on in Arizona or not is up in the air, and where he might hang his hat next is just as much of an unknown.

Perhaps this Stoops is more suited for a long run as an assistant who would lead to another head opportunity; regardless, it’s difficult to look at history and say that this guy is lined up for huge future achievements.

Dennis Erickson, Arizona State

Dennis Erickson played QB at Montana State in the late '60s and has held head-coaching jobs at Idaho (1982-85), Wyoming (1986), Washington State (1987-88), Miami FL (1989-94), the NFL Seattle Seahawks (1995-98), Oregon State (1999-02), the NFL San Francisco 49ers (2003-04), back at Idaho (2006) and finally Arizona State (2007 until now).

This guy has been the answer to more people’s coaching questions than Randy Johnson has been the solution to baseball team’s pitching concerns.

Erickson’s overall collegiate record is 173-89-1, he has two FBS national titles, six conference titles and he is 5-6 in bowl play.

Even if Erickson really does lead the Sun Devils to the Promised Land in 2011, it can’t eclipse what he has already achieved in his first 65 years.

Jon Embree, Colorado

An alumnus of Colorado, Jon Embree played tight end for the Buffaloes from 1983-86 and his hiring for the 2011 season marks his first campaign as a head coach on any level.

Since Embree (a member of the under-50 crowd) has never been a sideline boss previously, it’s pretty safe to stay that whatever glory he might achieve is all in the future.

Rick Neuheisel, UCLA

Yet another guy living the dream at his alma mater, Rick Neuheisel played QB at UCLA from 1980-83 and has previously held head coaching jobs at both Colorado (1995-98, 33-14) and Washington (1999-02, 33-16).

Neuheisel spent some time in the NFL as an assistant before getting back into the college game when UCLA came calling in 2008.

He is 15-22 thus far as the Bruins head man and has had UCLA bowl-eligible only once (when they went 7-6 in 2009).

All in all, Neuheisel is 81-52 as a head coach, he’s 5-3 in bowls and he has one conference title (the 2000 Pac-10 crown).

Logic tells you that Neuheisel looks a little over-cooked, but at only 50 you have to figure if he got into the right situation again he’d be able to win a couple of more conference titles and possibly find his way back into the BCS.

Lane Kiffin, USC

Lane Kiffin’s first role on the collegiate gridiron came in the mid 1990s when he played QB at Fresno State.

After just under a decade as an assistant coach at both the pro and college levels, Kiffin was hired as a head coach by the NFL’s Oakland Raiders in 2007.

After an underwhelming season-and-a-half in the Al Davis arena, Kiffin was offered the head job at Tennessee for the 2009 season; a job he dropped like a hot potato when USC dialed him up in 2010.

Overall, Kiffin is 20-26 as a head coach (at both levels combined) which makes you wonder if he is fully deserving of his “whiz kid” status.

He’s not even 40 but, despite the hype, Lane Kiffin hasn’t “saved” anyone yet.

You have to figure with his name recognition this kid will keep getting opportunities until he finally stays, clicks and wins.

If nothing else, he’ll improve on his 0-1 record in bowls which means future “success” is better than the lack there of when looking backwards.

Kyle Whittingham, Utah

One of the newest coaches in the BCS (by virtue of his Utes moving into the Pac-12 in 2011) Kyle Wittingham played linebacker at BYU from 1978-81.

Whittingham was an assistant at Utah for a decade before being named the head coach in 2005 and has thus far amassed an impressive 58-20 record which includes a 6-1 mark in bowl games (including a BCS victory) and a conference title.

Whittingham’s future success outweighing that of the recent past will hinge on whether the Utes can make a successful transition into a BCS conference (and a big, stacked one at that).

I am of the school of thought that asserts that Utah will be successful at the “next level” and perhaps sooner rather than later.

When (and if) Whittingham leads the Utes to a Pac-12 title, this will surpass all previous accomplishments.

Jeff Tedford, Cal

Jeff Tedford played QB at both Cerritos College and Fresno State (1979-82) and has held only four coaching positions at the college level.

Tedford was the QB coach at Fresno State (1992), the OC at Fresno State (1993-97), the OC at Oregon (1998-01) and was named the head coach at Cal in 2002.

Tedford is 72-42 at Cal, is 5-1 in bowl play and captured a piece of the 2006 Pac-10 crown.

Tedford’s done well at Cal but the next step would be securing a first-ever BCS bid, a goal that’s achievable, especially given the fact that he is just now joining the ranks of the 50-plus age group.

Chip Kelly, Oregon

After spending almost two decades flying under the radar at assistant jobs at Columbia, New Hampshire and John Hopkins, Chip Kelly exploded onto the FBS scene in 2007 as Oregon’s OC.

Kelly led the Duck attack for two seasons (2007-08) before become the leader of the flying “V” formation in 2009 where he has amassed a sizzling 22-4 record including two Pac-10 titles and two BCS berths (and losses).

Everything about the young Chip Kelly (47) makes you believe that more is absolutely on the cards for the offensive coaching man from New Hampshire.

Mike Riley, Oregon State

Mike Riley played cornerback at Alabama from 1971-74 and has been a head football coach at the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1987-90), the San Antonio Riders (1991-92), Oregon State (for the first time, 1997-98), the San Diego Chargers (1999-01) and finally returned to Oregon State in 2003.

Riley is 69-54 overall at Oregon State and is 5-1 in bowl play.  His Beaver teams always have you thinking that they are on the verge of something great which makes me believe that he will finally be rewarded for his many years of effort with a breakout season that includes an elusive conference title and BCS bid.

David Shaw, Stanford

The youthful David Shaw (38) played wide receiver for the singular Cardinal in the early '90s and after a long run as an assistant (at Stanford since 2007) he takes over at Stanford for the 2011 season.

Shaw has no track record as a head coach which means that up is the only way to go; a path that will be greatly boosted by Andrew Luck and a 2011 squad that looks stellar (on paper).

Steve Sarkisian, Washington

Another highly likeable coaching personality, Sarkisian played QB at BYU in the mid '90s and landed the Washington job after making QB coaching stops at USC and the Oakland Raiders.

Sarkisian is 12-13 over his first two seasons at Washington and has high expectations for the Huskies.

It is easy to see Sarkisian improving on his initial successes whether it is at Washington or at another collegiate (or perhaps pro) destination.

Paul Wulff, Washington State

Washington State is the sort of job (at least presently) that either launches or destroys a career; if you win some games (shockingly) you make it out alive and earn another job somewhere else; but if you lose (which is difficult not to do) you are lost in the murky underworld of subpar football.

Coaching the Cougars has to be one of the toughest jobs in the FBS.

Paul Wulff played center at Washington State from 1986-89 and, after almost a decade as an assistant at Eastern Washington, he secured the head job there in 2000.

Wulff went 53-40 over eight seasons at Eastern Washington which earned him the Washington State job in 2008.

The Cougars are 5-32 over three seasons under Wulff and, though he is only in his mid-40’s, it will be no easy task for Wulff to get prospective employers to forget five wins in three seasons (even at Washington State).

Will Muschamp, Florida

Will Muschamp played safety at Georgia in the early '90s and held a handful of defensive assistant positions before becoming the DC (and then head coach in waiting) at Texas in 2008.

Muschamp shocked everyone when he snubbed Mack Brown and Texas’ long term plans to take the Florida job this past offseason.

He has never served as a head coach (at any level) which means all success lies ahead, not behind, the young man from Rome, Georgia.

Will all the hype surrounding Muschamp, it will be intriguing to retrace his path in five years and count actual wins and losses.

Mark Richt, Georgia

Mark Richt played QB at Miami (FL) from 1979-82 and held only three coaching positions before becoming Georgia’s head coach in 2001.

Richt was a graduate assistant at Florida State from 1985-89, the OC at East Carolina in 1989 and then spent a decade at Florida State as the OC/QB coach.

Richt is 96-34 over 10 seasons at Georgia, has two SEC titles, is 7-3 in bowls and has made three BCS runs (2-1).

Though Richt’s Bulldogs have underwhelmed in the last two seasons, Richt (who has just passed the 50 mark) has a lot of good football coaching left in him.

If Georgia decides to part ways with Richt in the near future, another FBS team is likely to be the beneficiary of what would be, in my opinion, a questionable decision.

Richt’s future holds a national title at some level.

Joker Phillips, Kentucky

Joker Phillips played wide receiver at Kentucky from 1981-84 where he served as an assistant from 1988-1996 and again from 2003 until he secured the head job in 2010.

The Wildcats 2010 season was Phillips’ first as a head coach and their 6-7 finish included a loss to Pitt in the BBVA Compass Bowl.

Though Kentucky is a tough coaching stop in the SEC, it presents plenty of potential for Phillips and he could use success there as a catapult to a bigger job or stay put and produce a consistent winner (which may be even more attractive due to his long time relationship with the Wildcats).

Phillips is just getting his career as a gridiron boss underway, which means that logically, any success lies ahead of him.

Steve Spurrier, South Carolina

The “Old Ball Coach” played QB at Florida where he earned the 1966 Heisman Trophy.

Spurrier has served as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Bandits (1983-85), Duke (1987-89), Florida (1990-01), the Washington Redskins (2002-03) and landed the South Carolina job back in 2005.

Spurrier is 44-33 over six seasons at South Carolina and, regardless of how far he takes his Gamecocks, it’s hard to eclipse a career that includes 17 bowl appearances, a national title, seven conference crowns and eight divisional championships.

He may well have South Carolina finally making a BCS appearance in the near future but that can’t hold a candle to the body of work he’s already accomplished.

Derek Dooley, Tennessee

The youthful Derek Dooley played wide receiver at Virginia from 1987-90 and spent approximately a decade as an assistant before landing the Louisiana Tech job in 2007.

Dooley went 17-20 as the Bulldogs leader which was enough to convince Tennessee to hire him in 2010 when Lane Kiffin left them for another.

Dooley’s first season in Knoxville was challenging but the 6-7 finish and close bowl loss has to be considered beyond respectable given the fact that he was left holding the heavy bag that included NCAA issues and huge recruiting losses.

Dooley is 1-1 all time in bowls and 23-27 all-time as a college head coach; regardless of how things pan out at Tennessee, his best years are ahead of him.

James Franklin, Vanderbilt

James Franklin played QB at DII East Stroudsburg and was most recently the OC at Maryland (2008-10) before being named the head man at Vanderbilt during this past offseason.

Franklin was the offensive play-caller at Maryland and led the Terrapins to a No. 29 ranking nationally in points scored last season.

Franklin’s first stab at head-coaching comes via the Vandy job and though the Commodores represent a slippery slope in the world of coaching any success he can earn there could be used to mount a campaign either in the college ranks or in the pros (where he spent several years prior to Maryland).

If he can survive Vanderbilt, Franklin’s best years are yet to come.

Nick Saban, Alabama

Nick Saban’s gridiron odyssey began at Kent State in the early '70s when he played defensive back for the Golden Flashes.

Saban has been the head man at Toledo (1990), Michigan State (1995-99), LSU (2000-04), the NFL Miami Dolphins (2005-06) and finally landed at Alabama in 2007.

Thus far, Nick Saban has two national titles, three conference titles, five divisional crowns, a 135-53-1 record in college ball, a 6-6 record in bowls and is 3-1 in BCS play.

Surpassing this kind of unprecedented success seems unlikely, especially when you consider the fact that Saban turns 60 this Halloween.

However, when you look into this guy’s eyes, you get the feeling that no coach in the nation has more desire and raw determination than Nick Saban who, even if he again roams, should be successful wherever he goes.

I’m going out on a limb and saying that Saban will be even more successful after 60 than he was before.

Bobby Petrino, Arkansas

Bobby Petrino played QB at Carroll (Montana) in the early 1980s and held a whopping 13 coaching positions before finally being named the head coach at Louisville in 2003.

Petrino’s Cardinals went 41-9 in four short seasons that included two conference titles and a BCS Orange Bowl victory in 2006.

After one season at the helm of the NFL Atlanta Falcons, Petrino landed the Arkansas job in 2008 and has led the Razorbacks to a 23-15 mark in three seasons.

At only 50, Petrino may well be one of the most underrated coaching commodities in the SEC—building on his success at Arkansas (where he led the Hogs to their first ever BCS appearance in 2010) seems nothing short of imminent.

Gene Chizik, Auburn

After a thrilling 2010-11 BCS national title run at Auburn, Gene Chizik’s success gauge now is dependent on whether he can repeat his huge successes in the future.

Chizik’s first stab at head-coaching came in 2007-08 at Iowa State and led to his being named the Auburn leader in 2009.

He is 22-5 thus far at Auburn and he is young enough (50 this December) to make you believe he’s got, at minimum, one similar run left in the tank.

Les Miles, LSU

The highly entertaining Les Miles played offensive lineman at Michigan (1974-75) before starting a career in coaching that eventually landed him the head job at Oklahoma State in 2001.

After leading the Cowboys to a 28-21 mark over four seasons, Miles made the move to LSU where he has posted an impressive 62-17 record over six seasons which includes a national championship (in 2007).

Despite any grass eating and time management shenanigans, Les Miles is a winner. Whether he does it down on the bayou (a great fit for Miles) or back home in the Midwest, Miles is destined to keep on keeping on in the future.

Houston Nutt, Ole Miss

Houston Nutt played QB at Arkansas and then Oklahoma State in the late 1970s and has been the head man at Murray State (1993-96), Boise State (1997), Arkansas (1998-07) and finally took over at Ole Miss in 2008.

Ole Miss is 22-16 over three seasons under Nutt’s guidance and the pinnacle of his career may have already come (at Arkansas when he went 75-48 and captured three divisional titles).

Dan Mullen, Mississippi State

Another guy you've got to love to like, Dan Mullen played tight end at Ursinus (seriously, it’s in Collegeville, PA…you can’t make this stuff up).

Mullen made seven assistant-coaching stops before landing the Mississippi State job in 2009 and thus far has an impressive 14-11 record (1-0 in bowls) over two seasons.

Mullen’s name is going to be tossed around in regards to coaching openings for the foreseeable future and, whether he continues his success with the Bulldogs or takes his show further down the road, he will more than likely continue to be a fruitful head coach in the years ahead.

Looking into my crystal football, I see titles ahead for the former tight end from Ursinus.