College Football's 25 Most Attractive Coaching Gigs

The head coach of a major college football program has a position that carries with it a measure of power and respect that is unrivaled in most American sports.

Of course, as evidenced by some of the recent controversy surrounding the sport, this can sometimes be a bad thing.

That said, coaching allows a great opportunity, but not all programs are created equal.

Some have better facilities, more avid fanbases and boosters or have easier access to top-flight recruits.

Based on a conglomeration of these categories, here are your top 25 head coaching positions in the nation.

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Honorable Mention

26. Auburn

27. South Carolina

28. Michigan State

29. Iowa

30. Arkansas

31. UNC

32. Boise State

33. Ole Miss

34. Cal

35. Pitt

25. West Virginia

It's simple, really.

There are no pro sports to share the spotlight, and West Virginia is the premier program in the Big East, for now.

The fans are insane, and the support is good.

New challenges await in a new conference, but the opportunities are also greater.

24. Clemson

Clemson is one of the few ACC programs that can honestly say they are a football school.

On top of that, the program has some dedicated fans, and they pack a pretty big stadium on a regular basis.

The facilities are good, and the recruiting is obviously good. Even though the Tigers struggle to win the conference, it seems every coach hauls in some significant recruits.

Any place you can coach, and be respected, and be called "Dabo," is a good place to be.

23. TCU

Recruiting, recruiting, recruiting.

TCU is smack in the middle of a recruiting hotbed, in a state where high school football is a religion.

Sure, the head coach at this program has to battle with other Big 12 powers, but they are now a member of a BCS conference, and they have an opportunity to make some noise.

22. Oklahoma State

There is one big reason the Cowboys' head coach has a solid position.

T. Boone Pickens.

He's filthy rich, and he loves the Cowboys.

The facilities are second to none. However, it is difficult to compete on the recruiting scene with all of the other great programs in the area.

As Mike Gundy has proven this season, it can be done, but it's not easy.

21. Washington

There is some solid tradition here, in spite of what all you Midwest and East Coast bigots might believe.

The Huskies won a national title in 1991, and they had some success in the Pac-10 in the '90s.

Of course, they haven't done anything noteworthy since.

Steve Sarkisian has them on the upward swing, however, partially due to his ability to pull in solid recruits.

And did we mention Seattle?

It's a great city. If you haven't been there, go check it out.

20. Texas A&M

It's undoubtedly going to be tough to compete in the SEC, but the right guy could get it done.

This program has a rich history, great fan support and plenty of talented recruits near the program that could be swayed to attend.

On top of all that, the program has the type of facilities that recruits love to see, and they are moving into the premier football conference in the country.

19. Wisconsin

Yes, it's cold.

But with the right staff, connections can open up recruiting pipelines, and guys can be convinced to play in the frozen North.

Over 80,000 fans regularly pack the stadium, and the AD, Barry Alvarez, supports the program unequivocally.

The program has now been to two consecutive Rose Bowls, and four in the past 20 years.

While they are not on the level of Ohio State or Michigan, this is a great position.

18. UCLA

Rick Neuheisel blew an excellent opportunity at UCLA.

The Bruins' new coach will have the same access to recruits in-state as USC, and they have better facilities on campus.

Of course, the stadium is a long way from the campus, which can be a downer.

However, the right guy can win games here. The Bruins won three Pac-10 titles in the '90s, so it can be done.

17. Virginia Tech

At some point, Frank Beamer is not going to be able to coach anymore.

He has turned the Hokies into an annual power, winning 10 games in 11 of the past 13 seasons.

Of course, they are in another BCS game this season, and Beamer has established that recruiting in-state is pretty good.

But will another coach be able to replicate that success?

16. Miami Hurricanes

This one would be higher if not for the recent horrible treatment of Al Golden.

However, the main reason Miami is such an attractive position is the recruiting.

The area is one of the premier hot spots in the nation for prime recruits, and even though the program has fallen off a bit recently, the name still carries some cachet.

The fanbase is not the biggest in the country, but it's still an interesting prospect, regardless.

15. Tennessee

It's been proven that a coach can be successful at Tennessee.

The stadium is incredible.

And where else in the country can a guy pull off pants such as those and still be liked?

14. Penn State

This is contingent on the result of the controversy, but Penn State, as JoePa demonstrated, is a great place to coach.

Great facilities, great fans and a solid recruiting base make this a premier place to coach.

Of course, coaching in the shadow of a legend will be tough, and the university is in the midst of a messy situation, but if it cleans up soon, the right coach could have this team on top of the conference in short order.

13. Nebraska

The program just moved to the Big Ten, one of the most lucrative conference is in the nation.

The fans of Nebraska are extremely passionate, yet classy.

Recruiting, while not as easy as at some major programs, is doable.

Pretty good gig.

12. Oregon

Phil Knight makes this one rise to heights it would not have in the past.

As long as he remains happy with the program, the program will be financially set.

Mike Bellotti proved recruiting can be done, and Chip Kelly has, thus far, continued that success.

Autzen Stadium is a huge plus, as it provides a great home-field advantage.

11. Georgia

Recruiting is not as easy as it might be in Florida or California, but it seems that places such as Valdosta and Warner Robbins consistently produce solid recruits.

The head coach of Georgia has to deal with high expectations, but as Mark Richt has demonstrated, a coach can get it done with the facilities and resources available.

10. LSU

Louisiana produces tons of elite talent, but it largely flies under the radar, except to the coaches in the state.

Les Miles has done a great job of tapping into that underrated resource, and he has pulled in solid out-of-state recruits by dangling the atmosphere at Tiger Stadium at night in front of them.

National titles are possible here, as Miles has shown, even though the competition is super tough.

9. Florida State

Jimbo Fisher has his work cut out for him in following the legendary coach Bowden.

As Bowden demonstrated during his tenure, this is a program that can win national titles consistently.

Being in the ACC, they get to recruit the talent of Florida, but they don't have to face the Alabamas and LSUs of the world on a regular basis.

On the downside, the weakness of the ACC make it difficult in reaching the BCS title game, and the fans are somewhat "iffy" when things are not at their best.

Overall, it's a great position, and one where a coach can win.

8. Michigan

Brady Hoke is a fortunate man.

This is an incredible program with awesome fans, a huge stadium and the ability to win big, consistently.

Of course, Rich Rodriguez demonstrated that it's difficult to install a new style, and the supporters are looking for a specific type of old-school football.

The program has not won a national title in far too long, but the right guy can bring them back to Ann Arbor.

7. Oklahoma

The main reason this is such a great job is that the program can consistently win, and win big.

OU has been a national power for decades, and Stoops is continuing the tradition of winning.

While in-state recruiting is slim, making out-of-state poaching a must; it's obviously possible.

Not everybody can win here, but as Stoops has demonstrated, the right guy can win some titles.

6. Notre Dame

National titles can be captured here.

While the in-state recruiting is a little puny, the national cachet the name carries still attracts big-time players.

The tradition the Irish can boast is second to none, and they have there own television contract.

The right guy (maybe Brian Kelly) could catapult the program back to the top of college football's elite teams, but it won't be easy.

5. Florida

If Will Muschamp does not have noticeable improvement out of his squad very soon, he will be in hot water.

The reason for this is simple: Everything is in place for a head coach to succeed at Florida; if he cannot succeed there, it will be difficult anywhere.

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium provides one of the biggest home-field advantages in the country, and the fans, like many of their SEC brethren, are borderline insane.

Muschamp has one of the prime jobs in the nation, no doubt about it.

4. Ohio State

Urban Meyer was a great hire.

As long as he can beat Brady Hoke and Michigan.

The Buckeyes' coach has great facilities, a great base to recruit from and the fans are ridiculously great, filling 100,000-plus seats on a regular basis.

Tressel made some noise on the national scene, but Urban will blow it wide open.

3. Alabama

This might be the premier job in the country, save for the intense scrutiny that most cannot handle.

There are two main reasons: fan support and tradition.

They are nearly unrivaled by anybody in the nation, and both can be affective on the recruiting trail.

Of course, the fact that no pro teams steal from the fanbase make it more avid than most.

In the best conference in football, this is the prime job.

2. Texas

They have their own television network.

High school football is followed with a cult-like devotion.

The fanbase is passionate, facilities are good and location is excellent.

Sure, everybody steals recruits from Texas, but to most guys, that would be a challenge to be met.

Mack Brown should win on a consistent basis, and the right guy could have the Longhorns in the top five in the country on a regular basis.

1. USC

Don't you hate that it belongs to a guy like Lane Kiffin.

The only downside for the Trojans' coach is the lack of crazy, passionate fans.

The Trojan fanbase, while varied and scattered, does not always equate to huge crowds at home games.

However, an incredible collection of talent can be accumulated, and the coaching staff need never leave the area.

The talent pool is incredible.

Obviously, the Trojans can win on a national level, and with the right coach, they could do so consistently.