List of college football coaches with a .750 winning percentage
This is a list of football coaches with a .750 or greater winning percentage.[1][2] College football coaches who have coached college teams for 10 or more seasons are included in the list. "College level" is defined as a four-year college or university program in either the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) or the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). If the team competed at a time before the official organization of either of the two groups, but is generally accepted as a "college football program," it is also included.
Leading the list is Larry Kehres, who compiled a .929 winning percentage while coaching the Mount Union Purple Raiders from 1986 to 2012. The longest tenure among coaches on the list is that of John Gagliardi, who was a head coach from 1949 until retiring after the 2012 season. Gagliardi also leads all listed coaches in total games, wins, and losses. Former Vanderbilt head coach Dan McGugin has the most ties of anyone on the list. Currently, 15 active coaches are on the list.
Key
bold | Active as head coach in 2015 |
† | Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame |
College football coaches with a .750 winning percentage
- List may be incomplete; updated through end of 2015 season.
Name | First Year | Last Year | Years | Games | Wins | Losses | Ties | Win % | Teams |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kehres, LarryLarry Kehres | 1986 | 2012 | 27 | 359 | 332 | 24 | 3 | .929 | Mount Union (1986–2012) |
Rockne, KnuteKnute Rockne† | 1918 | 1930 | 13 | 122 | 105 | 12 | 5 | .881 | Notre Dame (1918–1930) |
Leahy, FrankFrank Leahy† | 1939 | 1953 | 13 | 129 | 107 | 13 | 9 | .864 | Boston College (1939–1940), Notre Dame (1941–1943, 1946–1953) |
Reade, BobBob Reade† | 1979 | 1994 | 16 | 170 | 146 | 23 | 1 | .862 | Augustana (IL) (1979–1994) |
Perry, DoytDoyt Perry† | 1955 | 1964 | 10 | 93 | 77 | 11 | 5 | .855 | Bowling Green (1955–1964) |
Meyer, UrbanUrban Meyer | 2001 | 2015 | 14 | 181 | 154 | 27 | 0 | .851 | Bowling Green (2001–2002), Utah (2003–2004), Florida (2005–2010), Ohio State (2012–present) |
Farley, DickDick Farley† | 1987 | 2003 | 17 | 136 | 114 | 19 | 3 | .849 | Williams (1987–2003) |
Woodruff, George WashingtonGeorge Washington Woodruff† | 1892 | 1905 | 12 | 169 | 142 | 25 | 2 | .846 | Penn (1892–1901), Illinois (1903), Carlisle Indians (1905) |
Gaither, JakeJake Gaither† | 1945 | 1969 | 25 | 244 | 204 | 36 | 4 | .844 | Florida A&M (1945–1969) |
Maurer, DaveDave Maurer† | 1969 | 1983 | 15 | 155 | 129 | 23 | 3 | .842 | Wittenberg (1969–1983) |
Van Diest, MikeMike Van Diest | 1999 | 2015 | 17 | 226 | 190 | 36 | 0 | .841 | Carroll (MT) (1999–present) |
Smith, JosephJoseph Smith | 2006 | 2015 | 10 | 112 | 94 | 18 | 0 | .839 | Linfield (2006–present) |
Hoernemann, PaulPaul Hoernemann† | 1946 | 1959 | 14 | 124 | 102 | 18 | 4 | .839 | Heidelberg (1946–1959) |
Devanney, JeffJeff Devanney | 2006 | 2015 | 10 | 80 | 67 | 13 | 0 | .838 | Trinity (CT) (2006–present) |
Switzer, BarryBarry Switzer† | 1973 | 1988 | 16 | 190 | 157 | 29 | 4 | .837 | Oklahoma (1973–1988) |
Osborne, TomTom Osborne† | 1973 | 1997 | 25 | 307 | 255 | 49 | 3 | .836 | Nebraska (1973–1997) |
Coryell, DonDon Coryell† | 1957 | 1972 | 15 | 154 | 127 | 24 | 3 | .834 | Whittier (1957–1959), San Diego State (1961–1972) |
Haughton, PercyPercy Haughton† | 1899 | 1924 | 13 | 120 | 97 | 17 | 6 | .833 | Cornell (1899–1900), Harvard (1908–1916), Columbia (1923–1924) |
Yost, Fielding H.Fielding H. Yost† | 1898 | 1926 | 28 | 245 | 198 | 35 | 12 | .833 | Ohio Wesleyan (1897), Nebraska (1898), Kansas (1899), Stanford (1900), San Jose State (1900), Michigan (1901–1923, 1925–1926) |
Neyland, RobertRobert Neyland† | 1926 | 1952 | 21 | 216 | 173 | 31 | 12 | .829 | Tennessee (1926–1934, 1936–1940, 1946–1952) |
Wilkinson, BudBud Wilkinson† | 1947 | 1963 | 17 | 178 | 145 | 29 | 4 | .826 | Oklahoma (1947–1963) |
Locey, JayJay Locey | 1995 | 2004 | 10 | 102 | 84 | 18 | 0 | .824 | Linfield (1996–2005) |
Fredenburg, PetePete Fredenburg | 1998 | 2015 | 18 | 219 | 181 | 39 | 0 | .823 | Mary Hardin–Baylor (1998–present) |
Klausing, ChuckChuck Klausing† | 1964 | 1985 | 16 | 151 | 123 | 26 | 2 | .821 | Indiana (PA) (1964–1969), Carnegie Mellon (1976–1985) |
Kean, HenryHenry Kean | 1931 | 1954 | 23 | 209 | 167 | 33 | 9 | .821 | Kentucky State (1931–1942), Tennessee State (1944–1954) |
Kelly, MikeMike Kelly | 1981 | 2007 | 27 | 301 | 246 | 54 | 1 | .819 | Dayton (1981–2007) |
Petersen, ChrisChris Petersen | 2006 | 2015 | 10 | 131 | 107 | 24 | 0 | .817 | Boise State (2006–2013), Washington (2014–present) |
MaccainVernon McCain† | 1948 | 1963 | 16 | 128 | 102 | 21 | 5 | .816 | Maryland State (1948–1963) |
Fincham, JoeJoe Fincham | 1996 | 2015 | 20 | 222 | 181 | 41 | 0 | .815 | Wittenberg (1996–present) |
Fusco, JoeJoe Fusco† | 1972 | 1990 | 19 | 191 | 154 | 34 | 3 | .814 | Westminster (PA) (1972–1990) |
Purtill, JimJim Purtill | 1999 | 2013 | 15 | 160 | 130 | 30 | 0 | .813 | St. Norbert (1999–2013) |
Richard, CharlieCharlie Richard† | 1980 | 1994 | 14 | 152 | 123 | 28 | 1 | .813 | Baker (1980–1990, 1992–1994) |
Sutherland, JockJock Sutherland† | 1919 | 1938 | 20 | 186 | 144 | 28 | 14 | .812 | Lafayette (1919–1923), Pittsburgh (1924–1938) |
Sirianni, MikeMike Sirianni | 2003 | 2015 | 13 | 147 | 119 | 28 | 0 | .810 | Washington & Jefferson (2003–present) |
Schipper, RonRon Schipper† | 1961 | 1996 | 36 | 357 | 287 | 67 | 3 | .808 | Central (IA) (1961–1996) |
Devaney, BobBob Devaney† | 1957 | 1972 | 16 | 173 | 136 | 30 | 7 | .806 | Wyoming (1957–1961), Nebraska (1962–1972) |
Broyles, ChuckChuck Broyles | 1990 | 2009 | 20 | 247 | 198 | 47 | 2 | .806 | Pittsburg State (1990–2009) |
Munn, ClarenceClarence Munn† | 1935 | 1953 | 10 | 90 | 71 | 16 | 3 | .806 | Albright (1935–1936), Syracuse (1946), Michigan State (1947–1953) |
Willis, RickRick Willis | 1997 | 2015 | 19 | 185 | 149 | 36 | 0 | .805 | Wartburg (1997–present |
Gillman, SidSid Gillman† | 1944 | 1954 | 10 | 102 | 81 | 19 | 2 | .804 | Miami (OH) (1944–1947), Cincinnati (1949–1954) |
Thorne, JohnJohn Thorne | 2002 | 2014 | 13 | 148 | 118 | 30 | 0 | .797 | North Central (IL) (2002–2014) |
Stoops, BobBob Stoops | 1999 | 2015 | 17 | 225 | 179 | 46 | 0 | .796 | Oklahoma (1999–present) |
Thomas, FrankFrank Thomas† | 1925 | 1946 | 19 | 183 | 141 | 33 | 9 | .795 | Chattanooga (1925–1928), Alabama (1931–1946) |
Burry, HaroldHarold Burry† | 1952 | 1971 | 20 | 163 | 127 | 31 | 5 | .794 | Westminster (PA) (1952–1971) |
Slater, Willie J.Willie J. Slater | 2006 | 2015 | 10 | 116 | 92 | 24 | 0 | .793 | Tuskegee (2006–present) |
Kessinger, TedTed Kessinger† | 1976 | 2003 | 28 | 277 | 219 | 57 | 1 | .792 | Bethany (KS) (1976–2003) |
Swider, MikeMike Swider | 1996 | 2015 | 20 | 215 | 170 | 45 | 0 | .791 | Wheaton (IL) (1996–present) |
Cronin, BillBill Cronin | 1997 | 2015 | 19 | 223 | 176 | 47 | 0 | .789 | Georgetown (KY) (1997–present) |
Schmidt, PetePete Schmidt | 1983 | 1996 | 14 | 135 | 105 | 27 | 3 | .789 | Albion (1983–1996) |
Rutschman, AdAd Rutschman† | 1968 | 1991 | 24 | 234 | 183 | 48 | 3 | .788 | Linfield (1968–1991) |
Drass, MikeMike Drass | 1993 | 2015 | 23 | 267 | 210 | 56 | 1 | .788 | Wesley (DE) (1993–present) |
Williams, Henry L.Henry L. Williams† | 1891 | 1921 | 23 | 187 | 141 | 34 | 12 | .786 | Army (1891), Minnesota (1900–1921) |
Dobie, GilGil Dobie† | 1906 | 1938 | 33 | 242 | 182 | 45 | 15 | .783 | North Dakota Agricultural (1906–1907), Washington (1908–1916), Navy (1917–1919), Cornell (1920–1935), Boston College (1936–1938) |
Sparks, KenKen Sparks | 1980 | 2015 | 36 | 428 | 334 | 92 | 2 | .783 | Carson–Newman (1980–present) |
Ryan, SteveSteve Ryan | 2002 | 2015 | 14 | 169 | 132 | 37 | 0 | .781 | Morningside (2002–present) |
Bryant, BearBear Bryant† | 1945 | 1982 | 38 | 425 | 323 | 85 | 17 | .780 | Maryland (1945), Kentucky (1946–1953), Texas A&M (1954–1957), Alabama (1958–1982) |
Sochor, JimJim Sochor† | 1970 | 1988 | 19 | 202 | 155 | 42 | 5 | .780 | UC Davis (1970–1988) |
Caruso, GlennGlenn Caruso | 2006 | 2015 | 10 | 118 | 92 | 26 | 0 | .780 | St. Thomas (MN) (2006–present) |
Tucker, JohnJohn Tucker | 1933 | 1947 | 12 | 102 | 74 | 17 | 11 | .779 | Arkansas Tech (1933–1947) |
Edwards, BillBill Edwards† | 1936 | 1968 | 23 | 221 | 168 | 45 | 8 | .778 | Western Reserve (1936–1940), Vanderbilt (1949–1952), Wittenberg (1955–1968) |
Raeburn, ErikErik Raeburn | 2000 | 2015 | 16 | 174 | 135 | 39 | 0 | .776 | Coe (2000–2007), Wabash (2008–present) |
Schembechler, BoBo Schembechler† | 1963 | 1989 | 27 | 307 | 234 | 65 | 8 | .775 | Miami (OH) (1963–1968), Michigan (1969–1989) |
Gagliardi, JohnJohn Gagliardi† | 1949 | 2012 | 64 | 638 | 489 | 138 | 11 | .775 | Carroll (MT) (1949–1952), St. John's (MN) (1953–2012) |
Folsom, FredFred Folsom | 1895 | 1915 | 19 | 141 | 106 | 29 | 6 | .773 | Colorado (1895–1899, 1901–1902, 1908–1915), Dartmouth (1903–1906) |
Harring, RogerRoger Harring† | 1969 | 1999 | 31 | 343 | 261 | 75 | 7 | .771 | Wisconsin–La Crosse (1969–1999) |
Crisler, FritzFritz Crisler† | 1930 | 1947 | 18 | 157 | 116 | 32 | 9 | .768 | Minnesota (1930–1931), Princeton (1932–1937), Michigan (1938–1947) |
Wade, WallaceWallace Wade† | 1923 | 1950 | 24 | 230 | 171 | 49 | 10 | .765 | Alabama (1923–1930), Duke (1931–1941, 1946–1950) |
Keeling, JimmieJimmie Keeling | 1990 | 2010 | 21 | 225 | 172 | 53 | 0 | .764 | Hardin–Simmons (1990–2010) |
Kush, FrankFrank Kush† | 1958 | 1979 | 22 | 231 | 176 | 54 | 1 | .764 | Arizona State (1958–1979) |
Kirkland, GordonGordon Kirkland | 1934 | 1948 | 14 | 145 | 107 | 31 | 7 | .762 | Catawba (1934–1948) |
MacguginDan McGugin† | 1904 | 1934 | 30 | 271 | 197 | 55 | 19 | .762 | Vanderbilt (1904–1917, 1919–1934) |
Folwell, BobBob Folwell | 1909 | 1924 | 16 | 149 | 109 | 31 | 9 | .762 | Lafayette (1909–1911), Washington & Jefferson (1912–1915), Penn (1916–1919), Navy (1920–1924) |
Crowley, JimJim Crowley†[n 1] | 1929 | 1941 | 13 | 109 | 78 | 21 | 10 | .761 | Michigan State (1928–1932), Fordham (1933–1941) |
Smith, AndyAndy Smith† | 1909 | 1925 | 17 | 161 | 116 | 32 | 13 | .761 | Penn (1909–1912), Purdue (1913–1915), California (1916–1925) |
Saban, NickNick Saban | 1990 | 2015 | 20 | 251 | 191 | 60 | 1 | .760[a 1] | Toledo (1990), Michigan State (1995–1999), LSU (2000–2004), Alabama (2007–present) |
Hayes, WoodyWoody Hayes† | 1946 | 1978 | 33 | 320 | 238 | 72 | 10 | .759 | Denison (1946–1948), Miami (OH) (1949–1950), Ohio State (1951–1978) |
Blaik, EarlEarl Blaik† | 1934 | 1958 | 25 | 228 | 166 | 48 | 14 | .759 | Dartmouth (1934–1940), Army (1941–1958) |
Merritt, JohnJohn Merritt† | 1952 | 1983 | 32 | 321 | 237 | 72 | 12 | .757 | Jackson State (1952–1962), Tennessee State (1963–1983) |
Sherman, EdEd Sherman† | 1945 | 1966 | 22 | 191 | 141 | 43 | 7 | .757 | Muskingum (1945–1966) |
Moran, CharleyCharley Moran | 1909 | 1933 | 18 | 168 | 121 | 35 | 12 | .756 | Texas A&M (1909–1914), Centre (1919–1923), Bucknell (1924–1926), Catawba (1930–1933) |
Luckhardt, JohnJohn Luckhardt | 1982 | 2011 | 27 | 319 | 240 | 77 | 2 | .755 | Washington & Jefferson (1982–1998), California (PA) (2002–2011) |
Westering, FrostyFrosty Westering† | 1962 | 2003 | 40 | 406 | 303 | 96 | 7 | .755 | Parsons (IA) (1962–1963), Lea (1966–1971), Pacific Lutheran (1972–2003) |
Hale, DannyDanny Hale | 1984 | 2012 | 25 | 283 | 213 | 69 | 1 | .754 | West Chester (1984–1988), Bloomsburg (1993–2012) |
Patterson, GaryGary Patterson | 2000 | 2015 | 16 | 190 | 143 | 47 | 0 | .753 | TCU (2000–present) |
Carr, LloydLloyd Carr | 1995 | 2007 | 13 | 162 | 122 | 40 | 0 | .753 | Michigan (1995–2007) |
Banks, EarlEarl Banks† | 1960 | 1973 | 14 | 129 | 96 | 31 | 2 | .752 | Morgan State (1960–1973) |
Hunt, Claude J.Claude J. Hunt | 1911 | 1931 | 19 | 124 | 90 | 28 | 6 | .750 | Hillsdale (1911–1912), Carleton (1914–1916, 1920–1931), Washington (1917, 1919) |
McKeen, AllynAllyn McKeen† | 1937 | 1948 | 11 | 106 | 78 | 25 | 3 | .750 | West Tennessee State (1937–1938), Mississippi State (1939–1948) |
- ↑ Saban's on-field record is 196–60–1 (winning percentage .765). Due to NCAA violations that began during the tenure of Saban's predecessor at Alabama, Mike Shula, that were not discovered until Saban's first season at the school in 2007, five wins from that season were vacated.
Note: As of the end of the 2010 season, Jim Tressel, who served as the head football coach for Youngstown State (1986–2000) and Ohio State (2001–2010), had a career record of 241–79–2 for a winning percentage of .752. In July 2011, Ohio State vacated all 12 of its wins from the 2010 season, dropping Tressel's career record to 229–79–2 and his winning percentage to .742.
Active coaches near a .750 winning percentage
- This list identifies active coaches who have:
- a winning percentage of .735 or greater after at least 10 full seasons as a college football head coach, or
- a winning percentage of .750 or greater after at least 7 full seasons, but fewer than 10, as a college football head coach.
- Updated through end of 2015 season.
Head Coach | First Year | Last Year | Years | Games | Wins | Losses | Ties | Win % | Teams |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Leipold, LanceLance Leipold | 2007 | 2015 | 9 | 127 | 114 | 13 | 0 | .898 | Wisconsin–Whitewater (2007–2014), Buffalo (2015–present) |
Richt, MarkMark Richt | 2001 | 2015 | 15 | 196 | 145 | 51 | 0 | .740 | Georgia (2001–2015) |
McMartin, JeffJeff McMartin | 2004 | 2015 | 11 | 126 | 93 | 33 | 0 | .738 | Central (IA) (2004–present) |
Kelly, BrianBrian Kelly | 1991 | 2015 | 25 | 308 | 226 | 80 | 2 | .737 | Grand Valley State (1991–2003), Central Michigan (2004–2006), Cincinnati (2006–2009), Notre Dame (2010–present) |
College football coaches with an .850 winning percentage
The main list set forth above is limited to coaches with 10 years of experience as a head coach. This list supplements the main list by identifying coaches who are omitted from the main list because they have not coached 10 years, but who have achieved a winning percentage of .850 or higher while coaching a minimum of five seasons or 50 games.
- List may be incomplete; updated through end of 2015 season.
Name | First Year | Last Year | Years | Games | Wins | Losses | Ties | Win % | Teams |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DeBoer, KalenKalen DeBoer | 2005 | 2009 | 5 | 70 | 67 | 3 | 0 | .957 | Sioux Falls (2005–2009) |
Camp, WalterWalter Camp | 1888 | 1895 | 7 | 89 | 81 | 5 | 3 | .927 | Yale (1888–1892), Stanford (1892, 1894–1895) |
Redman, Robert B.Robert B. Redman | 1947 | 1951 | 5 | 42 | 38 | 4 | 0 | .905 | Bloomsburg (1947–1951) |
Tambling, CharlesCharles Tambling | 1902 | 1918 | 5 | 20 | 18 | 2 | 0 | .900 | Central Michigan (1902–1905, 1918) |
Leipold, LanceLance Leipold | 2007 | 2015 | 9 | 127 | 114 | 13 | 0 | .898 | Wisconsin–Whitewater (2007–2014), Buffalo (2015–present) |
Erhardt, RonRon Erhardt | 1966 | 1972 | 7 | 69 | 61 | 7 | 1 | .891 | North Dakota State (1966–1972) |
Dorrel, AdamAdam Dorrel | 2011 | 2015 | 5 | 69 | 61 | 8 | 0 | .884 | Northwest Missouri State (2011–present) |
Booth, Walter C.Walter C. Booth | 1900 | 1905 | 6 | 63 | 53 | 8 | 2 | .857 | Nebraska (1900–1905) |
Macklin, JohnJohn Macklin | 1911 | 1915 | 5 | 34 | 29 | 5 | 0 | .853 | Michigan State (1911–1915) |
See also
- List of college football coaches with 200 wins
- List of college football coaches with 100 losses
- List of college football coaches with 0 career wins
- List of college football coaches with 30 seasons
- List of college football coaches with 20 ties
Notes
- ↑ Crowley was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1966 as a player in recognition of his career as a halfback at Notre Dame from 1922 to 1924.
References
- ↑ "NCAA Coaching Records" (PDF). NCAA. 2008. pp. 189, 192.
- ↑ "All-Time Coaching Records". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved June 20, 2010.