150 greatest coaches in college football's 150-year history (#6. Wilkinson, 23. Holtz, #42. Crisler, #65. Bierman, #106. Williams)

BleedGopher

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per ESPN:

6. Charles (Bud) Wilkinson, 145-29-4
Oklahoma (1947-63)

As a player on Minnesota's powerful teams in the mid-1930s, Wilkinson started at guard for two seasons, and then moved to quarterback. He excelled everywhere he played, a trait he passed on to the Sooners for more than a decade. After taking over Oklahoma at age 31, Wilkinson led the Sooners to a 31-game unbeaten streak from 1948-50. That paled before the modern FBS record streak by Oklahoma of 47 unbeaten games from 1953-57. Wilkinson retired at 47, spent and looking for a new challenge. He ran for the U.S. Senate and lost, and became a fixture in college football broadcasting for ABC Sports.

16. John Gagliardi, 489-138-11
Carroll College (1949-52; 24-6-1) and St. John's (Minnesota) (1953-2012; 465-132-10)

Gagliardi's teams became better known for what they didn't do than what they did. They didn't tackle in practice. They didn't lift weights. They didn't practice longer than 90 minutes. And they didn't lose -- not very often, anyway. Gagliardi won four national championships at St. John's and, between the two campuses, 30 conference titles. That's one way to look at his career. The other is that he began as a head coach during the Truman Administration and retired after Barack Obama's re-election.

23. Lou Holtz, 249-132-7
William & Mary (1969-71; 13-20), NC State (1972-75; 33-12-3), Arkansas (1977-83; 60-21-2), Minnesota (1984-85; 10-12), Notre Dame (1986-1996; 100-30-2) and South Carolina (1999-2004; 33-37)

Holtz always said he believed in "faith, family and football." The stats (10 top-10 teams, seven 10-win seasons) don't measure the great work he performed in rebuilding the foundation over six seasons at South Carolina. Nor do they illustrate how he tamed the tiger that is coaching at Notre Dame. He took a floundering Irish program and three seasons later won the 1988 national title. He still thinks he should have won the 1993 title, when the Irish defeated eventual champion Florida State. His record in South Bend stands as tall as anyone's not named Rockne or Leahy. Holtz left after 11 seasons; he said he didn't want to coach as long as Rockne (13). Lovely.

42. Herbert (Fritz) Crisler, 116-32-9
Minnesota (1930-31; 10-7-1), Princeton (1932-37; 35-9-5) and Michigan (1938-47; 71-16-3)

Although two of his teams at Princeton and one at Michigan posted unbeaten seasons, Crisler is perhaps best known as the father of two-platoon football. In 1945, with many of his players fighting overseas during World War II, he devised a system of using one team for offense and one for defense to compensate for lack of depth and experience. Two years later, the Wolverines went 10-0 and blasted USC 49-0 in the Rose Bowl. He is also credited with introducing the famous winged helmets at Michigan.

65. Bernie Bierman, 146-62-12
Montana (1919-21; 9-9-3), Mississippi State (1925-26; 8-8-1), Tulane (1927-31; 36-10-2) and Minnesota (1932-41 and 1945-50; 93-35-6)

Bierman was known as the "Grey Eagle," but his 16-year tenure at Minnesota, his alma mater, is called the "Golden Era." Bierman coached six teams that won Western (Big Ten) Conference titles and five that were unbeaten. Utilizing the single-wing offense behind an unbalanced line, the Gophers won five national championships in eight years in 1934, '35, '36, '40 and '41.

106. Henry Williams, 140-34-12
Army (1891; 4-1-1) and Minnesota (1900-21; 136-33-11)

From 1903 to 1905, Williams coached Minnesota to one of the most dominant runs in college football history. The Golden Gophers were 37-1-1, including a 35-game unbeaten streak, while outscoring opponents 1,885-46. He won or shared eight conference titles in 22 years as the Gophers coach and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951.


Go Gophers!!
 



Bierman won 5 national championships (tied for 3rd among major college head coaches, behind only Bear Bryant and Nick Saban), and is ranked 65th. D'ohkay.
Clear Recency bias

not necessarily towards recent coaches but towards coaches who had success at recently successful programs.

The top 20 doesn’t look that bad. Bo S with no national titles over people with multiple is a joke
 

Yah this list is a dumpster like the CFP committee. Bierman should be in top 10 looking at this list more. Minnesota never gets respect in football
 


Clear Recency bias

not necessarily towards recent coaches but towards coaches who had success at recently successful programs.

The top 20 doesn’t look that bad. Bo S with no national titles over people with multiple is a joke
Lance Leipold is .500 in the MAC, but he won 6 national titles in Division III, so he's 78th. Gary Patterson hasn't even sniffed a national title, but he's won 6 conference titles (one of them in Conference USA!) so he's 74th.

Apparently winning 5 Division I national titles is only slightly more impressive than winning 6 Division III national titles or a Conference USA title.

Oh, and Gagliardi won fewer national championships at the lowest level of NCAA football, but he's 15th.

And you are of course correct about Schembechler. He gets credit for being the best loser to Woody Hayes, who is 9th despite being titled for national titles with Bierman.

Sigh. This list is just horrible.
 

Lance Leipold is .500 in the MAC, but he won 6 national titles in Division III, so he's 78th. Gary Patterson hasn't even sniffed a national title, but he's won 6 conference titles (one of them in Conference USA!) so he's 74th.

Apparently winning 5 Division I national titles is only slightly more impressive than winning 6 Division III national titles or a Conference USA title.

Oh, and Gagliardi won fewer national championships at the lowest level of NCAA football, but he's 15th.

And you are of course correct about Schembechler. He gets credit for being the best loser to Woody Hayes, who is 9th despite being titled for national titles with Bierman.

Sigh. This list is just horrible.
When I originally responded I responded to only those listed in the OP. After further reading it’s a really bad list.
not bad until they get to Bo. Post Bo pretty bad
 

150 years? That'd take us back to 1879. Really? Did they even wear helmets in those days?
 

Both Bierman and Williams should be much higher. Williams introduced offensive shifts and other wrinkles that changed the way the game was played. Bierman's five national championships in eight years, and three in a row, will be matched by very few coaches ever. Saban's trying.
 






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