Coaches Research Hub
Search any coach, jump to the record answer, then verify it with year-by-year rows, ranked-game splits, school impact, and comparisons.
Answer Pages
Fast answers, deeper profiles.
Current Research Window
Search coach records, career wins, win percentage, and rankings from the same filtered universe as the discovery visuals below. Start from the recommended sample, then tighten the field around identity, school, time span, or quality.
1271
Coaches in view
1786 indexed coaches available
11694
Coach-seasons
12392 total coach-season rows
1/51
Page position
1271 coaches in the current filtered result set
Summary and Filtering
Coach search stays primary, then school, archetype, time span, and quality sharpen the rankings. The recommended starting point is 3+ seasons.
Primary Discovery
Start with career shape or flip to identity. Either way, the chart, the coach summary, the outlier list, and the table context all stay synchronized.
Start with the simplest question: who paired real strength with a repeatable week-to-week shape?
Frank Leahy
Volatility: 9.13 • Average SRS: 22.65
86.4% win rate • 38.3 peak SRS
Hover or focus a point to isolate it. Click a coach to carry that selection into the results table.
Average SRS reads overall strength. Volatility is the spread of season-to-season SRS, so lower values mean a steadier profile.
Career shape lens
This is the clearest first-pass view for peak versus stability. It is the best place to start browsing.
Frank Leahy coached 13 seasons, won 86.4%, and posted an average SRS of 22.6. Best season: 1946 Notre Dame. The profile was balanced with a highly volatile profile. 3 stints shaped the career arc.
These callouts update with the active discovery mode and filtered coach set.
Highest peak
Red Blaik
Single-season ceiling leader in the current filtered set.
Most consistent elite coach
Tom Osborne
High average strength without the season-to-season swing.
Steadiest floor
Pete Reynolds
Lowest volatility in the view. Lower is more stable.
Elite but volatile
Chuck Fairbanks
Big ceiling, but the weekly shape moved around more than the steady tier.
Keep the ceiling board in view, but as a support module for the active lens, not the main destination.
1. Harry Hughes
1916
2. Red Blaik
1945
3. Nelson Norgren
1916
4. Henry Williams
1905
5. Amos Alonzo Stagg
1905
Supporting Insights
These are shortcuts into the same table below. Performance leads the stack, while stability and longevity stay visible without competing with the main chart.
Performance
The fastest path into peak and results leaders.
Single-season ceiling leaders.
1. Harry Hughes
1916 Colorado State (6-0-1)
2. Red Blaik
1945 Army (9-0)
3. Nelson Norgren
1916 Utah (3-2)
4. Henry Williams
1905 Minnesota (10-1)
5. Amos Alonzo Stagg
1905 Chicago (11-0)
Who won the most across a meaningful sample.
1. Walter Camp
5 seasons
2. Curt Cignetti
2025 Indiana (16-0)
3. Knute Rockne
1924 Notre Dame (10-0)
4. Ryan Day
2019 Ohio State (13-1)
5. Frank Leahy
1946 Notre Dame (8-0-1)
Coaches who stacked elite endings.
1. Bear Bryant
1971 Alabama (11-1)
2. Joe Paterno
1994 Penn State (12-0)
3. Tom Osborne
1995 Nebraska (12-0)
4. Nick Saban
2016 Alabama (14-1)
5. Bo Schembechler
1973 Michigan (10-0-1)
Stability
Who stays in control year after year.
Low SRS volatility among winning coaches with a real sample.
1. Parke Davis
1897 Lafayette (9-2-1)
2. Manny Diaz
2025 Duke (9-5)
3. Ryan Silverfield
2022 Memphis (7-6)
4. Lloyd Carr
1997 Michigan (12-0)
5. Elmer Layden
1938 Notre Dame (8-1)
Longevity
Long arcs, big samples, and durable careers.
Big careers and long arcs.
1. John Anderson
1976 Brown (8-1)
2. Paul Davis
1963 Mississippi State (7-2-2)
3. Amos Alonzo Stagg
1905 Chicago (11-0)
4. George Barclay
1951 Washington and Lee (6-4)
5. Joe Paterno
1994 Penn State (12-0)
Results Table
1271 filtered coaches in view. Lower rank numbers are better. Lower volatility means more stable. Lower SP Def numbers are better on the identity chart.
| Compare | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Frank Leahy 107-13-9 • 1939-1953 | Boston College, Notre Dame | 13 | 129 | 107 | 13 | 86.4% | 22.6 | 38.3 1946 peak | 9.1 | — | — | #1 | 10 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
Barry Switzer 157-29-4 • 1973-1988 | Oklahoma | 16 | 190 | 157 | 29 | 83.7% | 23.6 | 37.8 1973 peak | 7.0 | 39.5 | 15.0 | #1 | 12 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
Tom Osborne 255-49-3 • 1973-1997 | Nebraska | 25 | 307 | 255 | 49 | 83.5% | 24.2 | 34.6 1995 peak | 4.5 | 42.5 | 17.9 | #1 | 18 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
Ryan Day 82-12 • 2018-2025 | Ohio State | 8 | 94 | 82 | 12 | 87.2% | 23.8 | 32.8 2019 peak | 4.1 | 41.9 | 13.7 | #1 | 6 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
Pete Carroll 97-19 • 2001-2009 | USC | 9 | 116 | 97 | 19 | 83.6% | 23.5 | 34.1 2004 peak | 8.4 | 42.5 | 14.3 | #1 | 7 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
Nick Saban 297-71-1 • 1990-2023 | Alabama, LSU +2 | 28 | 369 | 297 | 71 | 80.6% | 19.8 | 33.6 2016 peak | 9.9 | 39.4 | 16.2 | #1 | 18 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
Urban Meyer 187-32 • 2001-2018 | Bowling Green, Florida +2 | 17 | 219 | 187 | 32 | 85.4% | 18.5 | 33.9 2008 peak | 7.9 | 40.2 | 19.3 | #1 | 9 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
Bud Wilkinson 145-29-4 • 1947-1963 | Oklahoma | 17 | 178 | 145 | 29 | 82.6% | 19.2 | 29.9 1956 peak | 6.7 | — | — | #1 | 13 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
Bear Bryant 323-85-17 • 1945-1982 | Alabama, Kentucky +2 | 38 | 425 | 323 | 85 | 78.0% | 19.6 | 33.0 1971 peak | 7.9 | 38.6 | 10.9 | #1 | 22 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
Bob Stoops 191-48 • 1999-2021 | Oklahoma | 19 | 239 | 191 | 48 | 79.9% | 19.2 | 32.8 2008 peak | 5.4 | 41.3 | 18.1 | #1 | 12 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
Kirby Smart 117-21 • 2016-2025 | Georgia | 10 | 138 | 117 | 21 | 84.8% | 20.6 | 27.9 2021 peak | 6.8 | 37.3 | 12.5 | #1 | 7 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
Woody Hayes 205-61-10 • 1951-1978 | Ohio State | 28 | 276 | 205 | 61 | 76.1% | 18.9 | 36.3 1973 peak | 8.2 | 35.1 | 14.0 | #1 | 15 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
Bo Schembechler 234-65-8 • 1963-1989 | Miami (OH), Michigan | 27 | 307 | 234 | 65 | 77.5% | 16.8 | 32.9 1973 peak | 10.0 | 34.2 | 13.1 | #2 | 16 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
Darrell Royal 184-60-5 • 1954-1976 | Mississippi State, Texas +1 | 23 | 249 | 184 | 60 | 74.9% | 18.9 | 35.4 1970 peak | 7.8 | 36.8 | 15.6 | #1 | 10 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
Jim Tressel 106-22 • 2001-2010 | Ohio State | 10 | 128 | 106 | 22 | 82.8% | 17.4 | 27.2 2005 peak | 5.0 | 35.9 | 13.5 | #1 | 8 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
John McKay 127-40-8 • 1960-1975 | USC | 16 | 175 | 127 | 40 | 74.9% | 19.6 | 35.0 1972 peak | 8.1 | 36.2 | 14.3 | #1 | 9 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
Bob Devaney 136-30-7 • 1957-1972 | Nebraska, Wyoming | 16 | 173 | 136 | 30 | 80.6% | 15.2 | 37.9 1971 peak | 12.1 | 44.8 | 13.2 | #1 | 7 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
Frank Thomas 115-24-7 • 1931-1946 | Alabama | 15 | 146 | 115 | 24 | 81.2% | 16.9 | 31.5 1945 peak | 6.0 | — | — | #2 | 4 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
Fritz Crisler 116-32-9 • 1930-1947 | Michigan, Minnesota +1 | 18 | 157 | 116 | 32 | 76.8% | 17.0 | 31.6 1947 peak | 9.8 | — | — | #2 | 8 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
John Vaught 190-61-12 • 1947-1973 | Ole Miss | 25 | 263 | 190 | 61 | 74.5% | 18.2 | 34.2 1959 peak | 7.5 | 32.0 | 20.1 | #2 | 10 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
Bob Neyland 173-31-12 • 1926-1952 | Tennessee | 21 | 216 | 173 | 31 | 82.9% | 16.6 | 27.1 1951 peak | 4.6 | — | — | #1 | 7 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
Dabo Swinney 187-53 • 2008-2025 | Clemson | 18 | 240 | 187 | 53 | 77.9% | 16.2 | 32.7 2018 peak | 7.9 | 35.0 | 16.6 | #1 | 6 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
Bobby Bowden 357-124-4 • 1970-2009 | Florida State, West Virginia | 40 | 485 | 357 | 124 | 74.0% | 17.0 | 30.5 1987 peak | 9.1 | 38.8 | 19.5 | #1 | 16 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
Jock Sutherland 144-28-14 • 1919-1938 | Lafayette, Pittsburgh | 20 | 186 | 144 | 28 | 81.2% | 17.4 | 28.0 1921 peak | 5.3 | — | — | #1 | 3 | Balanced Peak Dominator | |
Biggie Munn 58-14-2 • 1946-1953 | Michigan State, Syracuse | 8 | 74 | 58 | 14 | 79.7% | 16.4 | 28.2 1952 peak | 8.6 | — | — | #1 | 4 | Balanced Peak Dominator |