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
27/51
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?
Mike Knoll
Volatility: 4.22 • Average SRS: -30.12
9.1% win rate • -25.6 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.
Mike Knoll is currently highlighted in the success vs volatility view.
These callouts update with the active discovery mode and filtered coach set.
Highest peak
John Corbett
Single-season ceiling leader in the current filtered set.
Most consistent elite coach
Craig Fertig
High average strength without the season-to-season swing.
Steadiest floor
Mike Sanford Jr
Lowest volatility in the view. Lower is more stable.
Elite but volatile
Todd Monken
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 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
JWH Pollard 26-17-7 • 1901-1911 | Alabama, Lehigh +1 | 6 | 50 | 26 | 17 | 59.0% | -8.9 | -2.9 1909 peak | 5.2 | — | — | #0 | 4 | Balanced — | |
Walter Milligan 13-14 • 1947-1949 | Pittsburgh | 3 | 27 | 13 | 14 | 48.1% | 2.6 | 8.7 1949 peak | 5.5 | — | — | — | 0 | Balanced — | |
Chuck Collins 38-31-9 • 1926-1933 | North Carolina | 8 | 78 | 38 | 31 | 54.5% | -1.4 | 12.7 1929 peak | 5.9 | — | — | — | 0 | Balanced — | |
Chuck Reedy 23-22 • 1993-1996 | Baylor | 4 | 45 | 23 | 22 | 51.1% | 2.0 | 7.1 1995 peak | 4.2 | 30.6 | 30.6 | — | 0 | Offense-First Offense-First | |
Jeff Monken 89-63 • 2014-2025 | Army | 12 | 152 | 89 | 63 | 58.6% | -2.1 | 9.5 2018 peak | 7.2 | 26.1 | 28.8 | #21 | 0 | Balanced Longevity Coach | |
Bill Hargiss 28-26-3 • 1918-1932 | Kansas, Oregon State | 7 | 57 | 28 | 26 | 51.7% | 1.3 | 8.7 1919 peak | 6.4 | — | — | — | 0 | Balanced Longevity Coach | |
Jimmy Sharpe 21-22-1 • 1974-1977 | Virginia Tech | 4 | 44 | 21 | 22 | 48.9% | 3.2 | 6.4 1976 peak | 1.9 | 23.6 | 23.4 | — | 0 | Defense-First Defense-First | |
Mal Stevens 54-45-10 • 1928-1941 | New York University, Yale | 13 | 109 | 54 | 45 | 54.1% | -1.2 | 12.9 1931 peak | 8.4 | — | — | — | 0 | Balanced Longevity Coach | |
Brady Hoke 105-92 • 2003-2023 | Ball State, Michigan +2 | 17 | 197 | 105 | 92 | 53.3% | -1.9 | 15.8 2011 peak | 9.6 | 26.7 | 26.1 | #12 | 0 | Defense-First Longevity Coach | |
Chet Wynne 33-27-4 • 1927-1933 | Auburn, Creighton | 7 | 64 | 33 | 27 | 54.7% | -0.7 | 10.9 1932 peak | 7.6 | — | — | — | 0 | Balanced — | |
John Pont 63-101-3 • 1962-1977 | Indiana, Miami (OH) +2 | 16 | 167 | 63 | 101 | 38.6% | -2.7 | 7.0 1968 peak | 6.1 | 18.3 | 32.4 | #4 | 1 | Defense-First Longevity Coach | |
Paul Hackett 31-38-1 • 1990-2000 | Pittsburgh, USC | 6 | 70 | 31 | 38 | 45.0% | 2.3 | 13.6 1998 peak | 7.3 | 32.5 | 29.1 | — | 0 | Offense-First Offense-First | |
Robert Dobbs 71-63-4 • 1955-1972 | Tulsa, UTEP | 14 | 138 | 71 | 63 | 52.9% | -2.4 | 18.0 1967 peak | 9.6 | 21.0 | 33.0 | — | 0 | Balanced Longevity Coach | |
Harry Stiteler 8-21-2 • 1948-1950 | Texas A&M | 3 | 31 | 8 | 21 | 29.0% | 5.2 | 17.2 1950 peak | 8.5 | — | — | — | 0 | Balanced Volatile Builder | |
Claude Simons 13-17-1 • 1942-1945 | Tulane | 4 | 31 | 13 | 17 | 43.5% | 3.3 | 11.7 1942 peak | 5.7 | — | — | — | 0 | Balanced — | |
Mike Holovak 49-29-3 • 1951-1959 | Boston College | 9 | 81 | 49 | 29 | 62.4% | -2.1 | 7.4 1955 peak | 5.6 | — | — | — | 0 | Balanced — | |
Lou Little 131-121-12 • 1927-1956 | Columbia, Georgetown | 30 | 264 | 131 | 121 | 51.9% | -2.4 | 20.0 1928 peak | 12.4 | — | — | #20 | 0 | Balanced Longevity Coach | |
Dan Henning 16-19-1 • 1994-1996 | Boston College | 3 | 36 | 16 | 19 | 45.8% | 2.7 | 12.2 1994 peak | 7.0 | 28.6 | 25.2 | #23 | 0 | Balanced — | |
Fred Bennion 16-8-3 • 1910-1913 | Utah | 4 | 27 | 16 | 8 | 64.8% | -6.1 | 15.4 1912 peak | 13.9 | — | — | — | 0 | Balanced — | |
Kliff Kingsbury 35-40 • 2013-2018 | Texas Tech | 6 | 75 | 35 | 40 | 46.7% | 4.0 | 7.3 2018 peak | 3.2 | 39.0 | 32.5 | — | 0 | Offense-First Offense-First | |
Bill OBrien 24-25 • 2012-2025 | Boston College, Penn State | 4 | 49 | 24 | 25 | 49.0% | 3.0 | 8.3 2012 peak | 5.2 | 28.9 | 24.1 | — | 0 | Balanced Program Stabilizer | |
Monte Kiffin 16-17 • 1980-1982 | NC State | 3 | 33 | 16 | 17 | 48.5% | 4.2 | 5.9 1980 peak | 1.6 | 26.2 | 22.0 | — | 0 | Defense-First Defense-First | |
Jim Sweeney 169-134-4 • 1968-1996 | Fresno State, Washington State | 27 | 307 | 169 | 134 | 55.7% | -0.3 | 10.2 1992 peak | 6.5 | 31.2 | 30.6 | #19 | 0 | Offense-First Longevity Coach | |
Bennie Ellender 27-29 • 1971-1975 | Tulane | 5 | 56 | 27 | 29 | 48.2% | 2.9 | 10.0 1972 peak | 5.5 | 20.0 | 19.4 | #20 | 0 | Defense-First Defense-First | |
Myron Witham 63-26-7 • 1920-1931 | Colorado | 12 | 96 | 63 | 26 | 69.3% | -5.9 | 12.2 1924 peak | 11.3 | — | — | — | 0 | Balanced Longevity Coach |