Jim Harbaugh may first come to one's mind, but it depends on what your definition of "unsuccessful" is. He's posted mostly winning seasons/bowl-appearances in his collegiate HC tenures, but at Michigan it's pretty much determined by if you can beat Ohio St and do better than "just" one Top 10 finish thus far (of course having to face Urban Meyer doesn't help).
What HCs come to mind in this "good in the pros, bad in college" topic? Usually, of course, if one is successful at just one, its being so in college but not at that higher level.
Successful NFL HCs who weren't successful as college HCs
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74_75_78_79_
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Re: Successful NFL HCs who weren't successful as college HCs
It is going to be a pretty short list because most who end up being successful in the pros don't go back to college. The reason Harbaugh went back to college is because he didn't get along with SF's management and Michigan is able to dish out a lot of money and he also played there at college.
With that said though I do think there are quite a few successful coaches currently in the NFL that wouldn't be very good in college. College is just as much about recruiting and convincing kids to come to your school as it is about coaching. The only thing that the NFL has that comes close to the college recruiting process is free agency and players pretty much just follow the money there so you really can't call it recruiting. Coaches really need more personality in college so I think coaches like Bellichick would struggle if they got into a situation where they had to recruit. Take any current NFL coach who tends to put you to sleep and they would probably struggle in the college game.
With that said though I do think there are quite a few successful coaches currently in the NFL that wouldn't be very good in college. College is just as much about recruiting and convincing kids to come to your school as it is about coaching. The only thing that the NFL has that comes close to the college recruiting process is free agency and players pretty much just follow the money there so you really can't call it recruiting. Coaches really need more personality in college so I think coaches like Bellichick would struggle if they got into a situation where they had to recruit. Take any current NFL coach who tends to put you to sleep and they would probably struggle in the college game.
Re: Successful NFL HCs who weren't successful as college HCs
Marv Levy and Dennis Green. It should be noted that Green was in a tough situation at Northwestern, and in his third year at Stanford, they had a winning record and were ranked 25th. Perhaps Green could have proven to be a successful college coach if he hadn't left the next year for Minnesota.
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RichardBak
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Re: Successful NFL HCs who weren't successful as college HCs
74_75_78_79_ wrote:Jim Harbaugh may first come to one's mind, but it depends on what your definition of "unsuccessful" is. He's posted mostly winning seasons/bowl-appearances in his collegiate HC tenures, but at Michigan it's pretty much determined by if you can beat Ohio St and do better than "just" one Top 10 finish thus far (of course having to face Urban Meyer doesn't help).
What HCs come to mind in this "good in the pros, bad in college" topic? Usually, of course, if one is successful at just one, its being so in college but not at that higher level.
Well, here in Michigan Harbaugh is viewed as a failure. A subpar recruiter and motivator...loses time after time to the two chief rivals (MSU and Ohio State)...sucks in bowl games....the list goes on. Most Wolverine fans can't wait to see him go---and hopefully he won't wind up HC of the Lions. Harbaugh just seems to be one of those guys who, no matter where he goes, always wears out his welcome after 3-4 years.
Re: Successful NFL HCs who weren't successful as college HCs
Blanton Collier.
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74_75_78_79_
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Re: Successful NFL HCs who weren't successful as college HCs
Nice responses!
Collier certainly not as successful in college (UK), but on flip-side some may say that 5 out of 8 winning seasons not bad.
Dennis Green at Northwestern? Let’s face it, yes many good athletes recruited there, but relatively it’s basically an Ivy League school just so happening to be in the Big Ten (academics much more a priority). Makes me think of their current HC, Pat Fitzgerald! Not only do I think he may very well actually be the best HC in the college ranks (perhaps even better than Saban), but would likely make for a notably successful NFL HC!
Belichick? Yes, perhaps not the ‘personality’ to be a hot recruiter, but if he leaves the Pats for the college ranks next year - or would have made such a move within the past 15 years - I think he’d be a superb recruiter without really trying to be based simply on multiple-SB-winning rep alone! Now if he tried college in the ’90s? Yes, okay, perhaps not the case. But who really knows? Look at Nick Saban (who, of course, is from the School of Belichick; was his assistant HC at one time)! Not an overt personality but see his very own college results/legacy!
One may actually mention Bill Walsh as an “unsuccessful” college HC but, IMO, not really. In his first two seasons at Stanford pre-SF, he wins two bowls and then his next year with the Cardinal (after SF) he wins himself another bowl (at Joe Paterno’s expense). Yes, two losing seasons right after but those are his two very last seasons HC-ing period; and a pretty small sample-size anyways.
One who I think would have been an even BETTER college HC than an NFL one...Bill Cowher! Simply his fired-up persona, he would have been able to recruit absolutely ANY warm-weather prospect albeit from SoCal, Texas, Florida, etc to a destination like, say, Penn St - especially a hard-hitting defensive player! Sticking with Steelers HCs, despite his laidback stoic demeanor, I also think Chuck Noll would have done so well at the collegiate level. Nothing “rah-rah”/Rockne/Lombardi about him but still had that understated way of motivating someone, assuring him that he’d be playing for a winner!
Collier certainly not as successful in college (UK), but on flip-side some may say that 5 out of 8 winning seasons not bad.
Dennis Green at Northwestern? Let’s face it, yes many good athletes recruited there, but relatively it’s basically an Ivy League school just so happening to be in the Big Ten (academics much more a priority). Makes me think of their current HC, Pat Fitzgerald! Not only do I think he may very well actually be the best HC in the college ranks (perhaps even better than Saban), but would likely make for a notably successful NFL HC!
Belichick? Yes, perhaps not the ‘personality’ to be a hot recruiter, but if he leaves the Pats for the college ranks next year - or would have made such a move within the past 15 years - I think he’d be a superb recruiter without really trying to be based simply on multiple-SB-winning rep alone! Now if he tried college in the ’90s? Yes, okay, perhaps not the case. But who really knows? Look at Nick Saban (who, of course, is from the School of Belichick; was his assistant HC at one time)! Not an overt personality but see his very own college results/legacy!
One may actually mention Bill Walsh as an “unsuccessful” college HC but, IMO, not really. In his first two seasons at Stanford pre-SF, he wins two bowls and then his next year with the Cardinal (after SF) he wins himself another bowl (at Joe Paterno’s expense). Yes, two losing seasons right after but those are his two very last seasons HC-ing period; and a pretty small sample-size anyways.
One who I think would have been an even BETTER college HC than an NFL one...Bill Cowher! Simply his fired-up persona, he would have been able to recruit absolutely ANY warm-weather prospect albeit from SoCal, Texas, Florida, etc to a destination like, say, Penn St - especially a hard-hitting defensive player! Sticking with Steelers HCs, despite his laidback stoic demeanor, I also think Chuck Noll would have done so well at the collegiate level. Nothing “rah-rah”/Rockne/Lombardi about him but still had that understated way of motivating someone, assuring him that he’d be playing for a winner!
Re: Successful NFL HCs who weren't successful as college HCs
Blanton Collier's coaching staff at Kentucky had Don Shula, Howard Schnellenberger, and Chuck Knox among others, but despite that, Collier was not only fired after the 1961 season but was hung in effigy. Collier liked to coach but was not crazy about the recruiting end of college coaching.
Another problem for Collier at UK that I read was that basketball with famous coach Adolph Rupp was really king at Kentucky. So, most of the money went toward the basketball program and football was a distant second. Rupp got anything he wanted from the school. Maybe not so much for Collier and the football program. Just something I read.
Another problem for Collier at UK that I read was that basketball with famous coach Adolph Rupp was really king at Kentucky. So, most of the money went toward the basketball program and football was a distant second. Rupp got anything he wanted from the school. Maybe not so much for Collier and the football program. Just something I read.
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Halas Hall
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Re: Successful NFL HCs who weren't successful as college HCs
Not sure about this, but I think Collier may have inherited a tradition at the University of Kentucky where all their recruits had to come from Kentucky - makes it tougher to win.
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Gary Najman
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Re: Successful NFL HCs who weren't successful as college HCs
Sam Wyche (3-8 in 1983 at Indiana) and Forrest Gregg (3-19 in 1989-1990 at SMU) come to mind (as Super Bowl coaches), although Gregg resurrected the Mustangs program from scratch.
Re: Successful NFL HCs who weren't successful as college HCs
Steve Mariucci was just 6-6 in his only season as HC at Cal in 1996 before becoming the 49er coach in 1997, leading them to the playoffs four times.