Stats
892Coaching trees
31,802Stints
114,200Connections
87Seasons on filesince 1940
Career paths
Computed 2026-09-09
The sequence of tiers people held before their first head-coach job, ranked by how many took it, with the median number of seasons the route took.
- 01Position coach166 coaches8 yr median
- 02Position coachCoordinator142 coaches11.5 yr median
- 03AnalystPosition coachCoordinator91 coaches16 yr median
- 04Coordinator77 coaches5 yr median
- 05Analyst70 coaches2 yr median
- 06AnalystPosition coach39 coaches13 yr median
- 07Position coachCoordinatorPosition coach37 coaches15 yr median
- 08Position coachCoordinatorPosition coachCoordinator36 coaches17.5 yr median
- 09AnalystPosition coachCoordinatorPosition coachCoordinator35 coaches19 yr median
- 10CoordinatorPosition coach18 coaches9.5 yr median
Coaching influence
Computed 2026-09-09
Who produced whom, counted through the coached-under edges the register can cite.
Biggest trees
- 01Nick Saban5,662
- 02Urban Meyer4,382
- 03Earle Bruce3,784
- 04Dan Lanning3,610
- 05Lou Holtz3,555
- 06Ryan Day3,449
- 07Todd Graham3,418
- 08Mike Norvell3,340
Protégés who became head coaches
- 01Nick Saban28 of 201
- 02Lou Holtz21 of 68
- 03Hayden Fry19 of 36
- 04Jackie Sherrill17 of 71
- 05Johnny Majors16 of 104
- 06Todd Graham15 of 98
- 07John Cooper15 of 71
- 08Bill McCartney15 of 28
Teams whose alumni run programs
- 01Alabama21
- 02Memphis10
- 03Penn State9
- 04Tennessee9
- 05Northern Illinois8
- 06Washington8
- 07Auburn7
- 08Notre Dame7
Most-traveled teams
- 01UCF514
- 02Pittsburgh354
- 03Nebraska311
- 04Florida302
- 05LSU297
- 06Purdue297
- 07Michigan295
- 08Ohio State286
Coaching carousel
2025-26
2024-25
2023-24
2022-23
2021-22
2020-21
2019-20
2018-19
2017-18
2016-17
2015-16
2014-15
2013-14
2012-13
2011-12
2010-11
2009-10
2008-09
2007-08
2006-07
2005-06
2004-05
2003-04
2002-03
2001-02
2000-01
1999-00
1998-99
1997-98
1996-97
1995-96
1994-95
1993-94
1992-93
1991-92
1990-91
1989-90
1988-89
1987-88
1986-87
1985-86
1984-85
1983-84
1982-83
1981-82
1980-81
1979-80
1978-79
1977-78
1976-77
1975-76
1974-75
1973-74
1972-73
1971-72
1970-71
1969-70
1968-69
1967-68
1966-67
1965-66
1964-65
1963-64
1962-63
1960-61
1953-54
Computed 2026-09-09
A hiring cycle runs from November to the following September. These are the changes published inside each one.
| Cycle | Head-coach changes |
|---|---|
| 2011-12 | 51 |
| 2012-13 | 47 |
| 2013-14 | 39 |
| 2014-15 | 35 |
| 2015-16 | 42 |
| 2016-17 | 39 |
| 2017-18 | 38 |
| 2018-19 | 37 |
| 2019-20 | 35 |
| 2020-21 | 41 |
| 2021-22 | 46 |
| 2022-23 | 37 |
| 2023-24 | 50 |
| 2024-25 | 57 |
| 2025-26 | 36 |
| Cycle | Coordinator changes |
|---|---|
| 2011-12 | 231 |
| 2012-13 | 212 |
| 2013-14 | 195 |
| 2014-15 | 204 |
| 2015-16 | 238 |
| 2016-17 | 224 |
| 2017-18 | 258 |
| 2018-19 | 270 |
| 2019-20 | 237 |
| 2020-21 | 233 |
| 2021-22 | 326 |
| 2022-23 | 262 |
| 2023-24 | 295 |
| 2024-25 | 282 |
| 2025-26 | 515 |
Each bar is one hiring cycle, labelled by the year it opens. The 2025-26 cycle is in orange. The two panels keep separate scales on purpose: a head-coach change and a coordinator change are not the same size of event.
Trees taking the 2025-26 head-coach hires
- 01Nick Saban21 of the cycle's 36 head-coach changes58%
- 02Earle Bruce19 of the cycle's 36 head-coach changes53%
- 03Willie Taggart18 of the cycle's 36 head-coach changes50%
- 04Urban Meyer17 of the cycle's 36 head-coach changes47%
- 05Dan Lanning16 of the cycle's 36 head-coach changes44%
- 06Kirby Smart16 of the cycle's 36 head-coach changes44%
- 07Bret Bielema15 of the cycle's 36 head-coach changes42%
- 08Don James15 of the cycle's 36 head-coach changes42%
Longest tenures
Computed 2026-09-09
One person, one team, counted in seasons. Current tenures are still running; all-time includes the ones that ended.
- 1999–presentKirk Ferentz at IowaHead coach28 yr
- 1987–presentRon Brown at NebraskaPosition coach27 yr
- 1983–presentWoody McCorvey at ClemsonPosition coach25 yr
- 2002–presentPat Henderson at KansasPosition coach25 yr
- 1989–presentTroy Calhoun at Air ForceHead coach22 yr
- 2008–presentDabo Swinney at ClemsonHead coach19 yr
- 2001–presentGreg Schiano at RutgersHead coach18 yr
- 2009–presentMike Thiessen at Air ForceCoordinator15 yr
- 2012–presentPhil Parker at IowaCoordinator15 yr
- 2012–presentMickey Marotti at Ohio StatePosition coach14 yr
- 2013–presentDave Doeren at NC StateHead coach14 yr
- 1987–presentBud Foster at Virginia TechPosition coach13 yr