When it comes to making the instant transition from college head coach to NFL head coach, history has shown it’s not easy.
Let’s back that point up with two examples of coaches that took that route and memorably failed – Chip Kelly and Bobby Petrino.
Back in 2012, Kelly was at Oregon and was the hottest name among college coaches. He parlayed that into the coaching job with the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite going 10-6 in each of his first two seasons, Kelly didn’t make it all the way through a third season and was fired with a 6-9 record. He was able to land with the San Francisco 49ers the next season. But he lasted just one year as the 49ers went 2-14. Kelly went to UCLA last year, but the Bruins are 4-14 in his tenure.
It was a similar story for Petrino. In 2007, the Atlanta Falcons lured Petrino away from Louisville, where he was coming off a 12-1 season and had lost only five games in the three previous years. But Petrino’s tenure in Atlanta lasted only 13 games. With a 3-10 record, he resigned to take the job at Arkansas. Petrino went 34-17 at Arkansas but was fired amid scandal in 2012. He then spent a season at Western Kentucky and returned to Louisville for five seasons.
The stories of Petrino and Kelly illustrate how difficult it is to win at the NFL level even for proven college commodities. That said, there are a number of college coaches who have the skills, knowledge and intangibles to succeed in the NFL – if they chose to make the move.
Let’s look at eight college head coaches who could go to the NFL and win quickly:
Scott Frost, Nebraska
Frost had a 13-0 season at Central Florida in 2017 before deciding to come home to Nebraska where he played quarterback in the 1990s. He went 4-8 in a rebuilding year last season, but he has the Cornhuskers off to a 4-2 start this year. Things are looking up for Frost and Nebraska and his job is probably safe for a long time. But Frost, 44, has a solid reputation and played in the NFL from 1998 through 2003. However, Frost is also big on loyalty. He agonized over leaving UCF and wouldn’t have gone to any place but Nebraska. That’s his dream job, and it’s difficult to imagine that he would leave it now.
Dabo Swinney, Clemson
Although Swinney has no NFL experience as a coach or player, the big league could come calling because he’s one of the hottest names in the business. As the coach at Clemson since 2008, he has a 121-30 record and two national championships. At 49, Swinney probably can coach at Clemson as long as he wants. The only foreseeable way he would leave for the NFL would be for outrageous money with a franchise that’s reasonably stable. If Swinney, who has won at least 10 games in eight consecutive seasons, ever were to make the jump, we like his chances to win at the NFL level.
Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
This one is a long shot because Harbaugh has a wonderful situation at his alma mater. He lives near his parents and his children attend the same school Harbaugh did. Harbaugh appears to want to be a lifer at Michigan and his career record there is 42-15. That’s good, but not good enough in the eyes of some Michigan boosters. Harbaugh has yet to beat rival Ohio State and is 2-2 against Michigan State. Harbaugh isn’t likely to leave on his own, but boosters could put pressure on administrators to get rid of him.
If that happens, the NFL would be a likely landing spot. Before leaving for Michigan, Harbaugh coached the San Francisco 49ers to a 44-19 record in four seasons. In many ways, the Indianapolis Colts’ job would be the perfect fit for Harbaugh. He played for the Colts and remains close to owner Jim Irsay. But Indianapolis coach Frank Reich appears safe at the moment.
Ryan Day, Ohio State
Day stepped in on an interim basis for Urban Meyer in 2018 and became Ohio State’s full-time head coach this year. That’s his only experience as a head coach on any level. That probably means most NFL teams would want someone with more head coaching experience. But there is one intriguing scenario for Day that at least deserves a mention. That’s the Washington Redskins, who just fired Jay Gruden and have Bill Callahan as their interim coach. Keep in mind, the Redskins have rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins, whom Day helped groom at Ohio State. Day also has some NFL experience after working as quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia and San Francisco. Redskins owner Dan Snyder has a lot invested in Haskins. What better way to make Haskins comfortable than to bring in someone who helped make him a successful college quarterback?
Mike Leach, Washington State
Leach has never coached in the NFL. If that’s going to happen, this might be the right time. Leach is 58 and would likely be tempted if the NFL finally came calling. This is a guy that has had a lot of success at Texas Tech and Washington State. His career record is 136-85, and he’s overcome myriad disadvantages to build Washington State into a Pac-12 power. Leach’s wide-open passing philosophy might have scared away potential NFL employers at one point, but he wouldn’t be an outlier in that regard anymore.
Urban Meyer, formerly Ohio State and Florida
Meyer says he’s retired, but a lot of people believe he’ll return coaching — perhaps as soon as next season. There already has been speculation about USC. That would fit Meyer’s profile — he took over at Florida and Ohio State when the proud programs were a down, and he rebuilt both back into national powers. But Meyer has accomplished everything possible on the college level. So it’s possible Meyer could be intrigued by the challenge of an NFL job. Given his past health issues, it’s also possible he could be afraid to take on the stress of coaching in the NFL.
Nick Saban, Alabama
If there is one college coach whose job is safe as long as he wants it, it’s Saban. Including his time at LSU, Saban has won six national championships. He’s as much of an Alabama icon as Bear Bryant ever was. Simply put, Saban has the best job in the country. Plus, his two years as an NFL head coach were not pleasant, as he went 15-17 with the Miami Dolphins. But what if an NFL team offered Saban another chance and a boatload of money? It’s a long shot. But with nothing left to prove on the college level, perhaps the chance to show he really can win in the NFL might be a tempting challenge for Saban.
Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma
Riley is the hottest name in the college ranks, and it’s not just because he’s 29-4 overall with the Sooners. At 36, Riley has coached the past two Heisman Trophy winners in Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, and this year’s quarterback, Jalen Hurts, is also a candidate for the award. Riley could have a nice long stay at Oklahoma. But his stock might never be higher. All around Oklahoma and Texas, there is speculation that Riley could be the next coach of the Dallas Cowboys, as Jason Garrett is obviously on the hot seat. The Dallas job could be tempting for Riley. He’s a Texas native, and the Cowboys franchise is iconic in Texas. Plus, it could be easy for Riley to win right away in Dallas. The Cowboys already have signed running back Ezekiel Elliott to a long-term contract. They’re hoping to do the same with quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Amari Cooper. If they do part ways with Garrett, who is in the last year of his contract, Riley is a logical fit and could have the Cowboys in the playoffs in his first season.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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