Hiring the right coach in college football can be a marriage made in heaven for some schools, but a wedge between boosters and players at others. For every Dabo Swinney, Urban Meyer, and Nick Saban, there’s also a Rich Rodriguez at Michigan or Butch Jones at Tennessee that simply did not work out.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg took a look at college football head coaching hires since 1995 and composed a list of the best 25 hires (subscription may be required). As you would expect with the success Ohio State has enjoyed over that time period, the listing includes two Buckeye hires that ended in a slew of Big Ten championships, big-time bowls, and a national title apiece between them.
By now you’ve guessed the two guys ESPN has included. Both Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer will go down as two of the best to ever coach in Columbus, and both were hired in the not-too-distant past. But what did Rittenberg say about both, and where does he have them on the list.
Here’s where both coaches stand on the best hires over the last twenty-five years.
Next … Jim Tressel
No. 11 – Jim Tressel
What Rittenberg Said:
Hired: Jan. 18, 2001
What he inherited: “A historically elite program that had started to slip, especially against its archrival. Ohio State went 14-10 in John Cooper’s final two seasons and had dropped five of its previous six games against Michigan. Cooper went just 2-10-1 against the Wolverines.”
What happened next: “Tressel, who had guided FCS (then Division I-AA) Youngstown State to four national titles, quickly restored Ohio State as a championship-level program. He beat Michigan in his first season, fulfilling his famous introductory pledge, and then in 2002 guided Ohio State to its first AP national championship since 1968 and its first undefeated season since 1970. Although Tressel didn’t win another national title, he dominated both the Big Ten (seven outright or shared titles) and Michigan (8-1 record). His teams finished in the top five in seven of his final nine seasons.”
Next … Urban Meyer
No. 5 – Urban Meyer
What Rittenberg Said:
Hired: Nov. 28, 2011
What he inherited: “A scandal-scarred program that had made a coaching change on Memorial Day 2011, and that fall recorded its highest regular-season loss total (6) since 1988. Weeks after Meyer’s hiring, Ohio State received a postseason ban for the 2012 season.”
What happened next: “The looming ban didn’t deter Meyer, who led Ohio State to a 12-0 record and a No. 3 finish in 2012. He started his Buckeyes career with 24 consecutive victories before stumbling in the 2013 postseason. Meyer followed by guiding Ohio State to a national title in the inaugural year of the CFP, behind third-string quarterback Cardale Jones. Although he didn’t win a second championship, Meyer dominated both the Big Ten (54-4 record, three league titles, seven division titles) and archrival Michigan (7-0 record). Ohio State finished in the top six in six of Meyer’s seven seasons and won four major bowl games.”
And that’s it. Two generational hires at Ohio State. It should be noted that the four coaches listed ahead of Meyer include Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops (No. 4), Pete Carroll at USC (No.3), Clemson’s Dabo Swinney (No. 2), and Nick Saban at Alabama (No. 1).
