The knowledge of where players attended college is part of the fabric of NFL history. Not so much when it comes to where coaches took part in higher learning. Some current NFL head coaches went to big schools while others come from surprising educational backgrounds.
Arizona Cardinals: Kliff Kingsbury
Kliff Kingsbury was one of the quarterbacks to put up pinball-machine numbers at Texas Tech. Kingsbury played for the Red Raiders under coach Spike Dykes from 1998-1999 and Mike Leach from 2000-2002. Kingsbury played 43 games at Texas Tech, completing 1,229 of 1,881 passes for 12,423 yards with 95 touchdowns. On the education side, Kingsbury was one of 14 college football players to receive a post-graduate scholarship from the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame. He was also awarded with Academic All-America Player of the Year honors in 2002, the highest academic honor for a player in Texas Tech history. Kingsbury earned a bachelor’s degree in Management in 2001.
Atlanta Falcons: Dan Quinn
Dan Quinn attended Salisbury State University, a Div. III school, and played on its football team as a defensive lineman from 1990-93. He was a four-year starter in football and track and field. He was a two-time football team captain and captained the track and field team in 1994. Quinn was inducted in the Salisbury University athletics Hall of Fame in 2005.
Baltimore Ravens: John Harbaugh
John Harbaugh attended college and played varsity football as a defensive back at Miami University in Ohio, where he graduated in 1984. Harbaugh earned a degree in political science and won the Football Scholar Athlete Award. He earned his master’s in physical education at Western Michigan.
Buffalo Bills: Sean McDermott
Sean McDermott earned a bachelor’s degree in finance while at the College of William and Mary, where he was an all-conference safety in 1997, and received Academic all-conference honors in 1996 and ’97.
Carolina Panthers
Ron Rivera received a football scholarship to California, where he was a consensus All-American linebacker, leading the Golden Bears in tackles for his last three years as a player. He once held Cal’s all-time sack and career tackles records, and still holds the record for most tackles for loss in a season, set in 1983. Rivera was the MVP of the 1984 East-West Shrine Game. A 2016 article showed how tied to Cal the Riveras remain: They buy season tickets for football and both men’s and women’s basketball every year, and since they now make their home in Carolina-land, they make sure friends and fellow alums use the tickets.
Chicago Bears
Matt Nagy played at Delaware, setting more than 20 career passing records at the time, including career marks for passing yards (8,214) and touchdowns (58). Nagy graduated from Delaware with a degree in health and physical education.
Cincinnati Bengals
Zac Taylor earned a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from the University of Nebraska in 2006.
Cleveland Browns
Freddie Kitchens was a quarterback for the Alabama Crimson Tide from 1993-97. In his three seasons as a starter, Alabama went 22-13 and played in the 1993 Gator Bowl, the 1994 Citrus Bowl, and the 1996 Outback Bowl. He graduated from the school.
Dallas Cowboys
Jason Garrett was accepted to Princeton, where he began as the starting quarterback of the freshman team. He transferred to Columbia University when his father, Jim Garrett became the head coach in 1985. Following his father’s resignation after Columbia’s 0–10 1985 season, he and his brothers (Judd and John) transferred to Princeton University. He earned a degree in history in 1989.
Denver Broncos
Vic Fangio graduated from East Stroudsburg University with a health and physical education degree. He was inducted into the Northeast Pennsylvania Hall of Fame in 1993.
Detroit Lions
Matt Patricia played at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) where he was a four-year letterman as a center and guard with the Engineers from 1992-95. He received a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from RPI in 1996.
Green Bay Packers: Matt LaFleur
First-year head coach Matt LaFleur attended attended Western Michigan University and played wide receiver in 1998 and ’99. He transferred to Saginaw Valley State in Div. II, and played quarterback from 2000-02, guiding the Cardinals to the playoffs each season. He is an alum of Saginaw Valley State.
Houston Texans
Bill O’Brien attended Brown University in Providence, where he played defensive end and linebacker for the Brown Bears from 1990-92. After graduating in ’92, O’Brien joined the Bears’ staff as tight ends coach for the 1993 season before coaching the inside linebackers in ’94.
Indianapolis Colts
Frank Reich played at the University of Maryland from 1981-84, where he backed up Boomer Esiason before earning the starting job as a senior. Reich graduated from Maryland with a business degree and earned Academic All-ACC honors as a senior.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Doug Marrone
Doug Marrone was a three-year letterman at Syracuse University, playing from 1983–1985 on the offensive line. He returned to graduate in 1991 with a degree in liberal arts.
Kansas City Chiefs: Andy Reid
Andy Reid went to Glendale (Ca) Junior College before attending BYU. In 2012, Reid was inducted into the Marshall High School Athletic Hall of Fame and was named to the Glendale Junior College Hall of Fame in 2003. He earned a B.A. from BYU in 1981.
Los Angeles Chargers: Anthony Lynn
Anthony Lynn played for Texas Tech from 1988–1991. He was an All-Southwest Conference running back in 1990. In the spring of 2018, Lynn completed his college degree after leaving school for the NFL. Despite being in his first year as a head coach, Lynn received his degree in interdisciplinary studies from UNLV.
Los Angeles Rams: Sean McVay
Sean McVay graduated from Miami University (Ohio) where he played wide receiver from 2004-07, earning Miami’s Scholar- Athlete Award in 2007.
Miami Dolphins: Brian Flores
Brian Flores attended Poly Prep in Brooklyn, where he played running back and linebacker. He graduated from Boston College with a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in administrative studies.
Minnesota Vikings: Mike Zimmer
Mike Zimmer was a successful multi-sport athlete who earned all-conference honors in football (1972–73), baseball, and wrestling at Lockport Township High School in Lockport, Il. He enrolled at Illinois State University, majoring and earning a degree in physical education.
New England Patriots: Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick graduated from Annapolis High School in 1970. He enrolled at Phillips Academy in Andover, Ma, for a postgraduate year. Belichick then attended Wesleyan University in Middletown, Ct, where he played center and tight end. In addition to being a member of the football team, he played lacrosse and squash, serving as the captain of the lacrosse team during his senior season. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1975.
New Orleans Saints: Sean Payton
Sean Payton earned a bachelor’s degree in communications at Eastern Illinois, where he had 10,665 passing yards, then the third-highest total in NCAA Division I-AA history.
New York Giants: Pat Shurmur
Pat Shurmur attended Michigan State University, where he was a four-year letterman for the Spartans. Shurmur was the first graduate student to play at Michigan State, as he began studying for his master’s in financial administration during his senior season.
New York Jets: Adam Gase
Adam Gase attended Michigan State from 1996-99, earning a bachelor’s degree.
Oakland Raiders: Jon Gruden
At the age of 15, he attended Clay High School in South Bend. After graduating in 1981, Gruden attended Muskingum College. After one year, he transferred to the University of Dayton, where he was a three-year letterman. He graduated with a degree in communications in 1986.
Philadelphia Eagles: Doug Pederson
Doug Pederson attended Northeast Louisiana (now Louisiana Monroe), where he was a three-year starter at quarterback. Pederson graduated with a B.B.A. in business management.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Tomlin
Mike Tomlin graduated in 1990 from Denbigh High School in Newport News, Va. He attended the College of William and Mary, becoming a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. He graduated in 1995.
San Francisco 49ers: Kyle Shanahan
Kyle Shanahan accepted a scholarship offer to Duke, but chose to transfer as a redshirt freshman to the University of Texas at Austin. He graduated in 2003.
Seattle Seahawks: Pete Carroll
After high school, Carroll attended College of Marin, where he played football for two years before transferring to the University of the Pacific. There, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1973.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bruce Arians
Bruce Arians attended and played college football at Virginia Tech. He was also the first white player to share a dorm room with an African-American player in school history. His roommate was James Barber, father of Ronde and Tiki Barber.
Tenneseee Titans: Mike Vrabel
Mike Vrabel accepted an athletic scholarship to attend Ohio State, where he played defensive end from 1993-96. He has been inducted into the school’s athletics Hall of Fame.
Washington Redskins: Jay Gruden
Jay Gruden attended the University of Louisville, where he was a four-year letterman from 1985-88.
