The 11 Most Overrated Coaches in College Football History

College football is a world where legendary coaches are revered and celebrated, but unfortunately, not every well-known coach can deliver. Some coaches, despite having moments of success, failed to deliver consistently. Here are the 11 most overrated coaches in college football history.

Charlie Weis

Charlie Weis was considered an offensive mastermind and expected to bring Notre Dame back to national prominence after his successful stint as offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots. But, while Weis started strong, his record quickly deteriorated. He finished his career at Notre Dame with a 35-27 record and struggled even more at Kansas.

Rich Rodriguez

Known for popularizing the spread-option offense, Rich Rodriguez was hailed as a revolutionary offensive mind. And, while he did have success at West Virginia, his reputation took a serious hit at Michigan. In fact, his record in three seasons at Michigan was 15-22.

Lane Kiffin

Lane Kiffin’s career has been filled with many high-profile jobs, but his results haven’t always lived up to the hype. He left Tennessee after just one season for USC, where he failed to bring the Trojans back to dominance. While he has succeeded at Ole Miss, Kiffin’s reputation was often built more on potential than actual results.

John Blake

Hired by Oklahoma in 1996, John Blake was known for his recruiting prowess. Unfortunately, he wasn’t a very good coach. In three seasons, he led the Sooners to a 12-22 record and was fired after repeated poor performances.

Bob Davie

Bob Davie took over Notre Dame in the late ‘90s and was expected to continue the success of Lou Holtz. However, his tenure was inconsistent and he left Notre Dame with a record of 35-25.

Gerry DiNardo

Gerry DiNardo came to LSU with a reputation as a program rebuilder, but failed to sustain any meaningful success. While he initially revived interest in LSU football, his teams struggled against top competition. Not to mention, his tenure at Indiana was also largely unsuccessful.

Mack Brown

Though Mack Brown did win a national title at Texas in 2005, he was never able to maintain that kind of success. Simply put, Brown struggled with recruiting adjustments and player development.

Bo Pelini

Bo Pelini was hired to bring Nebraska back to prominence, and while he maintained winning records, his teams were often blown out in big games and failed to compete for national titles. Sadly, Pelini’s Nebraska teams couldn’t meet the expectation and he left with an unfulfilled legacy.

Kevin Sumlin

Kevin Sumlin’s first year at Texas A&M was electric, especially with Johnny Manziel at quarterback. However, his success fizzled as his teams struggled to win consistently. Then, at Arizona, Sumlin’s struggles continued and he left with a losing record.

Les Miles

While Les Miles did win a national championship at LSU, his inability to adapt contributed to his firing in 2016. Then, his later stint at Kansas was marked by poor results and off-field controversies, which have hurt his legacy.

Gus Malzahn

Gus Malzahn’s “hurry-up, no-huddle” offense made headlines early on, but he failed to deliver consistent results at Auburn. He then took the coaching job at the University of Central Florida in 2021, where he has been subpar.