Coaches lose their jobs all the time, but they are the constants in college sports, certainly more than their players.
What’s a quick way to survey a large chunk of the landscape in both college football and basketball? Try the “Coach Association Game,” a self-explanatory version of the word association games you played as a kid on long road trips.
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25 – DAN MULLEN AND MARK TURGEON
Their teams overachieved during the regular season, but entered the postseason without a full head of steam.
24 – GARY ANDERSEN AND RICK BARNES
They’ve given their new schools — Oregon State and Tennessee — unexpectedly good coaching upgrades after abrupt turns of events.
23 – BOBBY PETRINO AND BOB McKILLOP
These might be the two best X-and-O men in college football and basketball, respectively.
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22 – DANA HOLGORSEN AND RICK PITINO
At one point in the past season, they both looked like sleep-deprived gamblers who had just lost everything in Vegas and were bent on doing something awful.
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21 – BOB HUGGINS AND BILL SNYDER
They overachieved… as they often have in their careers. They’re rarely in the Final Four or the national championship spotlight, but they’re incredibly good at what they do.
20 – CHAD MORRIS AND BOBBY HURLEY
Their programs — SMU and Arizona State — haven’t been national contenders since the early 1980s, but the locals in Dallas and Phoenix (and outlying areas) are very excited about these coaches.
19 – JERRY KILL AND MICK CRONIN
Two coaches who have rebounded well from health problems have their programs poised to be conference contenders for many years to come.
18 – GARY PATTERSON AND MIKE BREY
One coach lost a 61-58 classic, the other a 68-66 classic. Both teams enjoyed hugely successful seasons yet came an eyelash short of making their respective Final Fours.
17 – KIRK FERENTZ AND BRIAN GREGORY
Buyout money blues and prolonged financial constraints for their respective athletic departments in Iowa City and Atlanta.
16 – JUSTIN FUENTE AND LARRY BROWN
They both won “double championships” at AAC programs — Memphis’s double was a regular season league title and a bowl win; SMU’s double was a regular season league title and a conference tournament title.
15 – JOEY JONES AND RUSSELL TURNER
Jones led South Alabama to its first-ever bowl game. Turner led UC Irvine to its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance.
14 – GARY PINKEL AND LEON RICE
These coaches were as “quietly excellent” in their respective sports as any two coaches in the country this past season.
13 – DABO SWINNEY AND STEVE FISHER
DeShaun Watson got hurt on the gridiron for Clemson. Dwayne Polee missed a lot of the past season for San Diego State. Their coaches kept their respective programs afloat.
12 – KEN NIUMATALOLO AND BILL SELF
These coaches own two of the most highly treasured winning streaks in their sports — Niumatalolo for Navy against Army, Self in the Big 12 regular season, where he hasn’t failed to win at least a share of the conference crown since 2004, his first season.
11 – BOB STOOPS AND ROY WILLIAMS
The two greatest coaches who catch more heat per square mile (or tweet, or radio show) than anyone else in their professions.
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10 – FRANK BEAMER AND JIM BOEHEIM
Two no-doubt legends who really need to retire and allow qualified assistants — Bud Foster and Mike Hopkins — to get their shot at being a head coach.
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9 – DAVID BEATY AND DAVE LEITAO
The worst high-profile coaching hires of the past carousel spins in each sport.
8 – JIM HARBAUGH AND BEN HOWLAND
The best high-profile coaching hires of the past carousel spins in each sport.
7 – LARRY FEDORA AND JOHNNY JONES
The coaches of America’s two biggest “tease programs” in their respective sports.
6 – MATT WELLS AND ARCHIE MILLER
At Utah State and Dayton, these coaches made more with less this past season.
5 – ART BRILES AND BO RYAN
They’ve turned their schools into powerhouses. They don’t give two fire trucks about what anyone else thinks… and they whine a lot… but their fans would rightly not trade them for any other coaches in the country. You want these guys coaching your team but HATE them if they’re not coaching your team.
4 – PAUL JOHNSON AND MARK FEW
They did a lot to silence their critics after several seasons without particularly substantial accomplishments. Their previous great seasons were both in 2009.
3 – MARK DANTONIO AND TOM IZZO
Italian-American, enormously skilled, and able to turn just about everything to gold in East Lansing.
2 – NICK SABAN AND JOHN CALIPARI
These men were born to run what are arguably the two signature programs in their respective sports, with the two most devoted and demanding fan bases. They’re detailed, prepared and composed.
1 – URBAN MEYER AND MIKE KRZYZEWSKI
How did they do what they did this past season?
