Niks list seems mostly skewed towards willingness to hire big names and pay big salaries for those names. Sure, they have the other pieces. But the difference is really salary.
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What are the top 5 HC jobs in college football?
- Thread starter Buffnik
- Start date
Niks list seems mostly skewed towards willingness to hire big names and pay big salaries for those names. Sure, they have the other pieces. But the difference is really salary.
For sure. When I think of a Top 5 job, I gravitate to what job equals that I've reached the top of my profession.
SINKRATZ
PhD in Analogy
Fair enough, but UCLA has a similar issue playing their home games 30 miles away from their campus and they draw far better. Miami just seems like kind of a sh**ty sports town in general.
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SINKRATZ
PhD in Analogy
I realize that, but Zook and Muschamp were bringing in similar classes and McElwain had a top 10 class last year and even after getting fired Florida has a top 10 class at the moment so it's not hard to recruit at Florida even if it's not right in the heart of Dade/Broward county.
Right now, I'd go with:
Ohio St.
Alabama
USC
Georgia
Texas
Ohio St.
Alabama
USC
Georgia
Texas
SINKRATZ
PhD in Analogy
I'm sure I'll get crushed for this, but is Alabama really a top 5 job today? It probably is but hear me out. Saban is basically a God there, but does that make it a less desirable job in some respect? Anyone but Saban coaching there is going to find it impossible to live up to expectations of that fan base. Resources, talent, and money are there, no question, but lose to Auburn twice in 5 years and you're probably gone. Fail to make the SEC championship game 3 out of every 4 years and you're gone.
Put another way, would you rather follow Saban at Alabama or Butch Jones at Tennessee? I don't think the answer is so obvious.
Put another way, would you rather follow Saban at Alabama or Butch Jones at Tennessee? I don't think the answer is so obvious.
I'm not disputing that. I'm saying it's not Top 5. I didn't have Miami as a Top 5 either. I didn't put Penn State or Texas A&M or Washington in there either, despite the success, facilities and recruiting chops.
It's subjective. But I was pretty blown away that I saw a list that had Florida on it but left off Alabama.
I agree on UCLA being in the same predicament. But they have a lot more alums that stay in the area.
I havent looked it up but I think The Marlins attendance improved once they moved back to playing near the city center.
EDIT: Yup...
| 2017 | Miami Marlins | NL East | 77 | 85 | 2 | 1,583,014 | 20,295 | Marlins Park | |
| 2016 | Miami Marlins | NL East | 79 | 82 | 3 | 1,712,417 | 21,405 | Marlins Park, Estadio Hiram Bithorn | |
| 2015 | Miami Marlins | NL East | 71 | 91 | 3 | 1,752,235 | 21,633 | Marlins Park | |
| 2014 | Miami Marlins | NL East | 77 | 85 | 4 | 1,732,283 | 21,386 | Marlins Park | |
| 2013 | Miami Marlins | NL East | 62 | 100 | 5 | 1,586,322 | 19,584 | Marlins Park | |
| Avg | 1,673,254 |
| Year | Tm | Lg | W | L | Finish | Attendance | Attend/G | Stadium | |
| 2011 | Florida Marlins | NL East | 72 | 90 | 5 | 1,520,562 | 18,772 | Sun Life Stadium | |
| 2010 | Florida Marlins | NL East | 80 | 82 | 3 | 1,524,894 | 18,826 | Sun Life Stadium, Estadio Hiram Bithorn | |
| 2009 | Florida Marlins | NL East | 87 | 75 | 2 | 1,464,109 | 18,075 | Land Shark Stadium | |
| 2008 | Florida Marlins | NL East | 84 | 77 | 3 | 1,335,076 | 16,482 | Dolphin Stadium | |
| 2007 | Florida Marlins | NL East | 71 | 91 | 5 | 1,370,511 | 16,920 | Dolphin Stadium | |
| Avg | 1,443,030 | ||||||||
Marlins park sits on the old Orange Bowl site.
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If I'm ranking "top HC jobs", I think you need to look at what are your best chances of success if you do a good job, as most guys obviously think they're going to.
I see the thinking behind some of the other views on what defines a "top HC job", but I think those could be classified as cushiest or most comfortable. Obviously different guys have different "dream jobs", too.
My criteria for the top job though is simple: if you do a good job of recruiting, hiring the right assistants, and interacting with donors, local media, etc, what is your likelihood is of having long term success, and what your ceiling is. Obviously, making those thing easier are name recognition, history of success, popularity with recruits, desirability as a job location for assistants, resources, booster support, and size of fan base.
Taking that into account, the top 3 are easy: Notre Dame, USC, and Ohio State. Those three have all of the above in spades. After that, it's hard to rank the following schools, as they all might check all the boxes but maybe not as emphatically as the top 3: OU, Texas, Michigan, Georgia, Florida, FSU, Pedo State (barf), Alabama.
If you pushed me to actually give a ranked top 5, I would say:
1. USC
2. Ohio State
3. Notre Dame
4. Oklahoma
5. Texas
I see the thinking behind some of the other views on what defines a "top HC job", but I think those could be classified as cushiest or most comfortable. Obviously different guys have different "dream jobs", too.
My criteria for the top job though is simple: if you do a good job of recruiting, hiring the right assistants, and interacting with donors, local media, etc, what is your likelihood is of having long term success, and what your ceiling is. Obviously, making those thing easier are name recognition, history of success, popularity with recruits, desirability as a job location for assistants, resources, booster support, and size of fan base.
Taking that into account, the top 3 are easy: Notre Dame, USC, and Ohio State. Those three have all of the above in spades. After that, it's hard to rank the following schools, as they all might check all the boxes but maybe not as emphatically as the top 3: OU, Texas, Michigan, Georgia, Florida, FSU, Pedo State (barf), Alabama.
If you pushed me to actually give a ranked top 5, I would say:
1. USC
2. Ohio State
3. Notre Dame
4. Oklahoma
5. Texas
SINKRATZ
PhD in Analogy
In order, I'd say:
Ohio State
Texas
USC
Florida State
Florida
Just missing out: Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Michigan, Oklahoma. I'm not sure Notre Dame is the marquee job it used to be. It's a high profile job, but that program has lost a lot of luster from 2 decades ago.
Ohio State
Texas
USC
Florida State
Florida
Just missing out: Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Michigan, Oklahoma. I'm not sure Notre Dame is the marquee job it used to be. It's a high profile job, but that program has lost a lot of luster from 2 decades ago.
Michigan is the job that people consistently undervalue IMO. Largest living alumni base, crazy resources, good access to talent, great school acaemically, rich history and the donors don’t seem as involved as many other big time schools. Next year will be the test for harbaugh but they should be the favorite to win the Big-10 after losing so many starters from last years team and I really think harbaugh will usher in a new dominant era for the school.
Top five jobs (in no order)...
Oregon. Uncle Phil money in perpetuity, recruits from CA and TX still view the Dux brand well, quiet PNW life. No sales tax. Low expectations —winning records and competing for PAC 12 titles is sufficient. Will get paid from the uni & Nike. Fan base not rabid but can win big.
USC. Gobs of money. Little public knowledge of details RE: your money, flexible admission standards for an otherwise good school, super recruiting base. Can live on beach with your 25 YO mistress and no one cares. Nice tradition and national credibility (even when undeserved).
UT. The richest AD in the country. Insane recruit opportunities. Constantly amazing facilities. Outstanding support from university community. Weak conference with a pretty straightforward path to the playoffs.
Alabama. Top level tradition. All ethical and academic considerations are secondary to winning. Fans prioritize your wealth and happiness as a winner over their own because the Tide winning enhances fan self esteem. Recruits from all over the country and especially the southeast see you as the beacon of all that is college football.
Florida. Flagship university in a recruiting hotbed state. Lower expectations relative to historic success. Easy path to big bowl games/SEC championship games playing in weaker division. As long as Steve Spurrier is alive, you won’t have to schmooze boosters. He’ll do that for you. All you have to do is coach and win most games with style/offensive flare.
Oregon. Uncle Phil money in perpetuity, recruits from CA and TX still view the Dux brand well, quiet PNW life. No sales tax. Low expectations —winning records and competing for PAC 12 titles is sufficient. Will get paid from the uni & Nike. Fan base not rabid but can win big.
USC. Gobs of money. Little public knowledge of details RE: your money, flexible admission standards for an otherwise good school, super recruiting base. Can live on beach with your 25 YO mistress and no one cares. Nice tradition and national credibility (even when undeserved).
UT. The richest AD in the country. Insane recruit opportunities. Constantly amazing facilities. Outstanding support from university community. Weak conference with a pretty straightforward path to the playoffs.
Alabama. Top level tradition. All ethical and academic considerations are secondary to winning. Fans prioritize your wealth and happiness as a winner over their own because the Tide winning enhances fan self esteem. Recruits from all over the country and especially the southeast see you as the beacon of all that is college football.
Florida. Flagship university in a recruiting hotbed state. Lower expectations relative to historic success. Easy path to big bowl games/SEC championship games playing in weaker division. As long as Steve Spurrier is alive, you won’t have to schmooze boosters. He’ll do that for you. All you have to do is coach and win most games with style/offensive flare.
Speculation starting that Harbaugh is considering leaving and that the NFL is a strong possibility, fwiw.
Either way, tons of young talent on that team returning next year. If it is Harbaugh or someone else it should be a good season for them.
Should be. Young guys played a ton this season. Whether they're just a bowl team or they challenge for the B1G crown will come down to QB development for Michigan, I think.
I don't blame him... Was really close to winning a Super Bowl in SF, and now can't finish higher than 3rd in his own division in college. Oh, and probably going 0/3 vs Ohio State...
Other than obnoxious boosters, how can it be? Seriously, fan support, money, AD resources, facilities, great academic reputation, location, tradition and national exposure. What more do you want?
Is UT still the gold standard for Texas recruits?
There may not be another job in the country that demands the right “fit” more than UT.
FIFY
I don’t know. Ask UCLA.
It would seem so.
SINKRATZ
PhD in Analogy
They wear white helmets which is a huge negative. I thought about dropping them out of my top 5 for that alone.
The issue is that you can't get the politics out of that job. TX high school coaches draw a lot of water. UT boosters are a collection of billionaires who have their fingers in everything and aren't used to being told "no". Then there are the extra media commitments versus other high profile jobs because you've got to be the star of the Longhorn Network. Given all that, the hiring pool of men who can navigate all that and succeed there to the elite expectations is extremely limited. It almost has to be a Mack Brown type guy and then use that budget for an Alabama-like staff for assistants and operations (maybe needs to be even bigger than Alabama's).
All that said, I don't know how one could argue that it's not the top of the profession. The resources. The recruiting grounds. The spotlight. It's one of, if not the most, premiere jobs in college football. The fact that very few can do it only cements that status, imo. It's why I put it in my Top 5 over Oklahoma, which is an easier place to win and compete for national championships.
SerenityBuff
Well-Known Member
USC
Notre Dame
Texas
Ohio State
Alabama
Notre Dame
Texas
Ohio State
Alabama
Clemson is a great program with tremendous support but it's not a top 5 job nationally.