25 best college football coaches never to win a national title
- Head Coaching Record: 189-132-4 at Navy 1973-81, and Virginia 1982-2000
- Closest He Came to Winning a National Championship: 1994; 9-3 Independence Bowl Champions, No. 13 final ranking
- Notable: 1989 and 1995 ACC Champions, four conference Coach of the Year Awards, 1991 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award, College Football Hall of Fame (2004)
An All-American quarterback at the US Naval Academy in 1955, George Welsh didn’t begin his coaching career until 1963, when he joined Rip Engle’s staff at Penn State. Welsh also worked with Joe Paterno at Penn State before returning to Navy to serve as head coach in 1973. In nine seasons as the head coach of the Midshipmen, Welsh compiled a record of 55-46-1 and led the squad to three bowl games before signing on to become head coach of the Virginia Cavaliers in 1982.
To say Welsh made a huge impact on the Virginia football program is an understatement. Welsh finished his 19-year career in Virginia as the winningest head coach in program history by a landslide. His 134 career victories with the Cavaliers are 75 more than second place Al Groh.
In 1984, his third season at the helm, Welsh led the Cavaliers to a an 8-2-2 record, which included a 27-24 Peach Bowl victory over Purdue, in what was the first bowl game and first bowl win in program history. In 1989, Welsh and the Hoos earned a share of the ACC title for the first time and also won ten games for the first time ever. The following year, Virginia spent four weeks ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll for the first time in school history. Welsh’s 1995 squad also earned a share of the ACC title and became the first team to ever beat Florida State as a member of the ACC after scoring a 33-28 victory in Charlottesville.
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