Fansided

Top-10 coaches most likely to make the jump to the NFL

By Robert Judin

Oct 3, 2015; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Kevin Sumlin reacts from the sidelines against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first half at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 3, 2015; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Kevin Sumlin reacts from the sidelines against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first half at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 17, 2015; Waco, TX, USA; Baylor Bears head coach Art Briles watches his team warm up before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 17, 2015; Waco, TX, USA; Baylor Bears head coach Art Briles watches his team warm up before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Art Briles – Baylor Bears

The Baylor Bears are ranked No. 2 in the nation. It’s the first time in the program’s history that it’s been ranked that high.

In fact, before Art Briles accomplished it in 2013, the last time the Bears were ranked in the top-three was 1953. Briles has taken the program higher than most thought possible.

In 2010, he led Baylor to its first winning record since 1995, and that was in his third year as head coach of the Bears. He may have only won two of the five bowl games he’s taken the Bears to, but he does have a Heisman Trophy winner under his belt (Robert Griffin III).

Now Briles’ Bears are a top contender for the national championship, and it’s nothing short of amazing.

What’s more spectacular is the progression he’s had since his coaching career began in 1979. After 20 years of coaching high school football, Briles finally broke into the college game as Texas Tech’s running backs coach in 2000. Three years later, he took the head coaching job at Houston before eventually landing the job at Baylor in 2008.

Briles has coached some high-octane offenses while at Baylor, and the perfect landing spot for him may be with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

If the Jaguars decide to cut ties with Gus Bradley, Briles could step in and take Blake Bortles to the next level. With young weapons like Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and T.J. Yeldon, the Jaguars could turn into a legitimate offensive threat in the NFL under Briles. It’s just the matter of the defense that he’d have to figure out.

But even if it’s not with the Jaguars, Briles deserves to at least get some interviews after the job he’s done this season.

Next: Mark Richt

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