Best college football coach in history from each state

TUSCALOOSA, AL - CIRCA 1958-1982: Paul Bryant, head coach of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team observes the play during a game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Alabama) (Photo by University of Alabama/Collegiate Images/Getty Images) /

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IOWA CITY, IA – NOVEMBER 25: A view of Kinnick Stadium from the south endzone during a Big Ten Conference football game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Iowa Hawkeyes on November 25, 2016, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, IA. Iowa won 40-10. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Iowa: Hayden Fry

The Hawkeye State legend helped Iowa become a consistent contender in the Big Ten for nearly two decades while setting the stage for a current run of success.

Fry attended Baylor to play quarterback from 1947-1950, although he was never able to win the full-time starting job. Following a stint in the U.S. Mariners, Fry started coaching in the high school ranks and made two collegiate stops as an assistant coach before getting his first head gig at SMU in 1962.

While Fry never won more than eight games as head coach of the Mustangs, a successful tenure at North Texas State elevated his career. The Hawkeyes hired Fry in 1979, and he quickly had the struggling program in the Rose Bowl just two years later.

Fry led the Hawkeyes to an additional two Rose Bowl berths over the next decade and won at least 10 contests three separate times in his career. While Iowa lost all three of its appearances in Pasadena, Fry’s lifetime mark of 143-89-6 is still a school record for wins and is even more impressive given the two decades of losing that preceded his tenure.

Following a steady decline in the late 1990s, Fry chose to retire, and successor Kirk Ferentz has earned five double-digit win seasons while quickly approaching the school victory record. Still, Fry earns the nod for completely changing the culture at Iowa, as no other coach in state history has managed to quite match his longevity.

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