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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BOSTON, MA – NOVEMBER 19: A general view of the stadium during the Yale Bulldogs vs Harvard Crimson football game at Harvard Stadium on November 19, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

Massachusetts: Percy Haughton

Harvard is one of the oldest college football programs in the nation, and Haughton stands out as easily the greatest Crimson coach.

Haughton attended Harvard and played one season as an offensive tackle in 1898 before moving on to the coaching ranks. After going 17-5 with Cornell over the next two years, Harvard took eight years off before returning to the Crimson as head coach in 1908.

Harvard was arguably the most dominant program of the era outside of Yale and didn’t miss a beat under Haughton during his nine-year tenure. The Crimson went 9-0-1 in his debut campaign to win their fourth national title in school history, and never had a worse record than 7-3 with Haughton at the helm.

Haughton added three more national championships in 1910 and 1912, and put together three more unbeaten seasons before the Hall of Famer left in 1916. The Crimson dominated to the tune of a 72-7 record under Haughton, although he was unable to match the same level success at a later stop at Colombia.

Harvard’s time as a power program ended shortly after, as the Crimson have one claimed national title in the century since Haughton, although current longtime head coach Tim Murphy has it at the top of the Ivy League. Boston College hasn’t matched that success with just two top-five finishes in its history, while FBS newcomer UMass is still struggling to get off the ground.

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