Best college football coach in history from each state

Tennessee: Robert Neyland 

The Volunteers’ iconic stadium is named after Neyland for a reason, as the college football Hall of Famer claimed four national titles across three different stints with Tennessee.

Following his service during World War I, Neyland returned to West Point as an assistant coach for the Army football team between 1919 and 1924. Upon moving to Tennessee to become a professor of military science, Neyland kept coaching as an assistant and was promoted to the head football job just one year later.

Tennessee had enjoyed moderate success prior to Neyland’s arrival, but he would quickly establish a championship tradition. Neyland’s worst record during his first seven years stint at Tennessee was 8-1, and the Volunteers were unbeaten in four different seasons with two conference titles through 1932.

After a brief one-year hiatus for military service, Neyland led the Volunteers to three straight top-four finishes, including an 11-0 record and first two claimed national championships in school history in 1938 and 1940. Neyland would return for a third stint in 1946 following World War II, helping Tennessee to two more claimed titles with a pair of 10-1 seasons in 1950 and 1951.

With a career mark of 173-31-12, four national championships and six conference titles, Neyland’s name are all over the record books at Tennessee. Doug Dickey and Phillip Fulmer have since added championships of their own, but Neyland’s accomplishments can’t be topped in The Volunteer State.