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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AUSTIN, TX – MAY 15: University of Texas football coach Mack Brown (L) and Athletic Director DeLoss Dodds (R) present former coach Darrell K Royal with a certificate recognizing his fifty years of service to the university during a breakfast in his honor at Frank Erwin Center on May 15, 2007. Coach Royal died on November 7, 2012 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Gary Miller/FilmMagic) /

Texas: Darrell Royal

The Tom Herman era is full of promise for Texas, but he has a long way to go to match the legacy left behind by Royal.

A native of Oklahoma, Royal began his college football career by playing quarterback and defensive back for Wilkinson’s legendary Sooner team between 1946 and 1949, setting a school record with 19 interceptions. Royal then made six different stops in seven years as a coach, ranging from NC State assistant to head coach of the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos.

Texas hired Royal in 1957 after predecessor Edwin Price posted a 1-9 record the prior year, the worst ever in program history. Royal helped the Longhorns improve to 6-4-1 in his first season, and Texas rose all the way to No. 4 in the AP Poll two years later with a 9-2 campaign.

In 1963, the Longhorns claimed the first national championship in school history with an unblemished 11-0 record. Royal would earn a second national championship in a legendary perfect campaign in 1969, and the Longhorns completed the repeat the next season with a mark of 10-1.

An all-time record of 167-45-7 with three national titles, nine separate finishes in the top five of the AP Poll and 11 conference titles helps Royal stand out even in one of the most competitive states in college football. Brown owns Texas’ only other national championship and had a terrific run despite spite a decline at the end, while rival Texas A&M has also been home to legendary coaches like R.C. Slocum and Homer Norton.

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