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Top 20 college football head coaches heading into 2017

By Nicholas Ian Allen

COLUMBUS, OH - NOVEMBER 26: (R-L) Head coach Urban Meyer of the Ohio State Buckeyes and Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - NOVEMBER 26: (R-L) Head coach Urban Meyer of the Ohio State Buckeyes and Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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ORLANDO, FL – DECEMBER 28: Head coach Mark Richt of the Miami Hurricanes (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL – DECEMBER 28: Head coach Mark Richt of the Miami Hurricanes (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

13. Mark Richt, Miami Hurricanes

  • Career Record: 154-55 (.737), 16 seasons
  • Record at Miami: 9-4 (.692), one season
  • Championships and Awards: 2002, 2005 SEC Champions; 2002, 2005 SEC Coach of the Year

Regardless of whether or not his firing was deserved, his critics had a point. Mark Richt built rosters full of NFL-level talent at Georgia, yet he consistently failed to lead the Bulldogs to a national championship. Each of his last 10 teams failed to win even a conference title.

At least part of Richt’s PR problem was the monster Nick Saban built at Alabama, which ran up against two of Richt’s best teams, most recently 2012 when the No. 3 Bulldogs fell one play short in a 32-28 SEC Championship Game loss to the Crimson Tide and finished 12-2, as well as the high expectations Saban’s behemoth casts across the SEC. With Top 10 recruiting classes, and loads of first round NFL Draft picks, the vocal minority in red and black eventually grew loud enough to force Richt out.

Despite his unceremonious exit, it’s impossible to ignore Richt was a consistent winner at Georgia and built a solid foundation in Athens over the course of 15 seasons. Alas, the decision makers at Georgia fired Richt, and he was happy to land at his alma mater, Miami.

Richt led Miami to a 9-4 record in his first season on the sidelines with the Hurricanes. It was a streaky performance that included a 4-0 start, a four-game losing streak, and five straight wins to enter the offseason with momentum.

Recruiting is humming along in Coral Gables, and expectations are high once again, so it will be very interesting to see if Richt can elevate the Hurricanes to a consistent 10-win program again. It’ll also be interesting to see how the fanbase reacts if he doesn’t elevate the program to a national championship.