30 best college football coaches of all time, ranked
By Nick Villano
16. Steve Spurrier, Duke 1987-1989, Florida 1990-2001, South Carolina 2005-2015
Steve Spurrier is known for his run with Florida across the 90s. His offensive playstyle was famous for its aggressiveness. It put points on the board. Spurrier has one of the most fascinating football journeys in history. He’s known for his major success as a college coach, but he’s had plenty of time in the pros. In fact, his first head coaching gig was with the Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL. It was ironic because Spurrier was also the first-ever starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. When that league folded in 1985, he eventually returned to the college ranks as the head coach of Duke football.
Spurrier’s offense still ranks among the best in Blue Devils history. He got the team turned around, and he won seven and eight times in his second and third season at Duke. He’s also the last coach to win the ACC with Duke. That happened in 1989, and it never happened since.
After the 1989 season, Spurrier was hired as the head football coach at Florida. The Gators fired Galen Hall for rules violations, and it opened the door for Spurrier to return to the place where he played. Coming into Gainesville, Florida had never officially won a conference title ever.
He unofficially won the SEC title in his first year with the program (NCAA violations ruled them ineligible to officially win). Florida officially won the SEC in his second year. In 1996, the Gators won the national championship, also the first in school history. He was also the first Heisman Trophy winner to coach another Heisman Trophy winner (Danny Wuerffel).
Florida was never known as a powerhouse. Steve Spurrier changed that singlehandedly. Now, the Gators are considered one of the great teams in the country. A lot has happened since Spurrier left in 2001, but his impact will never go away. He eventually went and coached the South Carolina Gamecocks for a decade. He took the east coast USC to new heights, going to bowl games in nine of his 10 full seasons. He also won 11 games three times and finished the season ranked in the top ten each time. Spurrier was a phenomenal coach with an innovative offense.