30 best college football coaches of all time, ranked

7. Bud Wilkinson, Oklahoma 1947-1963

Bud Wilkinson’s Oklahoma teams were a dominant force in the 1950s and 60s. They were the Alabama of their time. Every season, no matter how many kids they lost to graduation or the NFL, there were three other players to replace them. It was the best era for Sooners football, winning three national championships in his tenure and winning the Big Six/Seven/Eight Conference 14 times. It was one of the most dominant eras in college football.

Wilkinson’s football roots started at Syracuse where he was an assistant coach. He eventually went to the University of Minnesota, his alma mater. After joining the Navy for a spell in the early ’40s, Wilkinson joined Jim Tatum’s staff at Oklahoma. However, Tatum was only there for one more year before he was off to the University of Maryland. Wilkinson became head coach at the ripe age of 31 years old.

Things started off well. He went 7-2-1 in his first season leading the Sooners, taking the first share of the conference title. In his second, third, and fourth seasons, he lost two games. Total. It took him no time at all to turn Oklahoma into one of the nation’s powerhouse organizations. Somehow, despite going undefeated in 1949, he was still without a national championship. He won his first championship in 1950, but they actually lost the Sugar Bowl that season to 7th ranked Kentucky. (Rankings came out before the bowl games and there was no “final” ranking that came out after bowls.)

Wilkinson’s biggest achievement was his 47-game winning streak. On October 3, 1953, the Sooners recorded a tie with the Pitt Panthers. They would then win every game until a loss against Notre Dame on November 16, 1957. That is more than four full years where Oklahoma won every single game. It’s a record that hasn’t even been threatened since. It’s likely a record that will stand forever.