Top 10 NCAA Coaches Turned Pro
The Love of NFL compiled a list of the top 10 NCAA coaches that turned pro.
1. Bill Walsh
The architect of the West Coast offense got his first head coaching job in 1977 at Stanford University after paying his dues under Paul Brown with the Bengals. Two years later, he was hired as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners struggled during his first season with the team, but then he inserted a young quarterback named Joe Montana into the lineup for the 1980 season and the team’s fortunes began to change. The following year, San Fran won the first of three Super Bowls under Walsh. By the time he retired after the 1988 season, he’d revolutionized the NFL passing game and earned a reputation as one of the greatest coaches of all-time.3. Jimmy Johnson
J.J. built the University of Miami into a national powerhouse during the mid 1980s, winning the 1987 National Championship and a total of 52 games over five years. In 1989, his former college teammate, Jerry Jones, purchased the Dallas Cowboys and asked him to be his head coach. The Cowboys were a dismal 1-15 in Johnson’s first season, but he stockpiled talent through the draft and coached them to victories in Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII. His second stop in the NFL wasn’t as successful, despite managing to win 36 games during his four years with the Miami Dolphins.
Great list, but if I could add one: Bobby Petrino.
Oh wait, no…wrong list.
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