Successful FB coaching longevity can be defined many ways. One way is by time or seasons. Another is by winning record.
In my personal opinion, schools can help themselves and their FB programs by keeping a coach long enough so that he has an opportunity to fully implement his plan. As long as he's making progress. Such an approach isn't always going to work, but when it does, the fans sure get repaid for their support.
I went in and sorted the active P5 coaches who have coached at least 5 continuous seasons with their current team. And I looked at their records.
23 of the 69 active "Power" coaches have been with their team at least 5 seasons. I included BYU as a "Power" team. And I list Cincinnati's coach because they will become a "Power" team in about 2 seasons.
Louisville has only had one coach who stayed with the program for 5 full consecutive seasons. Schnellenberger. Frank Camp well before him stayed 5 seasons but in a program competing at a lower level.
Coaches with 5 seasons or more with team:
American
Cincinnati Luke Fickell 5 yrs 48-14 (to become Big 12)
ACC
Clemson Dabo Swinney 14 yrs 148-37
NC State Dave Doeren 9 yrs 64-49
Pitt Pat Narduzzi 7 yrs 53-36
Syracuse Dino Babers 6 yrs 29-43
Wake Forest Dave Clawson 8 yrs 50-48
Big 12
Matt Campbell Iowa State 6 yrs 42-32
Mike Gundy Oklahoma State 17 yrs 148-69
Big Ten
Tom Allen Indiana 5 yrs 26-32
Kirk Ferentz Iowa 23 yrs 177-109
Jim Harbaugh Michigan 7 yrs 61-23
P.J. Fleck Minnesota 5 yrs 34-23
Pat Fitzgerald Northwestern 16 yrs 109-89
James Franklin Penn State 8 yrs 66-33
Jeff Brohm Purdue 5 yrs 27-29
Paul Chryst Wisconsin 7 yrs 64-23
Independent
Kalani Sitake BYU 5 yrs 48-28 (to become Big 12)
Pac-12
Justin Wilcox California 5 yrs 26-28
Davd Shaw Stanford 11 yrs 93-45
Kyle Whittingham Utah 17 yrs 144-69
SEC
Nick Saban Alabama 15 yrs 176-24
Kirby Smart Georgia 6 yrs 64-14
Mark Stoops Kentucky 9 yrs 58-53
Only 4 of these 23 long term coaches @ Power schools have losing records: Babers @ Syracuse, Allen @ Indiana, Brohm @ Purdue, Wilcox @ Cal.
My thesis is that it pays to keep coaches if they're making progress.
In my personal opinion, schools can help themselves and their FB programs by keeping a coach long enough so that he has an opportunity to fully implement his plan. As long as he's making progress. Such an approach isn't always going to work, but when it does, the fans sure get repaid for their support.
I went in and sorted the active P5 coaches who have coached at least 5 continuous seasons with their current team. And I looked at their records.
23 of the 69 active "Power" coaches have been with their team at least 5 seasons. I included BYU as a "Power" team. And I list Cincinnati's coach because they will become a "Power" team in about 2 seasons.
Louisville has only had one coach who stayed with the program for 5 full consecutive seasons. Schnellenberger. Frank Camp well before him stayed 5 seasons but in a program competing at a lower level.
Coaches with 5 seasons or more with team:
American
Cincinnati Luke Fickell 5 yrs 48-14 (to become Big 12)
ACC
Clemson Dabo Swinney 14 yrs 148-37
NC State Dave Doeren 9 yrs 64-49
Pitt Pat Narduzzi 7 yrs 53-36
Syracuse Dino Babers 6 yrs 29-43
Wake Forest Dave Clawson 8 yrs 50-48
Big 12
Matt Campbell Iowa State 6 yrs 42-32
Mike Gundy Oklahoma State 17 yrs 148-69
Big Ten
Tom Allen Indiana 5 yrs 26-32
Kirk Ferentz Iowa 23 yrs 177-109
Jim Harbaugh Michigan 7 yrs 61-23
P.J. Fleck Minnesota 5 yrs 34-23
Pat Fitzgerald Northwestern 16 yrs 109-89
James Franklin Penn State 8 yrs 66-33
Jeff Brohm Purdue 5 yrs 27-29
Paul Chryst Wisconsin 7 yrs 64-23
Independent
Kalani Sitake BYU 5 yrs 48-28 (to become Big 12)
Pac-12
Justin Wilcox California 5 yrs 26-28
Davd Shaw Stanford 11 yrs 93-45
Kyle Whittingham Utah 17 yrs 144-69
SEC
Nick Saban Alabama 15 yrs 176-24
Kirby Smart Georgia 6 yrs 64-14
Mark Stoops Kentucky 9 yrs 58-53
Only 4 of these 23 long term coaches @ Power schools have losing records: Babers @ Syracuse, Allen @ Indiana, Brohm @ Purdue, Wilcox @ Cal.
My thesis is that it pays to keep coaches if they're making progress.
