12 Greatest Retired College Coaches of All Time
Unfortunately, like all good things, reigns come to an end. Some college coaches end their reign at the height of their careers, others may retire prematurely, and others may retire too late. Regardless of when they retire, the best coaches’ legacies remain untouched. Here is my list of the 12 greatest retired college coaches in college history.
12. Mike Candrea: Arizona
Mike Candrea coached softball at the University of Arizona from 1986 to 2021. Candrea won the Women’s College World Series 8 times, the Pac-12 Championship 11 times, and the National Coach of the Year three times. He also coached the United States softball team at the 2004 Olympic Games, where they won gold, and the 2008 Olympic Games, where they won silver. Candrea transformed Arizona into a softball powerhouse.?
11. Chris Weller: Maryland
Chris Weller coached the University of Maryland’s women’s basketball team from 1975 to 2002. Weller brought Maryland to four Final Fours, eight Elite Eights, and two Sweet Sixteen appearances. She also won eight SEC titles during her tenure. Weller also coached four USA National and Select Teams.?
10. Bobby Bowden: Samford, West Virginia, Florida State?
Bobby Bowden coached the football teams at Samford from 1954 to 1955, West Virginia from 1970 to 1975, and Florida State from 1976 to 2009. During his time at Florida State, Bowden won 2 national championships, 12 ACC championships, and 2 ACC Atlantic Division titles. In 2010, Bobby Bowden bestowed the first annual Bobby Bowden National Collegiate Coach of the Year Award to Alabama’s Nick Saban.
9. Vince Dooley: Georgia?
Vince Dooley coached football at the University of Georgia from 1964 to 1988. In his tenure as head coach, Dooley won 6 SEC titles and a national championship. Dooley won the SEC Coach of the Year award 5 times, in addition to winning numerous other prestigious awards.?
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8. Dean Smith: UNC
Dean Smith coached men’s basketball at the University of North Carolina from 1961 to 1997. During Smith’s time as UNC’s coach, he won two national championships, made the Final Four 11 times, won the ACC tournament 13 times, and won the ACC regular season 17 times. Smith also coached the Olympic men’s basketball team to a gold medal at the 1976 games in Montreal. In addition to all of these accolades, Smith also coached the great Michael Jordan at UNC. Smith is in the Basketball Hall of Fame as well as the College Basketball Hall of Fame.?
7. Dan Gable: Iowa
Dan Gable coached wrestling at the University of Iowa from 1976 to 1997. During Gable’s tenure, he coached 151 All-Americans, 45 national champions, 106 Big Ten champions, and twelve Olympians (including 8 medalists). His teams won 21 Big Ten championships and 15 Division I titles. In dual meets, Gable’s wrestlers held an incredible record of 355–21–5.
6. Bear Bryant: Maryland, Kentucky, Texas A&M, Alabama?
Bear Bryant coached football at Maryland in 1945, Kentucky from 1946 to 1953, Texas A&M from 1954 to 1957, and Alabama from 1958 to 1982. Bryant is the first Alabama coach on this list. During his time at Alabama, Bryant won 6 national titles, 13 SEC titles, plus 1 SEC title at Kentucky. Bryant was the SEC Coach of the Year 12 times. Bryant’s all-time record as a coach was 323-85-17.?
5. Anson Dorrance: UNC
Anson Dorrance was the women’s soccer coach at the University of North Carolina from 1979 to 2023. Dorrance started the program at UNC, and the 2024 season marks the first time in history that UNC won’t have Dorrance at the helm. With a career record of 1,106-152-74, Dorrance won 21 of the 41 total NCAA national championships. He also won 22 of the 35 ACC Championships, held a 103-game unbeaten streak from 1990 to 1994, and was named the National Coach of the Year seven times. Dorrance also made history in international soccer, winning the first-ever Women’s World Cup with the USWNT in 1991.
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