There’s something to be said for loyalty in college football. But sometimes, sticking around a little too long leads to more groans than glory.
Whether it was losing their magic, resisting change, or simply overstaying their welcome, these coaches held onto their whistles a bit too tightly. From legendary names to long-tenured lifers, here are college coaches who probably should’ve called it a career a few seasons earlier.
14. Larry Fedora
Fedora had early success at North Carolina, but the wheels started falling off in a big way. By the end, the offense was stale, the losses were piling up, and fans were ready for a new direction.
13. Bill Snyder
Snyder is a legend in Manhattan, but his second stint at Kansas State didn’t quite hit the same. His old-school approach eventually fell behind the modern game.
12. Paul Pasqualoni
Pasqualoni kept Syracuse solid for years, but the late ‘90s and early 2000s were rough. The team plateaued, and fans were begging for an injection of energy he couldn’t provide.
11. Tommy Tuberville
After his run at Auburn, Tuberville had some ups and downs elsewhere, but the downs got heavier. His final seasons at Texas Tech and Cincinnati felt like a coach chasing past success that wasn’t coming back.
10. Mark Richt
Richt was beloved at Georgia, but his tenure ended on a note of underachievement. He moved on to Miami with promise, but things unraveled quickly as the Hurricanes couldn’t keep up.
9. Tyrone Willingham
Willingham had early success at Stanford and Notre Dame, but his later years at Washington were rough to watch. The Huskies hit rock bottom, and it was clear the game had passed him by.
8. Mack Brown (Texas version)
Mack Brown enjoyed a second act at UNC, but his Texas exit wasn’t pretty. The Longhorns went from national champs to middle-of-the-pack, and the decline dragged out too long.
7. Phillip Fulmer
Fulmer won a national title at Tennessee, but the Vols’ later seasons under his watch got increasingly frustrating. It was a slow erosion of success, and fans had grown tired of waiting for a turnaround.
6. Jim Tressel
Tressel was wildly successful at Ohio State, but scandal and stubbornness ultimately led to his downfall. Had he stepped away earlier, he might’ve avoided a messy exit and protected his legacy.
5. Joe Paterno
Paterno’s coaching résumé is unmatched, but the late-stage Penn State years were painful at times. Beyond the off-field controversy, the on-field product had dipped before his departure.
4. Frank Beamer
Beamer made Virginia Tech a powerhouse, but his final few years lacked the fire that defined his peak. The Hokies became painfully average, and the exit was more of a sigh than a celebration.
Read More: 10 College Football Coaches Who Were Overhyped
3. Bobby Bowden
Bowden built Florida State into a juggernaut, but the decline in his final seasons was steep and obvious. The program struggled to stay competitive, and the coaching staff looked stuck in the past.
Read More: 20 College Football Coaches Who Overstayed Their Welcome
2. Les Miles
The Mad Hatter brought flair to LSU, but his refusal to adapt his offense was his undoing. Even at Kansas, it was clear the game had evolved—and he hadn’t kept up.
Read More: The 10 Most Overrated College Football Coaches
1. Charlie Weis
Weis was always more about reputation than results, and his tenure at Notre Dame proved that. His post-Irish stints were even worse, culminating in a Kansas era so bad that it felt like a coaching parody.
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