From Nick Saban at Alabama to Jeff Brohm at Purdue: College football's top 25 coaching hires this century

Every college football program has that one hire. It's the moment that changes everything and kicks off an unprecedented run of success. It can transform an athletic department and show both donors and players what's possible at a school.

The race to find that hire has never been more difficult. For example, Florida has hired six coaches in the 21st century alone. Tennessee hired five in 12 years. USC hired three straight Pete Carroll disciples to try and recapture the magic. Countless buyout dollars have flown out the windows in search of the next big thing. But when the right coach has found the right situation, magic happens.

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For a list like this, laying out criteria is critical. More than anything, being transformative is valued. There are coaches who defined a place, or even helped elevate a program long term. Winning big is valued -- the top five are all multi-time national champions -- but it's not the only qualification. Success at Purdue looks different than that at Alabama.

Additionally, a coach is only eligible to be listed on here once. Otherwise, multiple champions like Nick Saban and Urban Meyer very well could take up all of the top five spots on their own. The list will also consider coaches who started their head coaching tenure in 2000 or later. That means a few legendary coaches, like Oklahoma's Bob Stoops, narrowly miss the cut.

With that said, here are the top 25 coaching hires of the 2000s, from national champions to program builders.

25. Jeff Traylor, UTSA

First season: 2020Notable accomplishments: 2 CUSA titles, 46-20 record, five straight winning seasons

When Traylor took over at UTSA, one of the youngest programs in the FBS, the Roadrunners had not posted a winning record since their transitional season. Right away, Traylor turned the program into a winner. By Year 2, UTSA was the best team in Conference USA. The Roadrunners blazed their way to a 22-2 league mark in three seasons between CUSA and the AAC. Last year was a transitional one, but Traylor has changed everything about UTSA during his tenure.

24. Jeff Brohm, Purdue

First season: 2017Notable accomplishments: 4 bowl appearances, Big Ten West title

Brohm has done incredible work everywhere he's gone, but the success he had at Purdue was downright silly. The program had two total bowl appearances in the decade after Joe Tiller was pushed out, but Brohm helped them get back to their winning ways with three winning seasons and four bowl appearances. He posted 17 wins in his final two seasons, the most since Tiller's first two years in West Lafayette.

23. Jamey Chadwell, Coastal Carolina

First season: 2019Notable accomplishments: Sun Belt title, 2 Sun Belt East titles, 22-3 record in two years

Chadwell was simply a winner and synonymous with the state of South Carolina when Joe Moglia brought him onto his staff at an upstart program. In 2019, he earned the full-time head coaching job and embarked on an incredible run. After a 5-7 rebuilding season, Chadwell delivered a 31-6 mark in three seasons with two appearances in the Sun Belt Championship Game. The program's most iconic moment was a last-second victory against Zach Wilson's BYU. At Liberty, Chadwell has kept the train rolling.

22. Jimbo Fisher, Florida State

First season: 2010Notable accomplishments: 1 national championship, 3 ACC titles, five straight 10-win seasons

Fisher is one of the most complicated names on the list. His success at Florida State was elite, headlined by a 2013 team that ranks among the best in the history of the sport. He also faltered near the end and his whiffs helped set up a disastrous half-decade of FSU football after he left. Still, his early success was impressive enough that he deserves a spot on the list, and he helped prove Florida State could be a blue-chip program without Bobby Bowden.

21. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss

First season: 2020Notable accomplishments: 44-18 record, Ole Miss single-season win record

Few would call Kiffin's tenure as quiet and consistent, but his Rebels have been exactly that. The Rebels have posted 10 wins in three of the past four years, including a school record 11 victories in 2023. Perhaps most impressive has been Kiffin's flexibility when it comes to building rosters, from leaning on quarterbacks like Jaxson Dart to building fearsome defensive fronts behind Walter Nolen and running the ball with Quinshon Judkins. Kiffin was all hype early in his career; now, he's all results.

20. Willie Fritz, Tulane

First season: 2016Notable accomplishments: AAC title, Cotton Bowl title, 23 wins in two years

Fritz found success at levels from JUCO to FCS. At Tulane, however, is where he proved ready for the big stage. He took over a program with only one bowl appearance in a decade and quickly turned them into a consistent winner, reaching five bowls in six years. More impressively, he produced two of the best teams in program history in 2022-23, posting a 23-5 record and beating USC in the Cotton Bowl. But perhaps most importantly, he elevated the job to such an extent that Tulane was able to poach Jon Sumrall from Troy.

19. Brian Kelly, Notre Dame

First season: 2010Notable accomplishments: 2 CFP appearances, national runner-up, Notre Dame wins leader, 113-40 record

Few coaches in the history of college football have achieved Kelly's level of consistency. The Massachusetts native worked his way up from Division II national champ at Grand Valley State to Central Michigan and Cincinnati before Notre Dame called. It took only three years to reach the BCS National Championship Game. Kelly led the Irish to multiple playoff appearances and three AP top five finishes. He passed Knute Rockne in all-time wins, and also brought Marcus Freeman onto his staff.

18. David Shaw, Stanford

First season: 2011Notable accomplishments: 3 Pac-12 titles, 5 Pac-12 North titles, 5 10-win seasons in 6 years, 2 Rose Bowl wins

Jim Harbaugh deserves credit for building Stanford, but Shaw was the one who maximized it. The longtime NFL assistant was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach in 2011 and rattled off one of the most impressive runs of the 2010s. Stanford went an absurd 64-17 in his first six seasons with three conference championships and four major bowl appearances. The program produced numerous legendary players, including Andrew Luck and Christian McCaffrey. Shaw's run ultimately ended as college football's NIL/transfer era started; it's unclear whether any coach could have survived the paradigm shift at Stanford.

17. Matt Rhule, Baylor

First season: 2017Notable accomplishments: Flipping from 11 losses to 11 wins in only two years

Rhule had more success at Temple, but the job he did at Baylor is remarkable. The program was fresh off the disastrous Title IX scandal that ended the Art Briles era and was teetering on the brink. Rhule came in, raillied the fanbase and helped lead one of the best short-term turnarounds of the 21st century. The Bears landed back in the Big 12 Championship Game in his third season, and his recruits were the core of Baylor's historic 2021 campaign as well. The only thing preventing Rhule from being higher is his short three-year stint before heading to the Carolina Panthers.

16. Luke Fickell, Cincinnati

First season: 2017Notable accomplishments: 2 AAC titles, only Group of Five playoff appearance, 57-18 record

Fickell is as Ohio as Ohio gets and managed to use his superpower to carry Cincinnati into the Power Four. The longtime Ohio State assistant was a sensational evaluator and developer, ultimately helping a team of overlooked recruits develop into a powerhouse with four straight AP Top 25 finishes. The peak was a 2021 appearance in the College Football Playoff, which helped set the stage for the Bearcats to join the Big 12 in 2023. After a transitional first season, Fickell posted an absurd 53-10 record in five seasons.

15. Matt Campbell, Iowa State

First season: 2016Notable accomplishments: Iowa State wins leader, seven bowl games, Iowa State single-season win record

A successful MAC coach with some upside, Campbell was a fairly traditional hire for a Midwestern program. Instead, he has delivered one of the most underrated runs in college football history. Prior to Campbell, the last time the program had three straight winning seasons was 1925-27. He posted five straight winning seasons and seven in nine years, including a school record 11 wins in 2024. If Campbell can eventually break through and win the program's first conference title since 1912, he'd easily slide into the top 10. And most scary: he's only 45.

14. James Franklin, Penn State

First season: 2014Notable accomplishments: Big Ten title, CFP appearance, four NY6 bowl wins, 101-42 record

There's been so much conversation about what Franklin hasn't done that the sport at large has taken for granted what he's accomplished. Franklin took over a rebuilding Penn State program and quickly brought them back to the limelight, posting three AP top 10 finishes in a four-year stretch. After a reshuffling around the pandemic, Franklin has reached major bowls in three straight years, and fell narrowly in the national semifinals to Notre Dame. At a program that was previously defined by one coach, Franklin ensured Penn State remained a national power.

13. Mike Leach, Texas Tech

First season: 2000Notable accomplishments: Big 12 South title, single-season win record, 10 straight winning seasons, five AP Top 25 finishes

The wins and success stand apart for Leach, especially playing in perhaps the sport's toughest division for most of the run. But even more than on-field success, Texas Tech became the center of college football thanks to Leach's revolutionary Air Raid offense. An absurd number of great quarterbacks and offensive coordinators flowed through Lubbock. There were eight future FBS head coaches on Leach's 2003 staff alone. He gave Texas Tech an identity that it still leans into today.

12. Kyle Whittingham, Utah

First season: 2005Notable accomplishments: 4 Pac-12 South titles, 2 Pac-12 titles, Mountain West title, 167-86 record, 2 BCS bowl wins

There's a collection of legendary internal hires in college football history, and Whittingham belongs near the top. He sometimes gets slight criticism for taking over a 13-0 powerhouse that Urban Meyer left behind, but Whittingham built a program in his own image. He led Utah to a No. 2 finish in the AP Top 25 in 2008 and brought enough sustained success to earn the Utes a Pac-12 invitation. After some growing pains in the new league, Utah hit its stride in the final years of the Pac-12, winning back-to-back conference titles. The caliber of the job has been transformed because of Whittingham's long-term impact.

11. Chip Kelly, Oregon

First season: 2009Notable accomplishments: National runner-up, 3 Pac-12 titles, three AP top 5 finishes, 46-7 record

Frankly, it's remarkable that Kelly was Oregon's head coach for only four years, even considering his success as a coordinator. But when it comes to transformative tenures, Kelly's run ranks among the best. The Ducks surged into national prominence with three straight top-four finishes, including a trip to the 2010 national championship game. Kelly also built the foundation for the 2014 team that reached the title game behind Marcus Mariota. He helped establish Oregon as a true national power -- in both substance and brand.

10. Mark Dantonio, Michigan State

First season: 2007Notable accomplishments: 3 Big Ten titles, 7 AP Top 25 finishes, CFP appearance, 114-57 record

Is Dantonio one of the most underappreciated coaches of the 21st century? The former Nick Saban and Jim Tressel assistant took over a Michigan State program with just one 10-win season in 40 years and turned it into a Big Ten powerhouse. The Spartans finished in the AP top 15 six times over an eight-year stretch, including an astonishing run of No. 3, No. 5 and No. 6 finishes in consecutive seasons. Even more impressively, Michigan State won Big Ten titles over teams led by Tressel and Urban Meyer and posted five 11-win seasons during Dantonio's tenure.

9. Chris Petersen, Boise State

First season: 2006Notable accomplishments: 5 conference titles, Boise State wins leader, 92-12 record, four AP top 10 finishes

It's an oversimplification to say Chris Petersen made Boise State, as both Dirk Koetter and Dan Hawkins helped push the program into the national spotlight. But Petersen's tenure transformed Broncos into one of the defining programs of the 2000s. He led a 13-0 team to a Fiesta Bowl win and an AP top five finish in his first year, and posted four top 10 finishes overall. He didn't win fewer than 10 games in a season until his last year at Boise -- after which he took Washington to the College Football Playoff. To this day, Petersen remains a defining figure in Boise State history.

8. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State

First season: 2005Notable accomplishments: Big 12 title, 18 consecutive winning seasons, 10 AP Top 25 finishes, 169-88 record

There are almost no words that can properly contextualize what Gundy accomplished at Oklahoma State. He has nearly tripled the second-place coach for most wins in program history and has the best winning percentage of any OSU coach since 1933. Gundy posted a remarkable 18 consecutive winning seasons with 10 AP Top 25 finishes. The only knock? He truly was not able to compete with rival Oklahoma, posting a 4-15 record against the Sooners. With a few more Bedlam skins on the wall, the Cowboys probably would have half a dozen Big 12 titles instead of just one.

7. Gary Patterson, TCU

First season: 2000Notable accomplishments: 6 conference titles, TCU wins leader, 181-79 record, six AP top 10 finishes

Few things are more impressive than existentially changing the state of a program. Patterson was so successful at TCU that the school statue was built outside the stadium while he was still actively coaching. The program went on a sensational run in the Group of Five, posting seven 11-win seasons in nine years in CUSA and the Mountain West. Then, he collected three 11-win seasons in four years in the Big 12 to cement his legacy as one of the best ever. Without Patterson, TCU probably isn't in the Big 12.

6. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan

First season: 2015Notable accomplishments: National championship, 3 Big Ten titles, 86-25 record

Harbaugh's tenure at Stanford would easily deserve a spot on this list too, but getting Michigan back to the national stage will be his legacy. Michigan's prodigal son returned to the program from the NFL and quickly delivered three 10-win seasons in four years. However, his best moments came after the pandemic when he revamped his roster and delivered three straight Big Ten titles. The program peaked with its first outright national championship since 1948. Harbaugh will go down as one of the greatest football coaches of all time, regardless of level.

5. Kirby Smart, Georgia

First season: 2016Notable accomplishments: 2 national championships, 3 SEC titles, 105-19 record

We're now getting into the territory of coaches with multiple national championships, and Smart is perhaps best positioned to join Nick Saban as the only coach with more than two. Smart has created the closest thing we have to a new Alabama, rattling off eight straight AP top seven finishes with consecutive national championships. The only thing keeping Smart slightly lower on this list than the top four is that he took over a Georgia program that was painfully close to reaching the promised land under Mark Richt. All four of the other situations were bleaker. In the next decade, though, Smart can easily elevate himself to No. 2.

4. Pete Carroll, USC

First season: 2001Notable accomplishments: 2 national championships, 7 Pac-10 titles, 97-19 record, 2 Heisman Trophy winners

Carroll was not USC's first choice when he was hired. He had runs as head coach of the New England Patriots and New York Jets in the 1990s, but spent the 2000 season away from the field after getting fired. He built a legitimate recruiting fence around Southern California and helped return the Trojans to national prominence. He produced the first Heisman-winning teammates since Army in the 1940s and captured a pair of AP national titles. An indicator of Carroll's success: USC hired a series of former Carroll assistants as head coach in an attempt to recapture the magic.

3. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

First season: 2009Notable accomplishments: 2 national championships, 9 ACC titles

Swinney isn't the only coach on this list with multiple national championships, but his rise is nothing short of magical. A former wide receivers coach on Tommy Bowden's staff, Swinney was one of the least experienced hires on this list when he took over. All he did over the next 15 years was transform Clemson into a national powerhouse. Before his tenure, the Tigers had just one national title and six top-10 finishes; Swinney surpassed both marks on his own. There are fair questions about whether he can return Clemson to the mountaintop in a new era, but those are champagne problems. His hire remains one of the boldest and best swings a program has ever taken.

2. Urban Meyer, Florida

First season: 2005Notable accomplishments: 2 national championships, 2 SEC titles, 65-15 record

Meyer was always going to have a high spot on this list. The only debate surrounds which of his hirings stands apart as the best. Frankly, if evaluated separately, Meyer's stints at Utah, Florida and Ohio State could all rank as top 10 hires of the 21st century. However, his five-year tenure at Florida helped cement him as a Hall of Fame coach with three 13-1 records in six seasons behind legendary quarterback Tim Tebow. Meyer helped create a monstrous recruiting machine and produced countless NFL players at Florida. If not for No. 1 on the list, he would be considered the best overall coach of the 21st century. Instead, he had to settle for silver.

1. Nick Saban, Alabama

First season: 2007Notable accomplishments: 6 national titles, 9 SEC titles, 201 wins

Could there be any other answer? Saban was so successful for so long, people forget the mess he inherited at Alabama. The program had two outright SEC titles in the 25 years between Paul "Bear" Bryant's retirement and Saban's hiring. He rattled off nine such titles in 17 seasons at Alabama. He also won six national titles at the school -- the most by any coach in history. Saban's Alabama defined the 21st Century in every way, from its on-field success to reworking how every peer program approached recruiting and development. Saban was perhaps the single greatest hire in the history of college football.