Dudes Who Bet Sports Selects the Top 40 Head Coaching Jobs in College Football

With all of the changes in the college football coaching world the past two weeks, we thought it might be fun to reveal our list of the best jobs in Division 1 college football. We used the following four categories to come to our conclusions: 1. Tradition and reputation. 2. Recruiting opportunities 3. Campus Life 4. Quality of Living. Let’s check our list:

• No.40 ARIZONA STATE: They have won before, they are close to the California recruiting base and the weather is great.
• No.39: SMU They have access to the Texas recruiting area and have won before.
• No.38: BOISE STATE: This Group of 5 school has been a fan favorite for years. They have tradition and play in a decent conference.
• No.37: MINNESOTA: The Gophers are a middle of the road Big 10 team and their campus is in a big city. Not a great college atmosphere, but still a decent job where you can be competitive.
• No.36 MISSISSIPPI STATE: This is the first SEC team to make the list and it is a place where you can win, but not big. 7 or 8 wins a year is the best you can do.
• No.35 HOUSTON: They are making the move to the Big 12 in the near future and this is a pretty good job. They have won before and the Houston area has plenty of big-time recruits
• No.34 VIRGINIA TECH: They have won in the past, but it has been awhile since they were a force in the ACC, let alone the national scene. But, this is not a bad job and Blacksburg is a pretty campus town.
• No.33 MICHIGAN STATE: The Spartans have had their moments over the years and this is a respectable place to live and coach.
• No.32 WEST VIRGINIA: This might be a surprise choice for some, but they have a rich tradition, a crazy fan base, and they consistently win enough to go to bowl games. Plus, Morgantown is a beautiful campus.
• No.31 UCF: This was a good job anyway, but now that they are joining a Power conference, it has become even better. Orlando is a great place to live, there are plenty of recruits in Florida, and now they are in the Big 12.
• No.30 MIAMI: The Hurricanes lack a college-type campus and atmosphere and that keeps them from being rated higher. This job has the potential to be better.
• No.29 UTAH: This is a job where you can expect to win nine or ten games a year. Not a bad gig.
• No.28 NEBRASKA: Just 20 years ago this would have been a Top-10 job. Now, I’m thinking we have it rated too high. Still, there is tradition and the fan base is second to none.
• No.27 WASHINGTON: I must admit this job would have no appeal to me, so I probably have it too low. It’s another university that’s campus is in a large city. They have won here and every once in a while are a force nationally.
• No.26 BAYLOR: This is a sleeper job, but it has been proven the past 10 years or so that you can win plenty of games here. The facilities are first class and Texas has plenty of football players available.
• No.25 ARKANSAS: This is another program that has so many positive things about it. Fayetteville is a beautiful college town, the facilities are excellent, and the fan base is rabid. The key is getting the players from the surrounding states to supplement the lack of Division 1 talent in Arkansas.
• No.24 MISSISSIPPI: Oxford, Mississippi is a special place on Saturdays. It is what college football is all about. There are players in the state and if they get the right pieces they can win.
• No.23 BYU: This is another place that has rich tradition. The job was good to begin with and the move to the Big 12 will only make it better.
• No.22 CINCINNATI: This is another job that is only going to get better with the move to the Big 12. It has been proven that you can win big here. They are in the Final Four with a chance to win the national championship.
• No.21 IOWA: Year in and year out, Iowa wins at least 8 games. Hawkeye fans are extremely loyal and realistic. No national titles here, but consistent winning is a given. Will it change when Kirk Ferentz decides to retire?
• No.20 NORTH CAROLINA: Selecting this job in the Top 20 will surprise many, but this is a good job that should be better. The campus is beautiful, the facilities are great, and the ACC isn’t that difficult.
• No.19 WISCONSIN: Madison is a great college town and a Saturday in Camp Randall is special. For the past 25 years, the Badgers have won a ton of games.
• No.18. USC: Most people will rank this job higher, but it has its’ deficiencies. The campus is in Los Angeles, the cost of living is gigantic, and it’s a place where you aren’t the only game in town. Still, the right guy can win big there.
• No.17 TENNESSEE: Another job that has lost some prestige in the last few years. But, if the situation is right, this is a great job with everything in place to win at a high level.
• NO.16 AUBURN: This is a job where you will always play second fiddle to Alabama. But they have had their moments through the years and their fan base is better than given credit for.
• No.15 OKLAHOMA STATE: It is remarkable what Mike Gundy and Oklahoma State have done in a state this size, with a power like Oklahoma, that they have to share it with. Stillwater is a great college town, they have upgraded their facilities, and they recruit extremely well. Is it Gundy, or is this job really that good?
• No.14 TEXAS: This is the job that has everything: money, facilities, recruiting base, tradition, and a fun city to live in. Why can’t they win more than they do? They are on their third coach since Mack Brown was forced out in 2013.
• No.13 PENN STATE: They should be winning more than they are. The campus is awesome, the facilities are great, and they have a winning tradition.
• No.12 OREGON: This is a job that shouldn’t be as good as it is. But, winning is consistent there, and they play in the Pac-12 where it doesn’t take much to dominate. And there is Nike money to rely on for facility upgrades.
• No.11 TEXAS A&M: The Aggies always pay very well, but don’t get a lot of bang for their buck. It is easy to find plenty of quality recruits in their backyard, there is plenty of fan support, and money is no object. So, why don’t they win more?

AND NOW THE 10 BEST JOBS IN DIVISION 1 COLLEGE FOOTBALL

• No.10 LSU: This is a job where you can win, but the fan base is crazy and there isn’t much stability. In other words, they will turn on you when things go wrong. Still, the facilities are great, the recruiting has endless possibilities, and the crowds are always there. Just don’t plan on staying too long.
• No.9 MICHIGAN: A lot of the prestige of this job has returned, after Jim Harbaugh led the Wolverines back to the top. This is a place where winning big is always possible. There aren’t very many negatives in Ann Arbor.
• No.8 FLORIDA: The Gators have slipped a bit of late, but the recruiting possibilities are endless. If the right guy is in place (Steve Spurrier, Urban Meyer), this is a great job.
• No.7 FLORIDA STATE: Another superior job that has slipped in the past few years. There is no reason the Seminoles can’t get back to the top of the ACC.
• No.6 NOTRE DAME: This is the cathedral of college football. Beautiful campus, the Golden Dome, the famous fight song, and on and on. There are no excuses for not winning in South Bend.
• No.5 OKLAHOMA: Another tradition-rich program with a storied past. First-class facilities, a loyal fan base, Texas recruiting just down the road, and a great college town in Norman. It’s hard to beat.
• No.4 CLEMSON: This job has always been good, but Dabo Swinney has taken it to another level. Another great college town, fertile recruiting fields, plenty of tradition, and a conference they can dominate.
• No.3 GEORGIA: 25 years ago this program would not have been in the Top 10. But, it is hard to deny the success of the past few years. They have everything in place to be successful for many years.
• No.2 OHIO STATE: Great recruiting area, storied program, famous stadium, and all the traditions associated with college football. Doesn’t get much better than being a Buckeye in Columbus.
• No.1 ALABAMA: Who else could it be but the Crimson Tide? Through the decades it has been proven, over and over, that this is the best job in college football. Nick Saban has taken it to another level, but others have won here too. If done right, it doesn’t get any better than Tuscaloosa.