NFL fans who focus on the professional game often believe that the league offers the best, purest, and most prestigious jobs available. If you can work in the NFL, why would you ever work anywhere else?
The history of coaching moves is a bit more complicated. Bill Belichick’s move to North Carolina is the latest in a long line of well-known NFL coaches finding a new (or old) home in the ranks of the college game.
Don’t believe me? Check out the chart below, and see for yourself. Everyone listed was an NFL head coach who subsequently moved down to be a college football head coach, whether they had a previous background at the NCAA level or not.Â
Head Coaches Who Moved From the NFL to College Football
| Head Coach | Last NFL Team (Years) | College Football Team (Years) |
|---|---|---|
| Dan Devine | Packers (1971-74) | Notre Dame (1975-80) |
| Lou Saban | Bills (1973-76) | Miami FL (1977-78) |
| Bill Arnsparger | Giants (1974-76) | LSU (1984-86) |
| George Allen | Redskins (1971-77) | Long Beach State (1990) |
| Chuck Fairbanks | Patriots (1973-78) | Colorado (1979-81) |
| Ray Perkins | Giants (1979-82) | Alabama (1983-86) |
| John Mackovic | Chiefs (1983) | Illinois (1988-91) |
| Sam Rutigliano | Browns (1978-84) | Liberty (1989-99) |
| Forrest Greg | Packers (1984-87) | SMU (1989-90) |
| Bill Walsh | 49ers (1979-88) | Stanford (1992-94) |
| Gene Stallings | Cardinals (1986-89) | Alabama (1990-96) |
| Joe Walton | Jets (1983-89) | Robert Morris (1994-2013) |
| Ray Perkins (Again) | Buccaneers (1987-90) | Arkansas State (1992) |
| John Robinson | Rams (1983-91) | USC (1993-97) |
| Rich Brooks | Rams (1995-96) | Kentucky (2003-09) |
| Dennis Erickson | Seahawks (1995-98) | Oregon State (1999-2002) |
| Pete Carroll | Patriots (1997-99) | USC (2001-09) |
| Bobby Ross | Lions (1997-2000) | Army (2004-06) |
| Al Groh | Jets (2000) | Virginia (2001-09) |
| Mike Riley | Chargers (1999-2001) | Oregon State (2003-14) |
| Steve Spurrier | Redskins (2002-03) | South Carolina (2005-15) |
| Dave Wannstedt | Dolphins (2000-04) | Pittsburgh (2005-10) |
| Butch Davis | Browns (2001-04) | North Carolina (2007-10) |
| Dennis Erickson (Again) | 49ers (2003-04) | Arizona State (2007-11) |
| Mike Sherman | Packers (2000-05) | Texas A&M (2008-11) |
| Nick Saban | Dolphins (2005-06) | Alabama (2007-23) |
| Herm Edwards | Chiefs (2006-08) | Arizona State (2018-22) |
| Lane Kiffin | Raiders (2007-08) | Tennessee (2009) |
| Jim Mora | Seahawks (2009) | UCLA (2012-17) |
| Greg Schiano | Buccaneers (2012-13) | Rutgers (2020-present) |
| Jim Harbaugh | 49ers (2011-14) | Michigan (2015-23) |
| Lovie Smith | Buccaneers (2014-15) | Illinois (2016-20) |
| Chip Kelly | 49ers (2016) | UCLA (2018-23) |
| Matt Rhule | Panthers (2020-22) | Nebraska (2023-present) |
| Bill Belichick | Patriots (2000-23) | North Carolina (2025-present) |
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