# List of Boston University Terriers head football coaches

The Boston University Terriers college football program represented Boston University, last in the New England Division of the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10), as part of the NCAA Division I-AA. The program had 20 head coaches, and 1 interim head coach, since it began play during the 1884 season. The final head coach of the Terriers was Tom Masella who served for the 1996 and 1997 seasons.
Three coaches have led Boston University in postseason bowl games or playoffs: Larry Naviaux, Rick Taylor, and Dan Allen. Two of these coaches also won conference championships: Taylor captured four and Allen one as a member of the Yankee Conference.
Aldo Donelli is the leader in seasons coached, with 10 years as head coach. Taylor is the leader and games coached (88), won (55), and highest winning percentage at 0.631. Excluding interim head coaches, Masella has the lowest winning percentage with 0.091.

## Key

Key to symbols in coaches list :
| General | General | Overall | Overall | Conference | Conference | Postseason | Postseason |
| No. | Order of coaches | GC | Games coached | CW | Conference wins | PW | Postseason wins |
| DC | Division championships | OW | Overall wins | CL | Conference losses | PL | Postseason losses |
| CC | Conference championships | OL | Overall losses | CT | Conference ties | PT | Postseason ties |
| NC | National championships | OT | Overall ties | C% | Conference winning percentage | | |
| † | Elected to the College Football Hall of Fame | O% | Overall winning percentage | | | | |

## Coaches

List of head football coaches showing season(s) coached, overall records, conference records, postseason records, championships and selected awards :
| No. | Name | Season(s) | GC | OW | OL | OT | O% | CW | CL | CT | C% | PW | PL | PT | DC | CC | NC | Awards |
| 1 | John MacDonald | 1918–1919 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0.350 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 2 | Percy Wendell | 1920 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0.563 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 3 | Charles Whelan | 1921–1925 | 36 | 11 | 22 | 3 | 0.347 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 4 | Edward N. Robinson | 1926–1929 | 33 | 11 | 19 | 3 | 0.379 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 4 | Reggie Brown | 1926–1929 | 33 | 11 | 19 | 3 | 0.379 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 5 | Hilary Mahaney | 1930–1931 | 18 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 0.194 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 6 | Myles Lane | 1932 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0.429 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 7 | John Harmon | 1933 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0.286 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 8 | Pat Hanley | 1934–1941 | 64 | 35 | 24 | 5 | 0.586 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 9 | Walt Holmer | 1942 1945–1946 | 17 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 0.559 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| Int | Robert McKelvey | 1945 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 10 | Aldo Donelli | 1947–1956 | 86 | 46 | 36 | 4 | 0.558 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 11 | Steve Sinko | 1957–1963 | 62 | 23 | 36 | 3 | 0.395 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 12 | Warren Schmakel | 1964–1967 | 46 | 20 | 24 | 2 | 0.457 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 13 | Larry Naviaux | 1969–1972 | 40 | 19 | 21 | 0 | 0.475 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 0 | — |
| 14 | Paul Kemp | 1973–1976 | 41 | 16 | 24 | 1 | 0.402 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0.333 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 15 | Rick Taylor | 1977–1984 | 88 | 55 | 32 | 1 | 0.631 | 26 | 14 | 0 | 0.650 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | — |
| 16 | Steve Stetson | 1985–1987 | 33 | 10 | 23 | 0 | 0.303 | 6 | 13 | 0 | 0.316 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 17 | Chris Palmer | 1988–1989 | 22 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 0.364 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 0.438 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 18 | Dan Allen | 1990–1995 | 69 | 36 | 33 | 0 | 0.522 | 24 | 24 | 0 | 0.500 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 19 | Tom Masella | 1996–1997 | 22 | 2 | 20 | — | 0.091 | 1 | 15 | — | 0.063 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |