# List of college football career coaching winning percentage leaders

This is a list of college football career coaching winning percentage leaders. It is limited to coaches who coached at least 10 seasons and have a winning percentage of at least .750 at four-year college or university programs in either the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) or the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). If a team competed at a time before the official organization of either of the two groups, but is generally accepted as a "college football program," it is also included.
Leading the list is Larry Kehres, who compiled a .929 winning percentage while coaching the Mount Union Purple Raiders from 1986 to 2012. The longest tenure among coaches on the list is that of John Gagliardi, who was a head coach from 1949 until retiring after the 2012 season. Gagliardi also leads all listed coaches in total games, wins, and losses. Former Vanderbilt head coach Dan McGugin has the most ties of anyone on the list.

## Key

| bold | Expected to be active as head coach in 2024 |
| † | Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame |

## College football coaches with a .750 winning percentage

    List may be incomplete; updated through end of 2023 season.
| Name | First year | Last year | Years | Games | Wins | Losses | Ties | Win % | Teams |
| Larry Kehres$^†$ | 1986 | 2012 | 27 | 359 | 332 | 24 | 3 | .929 | Mount Union (1986–2012) |
| Knute Rockne$^†$ | 1918 | 1930 | 13 | 122 | 105 | 12 | 5 | .881 | Notre Dame (1918–1930) |
| Frank Leahy$^†$ | 1939 | 1953 | 13 | 129 | 107 | 13 | 9 | .864 | Boston College (1939–1940), Notre Dame (1941–1943, 1946–1953) |
| Bob Reade$^†$ | 1979 | 1994 | 16 | 170 | 146 | 23 | 1 | .862 | Augustana (IL) (1979–1994) |
| Pete Fredenburg | 1998 | 2021 | 24 | 270 | 231 | 39 | 0 | .856 | Mary Hardin–Baylor (1998–2021) |
| Doyt Perry$^†$ | 1955 | 1964 | 10 | 93 | 77 | 11 | 5 | .855 | Bowling Green (1955–1964) |
| Urban Meyer | 2001 | 2018 | 17 | 219 | 186 | 32 | 0 | .853 | Bowling Green (2001–2002), Utah (2003–2004), Florida (2005–2010), Ohio State (2012–2018) |
| George Washington Woodruff$^†$ | 1892 | 1905 | 12 | 164 | 139 | 23 | 2 | .854 | Penn (1892–1901), Illinois (1903), Carlisle (1905) |
| Jeff Devanney | 2006 | 2023 | 18 | 142 | 121 | 21 | 0 | .852 | Trinity (CT) (2006–present) |
| Dick Farley$^†$ | 1987 | 2003 | 17 | 136 | 114 | 19 | 3 | .849 | Williams (1987–2003) |
| Jake Gaither$^†$ | 1945 | 1969 | 25 | 244 | 204 | 36 | 4 | .844 | Florida A&M (1945–1969) |
| Joseph Smith | 2006 | 2023 | 17 | 185 | 156 | 29 | 0 | .843 | Linfield (2006–present) |
| Dave Maurer$^†$ | 1969 | 1983 | 15 | 155 | 129 | 23 | 3 | .842 | Wittenberg (1969–1983) |
| Gary Fasching | 2013 | 2023 | 10 | 118 | 99 | 19 | 0 | .839 | Saint John's (MN) (2013–present) |
| Paul Hoernemann$^†$ | 1946 | 1959 | 14 | 124 | 102 | 18 | 4 | .839 | Heidelberg (1946–1959) |
| Barry Switzer$^†$ | 1973 | 1988 | 16 | 190 | 157 | 29 | 4 | .837 | Oklahoma (1973–1988) |
| Tom Osborne$^†$ | 1973 | 1997 | 25 | 307 | 255 | 49 | 3 | .836 | Nebraska (1973–1997) |
| Don Coryell$^†$ | 1957 | 1972 | 15 | 154 | 127 | 24 | 3 | .834 | Whittier (1957–1959), San Diego State (1961–1972) |
| Percy Haughton$^†$ | 1899 | 1924 | 13 | 120 | 97 | 17 | 6 | .833 | Cornell (1899–1900), Harvard (1908–1916), Columbia (1923–1924) |
| Fielding H. Yost$^†$ | 1898 | 1926 | 28 | 245 | 198 | 35 | 12 | .833 | Ohio Wesleyan (1897), Nebraska (1898), Kansas (1899), Stanford (1900), San Jose State (1900), Michigan (1901–1923, 1925–1926) |
| Robert Neyland$^†$ | 1926 | 1952 | 21 | 216 | 173 | 31 | 12 | .829 | Tennessee (1926–1934, 1936–1940, 1946–1952) |
| Bud Wilkinson$^†$ | 1947 | 1963 | 17 | 178 | 145 | 29 | 4 | .826 | Oklahoma (1947–1963) |
| Steve Ryan | 2002 | 2023 | 22 | 279 | 228 | 49 | 0 | .823 | Morningside (2002–present) |
| Chuck Klausing$^†$ | 1964 | 1985 | 16 | 151 | 123 | 26 | 2 | .821 | Indiana (PA) (1964–1969), Carnegie Mellon (1976–1985) |
| Mike Kelly$^†$ | 1981 | 2007 | 27 | 301 | 246 | 54 | 1 | .819 | Dayton (1981–2007) |
| Henry Kean | 1931 | 1954 | 23 | 208 | 165 | 34 | 9 | .815 | Kentucky State (1931–1942), Tennessee State (1944–1954) |
| Joe Fincham | 1996 | 2021 | 25 | 255 | 224 | 51 | 0 | .815 | Wittenberg (1996–2021) |
| Joe Fusco$^†$ | 1972 | 1990 | 19 | 191 | 154 | 34 | 3 | .814 | Westminster (PA) (1972–1990) |
| Vernon McCain$^†$ | 1948 | 1963 | 16 | 126 | 100 | 21 | 5 | .813 | Maryland State (1948–1963) |
| Charlie Richard$^†$ | 1980 | 1994 | 14 | 152 | 123 | 28 | 1 | .813 | Baker (1980–1990, 1992–1994) |
| Jock Sutherland$^†$ | 1919 | 1938 | 20 | 186 | 144 | 28 | 14 | .812 | Lafayette (1919–1923), Pittsburgh (1924–1938) |
| Ron Schipper$^†$ | 1961 | 1996 | 36 | 357 | 287 | 67 | 3 | .808 | Central (IA) (1961–1996) |
| Mike Sirianni | 2003 | 2023 | 21 | 229 | 185 | 44 | 0 | .808 | Washington & Jefferson (2003–present) |
| Nick Saban | 1990 | 2023 | 28 | 364 | 292 | 71 | 1 | .804 | Toledo (1990), Michigan State (1995–1999), LSU (2000–2004), Alabama (2007–2023) |
| Bob Devaney$^†$ | 1957 | 1972 | 16 | 173 | 136 | 30 | 7 | .806 | Wyoming (1957–1961), Nebraska (1962–1972) |
| Chuck Broyles | 1990 | 2009 | 20 | 247 | 198 | 47 | 2 | .806 | Pittsburg State (1990–2009) |
| Biggie Munn$^†$ | 1935 | 1953 | 10 | 90 | 71 | 16 | 3 | .806 | Albright (1935–1936), Syracuse (1946), Michigan State (1947–1953) |
| Sid Gillman$^†$ | 1944 | 1954 | 10 | 102 | 81 | 19 | 2 | .804 | Miami (OH) (1944–1947), Cincinnati (1949–1954) |
| Glenn Caruso | 2006 | 2023 | 17 | 196 | 157 | 39 | 0 | .801 | St. Thomas (MN) (2006–present) |
| Rick Willis | 1997 | 2021 | 23 | 231 | 185 | 46 | 0 | .801 | Wartburg (1997–2021) |
| Mike Swider | 1996 | 2019 | 24 | 261 | 209 | 52 | 0 | .801 | Wheaton (IL) (1996–2019) |
| Bob Stoops | 1999 | 2016 | 18 | 238 | 191 | 48 | 0 | .798 | Oklahoma (1999–2016, 2021) |
| Dabo Swinney | 2008 | 2023 | 16 | 212 | 169 | 43 | 0 | .797 | Clemson (2008–present) |
| John Thorne | 2002 | 2014 | 13 | 148 | 118 | 30 | 0 | .797 | North Central (IL) (2002–2014) |
| Frank Thomas$^†$ | 1925 | 1946 | 19 | 183 | 141 | 33 | 9 | .795 | Chattanooga (1925–1928), Alabama (1931–1946) |
| Chris Petersen | 2006 | 2019 | 14 | 185 | 147 | 38 | 0 | .795 | Boise State (2006–2013), Washington (2014–2019) |
| Harold Burry$^†$ | 1952 | 1971 | 20 | 163 | 127 | 31 | 5 | .794 | Westminster (PA) (1952–1971) |
| Ted Kessinger$^†$ | 1976 | 2003 | 28 | 277 | 219 | 57 | 1 | .792 | Bethany (KS) (1976–2003) |
| Matt Mitchell | 2010 | 2022 | 13 | 148 | 117 | 31 | 0 | .791 | Grand Valley State (2010–2022) |
| John Tucker | 1933 | 1947 | 12 | 103 | 77 | 17 | 9 | .791 | Arkansas Tech (1933–1947) |
| Allen H. Zikmund | 1955 | 1971 | 17 | 155 | 121 | 31 | 3 | .790 | Nebraska–Kearney (1955–1971) |
| Pete Schmidt | 1983 | 1996 | 14 | 135 | 105 | 27 | 3 | .789 | Albion (1983–1996) |
| Mike Drass | 1993 | 2017 | 25 | 291 | 229 | 61 | 1 | .789 | Wesley (DE) (1993–2017) |
| Ad Rutschman$^†$ | 1968 | 1991 | 24 | 234 | 183 | 48 | 3 | .788 | Linfield (1968–1991) |
| Henry L. Williams$^†$ | 1891 | 1921 | 23 | 187 | 141 | 34 | 12 | .786 | Army (1891), Minnesota (1900–1921) |
| Norris Patterson | 1950 | 1967 | 23 | 175 | 133 | 33 | 9 | .786 | William Jewell (1950–1967) |
| Gil Dobie$^†$ | 1906 | 1938 | 33 | 242 | 182 | 45 | 15 | .783 | North Dakota Agricultural (1906–1907), Washington (1908–1916), Navy (1917–1919), Cornell (1920–1935), Boston College (1936–1938) |
| John Wristen | 2008 | 2022 | 14 | 169 | 133 | 37 | 0 | .782 | CSU Pueblo (2008–2022) |
| Bear Bryant$^†$ | 1945 | 1982 | 38 | 425 | 323 | 85 | 17 | .780 | Maryland (1945), Kentucky (1946–1953), Texas A&M (1954–1957), Alabama (1958–1982) |
| Jim Sochor$^†$ | 1970 | 1988 | 19 | 202 | 156 | 41 | 5 | .780 | UC Davis (1970–1988) |
| Bill Edwards$^†$ | 1936 | 1968 | 23 | 221 | 168 | 45 | 8 | .778 | Western Reserve (1936–1940), Vanderbilt (1949–1952), Wittenberg (1955–1968) |
| Bo Schembechler$^†$ | 1963 | 1989 | 27 | 307 | 234 | 65 | 8 | .775 | Miami (OH) (1963–1968), Michigan (1969–1989) |
| John Gagliardi$^†$ | 1949 | 2012 | 64 | 638 | 489 | 138 | 11 | .775 | Carroll (MT) (1949–1952), Saint John's (MN) (1953–2012) |
| Fred Folsom | 1895 | 1915 | 19 | 141 | 106 | 29 | 6 | .773 | Colorado (1895–1899, 1901–1902, 1908–1915), Dartmouth (1903–1906) |
| Curt Cignetti | 2011 | 2023 | 13 | 154 | 119 | 35 | 0 | .773 | IUP (2011–2016), Elon (2017–2018), James Madison (2019–2023), Indiana (2024–present) |
| Ken Sparks | 1980 | 2016 | 36 | 439 | 338 | 99 | 2 | .772 | Carson–Newman (1980–2016) |
| Roger Harring$^†$ | 1969 | 1999 | 31 | 343 | 261 | 75 | 7 | .771 | Wisconsin–La Crosse (1969–1999) |
| Rod Sandberg | 2014 | 2023 | 10 | 96 | 74 | 22 | 0 | .771 | Whitworth (2014–present) |
| Clark Swisher | 1946 | 1968 | 22 | 192 | 146 | 42 | 4 | .771 | Northern State (1946–1955, 1957–1968) |
| Bill Cronin | 1997 | 2021 | 25 | 283 | 204 | 61 | 0 | .770 | Georgetown (KY) (1997–2021) |
| Volney Ashford$^†$ | 1937 | 1967 | 31 | 264 | 197 | 55 | 12 | .769 | Missouri Valley (1937–1946) |
| Jim Purtill | 1982 | 2013 | 16 | 170 | 130 | 39 | 1 | .768 | Salem (1982), St. Norbert (1999–2013) |
| Fritz Crisler$^†$ | 1930 | 1947 | 18 | 157 | 116 | 32 | 9 | .768 | Minnesota (1930–1931), Princeton (1932–1937), Michigan (1938–1947) |
| Bob Folwell | 1909 | 1924 | 16 | 144 | 106 | 29 | 9 | .767 | Lafayette (1909–1911), Washington & Jefferson (1912–1915), Penn (1916–1919), Navy (1920–1924) |
| Wallace Wade$^†$ | 1923 | 1950 | 24 | 230 | 171 | 49 | 10 | .765 | Alabama (1923–1930), Duke (1931–1941, 1946–1950) |
| Jeff McMartin | 2004 | 2023 | 20 | 203 | 155 | 48 | 0 | .764 | Central (IA) (2004–present) |
| Jimmie Keeling | 1990 | 2010 | 21 | 225 | 172 | 53 | 0 | .764 | Hardin–Simmons (1990–2010) |
| Frank Kush$^†$ | 1958 | 1979 | 22 | 231 | 176 | 54 | 1 | .764 | Arizona State (1958–1979) |
| Chris Oliver | 2010 | 2023 | 14 | 160 | 122 | 38 | 0 | .763 | Lindsey Wilson (2010–2021), Georgetown (KY) (2022–present) |
| Gordon Kirkland | 1934 | 1948 | 14 | 145 | 107 | 31 | 7 | .762 | Catawba (1934–1948) |
| Dan McGugin$^†$ | 1904 | 1934 | 30 | 271 | 197 | 55 | 19 | .762 | Vanderbilt (1904–1917, 1919–1934) |
| Jim Crowley$^†$ | 1929 | 1941 | 13 | 109 | 78 | 21 | 10 | .761 | Michigan State (1928–1932), Fordham (1933–1941) |
| Andy Smith$^†$ | 1909 | 1925 | 17 | 161 | 116 | 32 | 13 | .761 | Penn (1909–1912), Purdue (1913–1915), California (1916–1925) |
| Tony DeCarlo | 1987 | 1998 | 12 | 131 | 90 | 27 | 4 | .760 | John Carroll (1987–1998) |
| Woody Hayes$^†$ | 1946 | 1978 | 33 | 320 | 238 | 72 | 10 | .759 | Denison (1946–1948), Miami (OH) (1949–1950), Ohio State (1951–1978) |
| Earl Blaik$^†$ | 1934 | 1958 | 25 | 228 | 166 | 48 | 14 | .759 | Dartmouth (1934–1940), Army (1941–1958) |
| John Merritt$^†$ | 1952 | 1983 | 32 | 321 | 237 | 72 | 12 | .757 | Jackson State (1952–1962), Tennessee State (1963–1983) |
| Ed Sherman$^†$ | 1945 | 1966 | 22 | 191 | 141 | 43 | 7 | .757 | Muskingum (1945–1966) |
| Curt Wiese | 2006 | 2023 | 12 | 140 | 106 | 34 | 0 | .757 | Marietta (2006–2007), Minnesota–Duluth (2013–present) |
| Charley Moran | 1909 | 1933 | 18 | 168 | 121 | 35 | 12 | .756 | Texas A&M (1909–1914), Centre (1919–1923), Bucknell (1924–1926), Catawba (1930–1933) |
| John Luckhardt$^†$ | 1982 | 2011 | 27 | 319 | 240 | 77 | 2 | .755 | Washington & Jefferson (1982–1998), California (PA) (2002–2011) |
| Frosty Westering$^†$ | 1962 | 2003 | 40 | 406 | 303 | 96 | 7 | .755 | Parsons (IA) (1962–1963), Lea (1966–1971), Pacific Lutheran (1972–2003) |
| Danny Hale | 1984 | 2012 | 25 | 283 | 213 | 69 | 1 | .754 | West Chester (1984–1988), Bloomsburg (1993–2012) |
| Lloyd Carr | 1995 | 2007 | 13 | 162 | 122 | 40 | 0 | .753 | Michigan (1995–2007) |
| Earl Banks$^†$ | 1960 | 1973 | 14 | 129 | 96 | 31 | 2 | .752 | Morgan State (1960–1973) |
| Jerome Berg | 1956 | 1966 | 11 | 84 | 62 | 20 | 2 | .750 | Mayville State (1956–1966) |
| Chris Klieman | 2005 | 2023 | 11 | 148 | 111 | 37 | 0 | .750 | Loras (2005), North Dakota State (2014–2019), Kansas State (2019–present) |
| Allyn McKeen$^†$ | 1937 | 1948 | 11 | 106 | 78 | 25 | 3 | .750 | West Tennessee State (1937–1938), Mississippi State (1939–1948) |
Note: As of the end of the 2010 season, Jim Tressel, who served as the head football coach for Youngstown State (1986–2000) and Ohio State (2001–2010), had a career record of 241–79–2 for a winning percentage of .752. In July 2011, Ohio State vacated all 12 of its wins from the 2010 season, dropping Tressel's career record to 229–79–2 and his winning percentage to .742.

## Active coaches near a .750 winning percentage

    This list identifies active coaches who have:
   * a winning percentage of .735 or greater after at least 10 full seasons as a college football head coach, or
   * a winning percentage of .750 or greater after at least 7 full seasons, but fewer than 10, as a college football head coach.
    Updated through end of 2023 season.
| Name | First year | Last year | Years | Games | Wins | Losses | Ties | Win % | Teams |
| Kalen DeBoer | 2005 | 2023 | 9 | 116 | 104 | 12 | 0 | .897 | Sioux Falls (2005–2009), Fresno State (2020–2021), Washington (2022–2023), Alabama (2024–present) |
| Duke Greco | 2014 | 2023 | 9 | 106 | 91 | 15 | 0 | .858 | Delaware Valley (2014–present) |
| Kirby Smart | 2016 | 2023 | 8 | 110 | 94 | 16 | 0 | .855 | Georgia (2016–present) |
| Lincoln Riley | 2017 | 2023 | 7 | 92 | 74 | 18 | 0 | .804 | Oklahoma (2017–2021), USC (2022–present) |
| Mike Jacobs | 2016 | 2023 | 8 | 91 | 74 | 17 | 0 | .813 | Notre Dame (OH) (2016–2019), Lenoir–Rhyne (2020–2023), Mercer (2024–present) |
| Tony Annese | 2012 | 2023 | 9 | 153 | 123 | 30 | 0 | .804 | Ferris State (2012–present) |
| Todd Hoffner | 1999 | 2023 | 20 | 234 | 173 | 61 | 0 | .739 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire (1999–2005), Minnesota State (2008–2011, 2014–present) |
| Jim Hilvert | 2007 | 2023 | 13 | 148 | 109 | 39 | 0 | .736 | Thomas More (2007–2014), Baldwin Wallace (2017–present) |

## College football coaches with an .850 winning percentage

The main list set forth above is limited to coaches with 10 years of experience as a head coach. This list supplements the main list by identifying coaches who are omitted from the main list because they have not coached 10 years, but who have achieved a winning percentage of .850 or higher while coaching a minimum of five seasons or 50 games.
    List may be incomplete; updated through end of 2023 season.
| Name | First year | Last year | Years | Games | Wins | Losses | Ties | Win % | Teams |
| Vince Kehres | 2013 | 2019 | 7 | 101 | 95 | 6 | 0 | .941 | Mount Union (2013–2019) |
| Walter Camp | 1888 | 1895 | 7 | 87 | 79 | 5 | 3 | .925 | Yale (1888–1892), Stanford (1892, 1894–1895) |
| Joe Woodley | 2019 | 2023 | 5 | 63 | 58 | 5 | 0 | .921 | Grand View (2019–present) |
| Robert B. Redman | 1947 | 1951 | 5 | 42 | 38 | 4 | 0 | .905 | Bloomsburg (1947–1951) |
| Charles Tambling | 1902 | 1918 | 5 | 20 | 18 | 2 | 0 | .900 | Central Michigan (1902–1905, 1918) |
| Kalen DeBoer | 2005 | 2023 | 9 | 116 | 104 | 12 | 0 | .897 | Sioux Falls (2005–2009), Fresno State (2020–2021), Washington (2022–2023), Alabama (2024–present) |
| Samuel Archer | 1905 | 1915 | 8 | 42 | 35 | 2 | 5 | .893 | Morehouse (1905–1908, 1912–1915) |
| Ron Erhardt | 1966 | 1972 | 7 | 69 | 61 | 7 | 1 | .891 | North Dakota State (1966–1972) |
| Ryan Day | 2019 | 2023 | 5 | 64 | 56 | 8 | 0 | .875 | Ohio State (2019–present) |
| Jeff Thorne | 2015 | 2021 | 6 | 76 | 66 | 10 | 0 | .868 | North Central (IL) (2015–2021) |
| Jay Cottone | 1981 | 1985 | 5 | 53 | 46 | 7 | 0 | .868 | Plymouth State (1981–1985) |
| Kevin Bullis | 2015 | 2022 | 8 | 91 | 78 | 13 | 0 | .857 | Wisconsin–Whitewater (2015–2022) |
| Duke Greco | 2014 | 2023 | 9 | 106 | 91 | 15 | 0 | .858 | Delaware Valley (2014–present) |
| Walter C. Booth | 1900 | 1905 | 6 | 63 | 53 | 8 | 2 | .857 | Nebraska (1900–1905) |
| Kirby Smart | 2016 | 2023 | 8 | 110 | 94 | 16 | 0 | .855 | Georgia (2016–present) |
| John Macklin | 1911 | 1915 | 5 | 34 | 29 | 5 | 0 | .853 | Michigan State (1911–1915) |