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During my life and career in college athletics, I have had a chance to meet some of the best coaches in the history of the game. In fact, for almost 18 years, I was blessed to work with the victories leader in major college football.
There are many other former coaches I would like to have met, but I did not or have not had a chance to do so. Here are some of those coaches.
Bear Bryant - The former Alabama coaching legend has been the subject of numerous books. Stories of "The Bear" are legendary.
He is to college football what Babe Ruth is to baseball, a larger than life personality who elevated the sport to another level in terms of interest. Any discussion about the best coach in the history of the game usually starts with Bryant.
Carm Cozza - A legendary Ivy League coach at Yale. Cozza coached there from 1965-96 and won 10 Ivy League titles.
Can you imagine the bright young minds he has had the privilege to coach? While a player at Miami (Ohio) in the early 50's, Cozza was coached by Ara Parseghian and Woody Hayes.
Bob Devaney - Devaney was the coach at Wyoming from 1957-61 and Nebraska from 1961-72. He won two national titles with the Cornhuskers. His 1971 team, with Heisman Trophy winner, Johnny Rodgers, is considered by many as the best in the history of college football.
Devaney's teams won 32 straight games at one point. He laid a foundation for his successor Tom Osborne, who would also become one of the best coaches in the history of the game.
Paul Dietzel - They used to call him "Pepsodent Paul" for his smile and personality. He was the head coach at LSU from 1955-61, Army from 1962-65 and South Carolina from 1966-74.
He helped lead the Gamecocks out of the ACC. He led LSU to the 1958 national title. He still lives in Baton Rouge, La.
Rip Engle - What Devaney was to Osborne and Nebraska, Engle was to Penn State and Joe Paterno. Engle laid the foundation for Penn State football from 1951-66.
He had a reputation as one of the classiest sportsmen in college football history. It is a shame he does not have a bigger national reputation.
Ara Parseghian - Parseghian was the coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in their last true glory era. In the "Era of Ara," Parseghian compiled an incredible 95-17-4 record from 1964-74.
His 1966 and 1973 teams won national titles. He also was the coach at Northwestern from 1956-63.
Bud Wilkinson - Wilkinson was the architect of the Oklahoma football tradition. He coached the Sooners from 1947-63 and compiled a record of 145-29-4. His teams won an incredible 47 straight games from 1953-57.
Many fans from my era remember him as a longtime college football analyst, as he worked games with Chris Schenkel in the 1960's and early '70's for ABC Sports.
Photos
Former Oklahoma Coach Bud Wilkinson crouches among his players on Dec. 27, 1958, before starting practice for the New Year's Day game with Syracuse in the Orange Bowl at Miami, Fla.
Former Alabama Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant is shown in his trademark hat in this file photo from September 1981.
Frank Giardina, a Kanawha Valley native and Marshall athletics staffer and broadcaster, writes a column focusing on national college football issues for Mountaineer Gameday.
