The NFL is home to the world’s best football players, but coaching at the highest level doesn’t always translate to success elsewhere.
History shows that while some coaches have moved from the NFL to college and found immediate success, others have struggled before finding their footing, and a few have walked into disaster.
After decades of excellence leading the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick took his first-ever college job as head coach at the University of North Carolina. His unfamiliarity with the college game became evident early on, and after just five games, serious questions about his job security arose.
Belichick is just one coach who stumbled in college after time in the NFL. Here is a look at notable examples and the context behind their collegiate struggles.
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Greg Schiano, Rutgers (2020-Present)
NFL coaching record: 11-21 (.344)
College coaching record: 29-36 (.446)
What went wrong?: From 2001 to 2011, Greg Schiano built Rutgers' program from the ground up. So much so that in 2011, he moved on to a new challenge in the NFL, though that challenge didn't go quite as well.
Eight years after leaving Piscataway, N.J., Schiano returned for a second stint as the Scarlet Knights' leading man. Including the pandemic-impacted 2020 season, Schiano's first three years back at Rutgers saw him post a 12-22 record, though the team was invited to the 2021 Gator Bowl as a late alternate opponent to face Wake Forest.
Schiano followed those three years with two winning seasons, but faces weekly challenges competing in the deep Big Ten Conference. Given the Scarlet Knights are facing the likes of Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan every year, Schiano can't be judged on just record alone.
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Bill Walsh, Stanford (1992-94)
NFL coaching record: 92-59-1 (.609)
College coaching record: 17-17-1 (.500)
What went wrong?: Bill Walsh returned to where he started, going back to Palo Alto, Calif., six years after leading the San Francisco 49ers to a third Super Bowl title under his watch. His second tenure leading the Cardinal wasn't exactly as fruitful as the first.
While he signed a five-year deal, Walsh was done after three seasons — he won 10 games in the first, four in the second and three in his final season. Over the last two years, Walsh went 7-14-1, including a 4-12 mark in Pac-10 play.
He retired from coaching following the 1994 season.
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Chip Kelly, UCLA (2018-2023)
NFL coaching record: 28-35 (.452)
College coaching record: 35-34 (.507)
What went wrong?: Chip Kelly made the leap from college to the NFL and went back to college after things went awry in the pros. His second stint at the collegiate level didn't start as smoothly.
Taking over at UCLA, Kelly managed just 10 total wins over his first three seasons, one of which was truncated by the COVID-19 pandemic. And while things improved from there, Kelly finished his time leading the Bruins with a 35-34 record, leaving his head coaching post for a coordinator position at Ohio State before returning to the NFL in a coordinator role with the Las Vegas Raiders.
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Lovie Smith, Illinois (2016-2020)
NFL coaching record: 92-100 (.479)
College coaching record: 17-39 (.304)
What went wrong?: Lovie Smith spent five seasons leading the Fighting Illini, and none ended with a winning record.
Known in the state of Illinois from a successful nine-year stint leading the Chicago Bears, things weren't as bubbly in Champaign, Ill. Smith's squad posted a 5-19 record over his first two seasons at the helm, including a winless mark in Big Ten play in 2017.
The 2019 season was Smith's best, as he led the team to a top-10 win and a 6-6 record before it lost in the Redbox Bowl to finish below .500. Smith was fired in 2020 and finished his time with a 17-39 record, including a 10-33 mark in conference play.
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Herm Edwards, Arizona State (2018-2022)
NFL coaching record: 54-74 (.422)
College coaching record: 18-20 (.473)*
What went wrong?: There was some winning, but even more controversy.
Herm Edwards returned to the college ranks for the first time in nearly 30 years when he was hired to lead the Sun Devils. The team went 15-11 in his first two seasons, but things went south from there.
Arizona State went 2-2 during the COVID-19–impacted 2020 season, and in 2021, reports of recruiting violations surfaced. A mass exodus of players and staff followed during the investigation, and though Arizona State went 7-5 that year, the wins were later vacated. Edwards was fired after a 1-2 start in 2022, and the NCAA issued a show-cause penalty against him in 2023.
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Bill Belichick, UNC (2025-Present)
NFL coaching record: 302-165 (.647)
College coaching record: 2-3 (.400)
What went wrong?: However brief, Bill Belichick’s tenure in Chapel Hill, N.C., has been disastrous. Almost everything that could go wrong, has gone wrong.
Long before Week 1, the program was mired in controversy surrounding Belichick’s romantic partner, Jordon Hudson. With that looming over the team, Week 1 was arguably worse, as the Tar Heels suffered a 48-14 loss to TCU.
After wins over Charlotte and Richmond, UNC fell 25 points to UCF and 28 points to Clemson ahead of its bye week. Things worsened during the idle week, as reports surfaced of player mistreatment, impermissible benefits and overall dysfunction within the program. Less than halfway through his first season, Belichick and the university were forced to make statements reaffirming their commitment to one another.
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NFL-to-college coaching successes
There have also been plenty of success stories with coaches transitioning to the college football ranks after being at the helm of an NFL squad. Let's take a look at some of the most notable cases.
- Lou Holtz (1977-2004), 213-100-7: Holtz spent one season leading the New York Jets before returning to the college ranks in 1977. His 27 years at Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame and South Carolina included 200 wins and a national title in 1988.
- Pete Carroll (2001-09), 97-19: Carroll returned to college for the first time in nearly 20 years, taking his first college lead job with USC in 2001. In 10 seasons, he led the Trojans to an impeccable record and back-to-back national titles in 2003 and 2004
- Steve Spurrier (2005-2015), 86-49: Spurrier took on the NFL challenge from 2002-03 but returned to the SEC as South Carolina's head coach in 2005. He led the Gamecocks to 86 wins and nine bowl games in 11 seasons.
- Nick Saban (2007-2023), 201-29: Saban's two-year stint in the NFL wasn't terrible, but it left more to be desired. He returned to college where he made Alabama a perennial power and won six national titles in 17 seasons.
- Jim Harbaugh (2015-2023), 86-25: Harbaugh went from the college to the pros and back to college. He hit the ground running at his alma mater and went out on top, winning his final game by leading the Wolverines to a 2023 national title.
- Bobby Petrino (2007-Present), 137-71: Petrino did not make it through the 2007 NFL season, but he returned to college in 2008. While his first Arkansas stint had a controversial end, he bounced back to lead winning seasons at Western Kentucky and Louisville, where he coached a Heisman Trophy winner. All roads have led back to Arkansas, where he was brought back as interim head coach in 2025.
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