Replacing “The Man”: 10 CFB Hires That Failed to Replace a Legend

10. Gary Crowton for LaVell Edwards - BYU

Fans may not know the name of LaVell Edwards nationally, but he is a legend in Provo and amongst the BYU faithful. Edwards stalked the sidelines from 1972 to 2000, leading BYU to one national championship and a 71.6 winning percentage. The Cougars hired Gary Crowton from the Chicago Bears, and he managed to win only 53% of the 49 games he coached. Crowton lasted only four seasons before being replaced by Bronco Mendenhall, and BYU quickly regained their mojo. Mendenhall won 69.7% of his games in a decade with BYU.

2. Ron Prince for Bill Snyder - Kansas State

Bill Snyder retired in 2005 after turning Kansas State from one of the worst programs in America into a consistent winner. Snyder won 64.7% of his games and had been honored with multiple national awards. Ron Prince was hired from Virginia after three successful seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Cavaliers. The Wildcats went 7-6 in 2006 but fell to 5-7 in 2007 and another 5-7 record in 2008. There were culture concerns around the program, and he was dismissed after only three seasons. Snyder returned and led the program again from 2009 to 2018. 

3. Garry Gibbs for Barry Switzer at Oklahoma

Barry Switzer led the Oklahoma Sooners from 1973 to 1988 and led the program to three national titles. The charismatic head coach had a winning percentage of 83.7 and won 12 conference titles. When Switzer retired, the Sooners promoted longtime defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs to the head coaching position. Oklahoma was never awful during Gibbs's tenure, but it was a definite fall for the Sooners. They went 44-23-2 under Gibbs with no Big Eight Conference titles and only three seasons finishing in the top 25. He was fired after the 1994 season. 

4. Gary Moeller for Bo Schembechler

Bo Schembechler is a legendary figure, and his retirement after the 1989 season left a gigantic void at Michigan. Schembechler had won 194 games and 13 Big Ten titles. Gary Moeller took over after stints as the defensive coordinator and another as the offensive coordinator for Michigan. Moeller could hardly be considered a disaster, but the program dipped under his guidance. He was charged with disorderly conduct after a drunken outburst and resigned after footage of the incident was released to the public. Lloyd Carr was hired to replace him. 

5. Lane Kiffin for Pete Carroll - USC

The University of South California had fallen on hard times and turned an ex-NFL coach to return them to glory. Pete Carroll succeeded beyond anyone's wildest expectations, winning 83.6% of his games from 2001 to 2009 and capturing a pair of national titles. When he left for the NFL, the Trojans hired young hotshot Lane Kiffin. Kiffin had just spent one year at Tennessee (2009) and then bolted when the Trojans came calling. He had worked for Carroll as the offensive coordinator in 2005 and 2006. Kiffin struggled, going only 28-15 before being famously fired during the 2013 season. The Trojans are still searching for the magic they had during the Pete Carroll era.

6. Rich Rodriguez for Lloyd Carr - Michigan

After Gary Moeller’s middling run, the Michigan Wolverines turned to Lloyd Carr. Carr guided the Maize and Blue from 1995 to 2007 and won five conference championships. His legacy was made with the national championship he won in 1997, the last national title for Michigan before 2024’s victory under Jim Harbaugh. Upon Carr’s retirement, Michigan hired Rich Rodriguez away from West Virginia, and it was never a comfortable fit. From 2008 to 2010, Rodriguez went 15-22 (40.5%) and only 6-18 in the Big Ten. Rodriguez was fired for Brady Hoke before Harbaugh arrived in 2015.

7. Charlie Strong for Mack Brown - Texas

Texas fans may not feel Mack Brown is a Longhorn legend, but his 74.8% winning percentage throughout 15 years in charge has been the high-water mark for UT since the 70s and 80s. Brown won two conference titles and one national championship, something Texas has not done since he left. After Brown’s departure, Texas hired Charlie Strong, and things went south quickly. He was in charge for 37 games and won only 16. Strong had a losing record in the Big 12 and was fired after the 2016 campaign.

8. Bob Davie for Lou Holtz - Notre Dame

After Gerry Faust's failed tenure, Notre Dame hired the passionate Lou Holtz to lead the Fighting Irish. Holtz coached for 11 seasons and won 76.5% of his games, including the 1988 national title. Holtz left after the 1996 season, and Notre Dame promoted Bob Davie from defensive coordinator to head coach. Davie’s five seasons in charge were a flop as he won only 58.3% of his games and was fired before the 2001 season. The Fighting Irish have failed to replicate the title won by Holtz, and he remains the Fighting Irish coach with the best winning percentage since Ara Parseghian.

9. Lane Kiffin/Derek Dooley/Butch Jones for Phillip Fulmer - Tennessee

Phillip Fulmer took over for the legendary Johnny Majors in 1992 and did an excellent job in Knoxville. While the Volunteers had issues getting past Steve Spurrier and the Florida Gators, Fulmer won 74.3% of his games and the 1998 national championship. When Fulmer finally stepped down, the circus arrived in town and did not leave for a long time. First, it was Lane Kiffin. Kiffin went 7-6 in 2009 and promptly became public enemy number one for Tennessee fans when he left for USC. Derek Dooley was hired and went 15-21 in three seasons, and then Butch Jones manned the ship for five seasons and won only 55.7% of his games before being fired. Brady Hoke went 0-2 in an interim role, and Jeremy Pruitt was an unmitigated disaster in three seasons. Josh Heupel has finally put the program on level footing, but it took a dozen years to move on from Fulmer with any success.

10. Gary Crowton for LaVell Edwards - BYU

Fans may not know the name of LaVell Edwards nationally, but he is a legend in Provo and amongst the BYU faithful. Edwards stalked the sidelines from 1972 to 2000, leading BYU to one national championship and a 71.6 winning percentage. The Cougars hired Gary Crowton from the Chicago Bears, and he managed to win only 53% of the 49 games he coached. Crowton lasted only four seasons before being replaced by Bronco Mendenhall, and BYU quickly regained their mojo. Mendenhall won 69.7% of his games in a decade with BYU.