The Best College Football Coaches Who Flamed Out in the NFL

5. Steve Spurrier (Washington Commanders)

There were other choices to round this out, but the Old Ball Coach gets the spot because of his sustained success at the college level. Steve Spurrier left the college ranks in 2002 with 142 wins and a national title in his time with Duke and Florida to take over the Washington head coaching job. He lasted two years in the NFL, going just 12-20. He returned to the SEC to coach South Carolina, where he won 86 more games and earned a place in the College Football Hall of Fame.

2. Lou Holtz (New York Jets)

Lou Holtz is best known for his success at Notre Dame but sandwiched between his stops at N.C. State and Arkansas in the 1970s was a 3-10 stop with the New York Jets. After that flirtation with the NFL, Holtz returned to college to coach the Razorbacks and Minnesota Golden Gophers before winning Notre Dame’s last national title. He finished his college career with 249 wins and is enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.

3. Bobby Petrino (Atlanta Falcons)

Nobody flames out bigger than Bobby Petrino. After 41 wins in four seasons at Louisville, Petrino tried his luck in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons, where he resigned after a 3-10 start to the 2007 season. Petrino would head back to college, where he would be successful, but was known more for his off-field controversies involving blondes and motorcycles. He finished his college head coaching career with 137 wins and was most recently Texas A&M's offensive coordinator.

4. Nick Saban (Miami Dolphins)

Nick Saban is arguably the greatest football coach in college history, but his success did not translate to the NFL. However, it was not as bad as some people remember. After leading LSU to a national title in 2003, Saban left the Tigers after the 2004 season to coach the Miami Dolphins. He spent two seasons in Miami and went 15-17. Not great, but not too terrible. He left Miami after 2006 and took over Alabama. The rest is, well, history.

5. Steve Spurrier (Washington Commanders)

There were other choices to round this out, but the Old Ball Coach gets the spot because of his sustained success at the college level. Steve Spurrier left the college ranks in 2002 with 142 wins and a national title in his time with Duke and Florida to take over the Washington head coaching job. He lasted two years in the NFL, going just 12-20. He returned to the SEC to coach South Carolina, where he won 86 more games and earned a place in the College Football Hall of Fame.