College Football’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches Going Into the 2018 Season

If I gave you a few guesses as to FBS head coaches that roamed the sidelines the longest with their universities, there's a good chance you would correctly throw out names like Joe Paterno, Bobby Bowden, and Bear Bryant. Perhaps what's even more incredible is that college football's longest-tenured head coaches heading into the 2018 campaign would all need to coach for another three to four decades to eclipse Paterno's 46 seasons at Penn State.

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Believe it or not, there are only 15 head coaches that were hired in 2009 or earlier. Let's check out who they are and the five top dogs that have been leading their squads the longest.

[divider]COFFARO: Spurrier Drops the Ball … Literally[divider]

5. Kyle Whittingham

Team: Utah
Year Hired: 2005
Wins: 111
Loses: 56
Bowl Record: 11-1
Fun Fact: Whittingham's only bowl defeat came in 2010 to Boise State in what is now the Las Vegas Bowl. And as you can see in the video below, he's not someone to mess if you make a boneheaded guarantee.

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4. Frank Solich

Team: Ohio
Year Hired: 2005
Wins: 97
Loses: 71
Bowl Record: 3-6
Fun Fact: Before he was with the Bobcats, Solich coached Nebraska to an impressive 58-19 mark over 6 years but was still let go after a 9-3 record in 2003. He was also one heck of a fullback, and apparently kickoff returner, during his playing days with the Cornhuskers.

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3. Mike Gundy

Team: Oklahoma State
Year Hired: 2005
Wins: 114
Loses: 53
Bowl Record: 8-4
Fun Fact: He's no longer 40, but he's still a man.

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2. Gary Patterson

Team: TCU
Year Hired: 2000
Wins: 160
Loses: 57
Bowl Record: 10-6
Fun Fact: Patterson was slated to be a coach with the Oregon Lightning Bolts of the Professional Spring Football League in 1992, but it folded before a game was ever played.

And not only can the man coach, but also he can sing and play guitar mighty fine.

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1. Kirk Ferentz

Team: Iowa
Year Hired: 1999
Wins: 143
Loses: 97
Bowl Record: 7-8
Fun Fact: Before becoming the FBS coach currently with the longest tenure, Ferentz was the offensive line coach with the Cleveland Browns (1993-95) and Baltimore Ravens (1996-98). He also has a son in the NFL.

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FBS Coaches with Longest Tenure Dating Back to 2009

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NEXT: Bob Stoops' Retirement Made Kirk Ferentz the Longest Tenured Coach in College Football