Former Florida and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer is the latest coach to make the jump from the top of the college ranks to the NFL. A deal between Meyer and the Jaguars was reached Thursday.
The move had been rumored for weeks, and Meyer’s former assistant, Gators coach Dan Mullen said last month that “it would never surprise me to see him back on the sidelines, enjoying coaching the game of football.”
Meyer was 187-32 (.854 winning percentage) with three national championships (two at UF, one with the Buckeyes) in 17 years as a head coach.
Here’s a look at some of the other notable figures who rose from college head coach to the NFL:
Steve Spurrier
Although it’s the most obvious comparison, it might not be the best one. Unlike Meyer, Spurrier had some pro experience as a player and as the Tampa Bay Bandits’ coach. Spurrier led UF to the program’s first national title and left after the 2001 season to take over Washington’s NFL team. Spurrier went 12-20 in two seasons and resigned, eventually returning to the SEC as South Carolina’s coach.
Nick Saban
The former Oilers and Browns assistant coached LSU to a national title before returning to the NFL as the Dolphins’ head coach for the 2005 season. He flopped in Miami (15-17 in two years) but bounced back pretty decently at Alabama.
Matt Rhule
He had a pair of 10-win seasons at Temple and led Baylor to the Sugar Bowl before getting hired by the Panthers. Rhule went 5-11 in his first season, including a pair of double-digit losses to the Bucs.
Kliff Kingsbury
He got fired after going 35-40 at Texas Tech, but his offensive pedigree helped him fall upwards to the Cardinals. He’s 13-18 after two seasons and narrowly missed the playoffs this season.
Pete Carroll
He had NFL head coaching jobs with the Jets and Patriots, but his USC stint (two national titles) preceded his current job. He has guided the Seahawks to nine playoff appearances in 11 seasons and won Super Bowl 48.
Tom Coughlin
