A tradition of more than 150 years has left in its wake great geniuses who have revolutionized college football.
For a century and a half, universities in the United States have fueled the history of the sport that has become over the years the most watched in the nation, even surpassing what was considered America’s favorite pastime, baseball.
Great legends have emerged from the gridirons of many of the nation’s top colleges and have become true immortals over the years.
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Coaches and players who have excelled in the NCAA and later in the NFL have brought to life a sport that is already one of the favorites both inside and outside the United States.
The brilliant minds of those coaches who have changed the course of the game were inscribed with gold letters in the memory of the NCAA, which will never forget the names of Bear Bryant, John Heisman, Nick Saban and Pop Warner, who have excelled in their respective generations over the years, also giving their teams several national titles.
The history of the NCAA championships
It should be remembered that what is now called the CFP has been called that since 2015, and before that it was the National Championship BCS (Bowl Championship Series), created in 1998.
Before that, there was the Football Bowls Subdivision (FBS), which determined the NCAA national champion by ranking.
With the growth of the Bowls, it became difficult to determine a national champion fairly and equitably. As conferences became contractually tied to certain Bowl games, matchups that guaranteed a consensus national champion became increasingly rare.
Which coach has won the most CFP National Championships?
These are the coaches who have won the most national championships over the years in the NCAA.
Nick Saban, 7
Saban won seven national championships, six of them at Alabama (2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2020). His first title was in 2003, when he was at LSU.
In his last championship with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Saban surpassed one of the greatest legends of the NCAA, the well-known “Bear” Bryant, who also became one of the greats with Alabama.
Bear Bryant, 6
The University of Alabama legend won his six national championships with the Tide: 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978 and 1979. As a testament to his longevity, Bryant’s last title in 1979 came in his 22nd season with Alabama.
Bernie Bierman, 5
Bierman was Minnesota coach from 1932 to 1941, and had a second stint from 1945 to 1950. He led the Golden Gophers to four undefeated seasons. He also won seven Big Ten titles.
Woody Hayes, 5
Hayes coached at Ohio State from 1951 to 1978, winning his titles in 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968 and 1970. Hayes went 205-61-10 with the Buckeyes, and won 13 Big Ten titles.
Frank Leahy and John McKay, 4
Leahy has the second-best winning percentage in history with an impressive .864 (107-13-9), and won four titles with Notre Dame, while McKay was in charge for 16 seasons with USC and won four national titles.
Tied with 3
- Howard Jones (USC)
- Walter Camp (Yale)
- Urban Meyer (Ohio State)
- Tom Osborne (Nebraska)
- Knute Rockne (Notre Dame)
- Darrell Royal (Texas)
- Barry Switzer (Oklahoma)
- Glenn “Pop” Warner (Pittsburgh, Stanford)
- Bud Wilkinson (Oklahoma)