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Urban Meyer's firing raised the age-old question of whether college head coaches such as Jim Harbaugh, who succeeded in the NFL, are more of an exception than a rule. Many great college head coaches have chosen to remain exclusively in that domain after seeing everyone from Bobby Petrino to Nick Saban struggle in the NFL. But other college head coaches look at the likes of Tom Coughlin and Jim Harbaugh and have are tempted to take the plunge.
Also Read: 5 NFL teams that could have a new head coach in 2022 NFL season
Every year, as the tailend of the regular season approaches there is always the buzz around multiple head coaching positions opening up is inevitable. With that chatter comes the question of having some of the best college head coaches trying their hand in the NFL. Some, like Jim Harbaugh, are perennially in contention because of their successful stints in the NFL. Others are college head coaches who have impressed that season and are therefore in the reckoning.
Here, we decided to take a look the top five college head coaches who are in contention this season to make the leap to the NFL.
College head coaches eyeing their maiden NFL stint in 2022
#1 - Luke Fickell, Cincinnati
As per odds checker, Luke Fickell is most likely among all the college head coaches who will make the jump to the NFL. That's not a surprise given what he has achieved with the University of Cincinnati in recent seasons.
They won back-to-back AAC Championships in 2020 and 2021 after having failed at the final hurdle, following their AAC East Division win in 2019. He has been the AAC Coach of the Year thrice, first winning the award in 2018 after a historic turnaround and then in 2020 and 2021 after winning the championship. In 2021, he also bagged the coveted AFCA regional coach of the year award along with the Home Depot Coach of the Year award.
Based on his current form and achievements, it is no surprise that Luke Fickell's name is first among college head coaches being linked to the NFL.
#2 - Matt Campbell, Iowa State
Matt Campbell of Iowa State is a mystery. Reports have it that when the Detroit Lions were looking for their next head coach, they looked at a few college head coaches too and had selected Matt Campbell. But despite being promised near total control of football operations, Matt Campbell refused.
It remains unclear what one of the most enigmatic college football coaches needs in order to be persuaded to move to the NFL. But as long as he continues to achieve collegiate level, his name will always be in consideration for NFL vacancies. He was also the 2015 MAC coach of the year when in Toledo and since moving to Iowa has thrice been the Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2017, 2018 and 2020.
College head coaches who may with to return to the NFL in 2022
#1 - Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
When people look among current college head coaches who can make it in the NFL, the name that comes to mind most readily is Jim Harbaugh. When he was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014, he took them all the way to the NFC Championship game three times, winning one and proceeding to the Super Bowl XLVII. Jim Harbaugh was also NFL coach of the year in 2011.
While other college head coaches are often unproven in the NFL, or have failed before at that level, Jim Harbaugh's resume in the professional ranks indicates an easy transition. But it is not just his NFL record that we must take into consideration, as Jim Harbaugh has been one of the best college head coaches in the country over the last few years.
He was named AP College Football Coach of the Year in 2021, after he led the Michigan Wolverines to the Big Ten Championship trophy earlier this year. This was also the second time he won the Big Ten East Division Championship, having initially won it back in 2018.
#2 - Nick Saban, Alabama
Nick Saban is probably done with the NFL, but the odds checker still has him the third-most likeliest of the college head coaches to be recruited by an NFL team after Luke Fickell and Jim Harbaugh.
Nick Saban has established a powerhouse in Alabama and is universally revered in college circles as one of the greatest college head coaches of all time. But his time in the NFL was a disappointment when he was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2005 to 2006. In 2006, he had his first losing season as a head coach, the previous year they finished 9-7 but still missed out on the playoffs.
Nick Saban has produced two Heisman winners in the last two seasons and won the SEC Championship in the last two seasons too, once again becoming a National Champion last year. There is no reason for him to leave the Crimson Tide and look to the NFL; except perhaps if there is an itch to scratch, should he feel that the greatest among all college head coaches is still considered a failure in the NFL.
#3 - P.J. Fleck, Minnesota
Unlike college coaches such as Nick Saban and Jim Harbaugh, P.J. Fleck has never been a head coach in the NFL but he was the wide receiver coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012. He has been in college football since then, with Western Michigan until 2016 and Minnesota thereafter.
Also Read: Who are the top NFL head coaching candidates to look for in 2022?
His greatest successes came at Western Michigan, where he won the MAC West division in 2015 and 2016, and the MAC Championship in 2016. He was named MAC Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2016. While he has yet to win a championship or a division title in Minnesota, he was the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2019 after leading them to an 11-2 record. This season they also had a winning record and finished second in their division holding an 8-3 record.
Among all the up-and-coming college head coaches, P.J. Fleck is our pick for the one who can burnish his record in the NFL.
