To Hire a Coach

What does it take to hire a great college football head coach?

It's a question that stumps most athletic directors, so it stands to reason that the media and fans would hardly know better.

A couple years ago, I wrote one of my favorite pieces where I divulged my research project of studying Power Four head coaching hires dating back to 2012. I evaluated their resumes and graded their success rates.

I wanted to know: Where do head coaches come from? What are their backgrounds? And what, if anything, predicts their success?

Throughout the ongoing Virginia Tech coaching search, many candidates have been floated: Jon Sumrall! Dan Mullen! Bob Chesney! These men are all surely worthy of promotions.

But if you need me to predict which one will lead Tech to glory, I'm not the guy to do it. I can, however, tell you what qualities Tech should — and should not — be looking for in their next hire. Because I've looked at the data.

And though no athletic directors consulted me in this process, I think I've got a leg up on the industry after doing my homework. Hopefully soon, you all will too.

What Not To Do

Before we begin, let's talk about what not to do when hiring coaches.