Coaches are revered everywhere you go in Texas (except Cowboys Stadium). But who are the best college coaches the state has ever seen? To answer this question we created a formula: one point for each win, one point for a bowl appearance, three points for a bowl victory, one point for finishing a season ranked number 11–25, two points for finishing ranked number 1–10, five points for a conference championship, and ten points for a national championship. Our system values winning, of course, but it also rewards longevity as a way to balance out the different eras. Coaches like Rice’s Jess Neely didn’t have the resources of the big public schools or the opportunity to go to as many bowl games as coaches do today.
No. 11 Homer Norton
Texas A&M: 1934–1947
Record: 82-53-9
National Championships: 1 (1939)
Total Points: 123
No. 12 Fred Akers
University of Texas: 1977–1986
Record: 86-31-2
Total Points: 121
No. 13 Mike Leach
Texas Tech: 2000–2009
Record: 84-43
Total Points: 113
No. 14 Hayden Fry
Southern Methodist University: 1962–1972
University of North Texas: 1973–1978
Record: 89-89-4
Total Points: 109
No. 15 Spike Dykes
Texas Tech: 1986–1999
Record: 82-67-1
Total Points: 102
No. 16 Ray Morrison
Southern Methodist University: 1915–1916 and 1922–1934
Record: 84-44-23
Total Points: 100
No. 17 Morley Jennings
Baylor: 1926–1940
Record: 83-60-6
Total Points: 83
No. 18 Jackie Sherrill
Texas A&M: 1982–1988
Record: 52-28-1
Total Points: 81
No 19. Bobby Collins
Southern Methodist University: 1982–1986
Record: 43-14-1
Total Points: 67
No. 20 John Mackovic
University of Texas: 1992–1997
Record: 41-28-2
Total Points: 65
