How many successful college coaches have made it in the NFL?

[imbondz]

Jimmy Johnson - most successful of all time i'd say

Pete Carroll ? - about to dominate the Saints this weekend.


who else?

[kscdogbillsfan1221]

Barry switzer did win a superbowl.... albeit he did not build that team.

[Crisis]

nick saban












































lol

[Coach Sal]

John Robinson was a very good college coach. Took USC to 3 Rose Bowls. Finished 2nd in the AP poll 3 times. One of those they were #1 in the Coaches poll. Went on to 6 playoff appearances with the LA Rams, including 2 division titles.

Bill Walsh's two years at Stanford were 9-3 and 8-4. Not bad at all. Then, of course, 4 Super Bowl titles in the NFL.

Some guys weren't as bad as advertised. Steve Maricucci wasn't horrible. One year 6-6 at Cal and a bowl game. 57-39 with the Niners. 4 playoff appearances. His Detroit years killed him.

And Pete Carroll was actually .500 in his 5 NFL seasons before this stint in Seattle, including 2 years making the playoffs.

[Buddo]

I'd guess if you actually went back through history, there would be possibly more college coaches who were successful in the NFL, than those who weren't.
An awful lot of those guys had to start somewhere, and college was where most of them began.
Quite probably that amount/ratio would go down if you were more specific and said 'Head' college coaches, but the general principle would stay the same.
Marv Levy would be another guy who started in college football.
There's also quite a bit of back and forth between the two, when guys are making their respective ways up the coaching 'ladder'.
If the question is aimed more at Harbaugh than anywhere else, then you have to look at his 'pedigree' also, not only as a former NFL QB, but in respect to his family connections. He's pretty much part of a football 'bloodline'.