CFB Most Influential Programs
#35 Miami Redhawks
School: Miami Redhawks
First Game: 1888
Winning Percentage: .596 (31st)
Appearances in AP/Rank: 42 (85th)
Average AP Ranking: 16.0
National Titles: 0
Claim to Fame: The Cradle of Coaches. Plain and Simple.
Why I have them in my Collection: I will start this off by saying that during my research, I realized that Miami of Ohio did not have a losing season between 1943 and 1975. Any time a school can do this it’s massively impressive. And a couple of those seasons they even went undefeated.
However, the stated reason in their claim to fame is really and truly the only reason why the Redhawks belong in this collection. To their credit, it’s a massive reason.
Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, Sean Payton, Jim Tressel, John Harbaugh, Sean McVay…just to name a few. The number of not only famous, but wildly successful coaches to come through this program is absolutely insane. Coaches that have strolled the sidelines of Miami of Ohio have gone on to lead teams in both college and the NFL to championship seasons. The concentration of that level of coaching success at a program that is smaller in comparison to the immediate Big Ten schools around them is astounding.
When you are the cradle of coaching excellence, it’s kind of hard to ignore your significance to not only college football, but football on the whole.
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