List of college football career coaching losses leaders explained

This is a list of college football coaches with 100 career losses.^{[1] [2]} "College level" is defined as a four-year college or university program in either the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics or the National Collegiate Athletic Association. If the team competed at a time before the official organization of either of the two groups but is generally accepted as a "college football program" it would also be included.

Watson Brown, whose head coaching tenure included stints at Austin Peay (1979–1980), Cincinnati (1983), Vanderbilt (1986–1990), UAB (1995–2006), and Tennessee Tech (2007–2015), holds the record for most losses with 211.^[3] The Daily Oklahoman wrote that "only good football coaches are allowed to lose as many" as Brown, much like "only good baseball pitchers are allowed to absorb 20 losses in a season or 150–200 losses in a career".^[4] Brown broke the former mark of 199 held by Amos Alonzo Stagg,^[5] who also held the major college record for wins until 1981.^[6] Brown's younger brother, Mack Brown, ranks among the winningest college football coaches with 282 career wins.

Individuals indicated in bold type are expected to remain coaching in the next college football season of 2023.

The list of coaches is current as of the end of the 2022 season.

Details

Active coaches

27 coaches on the list are considered "active" for the 2023 season.

Most total losses

As of the end of the 2023 season, Watson Brown is the all-time leader in career losses with a total of 211.

Win percentage

John Gagliardi leads the list in terms of winning percentage at .775. A total of 97 coaches have made the list and still maintained a winning percentage of .500 or above as of 2022. Mick Caba has the lowest winning percentage on the list with .176, having only 22 wins and 103 losses.

List of college football coaches with 100 losses

Head Coach	First year	Last Year	Total years	Games coached	Wins	Losses	Ties	Win %	Team(s)
	1979	2015	31	348	136	211	1		Austin Peay (1979–1980), Cincinnati (1983), Rice (1984–1985), Vanderbilt (1986–1990), UAB (1995–2006), Tennessee Tech (2007–2015)
	1946	1990	45	400	183	209	8		William Penn (1946–1947), La Verne (1948–1990)
	1890	1946	55	548	314	199	35		Springfield YMCA (1890–1891), Chicago (1892–1932), Pacific (1933–1946)
	1980	2018	39	445	249	194	2		William & Mary (1980–2018)
	1978	2017	38	394	196	193	5		Gettysburg (1978–2003, 2005–2017)
	1965	2013	45	457	265	191	1		St. Lawrence (1965–1968), Albany (1973–2013)
	1981	2012	31	360	177	183	0		Weber State (1981–1988), Washington State (1989–2002), UTEP (2004–2012, 2017)
	1962	1998	37	420	232	178	10		SMU (1962–1972), North Texas State (1973–1978), Iowa (1979–1998)
	1985	2023	32	331	151	178	2		Maine (1985–1986), Dartmouth (1987–1991, 2005–2023), Tulane (1992–1996), Stanford (2003–2004)
Mertz Mortorelli	1954	1983	30	241	52	176	13		Wisconsin–Superior (1954–1983)
	1914	1958	45	372	172	176	24		Lincoln (1914–1916), Baldwin–Wallace (1917–1918), Southwestern (1919–1920), Maryville (1921–1958)
	1924	1966	43	402	207	176	19		Southwestern (1924–1927), Clemson (1931–1939), Rice (1940–1966)
	1986	2019	34	321	149	172	0		Northern State (1986–1997), Wisconsin Lutheran (2000–2012, 2014–2019)
	1941	1997	55	591	408	167	16		Louisiana Normal / Grambling / Grambling State (1941–1997)
	1969	2004	35	386	218	167	1		William Penn (1969–1975), Pittsburg State (1976–1981), Sam Houston State (1982–2004)
	1985	2019	34	346	181	165	0		Worcester State (1985–2019)
	1992	present	32	316	151	164	1		Marist (1992–present)
	1985	present	34	354	191	163	0		William Penn (1985–1987), St. John Fisher (1991–present)
	1985	2017	33	380	218	160	2		East Tennessee State (1985–1987), Wofford (1988–2017)
	1993	present	28	299	141	158	0		Maine (1993–2015), Colby (2018–present)
	1959	2004	41	378	209	158	11		Waynesburg (1959–1962), Curry (1963), Bridgewater State (1968–1986, 1988–2004)
	1969	1994	26	247	84	157	6		Colorado Mines (1969–1994)
	1977	2009	25	290	130	156	4		Oregon (1977–1994), Kentucky (2003–2009)
	1974	2001	25	222	66	155	1		Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham (1974–1996, 2000–2001)
	1979	2016	37	414	257	155	2		St. Lawrence (1979–1983), Villanova (1985–2016)
	1963	1996	32	358	201	153	4		Montana State (1963–1967), Washington State (1968–1975), Fresno State (1976–1996)
	1988	2010	28	324	171	152	1		North Alabama (1988–1997, 2012–2016), Temple (1998–2005), West Alabama (2006–2010)
	1979	2011	27	312	158	151	3		Miami (1979–1983), Louisville (1985–1994), Oklahoma (1995), Florida Atlantic (2001–2011)
	1960	1992	30	325	170	151	8		McMurry (1960–1965), Angelo State (1969–1971), Baylor (1972–1992)
	1926	1972	38	344	175	149	20		Westminster (1926–1930), Geneva (1934–1936), Youngstown / Youngstown State (1938–1972)
	1990	present	33	330	181	149	0		Cortland (1990–1996), Lebanon Valley (1997), Alfred (1998–2013), Hamilton (2014–present)
	1978	present	44	492	342	149	1		Anderson (1978–1981), Georgetown (1982–1992), California (1993–1996), Saint Francis (1998–present)
	1915	1954	40	305	143	149	13		Westminster (1915–1916, 1918, 1921), Amherst (1922–1925), Brown (1926–1940), Dartmouth (1945–1954)
	1931	1967	35	332	171	148	13		Chattanooga (1931–1967)
	1993	present	30	305	158	147	0		Geneva (1993–present)
	1977	2009	29	335	183	145	7		Hawaii (1977–1986), Arizona (1987–2000), San Jose State (2005–2009)
	1983	present	35	419	274	144	1		Appalachian State (1983), Tulane (1985–1987), North Carolina (1988–1997, 2019–present), Texas (1998–2013)
	1997	present	35	262	119	143	0		Trinity International (1997–2003), Sterling (2004–2015), Southern Nazarene (2016–2019), Concordia (2021–present)
	1981	2015	35	427	280	143	4		Murray State (1981–1986), Virginia Tech (1987–2015)
	1909	1948	37	303	137	142	24		Georgia (1909), Clemson (1910–1912), Richmond (1913–1917, 1919–1933), South Carolina (1918), Maryland (1936–1939), Apprentice (1940–1948)
	1956	1992	25	252	107	141	4		Miami (1956–1962), Yale (1963–1964), Indiana (1965–1972), Northwestern (1973–1977), Mount St. Joseph (1990–1992)
	1965	1995	31	310	162	140	8		Ouachita Baptist (1965–1995)
	1979	2005	27	312	168	140	4		Air Force (1979–1983), Arkansas (1984–1989), Clemson (1990–1993), Rice (1994–2005)
	1981	2014	33	365	224	139	2		Wagner (1981–2014)
	1986	2023	29	329	187	139	3		Ferris State (1986–1994), Hillsdale (2002–2023)
	1949	2012	64	638	489	138	11		Carroll (1949–1952), Saint John's (1953–2012)
	1994	present	35	278	140	138	0		Dubuque (1994–1996), Capital (1997–2007), Saginaw Valley State (2008–2018), Wittenberg (2022–present)
	1996	present	37	262	125	137	0		Nebraska Wesleyan (1996–present)
	1968	1996	29	332	185	137	10		Iowa State (1968–1972), Pittsburgh (1973–1976, 1993–1996), Tennessee (1977–1992)
	1980	2015	36	388	246	137	5		Juniata (1980–1988), Drake (1989–2006), Montana State (2007–2015)
	1990	present	27	334	198	136	0		Maine (1990–1992), Iowa (1999–present)
	1977	2005	29	272	135	136	1		Beloit (1977–2005)
	1966	2011	46	548	409	136	3		Penn State (1966–2011)
	1993	present	30	313	178	135	0		Monmouth (1993–present)
	1981	2015	30	350	213	135	2		Southwestern (1981–1982), Pittsburg State (1985–1989), Southwest Texas State / Texas State (1990–1991, 2011–2015), New Mexico (1992–1997), TCU (1998–2000), Alabama (2001–2002), Texas A&M (2003–2007)
	1979	2012	31	379	242	135	2		North Texas State (1979–1980), Texas Tech (1981–1985), Appalachian State (1989–2012)
	1938	1974	32	244	102	135	7		Swarthmore (1938–1941, 1946–1972, 1974), Atlantic City NAS (1943–1944)
	1982	2022	41	403	269	134	0		Union (1982–1991), Penn (1992–2014), Columbia (2015–2022)
	1973	2001	29	318	180	132	6		South Carolina State (1973–1978, 1989–2001), Wichita State (1979–1983), Howard (1984–1988)
	1973	2000	28	325	189	132	4		Navy (1973–1981), Virginia (1982–2000)
	1969	2004	33	388	249	132	7		William & Mary (1969–1971), NC State (1972–1975), Arkansas (1977–1983), Minnesota (1984–1985), Notre Dame (1986–1996), South Carolina (1999–2004)
	1987	present	36	357	224	132	1		Maine (1987–1988), Cincinnati (1989–1993), Harvard (1994–present)
	1993	present	30	304	171	131	2		Delta State (1993–1998), Ouachita Baptist (1999–present)
	1971	1996	26	293	159	131	3		Texas Lutheran (1971–1975), North Dakota State (1976–1978), Southwest Texas State (1979–1982), TCU (1983–1991), Minnesota (1992–1996)
	1987	2011	25	276	144	131	1		Eastern Illinois (1987–2011)
	1983	present	27	315	183	130	2		Salem (1983–1985), Samford (1987–1992), Auburn (1993–1998), North Alabama (2009–2011), Akron (2012–2018), Louisiana–Monroe (2021–present)
	1915	1952	32	318	155	130	33		SMU (1915–1916, 1922–1934), Vanderbilt (1918, 1935–1939), Temple (1940–1948), Austin (1949–1952)
	1979	2002	24	230	100	130	0		Bluffton (1979–2002)
	1961	1998	26	281	143	130	8		Arkansas A&M (1961–1965), The Citadel (1966–1972), Clemson (1973–1976), Southern Arkansas (1981), Delta State (1982–1987), Ouachita Baptist (1996–1998)
	1962	1986	23	212	75	130	7		Edinboro (1962–1965), Susquehanna (1966–1977), Kean (1980–1986)
	1983	2005	23	216	85	130	1		Simon Fraser (1983–2005)
	1969	1996	27	301	168	129	4		Miami (1969–1973), Colorado (1974–1978), Northern Illinois (1980–1983), Indiana (1984–1996)
	1959	2009	44	510	377	129	4		Howard (1959–1962), West Virginia (1970–1975), Florida State (1976–2009)
	1980	2012	20	225	93	128	4		Georgia Tech (1980–1986), Alabama (1987–1989), Kentucky (1990–1996), Georgia State (2010–2012)
	1924	1956	33	292	151	128	13		Georgetown (1924–1929), Columbia (1930–1956)
	1922	1964	39	344	201	128	15		Columbia (1922–1924), DePaul (1925–1931), Holy Cross (1933–1938, 1950–1964), Iowa (1939–1942, 1946–1949)
	1968	2000	30	338	202	128	8		Bowling Green (1968–1976), West Virginia (1980–2000)
	1977	1995	19	209	81	127	1		Drake (1977–1985), Utah State (1986–1991), Pacific (1992–1995)
	1972	1992	21	228	100	127	1		Idaho State (1972–1975), Rhode Island (1976–1992)
	1966	1991	25	209	80	126	3		Lake Forest (1966–1991)
	1976	2000	24	276	143	126	7		Tulane (1976–1979), Arizona (1980–1986), USC (1987–1992), Missouri (1994–2000)
	1967	1992	26	294	163	126	5		North Carolina (1967–1977), Virginia Tech (1978–1986), Wake Forest (1987–1992)
	1977	1997	19	195	65	125	5		Central State (1977–1978), Morehouse (1979–1989, 1995–1996), Kentucky State (1992–1994), Lane (1997)
	1959	1997	27	270	132	133	5		Pomona (1959–1961), Indiana State (1962–1963), Merchant Marine (1964), Utah State (1967–1972), Wake Forest (1973–1977), Southern Oregon (1980–1988), Coast Guard (1997)
	1998	2014	17	179	47	132	0		Minnesota Morris (1998–2006), Southwestern (2007–2014)
	1968	1995	22	282	155	126	1		Portland State (1968–1971, 1981–1985), Oregon (1974–1976), Oregon Tech (1977–1980), Montana State (1986–1995)
	1920	1955	29	253	111	126	16		Oklahoma Baptist (1920–1921), Hendrix (1924–1955)
	1999	2019	21	201	75	126	0		Coast Guard (1999–2019)
	1989	2014	22	258	133	125	0		Northern Iowa (1989–1996), Kansas (1997–2001), Missouri State (2006–2014)
	1986	2021	35	361	234	125	2		Carnegie Mellon (1986–2021)
	1998	present	23	212	87	125	0		UMass–Boston (1998–2000), Plymouth State (2003–present)
	1964	2002	39	446	314	124	8		Eastern Kentucky (1964–2002)
	1929	1962	30	198	59	123	16		Oshkosh State (1929, 1931–1942, 1946–1962)
	1985	2009	25	225	101	123	1		Maranatha Baptist (1985–2009)
	1964	1987	24	244	114	123	7		Harding (1964–1987)
	1961	1989	28	309	179	122	8		VPI / Virginia Tech (1961–1970), Maryland (1972–1981), Kentucky (1982–1989)
	1989	present	30	341	218	122	1		Ripon (1989–1990), Wartburg (1991–1995), Wisconsin–Eau Claire (1996–1998), Minnesota–Duluth (1999–2003, 2008–2012), Western Illinois (2013–2015), South Dakota (2016–present)
	1974	2002	28	295	172	121	2		St. John's (1974–2002)
	1987	present	36	347	225	121	1		Illinois Wesleyan (1987–present)
	1986	2006	21	245	123	121	1		Kent State (1986–1987), Kansas (1988–1996), Minnesota (1997–2006)
	1976	2013	38	380	258	121	1		Dickinson State (1976–2013)
	1995	2016	20	293	171	121	1		Ohio (1995–2000), Wake Forest (2001–2013), Baylor (2016)
	1947	1969	23	184	55	120	9		Augsburg (1947–1969)
Kirby Cannon	1999	2015	14	156	36	120	0		Missouri–Rolla (1999–2009), Austin Peay (2013–2015)
	1976	2003	26	304	180	120	4		Washington State (1976), Pittsburgh (1977–1981), Texas A&M (1982–1988), Mississippi State (1991–2003)
	1965	1996	32	303	179	119	5		Yale (1965–1996)
	1966	2001	36	422	300	119	3		Delaware (1966–2001)
	2003	2017	15	161	42	119	0		Kentucky Wesleyan (2003–2017)
	1940	1969	30	295	165	118	12		Clemson (1940–1969)
	1959	1993	35	348	218	118	12		Ashland (1959–1993)
	1995	2015	17	195	78	117	0		Iowa State (1995–2006), North Texas (2011–2015)
Bill Snyder	1989	2018	27	333	215	117	1	.647	Kansas State (1989–2018)
	1981	2017	37	394	275	117	2		Lakeland (1981–1986), Shepherd (1987–2017)
	1986	2018	18	254	138	116	0		Buffalo State (1986–2000, 2009–2018)
	1956	1977	22	228	102	116	10		Virginia (1956–1957), Air Force (1958–1977)
	1992	2009	17	191	76	115	0		Utah State (1992–1994), Navy (1995–2001), Louisiana–Monroe (2003–2009)
	1990	2013	24	235	119	115	1		Westfield State (1990–2013)
	1982	2004	19	200	84	114	2		Iowa Wesleyan (1982–1984), Valparaiso (1989–2004)
	1979	2000	22	216	102	114	0		Carleton (1979–2000)
	1993	2016	25	245	131	113	1		Dickinson (1993–2016)
	1993	present	30	310	196	113	1		Bowie State (1993–1998), Salisbury State / Salisbury (1999–present)
	1947	1968	22	199	78	113	8		Colorado Mines (1947–1968)
	1997	2022	26	311	199	112	0		South Dakota State (1997–2022)
	1978	1999	22	235	118	113	4		Wagner (1978–1980), Lafayette (1981–1999)
	1989	2010	21	219	105	112	2		Wisconsin–River Falls (1989–2010)
	1973	2000	28	259	146	112	1		Massachusetts Maritime (1973–2000)
	1956	1976	21	195	78	112	5		Maryland (1956–1958), DePauw (1959–1976)
	1975	2002	28	274	160	112	2		Franklin & Marshall (1975–2002)
	1946	1979	30	284	167	112	5		Johns Hopkins (1946–1949, 1979), Hofstra (1950–1974)
	1953	1982	30	287	168	112	7		Denver (1953–1954), Dartmouth (1956–1970), Illinois (1971–1976), Cornell (1977–1982)
	1965	1987	23	242	126	111	5		Lehigh (1965–1975), Colgate (1976–1987)
	1980	2007	19	205	93	111	1		Indiana State (1980–1997, 2007)
	1924	1950	25	167	41	110	16		Bluffton (1924–1950)
	1984	2005	22	205	105	110	0		Stony Brook (1984–2005)
	1969	2001	32	323	212	110	1		Pennsylvania Military / Widener (1969–1991), Delaware Valley (1992–1995), La Salle (1997–2001)
	1978	1994	17	188	72	109	7		Washington State (1978–1986), Iowa State (1987–1994)
	1984	2006	23	279	169	109	1		Air Force (1984–2006)
	1976	2012	28	343	234	108	1		Nevada (1976–2012)
	1962	1986	25	276	160	108	8		Houston (1962–1986)
	1974	1996	22	247	134	108	5		Angelo State (1974–1981), Stephen F. Austin (1982–1988), New Mexico State (1990–1996)
	1989	2007	17	189	82	107	0		Howard (1989–2001), Texas Southern (2004–2007)
	1989	present	35	352	244	107	1		Bethel (1989–present)
	1939	1967	25	220	105	107	8		Duquesne (1939–1942), Boston University (1947–1956), Columbia (1957–1967)
	1972	1998	27	286	175	106	5		New Hampshire (1972–1998)
	1895	1938	44	457	319	106	32		Georgia (1895–1896), Cornell (1897–1898, 1904–1906), Carlisle (1899–1903, 1907–1914), Pittsburgh (1915–1923), Stanford (1924–1932), Temple (1933–1938)
	1987	2010	23	199	92	106	1		Sewanee (1987–1993), Tufts (1994–2010)
	1980	2004	25	251	144	106	1		Loras (1980–2004)
	1976	2000	21	237	125	106	6		Utah State (1976–1982), California (1987–1991), Arizona State (1992–2000)
	1988	2011	34	245	136	106	3		Wesley (1988–1992), Western Maryland / McDaniel (1993–2011)
	1956	1978	23	196	89	105	2		Iowa Wesleyan (1956–1959), Grinnell (1960–1978)
	1908	1941	33	243	124	105	14		South Dakota State (1908–1910), Morningside (1912–1941)
	2000	present	23	221	117	104	0		Kean (2000–2002), Otterbein (2003–2011), Western Connecticut (2012–present)
	1958	1986	28	245	136	104	5		Bucknell (1958–1964), Penn (1965–1970), Williams (1971–1986)
	1976	2002	27	301	195	104	2		Winston-Salem State (1976–1987), North Carolina A&T (1988–2002)
	1944	1969	26	213	99	104	10		Delaware State (1944–1949), Winston-Salem State (1950–1969)
	2006	present	16	212	109	103	0		Middle Tennessee (2006–present)
Mick Caba	1985	2014	13	125	22	103	0		Iowa Wesleyan (1985–1988), Oklahoma Panhandle State (1989–1990), Minnesota–Morris (1991–1992), William Penn (1997–1998), Alfred State (2012–2014)
	2005	present	17	161	59	102	0		Massachusetts Maritime (2005–present)
	1994	2009	16	191	89	102	0		Furman (1994–2001), Vanderbilt (2002–2009)
	1949	1978	28	206	97	102	7
	1969	2000	32	326	217	102	7		Concordia–Moorhead (1969–2000)
	1977	2006	20	199	92	102	5		Dakota State (1977–1978), Southwest State (1979–1992), Southern Virginia (2003–2006)
	1978	2000	33	228	124	102	2		Hamline (1978–2000)
	1963	1984	22	236	127	101	8		Presbyterian (1963–1984)
	2006	2022	17	211	110	101	0		Northwestern (2006–2022)
	1986	2007	17	191	87	101	3		UMass (1986–1991), Richmond (1995–2003), VMI (2006–2007)
	1973	2006	18	206	103	101	2		The Citadel (1973–1977), Maryland (1982–1986), Georgia Tech (1987–1991), Army (2004–2006)
	1960	1982	23	234	129	101	4		Iowa State Teachers / State College of Iowa / Northern Iowa (1960–1982)
	1959	1984	26	246	140	101	5		Santa Clara (1959–1984)
	1972	2000	29	361	257	101	3		BYU (1972–2000)
	1982	2005	27	259	156	101	2		Wabash (1982–2000). Whittier (2003–2005), St. Scholastica (2008–2013)
	1982	2004	23	245	143	100	2	.588	Angelo State (1982–2004)
	2000	2023	23	236	136	100	0		Trinity (2000–2005), Stony Brook (2006–2023)
	2000	present	23	241	141	100	0		Westminster (2000–2004), Duquesne (2005–present)
	1997	2018	22	289	189	100	0		Georgia Southern (1997–2001), Navy (2002–2007), Georgia Tech (2008–2018)
	1996	2015	14	159	57	102	0		Illinois State (1996–1999), Army (2000–2003), Louisiana Monroe (2010–2015)

See also

• List of college football career coaching wins leaders
• List of college football career coaching winning percentage leaders
• List of college football coaches with 30 seasons

Notes and References

1. Web site: NCAA Coaching Records. NCAA. 2008. 189, 192.
2. Web site: All-Time Coaching Records. College Football Data Warehouse. 2010-06-20. 2010-09-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20100919012011/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/coaching/coach_records.php. dead.
3. News: Grant. Hughes. College football's 15 coaches with the most career losses, ranked. 247Sports. September 24, 2024.
4. News: Mounting Losses. August 30, 2006. The Oklahoman. 5C. Newspapers.com. September 24, 2024.
5. News: Stephen. Hargis. Chattanooga Mocs add to records, personal highs. November 16, 2014. Chattanooga Times Free Press. September 24, 2024.
6. News: Ivan. Maisel. How Watson Brown lost more games than any coach in CFB history. September 24, 2014. ESPN. September 24, 2024.