There are many college institutions across the United States and almost all of them have their very own football teams. This also means these schools have their in-house coaches who are dedicated to ensuring their team's best performance during matches.

Besides helping the team win in tournaments, coaches also play a big role in making sure players remain willing and eager to play for their schools. Many college football stars from the winningest college football teams have even made it to the National Football League (NFL). To give you the ranking of the top college coaches in the history of college football, here's a list we've made for you.

5. Nick Saban

With a career record of 292-71-1, Saban became one of the most popular college football coaches and later made a name as an American sportscaster and sports analyst. If you enjoy sports betting on this site, among other reliable football betting sites, you should know Saban as a household name in analyzing matches.

With five decades of coaching career, Saban served as a head coach of four universities, namely Michigan State, University of Toledo, Louisiana State University, and University of Alabama, where his coaching career flourished most. Besides college football, Saban also served for the NFL team Miami Dolphins.

In his college football coaching career, Saban secured the most national titles in college football, with seven under his belt. He was also known as the first college football coach to earn a national championship with two different Football Bowl Subdivision schools since 1936.

4. Pop Warner

Glenn Scobey Warner or mostly known as Pop Warner is a pioneer of many key aspects of the modern football game. His innovations include the body blocking technique, three-point stance, and the single- and double-wing formations, which are precursors of the modern spread and shotgun formations.

Warner was called "one of the excellent creators" by his fellow pioneer coach Amos Alonzo Stagg. In 1951, Warner was inducted into the College Football hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class. This American football coach also contributed to a junior football program which is known today as the Pop Warner Little Scholars.

Before becoming a coach, Warner played for Cornell Big Red and Syracuse Athletic Club as a guard and then went to coach Georgia Bulldogs, Iowa State Cyclones, Carlisle Indians, Pittsburgh Panthers, Stanford Cardinal, Temple Owls, San Jose State Spartans, and his former team Cornell Big Red.

3. Bear Bryant

Known as one of the greatest football coaches of all-time, Bear Bryant served for a total of nine teams in his coaching career. He is best known as the University of Alabama football team's head coach from 1958 to 1982. During his 25 years with Alabama, Bryant clinched 13 conference championships and six national championships.

When he retired in 1982, Bryant achieved the record for the most wins as a head coach in collegiate football history, securing a total of 323 wins. As a tribute to Bryant, the Bryant-Denny Stadium, Paul W. Bryant Drive, Paul W, Bryant Museum, and Paul W. Brant Hall was named after the American college football coach.

Some of his most remarkable awards include three American Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year, 12 Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year, Third-Team All-American, and Second-Team All-SEC awards.

2. Bobby Bowden

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, coach Bobby Bowden played for Alabama Crimson Tide and Samford Bulldogs as quarterback and running back before assuming a coaching position in four teams. He first served Samford Bulldogs as an assistant coach and then moved to South Georgia State College. Bowden also coached Florida State Seminoles and West Virginia Mountaineers, but it was with Seminoles where he reached the peak of his coaching career.

He was actually in a race against his close acquaintance, Joe Paterno, to be hailed as the winningest NCAA Division I college football coach in history. At the end, he placed second to Paterno, with a final career record of 377-129-4. His biggest accomplishments include two national championships and 12 Atlantic Coast Conference championships. Bowden was also awarded the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year, Walter Camp Coach of the Year, and the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award.

1. Joe Paterno

In all of his career, Joe Paterno secured 409 wins from 1950 to 2011 while serving Penn State Nittany Lions as a coach. He actually started as an assistant coach in his first 15 years in the team and was promoted as the coach after. But before his coaching career, Paterno served as a quarterback and cornerback for the Brown Bears from 1946 to 1949.

Paterno is named the most victorious coach in the history of NCAA Football Bowl Divisions (FBS). He has two national championships and three Big Tens under his belt. He was also awarded the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in 1986. Besides this, Paterno received five American Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year, three Walter Camp Coach of the Year, two Bobby Dod Coach of the Year, and three Big Ten Coach of the Year awards, among many others.

Final Thoughts

College football in the United States is so big that there are approximately 858 college football teams across different division levels. For a team to excel and clinch titles, finding good coaches is as important as scouting the best football players in the field. With these big names in college football coaching, many football stars were born carrying the wisdom of the pros which molded them during their younger years in the field.