SN 140: Ranking the 25 greatest college football personalities of all time, from Ed Orgeron to Beano Cook
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
SN 140: Ranking the 25 greatest college football personalities of all time, from Ed Orgeron to Beano Cook originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
A "Whiteout" with matching T-shirts in the student sections. Tennessee orange-and-white checkerboard end zones. A crimson-and-cream streak on a white-and-burnt orange helmet.
College football is full of colors – hyper-specific shades painted across football fields in the United States. Notre Dame beat Army 13-7 at the Polo Grounds on Oct. 18, 1924 – and legendary New York-Herald Tribune reporter Grantland Rice wrote, "Outlined against a blue, gray October sky the Four Horsemen rode again."
Rice was among the first colorful personalities who took college football into the national spotlight in the 1920s. Since then, several other media personalities have emerged to complement the players and coaches that have made college football special. Sporting News is honoring those personalities as part of our SN 140 celebration this season.
These are the players, coaches, media personalities – and even in a few cases mascots – who have brought a little more to college football.
SN 140: All-Decade All-America teams|Best programs from each decade|20 greatest teams of all time
25. LSU coach Ed Orgeron
We could have gone with other LSU coaches such as Les Miles to Lane Kiffin. Yet none grabs our attention quite like Orgeron, whose thick Cajun accent represents the hyper-regionalized identity college football brings out. Has any coach ever matched Baton Rouge better than Orgeron? He led LSU to a national championship in 2019 with one of the best teams of all time. Orgeron's trademark closer is often repeated, yet never fully remastered and we're still not sure how to spell it. Anyway, "Geaux Tigahs!"
24. Oregon mascot Puddles
It's a close call with Brutus at Ohio State, but no costumed mascot personifies its program more than "The Duck." Puddles makes a grand entrance to Autzen Stadium home games on a motorcycle. Puddles does push-ups for every point on the scoreboard. Oregon's uniforms always change, but this costumed-mascot's presence remains consistent. We love our mascots. Which one would you put in Puddles' place?
Oregon Duck is by far the best mascot in any sport for this 😂 pic.twitter.com/7eSQO9buXm
— Randy Cruz (@randyjcruz) October 28, 2017
23. Broadcaster Gus Johnson
Johnson's call of Fernando Mendoza's TD pass to Omar Cooper Jr. at Penn State is a premier cut. Johnson brings unbridled enthusiasm with every possible range of pitch in between – and he finishes with a declarative statement: "Give him the Heisman now!" Johnson, color commentator Joel Klatt and sideline reporter Jenny Taft are the perfect trio for the "Big Noon Kickoff," which has brought more substance to the early window on college football Saturdays.
22. Ohio State coach Woody Hayes
Hayes embodied the post-World War II coach from the 1950s through the 1970s. The decade-long clash with Michigan coach Bo Schembechler – a Hayes' assistant – is still referred to as The Ten-Year War and everybody in Columbus knows why Hayes went for a two-point conversion against Michigan in a 50-14 blowout in 1968. The picture of Hayes in short sleeves and a tie in the snow hangs on countless basements in Ohio. Hayes' combativeness style proved to be his undoing at the 1978 Gator Bowl, but that good still outweighs the ugly.
21. Florida State DB/Colorado coach Deion Sanders
At Florida State, "Prime Time" called his shot on a punt-return touchdown against Clemson before high-stepping through punter Chris Gardocki for a TD as one of the best – and most-flamboyant – defensive backs and returners of all time. At Colorado, "Coach Prime" is doing it his way through the transfer portal and recruiting heading into his fourth season with the Buffaloes. He arrived in Boulder with fanfare, and two years later Travis Hunter – another two-way player – won the Heisman Trophy.
20. Broadcaster Verne Lundquist
Lundquist and later Brad Nessler combined with Gary Danielson and sideline reporters Jill Arrington, Tracy Wolfson and Allie LaForce as the soundtrack for the SEC's dominant run through the BCS and early College Football Playoff era in the 2000s. Lundquist's versatility and Danielson's takes were the perfect blend for the afternoon spot for a conference that piled up national championships. The "Kick Six" remains the best example of that teamwork as the tension built ahead of that memorable call. CBS has shifted to focus on the Big Ten – but the best era featured "Uncle Verne."
19. Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne
Rockne – who was born in Norway – became one of the first superstar coaches at a time period when college football – and Notre Dame – emerged into the national consciousness. Rockne's business-like attire matched a pristine record at 105-12-5. Legends such as "The Four Horsemen" with the prose of legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice added to the Irish mystique – one the program is still trying to recapture in the present day. Rockne – only 43 years old – died in a plane crash in 1931.
18. Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel
"The Ballad of Johnny Football" starred the rebellious Texas A&M quarterback who played like a pop-up twister on the field and leaned head first into his bad-boy image off it. Manziel led the Aggies to a 29-24 upset against No. 1 Alabama on Nov. 10, 2012 – a moment immortalized with a scrambling TD pass to Ryan Swope. Manziel was suspended by the NCAA the following season for signing autographs for money – and he responded by popularizing the "money sign" as his iconic celebration.
17. Broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit
Herbstreit is one of a few analysts from ESPN's "College GameDay" on our list. The show produced Tim Brando, Chris Fowler and Rece Davis as hosts and analysts Desmond Howard and Lee Corso (don't worry, we'll get to Coach soon). This show sets up media superstars, and Herbstreit has taken advantage of that with a skill-set that extends from the studio to the booth with Fowler on Saturday Night Football with Holly Rowe and Molly McGrath.
© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
16. Florida State coach Bobby Bowden
Bowden was the consummate Southern gentleman – and Florida State's rise to a super-power in the late 1980s and 1990s coincided with increased television exposure on the networks. Bowden charmed one "dadgummit" at a time. He built legendary rivalries with Miami and Florida in the Sunshine State on the way to 346 career victories. Bowden's down-home demeanor defined an era – and that competitive grace still resonates in Tallahassee.
15. Miami wide receiver Michael Irvin
Irvin represents multiple generations of Miami Hurricanes football. He fulfilled that as a receiver when "The U" was at its peak in the 1980s as a key player on the 1987 national championship team. That love, however, didn't end at graduation. Irvin is one of the seen-on-the-sidelines boosters for the program, and he was visible at all times during the Hurricanes' run to the CFP championship last season. Irvin brings the over-the-top passion former players always show for their alma mater – you can hear him saying "Greentree made me!" That's a Canes thing.
14. Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer
Switzer brought swagger before the term was popularized. He inflamed the rivalry with the Longhorns in the 1970s by literally wearing a hat that said "Beat Texas." He won three national championships at Oklahoma with star players such as Lee Roy Selmon, Billy Sims and Brian Bosworth – and Switzer was not afraid to let those players show off their personalities. Switzer often did – and said – whatever the hell he wanted along the way. Norman, Okla., loved him for it.
13. Georgia mascot Uga
How could we have a pure white English Bulldog on this list? The Georgia mascot is the best of the live mascots – and Uga XI has a lineage that traces back to 1956. They even keep the records for each ruler on the Georgia sideline. Uga V tried to bite Auburn receiver Robert Baker after a touchdown in 1996. Texas mascot Bevo charged at Uga X in 2019.
12. Alabama coach Bear Bryant
Did any other coach define "aura" quite like Bryant? Tweed suits. Houndstooth fedora. A scowl that glared across the sideline, and a deep voice that echoed no matter how loud. He was the symbol for the Alabama football machine in the 1960s and 1970s. Bryant helped elevate and integrate football in the Southeastern Conference with a presence that defined Southern grit – perhaps with no better example than the goal-line stand against No. 1 Penn State in the 1979 Sugar Bowl.
11. Broadcaster Brent Musburger
"You are looking live!" Musburger knew how to set the scene from The Swamp to The Coliseum multiple networks as one of the leading play-by-play announcers in college football. He stacked up memorable calls ranging from "Hail Flutie" to "Holy Buckeye," and he did that in the folksy, methodical style that resonated with viewers. Remember when pre-game intros were a thing? Musburger perfected those – and the "Catholics vs. Convicts" intro is among the best examples.
10. Florida QB Tim Tebow
"Tebowmania" swept through college football from 2006-09. Tebow won two national championships, a Heisman Trophy and compiled a 35-6 record as a starter under coach Urban Meyer at Florida. Tebow was a superstar during the social-media takeover of sports who put his faith first. We still can identify what "Tebowing" means or when the "Jump Pass" happened. Which speech was better – the one after the loss to Ole Miss or the one at halftime of the 2009 BCS championship game against Oklahoma? Tebow is the ultimate good guy in the sport who remains active with the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
9. Alabama coach/broadcaster Nick Saban
Saban is on ESPN's "College GameDay," but that's only part of the reason he's here. At Alabama, he was the most influential voice in the sport through a dynasty that produced six of his seven national championships and a few more broken headsets. When Saban talked to the Coke bottle, we listened. Saban's delivery at SEC Media Days felt like the college football version of the "State of the Union." He's still captivating in the odd-couple dynamic with Pat McAfee on "GameDay," and his dead-pan delivery still hits a few home runs every Saturday.
8. Coach/broadcaster Lou Holtz
Holtz revived the Notre Dame mystique in the 1980s with his straight-forward, tough-love approach in South Bend. He mastered the art of playing the underdog card with a winning hand in a top-five showdown and always had a perfectly timed motivational tactic – like the "Cheerios Bowl" against Florida. Holtz also is remembered as the ESPN analyst who sparred with Mark May with Rece Davis officiating. Through it all, Holtz clung to his faith, family and football principles. Holtz passed away on March 4 – which was Rockne's birthday.
7. Florida coach Steve Spurrier
How many fan-bases despise the "Head Ball Coach?" Spurrier had a self-assured smirk under the trademark visor, and he dished out so many one-liners over the years that still get repeated today. "You can't spell Citrus without U-T." "Free Shoes University." Spurrier – who won the Heisman Trophy in 1966 with his alma mater – brought "Fun-n-Gun" to the field as the Gators' coach in the 1990s. With that, he inflamed the rivalries with Tennessee, Georgia and Florida State along the way.
6. Broadcaster Paul Finebaum
The "The Paul Finebaum Show" soared in popularity during the SEC's stranglehold of college football during the BCS and four-team College Football Playoff era. Finebaum's umderstated delivery, strong opinions and self-deprecating sense of humor rile up callers who stir the pot for arguments that often cross over into Big Ten country It makes for some of the most entertaining material in the social-media era, and Finebaum continues to contribute to being the leading provocateur in the sport.
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
5. Oklahoma linebacker Brian Bosworth
"The Boz" rocked during the 1980s era as an action-film hero brought to life on a football field with a heavy-metal haircut and hard-hitting style at Oklahoma. Bosworth stirred controversy with a failed steroid test and by wearing a T-shirt that said, "National Communists Against Athletes," but we still remember him most as the two-time Butkus Award winning-linebacker who had 22 tackles against Miami. Bosworth re-emerged as a college football cult icon in his role as the "Sheriff of Fansville" in the Dr. Pepper commercials.
4. Broadcaster Keith Jackson
"Whoa, Nellie!" Jackson covered college football for a half century, and multiple generations know all the colloquialisms that boomed from the broadcast booth for college football's main event. He sorted out the "hog mollies" from the "big uglies" with elegance. Jackson's pre-game monologues made a game feel like the most important thing in the world – and on those campuses it was for the next three hours. He also called two of the greatest college football games of the modern age in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl between No. 1 Miami and No. 2 Ohio State and the 2006 Rose Bowl between No. 1 Texas and No. 2 USC. He never lost a step in those monumental moments.
3. Coach Mike Leach
"The Pirate" held the best press conferences. The football wizardry behind the "Air Raid" offense was secondary to the entertainment value with every sound byte that could – and most of the times would – drift into places ranging from a Pac-12 mascot battle royale to Halloween candy rankings. Leach finished with a 158-106 through stints at college football outposts such as Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State – which proved there was so much more to the transcript. He passed away in 2022 at just 61 years old, but his impact lives through the countless Leach stories from those who were aboard his ship.
2. Broadcaster/sportswriter Beano Cook
He was affectionately known as "The Pope of College Football." He mixed a depth of knowledge for college football history with a humorous touch – all brimming with an affection for football in the Rust Belt. The Pitt alum set the bar for other college football commentators to follow with no-filter takes that could go in any direction – and often did. Everyone remembers the ill-fated Ron Powlus prediction, but why do we remember it? Because Beano was the leading authority in his time.
1. Broadcaster Lee Corso
Coro's retirement from ESPN's "College GameDay" last season reinforced what "Coach Corso" meant to the game. The quick quips – "Not so fast, my friend" – became a staple, and his personality helped elevate the college football pre-game show to the next level. Corso's headgear segment closed every show and became a must-see event that kicked off every college football Saturday. Through it all, Corso's high-energy passion for the game never waned – and neither did his lovable personality. It makes him an easy choice at No. 1 on this list.
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos