13. Hayden Fry, 232 wins
Fry may not have the name recognition of some of the other coaches on this list, but the Hall of Fame coach made his impact felt across 37 seasons at SMU, North Texas and Iowa. Fry helped integrate the Southwest Conference in 1965 and turned around the Iowa football program in 1979. His coaching tree was one of the most prolific of all time.
17. Kirk Ferentz*, 208 wins
While Hayden Fry helped establish a winning culture at Iowa, Ferentz has since surpassed the legendary coach atop the school's all-time leaderboard. In September 2025, he surpassed Woody Hayes for the most all-time wins as a head coach at a Big Ten program.
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Fry may not have the name recognition of some of the other coaches on this list, but the Hall of Fame coach made his impact felt across 37 seasons at SMU, North Texas and Iowa. Fry helped integrate the Southwest Conference in 1965 and turned around the Iowa football program in 1979. His coaching tree was one of the most prolific of all time.
17. Kirk Ferentz*, 208 wins
While Hayden Fry helped establish a winning culture at Iowa, Ferentz has since surpassed the legendary coach atop the school's all-time leaderboard. In September 2025, he surpassed Woody Hayes for the most all-time wins as a head coach at a Big Ten program.
Who are the winningest college football coaches of all time?
From Saban to Paterno, there are many legendary college football coaches. Who has the best career record? Check out who has the most wins now.
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