List of Boston College Eagles head football coaches
The Boston College Eagles college football team represents Boston College in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Eagles compete as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The program has had 40 head coaches, and two interim head coaches, since it began play during the 1893 season. Since February 2024, Bill O'Brien has served as head coach at Boston College.[1]
Ten coaches have led Boston College in postseason bowl games: Frank Leahy, Denny Myers, Jack Bicknell, Tom Coughlin, Dan Henning, Tom O'Brien, Jeff Jagodzinski, Frank Spaziani, Steve Addazio, and Rich Gunnell. O'Brien also won one conference championship as a member of the Big East Conference.
Joe Yukica, Bicknell, and O'Brien are the leaders in seasons coached 10 years each as head coach. O'Brien has the most all-time wins with 75 and Leahy has the highest winning percentage at 0.909. Arthur White and Joseph Courtney has the lowest winning percentage of those who have coached more than one game, with 0.000. Of the 40 different head coaches who have led the Eagles, Frank Cavanaugh, Gil Dobie, Leahy, and Mike Holovak have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Key[edit]
| General | Overall | Conference | Postseason[A 1] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Order of coaches[A 2] | GC | Games coached | CW | Conference wins | PW | Postseason wins |
| DC | Division championships | OW | Overall wins | CL | Conference losses | PL | Postseason losses |
| CC | Conference championships | OL | Overall losses | CT | Conference ties | PT | Postseason ties |
| NC | National championships | OT | Overall ties[A 3] | C% | Conference winning percentage | ||
| † | Elected to the College Football Hall of Fame | O% | Overall winning percentage[A 4] | ||||
Coaches[edit]
| No. | Name | Season(s)[A 6] | GC | OW | OL | OT | O% | CW | CL | CT | C% | PW | PL | PT | CC | NC | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joseph Drum | 1893 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0.500 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | William Nagle | 1894 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0.143 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | Joseph Lawless | 1895 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0.375 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | Frank Carney | 1896 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0.714 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | John Dunlop | 1897–1899 1901 |
34 | 16 | 16 | 2 | 0.500 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | Arthur White | 1902 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | Joe Kenney Joe Reilly [A 7] |
1908 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0.375 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | Thomas H. Maguire | 1909 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0.438 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9 | Hub Hart | 1910 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0.167 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 10 | Joseph Courtney | 1911 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | William Joy | 1912–1913 | 15 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 0.467 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 12 | Stephen Mahoney | 1914–1915 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0.500 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 13 | Charles Brickley | 1916–1917 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0.750 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 18 | Frank Morrissey | 1918 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0.714 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 19 | Frank Cavanaugh† | 1919–1926 | 67 | 48 | 14 | 5 | 0.754 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 20 | D. Leo Daley | 1927 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0.500 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 21 | Joe McKenney | 1928–1934 | 65 | 44 | 18 | 3 | 0.700 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 22 | Dinny McNamara | 1935 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0.750 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Int. | Harry Downes [A 8] |
1935 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0.600 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 23 | Gil Dobie† | 1936–1938 | 27 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 0.685 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 24 | Frank Leahy† | 1939–1940 | 22 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0.909 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 25 27 |
Denny Myers | 1941–1942 1946–1950 |
66 | 35 | 27 | 4 | 0.561 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 26 | Moody Sarno | 1943–1945 | 19 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 0.605 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 28 | Mike Holovak† | 1951–1959 | 81 | 49 | 29 | 3 | 0.625 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 29 | Ernie Hefferle | 1960–1961 | 20 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 0.375 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 30 | Jim Miller | 1962–1967 | 58 | 34 | 24 | 0 | 0.586 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 31 | Joe Yukica | 1968–1977 | 105 | 68 | 37 | 0 | 0.648 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 32 | Ed Chlebek | 1978–1980 | 33 | 12 | 21 | 0 | 0.364 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 33 | Jack Bicknell | 1981–1990 | 115 | 59 | 55 | 1 | 0.517 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 34 | Tom Coughlin | 1991–1993 | 35 | 21 | 13 | 1 | 0.614 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 0.559 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| 35 | Dan Henning | 1994–1996 | 35 | 21 | 13 | 1 | 0.614 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 0.452 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| 36 | Tom O'Brien | 1997–2006 | 120 | 75 | 45 | — | 0.625 | 37 | 34 | — | 0.521 | 7 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — |
| 37 | Jeff Jagodzinski | 2007–2008 | 28 | 20 | 8 | — | 0.714 | 11 | 5 | — | 0.688 | 1 | 1 | — | 0 | — | — |
| 38 | Frank Spaziani [A 9] |
2006 2009–2012 |
51 | 22 | 29 | — | 0.431 | 13 | 19 | — | 0.406 | 1 | 2 | — | 0 | — | — |
| 39 | Steve Addazio | 2013–2019 | 88 | 44 | 44 | — | 0.500 | 22 | 34 | — | 0.393 | 1 | 3 | — | 0 | — | — |
| Int. | Rich Gunnell [A 10] |
2019 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — | .000 | 0 | 0 | — | – | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | — | — |
| 40 | Jeff Hafley | 2020–2023 | 48 | 22 | 26 | — | 0.458 | 12 | 22 | — | 0.353 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| 41 | Bill O'Brien | 2024–Present | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | – | 0 | 0 | — | – | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
Notes[edit]
- ^ Although the first Rose Bowl Game was played in 1902, it has been continuously played since the 1916 game, and is recognized as the oldest bowl game by the NCAA. "—" indicates any season prior to 1916 when postseason games were not played.[2]
- ^ A running total of the number of head coaches, with coaches who served separate tenures being counted only once. Interim head coaches are represented with "Int" and are not counted in the running total. "—" indicates the team played but either without a coach or no coach is on record. "X" indicates an interim year without play.
- ^ Overtime rules in college football were introduced in 1996, making ties impossible in the period since.[3]
- ^ When computing the win–loss percentage, a tie counts as half a win and half a loss.[4]
- ^ Statistics correct as of the end of the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season.
- ^ Boston College did not field teams for the 1900 or 1903–1907 seasons.
- ^ Joe Kenney and Joe Reilly served as co-head coaches for the 1908 season.
- ^ Downes served as interim head coach after the resignation of Dinny McNamara for the final five games of the 1935 season.[5]
- ^ Spaziani served as interim head coach after the resignation of Tom O'Brien for the 2006 Meineke Car Care Bowl.[6]
- ^ Gunnell served as interim head coach after Steve Addazio was fired for the 2020 Birmingham Bowl.[7]
References[edit]
- ^ "Boston College Names Bill O'Brien Head Football Coach". BCEeagles.com. February 9, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
- ^ National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) (2011). Bowl/All-Star Game Records (PDF). Indianapolis, Indiana: NCAA. pp. 5–10. Archived from the original on August 22, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
- ^ Whiteside, Kelly (August 25, 2006). "Overtime system still excites coaches". USA Today. McLean, Virginia. Archived from the original on November 24, 2009. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
- ^ Finder, Chuck (September 6, 1987). "Big plays help Paterno to 200th". The New York Times. New York City. Archived from the original on October 22, 2009. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
- ^ "Coach M'Namara to quit; Downes is expected to replace ailing Boston College mentor" (PDF). The New York Times. Associated Press. October 30, 1935. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
- ^ "Spaziani replaces Jagodzinski". ESPN.com. Associated Press. January 13, 2009. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
- ^ "Boston College turns to Rich Gunnell as interim coach". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 2, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2023.