Coaching them up right

I was sitting down last night to watch some college game tape and it dawned on me how there are some teams this year of which I'd be pretty happy to get any of their players, at any position. Then, of course, the subsequent realization is that I feel confident in those players because of the coach of those teams. And then my mind made one more jump:

John Schneider and Pete Carroll seem to only draft from the best and brightest coaches.

Saying "only" draft from the best coaches is being a little exaggerated, but stay with me. Who are the current (and recent) college coaches that have taken the leap to the NFL, taken a huge promotion in college, have taken interviews for recent NFL/NCAA coaching vacancies, or have won national championships?

· Pete Carroll (USC 2000-2009) D

(Hey, we have to give him his due for his development of college players too!) Two National Championships. Carroll coached Malcolm Smith and Anthony McCoy at USC in 2009 and we drafted them in 2011 and 2010 respectively.

Photo credit: Stephen Dunn

· Jim Harbaugh (Stanford 2007-2010) O

Hired to coach the San Francisco 49ers in 2011. We drafted Richard Sherman from Stanford in 2011 (Doug Baldwin signed as UDFA from Stanford the same year).

· Chip Kelly (Oregon 2009-2012) O

Hired to coach the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013. We drafted Walter Thurmond from Oregon in 2010 (Max Unger came from Oregon/Chip Kelly during Ruskell regime).

· Bill O'Brien (Penn State 2012-2013) O

Worked under Bill Belichick at New England. Just named the new head coach of the Houston Texans. We got Jordan Hill from Penn State in the 2013 draft.

--- Penn State prospects in 2014 draft: WR Allen Robinson, DT Daquan Jones.

· Charlie Strong (Louisville 2010-2013) D

Worked under Urban Meyer at Florida. Just named the new head coach at University of Texas. We got Greg Scruggs from his Louisville program in the 2012 draft.

---  Louisville prospects in 2014 draft: QB Teddy Bridgewater, FS Calvin Pryor, DE/OLB Marcus Smith.

Photo credit: Erich Schlegel

· James Franklin (Vanderbilt 2011-present) O

Worked under Mike Sherman in Green Bay. Rumored to have recently interviewed for HC jobs at Texas and Penn State. We got Ryan Seymour from Vandy in the 2013 draft.

--- Vandy prospects in 2014 draft: WR Jordan Matthews, FS Kenny Ladler, CB Andre Hal, OL Wesley Johnson.

· Kevin Sumlin (Texas A&M 2012-present) O

From the Bob Stoops coaching tree (also worked under Mike Price and Dennis Erickson). One of the hottest names in college coaching, it is believed Sumlin has a future in the NFL. We drafted Christine Michael from A&M in 2013.

--- A&M prospects in 2014 draft: OT Jake Matthews, QB Johnny Manziel, WR Mike Evans, OT Cedric Ogbuehi.

· Nick Saban (Alabama 2007-present) D

Four National Championships. Worked under Bill Belichick at Cleveland. We drafted James Carpenter from Alabama in 2011 and Jesse Williams in 2013.

--- Alabama prospects in 2014 draft: LB CJ Mosley, QB AJ McCarron, OT Cyrus Kouandjio, FS Ha-ha Clinton Dix.

Photo credit: Kevin C. Cox

·Les Miles (LSU 2005-present) O

One National Championship. From the Bo Schembechler coaching tree. We drafted Tharold Simon and Spencer Ware from LSU in 2013, and Pep Levingston in 2011.

--- LSU prospects in 2014 draft: QB Zach Mettenberger, WR Odell Beckham, WR Jarvis Landry, DT Anthony Johnson, DT Ego Ferguson, SS Craig Loston, FB JC Copeland.

· Urban Meyer (Florida 2005-2010) O

Two National Championships. Hired to coach Ohio State in 2012. We drafted Jaye Howard from his Florida team in 2012 after he played for Meyer in 2008-2010.

--- Ohio State prospects in 2014 draft: LB Ryan Shazier, RB Carlos Hyde, CB Bradley Roby, OT Jack Mewhort.

· Mack Brown (Texas 1998-2013) O

One National Championship. We drafted Earl Thomas from Texas in 2010.

--- Texas prospects in 2014 draft: DE Jackson Jeffcoat, WR Mike Davis, CB Carrington Byndom.

· Bill Snyder (Kansas State 2009-present) O

We drafted Chris Harper from KState in 2013.

--- KState prospects in 2014 draft: WR Tyler Lockett, FS Ty Zimmerman, OT Cornelius Lucas.

· Bret Bielema (Wisconsin 2006-2012) D

From the Bill Snyder tree. Hired to coach Arkansas in 2013. We got Russell Wilson and John Moffitt from his Wisconsin program in 2012 and 2011, respectively.

--- Arkansas prospects in 2014 draft: C Travis Swanson, DE Chris Smith.

· Dan Mullen (Mississippi State 2009-present) O

From the Urban Meyer coaching tree. We drafted KJ Wright from MissState in 2011.

--- Miss State prospects in 2014 draft: OG Gabe Jackson, FS Nickoe Whitley.

· Gary Anderson (Utah State 2009-2012) D

From the Urban Meyer coaching tree. Hired to replace Bielema at Wisconsin in 2013. We drafted Robert Turbin and Bobby Wagner from Utah State in 2012.

--- Wisconsin prospects in 2014 draft: WR Jared Abbrederis, LB Chris Borland, RB James White, TE Jacob Pedersen, OG Ryan Groy.

Photo credit: Mike McGinnis

· Mark Richt (Georgia (2001-present) O

From the Bobby Bowden coaching tree. Wedrafted Kris Durham from Georgia in 2011.

--- Georgia prospects in 2014 draft: QB , TE Arthur Lynch.

· Dabo Sweeney (Clemson 2008-present) O

We drafted Byron Maxwell from Clemson in 2011.

--- Clemson prospects in 2014 draft: WR Sammy Watkins, QB Tajh Boyd, DE Vic Beasley, WR Martavis Bryant, OG Brandon Thomas.

· Mike Gundy (Oklahoma St 2005-present) O

From the Les Miles tree. Coached Michael Bowie during his 2011 season and Russell Okung in 2009.

--- Oklahoma St prospects in 2014 draft: CB Justin Gilbert, DT Calvin Barnett.

· Dana Holgorsen (West Virginia 2011-present) O

From the Mike Gundy branch. We drafted Bruce Irvin from WVU in 2012.

--- WVU prospects in 2014 draft: RB Charles Sims, DE Will Clarke, SS Darwin Cook.

If we had to project forward down some of the coaching trees that seem to reoccur, we could also look at these:

· Jimbo Fisher (FSU -present) O

One National Championship. From the Nick Saban tree.

--- FSU prospects in 2014 draft: OT Cameron Erving, WR Kelvin Benjamin, DT Timmy Jernigan, CB Lamarcus Joyner, LB Telvin Smith, LB Christian Jones, C Bryan Stork, FS Terrence Brooks.

· Will Muschamp (Florida -present) D

From the Nick Saban tree.

--- Florida prospects in 2014 draft: CB Marcus Roberson, CB Louchiez Purifoy, DT Dominique Easley, OG Jon Halapio, CB Jaylen Watkins, DE/OLB Ronald Powell.

· Kyle Whittingham (Utah 2004-present) D

From the Urban Meyer tree.

--- Utah prospects in 2014 draft: DE Trevor Reilly, CB Keith McGill, TE Jake Murphy.

Photo credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sport

· Bo Pelini (Nebraska 2008-present) D

From the Les Miles tree.

--- Nebraska prospects in 2014 draft: CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste, WR Quincy Enunwa.

· Paul Chryst (Pittsburgh 2012-present) O

From the Bret Bielema branch.

--- Pittsburgh prospects in 2014 draft: DT Aaron Donald, WR Devin Street.

· David Shaw (Stanford 2011-present) O

From the Jim Harbaugh /blech (dry heaves).

--- Stanford prospects in 2014 draft: DE Trent Murphy, LB Shayne Skov, DE Josh Mauro, DE, Ben Gardner, OG David Yankey.

· Steve Sarkisian (Washington 2009-2013) O

From the Pete Carroll tree (cause why not?!)

--- UW prospects in 2014 draft: TE Austin Sefarian-Jenkins, RB Bishop Sankey, SS Sean Parker, QB Keith Price.