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Hindsight is 20/20, even in college football...

Being born and raised in the Cornhusker state that is Nebraska, I know all about college football teams' rampant fans hollering for head coaching changes when their team doesn't reach their typically unrealistic expectations. After the Cornhuskers finished their 2017 campaign at a disappointing 4-8, it was all but inevitable a change would again be made. This will be their 5th different head coach over the past 14 years. Oddly enough, Nebraska's head coaching version of musical chairs started in 2003, after Frank Solich led the team to a 9-3 season, the best record the team's had in the past 14 years. So, in hindsight, perhaps Nebraska pulled the trigger a bit too quickly on firing Solich. That got me to thinking about other such institutions who haven't been as successful in recent years as they had been under a particular coach previously. Here's how those numbers pan out. I'll start with the program which has experienced the lowest drop-off in terms of winning percentage:

15) East Carolina
Steve Logan ( '92-'02): 69-58 (.543)
Post-Steve Logan ('03-'17): 88-99 (.471)
Difference: .072

14) Fresno State
Pat Hill ('97-'11): 112-80 (.583)
Post-Pat Hill ('12-'17): 38-37 (.507)
Difference: .076

13) Southern Mississippi
Jeff Bower ('90 -'07): 119-83 (.561)
Post-Jeff Bower ('08-'17): 61-65 (.484)
Difference: .077

12) Nebraska
Frank Solich ('98-'03): 58-19 (.753)
Post-Frank Solich ('04-'17): 112-68 (.622)
Difference: .131

11) Texas Tech
Mike Leach ('00-'09): 84-43 (.661)
Post-Mike Leach ('10-'17): 51-48 (.515)
Difference: .146

10) Texas A&M
R.C. Slocum ('89-'02): 123-47 (.724)
Post-R.C. Slocum ('03-'17): 108-80 (.574)
Difference: .150

9) Michigan
Lloyd Carr ('95-'07): 122-40 (.753)
Post-Lloyd Carr ('08-'17): 74-51 (.592)
Difference: .161

8) California
Jeff Tedford ('02-'12): 82-57 (.590)
Post-Jeff Tedford ('13-'17): 24-36 (.400)
Difference: .190

7) Maryland
Ralph Friedgen ('01-'10): 75-50 (.600)
Post-Ralph Friedgen ('11-'17): 33-53 (.384)
Difference: .216

6) Tennessee
Phillip Fulmer ('92-'08): 152-52 (.745)
Post-Phillip Fulmer ('09-'17): 57-55 (.509)
Difference: .236

5) Purdue
Joe Tiller ('97-'08): 87-62 (.584)
Post-Joe Tiller ('09-'17): 36-73 (.330)
Difference: .254

4) Hawaii
June Jones ('99-'07): 76-41 (.650)
Post-June Jones ('08-'17): 50-79 (.388)
Difference: .262

3) Syracuse
Paul Pasqualoni ('91-'04): 107-59 (.645)
Post-Paul Pasqualoni ('05-'17): 57-100 (.363)
Difference: .282

2) Texas
Mack Brown ('98-'13): 158-48 (.767)
Post-Mack Brown ('14-'17): 21-27 (.438)
Difference: .329

1) Kansas
Mark Mangino ('02-'09): 50-48 (.510)
Post-Mark Mangino ('10-'17): 15-80 (.158)
Difference: .352

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