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Who is the greatest coach of all time for the Michigan Wolverines?
It's a question fans love to debate, and one ESPN's Jesse Temple decided to weigh in on a few days ago. So who's the top dog? None other than the original, Fielding H. Yost, who led the program from 1901 to 1926 (with a break in 1924):
The legendary coach arrived at Michigan in 1901 and immediately put together one of the most remarkable seasons in the history of the sport. That season, Michigan outscored its opponents a whopping 555-0, which included a 49-0 thrashing of Stanford in the Rose Bowl -- the first bowl game ever played. During his early years, the Wolverines were referred to as "Point-a-Minute" teams. His 1902 team outscored opponents 644-12 and won the national championship. And in his first five seasons, Michigan finished 55-1-1, outscoring opponents 2,821-42. Yost worked as Michigan's athletics director from 1921-40. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951.
With Yost in the top spot, you can probably guess who No. 2 is: Bo, who came in second despite having more wins.
Schembechler's 194 victories represent the most by any coach in the history of Michigan football, and his loyalty to the program over the years made him an even more revered figure. After a six-year stint at Miami (Ohio), Schembechler arrived at Michigan and led the Wolverines to a Rose Bowl appearance in his first season. In 1975, Michigan played in the Orange Bowl, marking the first of 15 consecutive bowl game appearances (including eight Rose Bowls during that span). Schembechler won 13 Big Ten championships and was named the league's coach of the year on six occasions.
Rounding out the top five are Lloyd Carr, Fritz Crisler and Bennie Oosterbaan. Of course, making a top five for Michigan is different from many programs who have had a lot more coaches in their history.
While Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke may never make a top UM coaches list, the current man in charge has a chance to etch his name in history if everything goes right.