2. Jackie Sherrill: 84.2% (1977-1981) — Pitt
Serving as defensive coordinator for the Pitt Panthers from 1973-1975, Jackie Sherrill made waves in recruiting and groomed the team for its championship season in 1976. He left to coach Washington State for the 1976 season, but then Sherrill returned to Pennsylvania at the helm of the program and posted a 50-9-1 record over the span of five seasons — his last three seasons all going 11-1. Sherrill was most notable for training quarterback Dan Marino, who became an all-time great in the NFL playing for the Miami Dolphins. Sherrill left Pitt after 1981 when he signed a massive $1.7 million deal with Texas A&M, and his successes at Pitt earned him a spot in the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame.