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Danny White: Ranking Tennessee Vols AD’s 10 best coaching hires at UCF, Buffalo

By Caleb Calhoun

Mar 24, 2019; Storrs, CT, USA; Buffalo Bulls head coach Felisha Legette-Jack watches from the sideline as they take on the UConn Huskies during the first inning in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 24, 2019; Storrs, CT, USA; Buffalo Bulls head coach Felisha Legette-Jack watches from the sideline as they take on the UConn Huskies during the first inning in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 25, 2020; Montgomery, AL, USA; Buffalo Bulls head coach Lance Leipold during the first half against Marshall Thundering Herd at Cramton Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 25, 2020; Montgomery, AL, USA; Buffalo Bulls head coach Lance Leipold during the first half against Marshall Thundering Herd at Cramton Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /

Record with Buffalo Bulls: 37-33

  • 3 bowl appearances (2-1 in games)
  • 2 MAC East Division championships

Moving back to football coaches, one of Danny White’s best long-term hires ever was back with the Buffalo Bulls. Despite going 8-5 in 2013, Jeff Quinn was off to a 3-4 start in 2014, so White, probably showing a bit of impatience and wanting to get his own guy, went ahead and fired the guy as the team stumbled to 5-6.

With tons of pressure to get the hire right, White turned to Lance Leipold, who had won seven Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships and six Division III National Championships with the Wisconsin–Whitewater Warhawks. The hire was questionable, but it’s worked out in a huge way.

After only one winning season in six years from 2009 to 2014, Leipold finally got the team to .500 his third year with a 6-6 record. In Year Four, the program took off. White was already gone by that point, but the Bulls went 10-4 and played for the MAC Championship.

In each of the past three years, Buffalo has had a winning record, as they went 8-5 in 2019 and then went 6-1 in 2020, finishing in the top 25 while playing for the MAC Championship once again. Leipold needed some time, but the hire of him has worked out.

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