Head coach · Ohio State · belt games 1980–1986
Earle Bruce
Coached Ohio State (1979–1986) in seasons with a belt game. 7 belt games in all: 4 with the belt in hand, 3 trying to take it.
Earle Bruce was on a sideline for 7 belt games between 1980 and 1986, at Ohio State. He took the belt once and held it for 308 days across one reign.
He won it on November 21, 1981, Ohio State 14–9 over Michigan.
His longest reign ran 308 days with Ohio State, beginning November 21, 1981, and was defended three times along the way.
Across his career he coached three successful defenses, and the belt changed hands under him once, when Stanford won 23–20 on September 25, 1982.
He also coached two games with the belt on the other sideline and came away without it. The closest was 17–16 to USC on January 1, 1980.
Started under this coach
7 games, newest first
Head coaches from the College Football Data API’s coaching records, matched by team and season. A reign counts for the coach in charge the season it began; a mid-season change isn’t split.