Determining the top all-time college coaches through Markov chain-based rank aggregation

We develop a mathematical model that determines the “best all-time college coach(es)” of the past century in a given sport. We propose ranking college coaches through Markov chainbased aggregation of ranked lists using holistic criteria. Our model synthesizes four full or partial ranked lists based on win percentages, victories, career durations, and effort levels to produce the final comprehensive rankings. As a demonstration, we determine that Ron Mason, Augie Garrido, and Gus Donoghue are the top all-time college coaches of the past century in NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey, baseball, and men’s soccer, respectively. Our general model is applicable not only across all possible sports but also to both male and female coaches. Additionally, it accounts for differences among coaches in their coaching time-periods.