The success of any college football program ultimately begins with finding the right head coach. Those men who have won the most generally share an ability to lead, strategize and recruit better than their contemporaries, and they are remembered long after their time in charge is complete.

This week on the Big Ten blog, we’re taking a look at the top-5 coaches over the years for each program. Some are more widely recognized than others, but all had a positive impact on the fortunes of their respective programs.

Next up: Maryland Terrapins

1. Jim Tatum, 1947-1955 (73-15-4)

Not only did he finish with a winning percentage over .810, but he also guided the Terps to their only shares of the national title in 1951 and 1953. Over his nine-year career, Maryland won three conference titles, finished within the top 25 a half-dozen times (and the top-5 three times) and placed quarterback Jack Scarbath at No. 2 in the Heisman voting. “Big Jim” Tatum also became the first Maryland coach to earn AFCA Coach of the Year honors. It took the football program more than a decade to recover after both he and the university president left.

2. H.C. “Curley” Byrd, 1911-1934 (119-82-15)

Byrd is the longest-tenured coach in Maryland history and he helped get the program off the ground. He petitioned funding for a new stadium, scheduled -- and beat -- big-name powerhouses and finished with non-losing records in 18 of his 24 seasons. He was also the athletic director and later the university president. He left an indelible mark on the school -- but not all of it good. Byrd was a staunch segregationist and didn’t want black students on his team or in his school. Maryland’s Byrd Stadium was recently renamed due to those stances.

3. Jerry Claiborne, 1972-1981 (77-37-3)

Claiborne took over at a hard time in Maryland history. In the 16 years before his arrival, the Terps registered just three winning seasons. Claiborne turned that all around. Immediately. He suffered just one losing season during his 10 years at Maryland and won three straight ACC titles from 1974 to 1976. (Maryland boasted a perfect 16-0 conference record those years.) He was a three-time ACC Coach of the Year and his teams finished within the top 25 a total of five times.

4. Ralph Friedgen, 2001-2010 (75-50)

Despite the program not making a single bowl in the 10 years prior to his arrival, Friedgen guided the Terps to seven bowls in 10 seasons. No Maryland coach has a better postseason record (5-2). Friedgen took a middling ACC program, one that never finished higher than fourth in the conference standings (since 1986), and made it an immediate force in the ACC. Friedgen won the conference title in his first year and finished as the runner-up the next two. He was a two-time ACC Coach of the Year, including the year he was fired (2010).

5. Bobby Ross, 1982-1986 (39-19-1)

When Claiborne left, Ross made sure that the Terps didn’t backslide. Ross finished 5-5-1 in his first year but won at least eight games in his next four seasons. He won three ACC conference titles and his teams finished within the top 25 on three occasions. He didn’t coach for long, but he was important nonetheless. No Maryland coach has won more conference championships.