Unfinished business: 5 recent head coaches who returned to past schools

After he spent a year away from college football, Randy Edsall returned to UConn for his second head coaching tenure with the program, replacing Bob Diaco. Edsall is no stranger to the Huskies, having spent 12 seasons on their sideline from 1999-2010.

Here are five other recent FBS coaches who have doubled back to previous coaching stops in their respective careers:

Bill Snyder - Kansas State (1989-2005, 2009-present)

Despite being the FBS' elder statesman, Kansas State's Bill Snyder hasn't slowed down much since his return to the Wildcats in 2009.

A lengthy first tenure saw Snyder turn a Kansas State team mired in a 27-game winless streak into a winning team in only two seasons, and appear in 11 consecutive bowl games from 1993-2003. The idea of retirement convinced him to step away following the 2005 season, but the idea of continuing his legacy with the Wildcats brought him right back three years later.

Snyder, who former Oklahoma head coach Barry Switzer called "the coach of the century," has led the Wildcats to seven more bowl games and a second Big 12 title in 2012.

Bobby Petrino - Louisville (2003-06, 2014-present)

Bobby Petrino's second stint with Louisville, while successful, hasn't yet lived up to his first tenure on the Cardinals sideline.

From 2003-06, Petrino led Louisville to two conference championships, the 2004 Conference USA title, the 2006 Big East title, and an overall 41-9 record. The NFL quickly came calling, and he jumped at the chance to coach the Atlanta Falcons, but a 3-10 record led to his resignation just one year into a five-year contract.

Stops at Arkansas and Western Kentucky, respectively, led Petrino right back to Louisville and a second string of success not quite measuring up to the first. The Cardinals have appeared in three consecutive bowl games and generated the school's first-ever Heisman Trophy winner since Petrino's return, but the program still yearns for its first conference championship since 2011.

Mark Whipple - Massachusetts (1998-2003, 2014-present)

UMass head coach Mark Whipple knows that the second time around doesn't always go as well as the first.

Whipple spent six seasons with the Minutemen from 1998-2003, leading them to an FCS national championship, a share of two Atlantic 10 conference titles, and an overall record of 49-26. After leaving for the quarterbacks coach position with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he had several stops before returning to the Minutemen in 2014.

Since his return, UMass made the jump to the Mid-American Conference of the FBS and then spent the 2016 season as an independent. Whipple has been unable to channel the success of his earlier years, posting an overall record of just 8-28 in the past three seasons.

Mike Riley - Oregon State (1997-98, 2003-14)

Current Nebraska head coach Mike Riley's first stint with Oregon State lasted only two seasons before the San Diego Chargers plucked him out of Corvallis, but he wasn't done with the Beavers.

When it was clear Jerry Pettibone's time at Oregon State had run its course following a 2-9 season in 1996, Riley was brought in, and managed to turn the Beavers around in his first two seasons, finishing the 1998 campaign with a 5-6 record. He was back five years later to pick up where he left off, taking Oregon State to eight bowl games over the next 12 seasons with an overall record of 85-66.

Chris Ault - Nevada (1976-92, 1994-95, 2004-12)

Not many coaches have two different opportunities to coach the same college football team, let alone three. But not many coaches are as synonymous with a program as Chris Ault is with Nevada.

A former quarterback, head coach, and athletic director, Ault spent the better part of four decades involved with the Wolf Pack. His first stint as head coach lasted 17 seasons, and he won five conference titles over that span. He then returned after a one-year hiatus for two more seasons before retiring to focus on his duties as athletic director.

Ault fired then-head coach Chris Tormey in 2004 and took over the reins once again, stepping down as athletic director that same year. He remained with Nevada until 2012, leading them to two more conference titles and eight more bowl games.