Cutcliffe has Duke in a bowl for a third straight season. Do you know the last time that happened? Never. In fact, Duke had never been to a bowl in any two consecutive seasons before.
Duke has won 19 games over the past two seasons, 25 over the past three. The last coach to win 25 games in 3 seasons at Duke? They named the stadium after him. It was Wallace Wade from 1936 to 1938. (If Duke wins their bowl this year against Arizona State [would be an upset], then this would be the most wins ever in any 3 year period and is already the most in 2. Similarly, if Duke wins 7 or more games next year, the same 3 year comparison is true.)
In the past 52 years, Duke has only been in the polls in 5 seasons. Not finished ranked, just been ranked. 2013 and 2014 are 2 of those seasons. The last time before that was 1994, then 1989, then 1971. The last time, prior to 2013, that they finished ranked was 1962.
Cutcliffe had some lean years at first at Duke. They finished with 4, 5, 3, and 3 wins during the first 4 years. Of course, the preceding 4 years, they finished with 2, 1, 0, and 1 wins. In the years since Steve Spurrier left (1989), Duke had 1 winning season (1994, 8-4) and 4 winless seasons, 2 seasons with only 1 victory, and 4 seasons with 2 victories. Overall, in the 18 seasons between Spurrier and Cutcliffe, the school went 43-159. Cutcliffe is 40-47 in 7 seasons, and 25-14 over these past 3 seasons.
I don't know if he's a fit for Michigan or any other job or if he wants any other job (and he's been contacted a few times while at Duke), but he can coach football. If he can win at Duke, he can win anywhere.
