Boise State's head football coach, Chris Petersen, currently has a career won-loss record of 13 wins vs. zero defeats. There has already been some talk about whether or not Boise State can go undefeated again this season.

With Boise State's first game this season against Div. I-AA Weber State (tune-up game) Petersen is almost certainly going to have a career win-loss record of 14-0 when Boise State travels North to play at the University of Washington on September 8th. And if Boise State can win that game they will return home for FOUR straight home games (Wyoming, Southern Mississippi, New Mexico State and Nevada). IF Boise State wins all of those games Petersen will have a career win-loss record of 19-0.

All of this begs the question.......what is the record for a new Division I-A head football coach for remaining undefeated?

I wonder if anyone can answer this question for me.

I would think somebody like Pete Carroll, but he was 11-2 his rookie season.

Thought maybe Tom Osborne since he was following a great coach, but he also had 2 losses in his rookie season.

Pete could be trail-blazing a whole new path.

This is what I could find:
Division I-A Best Career Starts by Wins
(Head coaches with at least half their seasons at major college at the time
and minimum five years coached)
1 SEASON
Coach, Team Season W L T Pct.
George Woodruff, Penn .......................................... 1892 15 1 0 .938
Walter Camp, Yale ................................................. 1888 13 0 0 1.000
Bill Battle, Tennessee................................................ 1970 11 1 0 .917
Gary Blackney, Bowling Green ................................ 1991 11 1 0 .917
John Robinson, Southern California........................... 1976 11 1 0 .917
*Gregg Brandon, Bowling Green............................. 2003 11 3 0 .786
Dick Crum, Miami (Ohio)......................................... 1974 10 0 1 .955
Barry Switzer, Oklahoma......................................... 1973 10 0 1 .955
Chuck Fairbanks, Oklahoma .................................... 1967 10 1 0 .909
Larry Siemering, Pacific............................................ 1947 10 1 0 .909
Dwight Wallace, Ball St. ......................................... 1978 10 1 0 .909
Mike Archer, LSU .................................................... 1987 10 1 1 .875
5 SEASONS
Coach, Team Seasons W L T Pct.
Walter Camp, Yale, Stanford................................... 1888-92 69 2 2 .959
George Woodruff, Penn .......................................... 1892-96 67 5 0 .931
Bob Pruett, Marshall.............................................1996-2000 58 9 0 .866
*Bob Stoops, Oklahoma ......................................1999-2003 55 11 0 .833
*Pete Carroll, Southern California ........................... 2001-05 54 10 0 .844
*Larry Coker, Miami (Fla.) ....................................... 2001-05 53 9 0 .855
*Mark Richt, Georgia.............................................. 2001-05 52 13 0 .800
Barry Switzer, Oklahoma......................................... 1973-77 51 5 2 .896
John Robinson, Southern California........................... 1976-80 50 8 2 .850
R.C. Slocum, Texas A&M......................................... 1989-93 49 12 1 .798
*Lloyd Carr, Michigan............................................. 1995-99 49 13 0 .790
*Frank Solich, Nebraska ......................................1998-2002 49 16 0 .754

Most Victories by Division I-A
First-Year Head Coaches
Coach, College, Year W L T
Larry Coker, Miami (Fla.), 2001 .......................................................... *12 0 0
Gary Blackney, Bowling Green, 1991 ................................................. *11 1 0
John Robinson, Southern California, 1976 ............................................ *11 1 0
Bill Battle, Tennessee, 1970 ................................................................. *11 1 0
Gregg Brandon, Bowling Green, 2003 ................................................ *11 3 0
Dick Crum, Miami (Ohio), 1974.......................................................... *10 0 1
Barry Switzer, Oklahoma, 1973 .......................................................... 10 0 1
John Jenkins, Houston, 1990 ............................................................... 10 1 0
Dwight Wallace, Ball St., 1978 ........................................................... 10 1 0
Chuck Fairbanks, Oklahoma, 1967 ..................................................... *10 1 0
Mike Archer, LSU, 1987 ..................................................................... *10 1 1
Ralph Friedgen, Maryland, 2001......................................................... 10 2 0
Tom Amstutz, Toledo, 2001................................................................. *10 2 0
Rick Neuheisel, Colorado, 1995.......................................................... *10 2 0
Paul Pasqualoni, Syracuse, 1992 ......................................................... *10 2 0
Curley Hallman, Southern Miss., 1988 ................................................. *10 2 0
Pat Jones, Oklahoma St., 1984 ........................................................... *10 2 0
Earle Bruce, Tampa, 1972 .................................................................. *10 2 0
Billy Kinard, Mississippi, 1971............................................................. *10 2 0
Bill Doba, Washington St., 2003 ......................................................... *10 3 0
*Bowl game victory included.
Only first-year coaches to win a national championship: Bennie Oosterbaan, Michigan,
1948 (9-0-0); Larry Coker, Miami (Fla.), 2001 (12-0-0).

http://www.ncaa.org/library/records/foot...s_book.pdf

Assuming ejm's list is complete, it looks like the answer is...

All-time: Walter Camp - 27 wins (1888-89)
D1A: Larry Coker - 24 wins (2001-02)