College football coaches have to wear many hats. They recruit, coach, mentor and develop. It’s a hard job that deserves recognition when done well. With that, here are the top 25 college football coaches.
Note: First-year FBS coaches will not be included on the list. No matter how promising they look.
Here are last year’s rankings.
Top 25 College Football Coaches
25-21
25. Lance Leipold, Kansas Jayhawks
Last year’s rank: N/A
After he was able to win 10 games in a season at Buffalo Leipold did one of the toughest thing in the entire sport. He won six games and took Kansas to a bowl game. Given how difficult the job is, he deserves recognition, but he’ll have to go bowling again next season to keep his spot on the list.
24. Chip Kelly, UCLA Bruins
Last year’s rank: N/A
After a slow start at UCLA, Kelly’s Bruins have come on strong in the last two seasons. They won eight games in 2021 and nine games in 2022. Pair that with all of the success he had at Oregon, where he went 46-7 in four seasons, and those bad three years to start at UCLA aren’t enough to keep him off this list.
23. Matt Rhule, Nebraska Cornhuskers
Last year’s rank: N/A
There is a case to be made that Rhule should be higher on this list. He has three seasons with double-digit wins, with two of them coming at Temple and one coming at Baylor, where he really turned the program around. After a short stint in the NFL, he is back at the college level where he will need to prove
22. Chris Klieman, Kansas State Wildcats
Last year’s rank: N/A
After moving up from the FCS level to Kansas State in 2019, Klieman has posted a 30-20 record. While he has two eight-win seasons, last year Kansas State won 10 games and made the Big 12 Championship Game. The Wildcats look poised for another good season in 2023.
21. Kalen DeBoer, Washington Huskies
Last year’s rank: N/A
DeBoer makes his first appearance on this list as a young coach. His first full season as a head coach was 2021 with Fresno State where he led the team to a 9-3 record. In his first season at Washington in 2022, the Huskies went 11-2. They looked poised for another big year, which helps DeBoer’s standing on this list.
20-16
20. PJ Fleck, Minnesota Golden Gophers
Last year’s rank: 22
Fleck registered his second-straight nine-win season for Minnesota last year. He won 11 games with them in 2019. At Western Michigan, he went 13-1 in 2016 with an appearance in the Cotton Bowl. There are allegations from former players about a toxic culture, so Fleck will have to keep the ship steady while trying to keep his success up.
19. Mike Norvell, Florida State Seminoles
Last year’s rank: N/A
After having two double-digit win seasons at Memphis, which included an appearance in the Cotton Bowl, Norvell had a rough start during his time at Florida State. Following a three-win (COVID) and five-win season, last year the Seminoles won 10 games last season. Another good season should get Florida State back among the premier teams in college football and boost Norvell’s ranking.
18. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa Hawkeyes
Last year’s rank: 14
Ferentz is the longest-tenured college football coach. He has coached at Iowa for 24 seasons with a total record of 186-115. The Hawkeyes have been eligible for 10 straight bowl games (they did not play in one during the 2020 season due to COVID). Their defense has kept them as a solid program, but the offense has really held them back, especially in recent years.
17. Sonny Dykes, TCU Horned Frogs
Last year’s rank: N/A
Dykes went from unranked to 17 on the list behind his run with TCU to the National Championship Game. The Horned Frogs finished with a 13-2 record and now Dykes has the chance to prove that it wasn’t a one-year thing. He has an 84-65 record, which is largely bolstered by last season, but more sustained success helps his case.
16. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss Rebels
Last year’s rank: 16
Last season Ole Miss started off hot, but ended up finishing with an 8-5 record. Kiffin has an 85-47 record during his coaching career with stops at Tennessee, USC, Florida Atlantic and Ole Miss. If he can have another season as he did in 2021, when he won 10 games and made a New Year’s Six Bowl Game, he could move into the top 15.
15-11
15. Mark Stoops, Kentucky Wildcats
Last year’s rank: 13
Stoops deserves a lot of credit for making Kentucky competitive in football. He has been to seven-straight bowl games. Stoops has also led the Wildcats to two 10-win seasons over the last five years. Last season, Kentucky went 7-6 and for Stoops to stay in the top 15 next season, he likely has to improve on that record.
14. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State Cowboys
Last year’s rank: 12
As one of the longest-tenured coaches in the country, Gundy has posted a 156-75 record. In recent years, he has gone 12-2 in 2021 and then 7-6 last season. If Gundy can improve things this season, there is a big opportunity for Oklahoma State in the Big 12 after Oklahoma and Texas leave.
13. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M Aggies
Last year’s rank: 6
After a 5-7 record last season, Fisher drops all the way to 13 in this year’s rankings. He still gets credit for his national championship at Florida State and his 122-44 record, but he has plenty of resources and recruiting classes to do better than 5-7 or even the 8-4 records he was putting up at Texas A&M before. The 2023 season is crucial, as Fisher could move back into the top 10, if his talented recruiting classes live up to par, or fall way down the list if another lackluster season happens.
12. Mack Brown, North Carolina Tar Heels
Last year’s rank: 11
Brown is one of the most experienced coaches in the sport. He has a 268-139-1 record during 33 years as a head coach. He has a national championship at Texas and has had some success since returning to North Carolina for his second-stint. The Tar Heels went 9-5 last season and with Drake Maye at quarterback can do well again this year.
11. Josh Heupel, Tennessee Volunteers
Last year’s rank: N/A
Heupel was not ranked last year and made a huge jump after he improved Tennessee so much in year two. The Volunteers won 11 games and the Orange Bowl in 2022 after going 7-6 in 2021. Before that, Heupel had success at UCF with two double-digit win seasons. If Heupel can post another good season, he can possibly find himself in the top 10.
10-6
10. Kyle Whittingham, Utah Utes
Last year’s rank: 10
Whittingham has a 154-74 overall record at Utah. He helped the team navigate the move from the Mountain West to the Pac-12 and consistently kept building his program. Now the Utes have gone to two straight Rose Bowls. Utah has four double-digit win seasons since 2015 and things are looking good for 2023.
9. Luke Fickell, Wisconsin Badgers
Last year’s rank: 9
Fickell turned the Cincinnati program around. He made the CFP in 2021, which had never been done by a group of five coach. In 2020 he went 9-1 and the Bearcats had two 11-win seasons before that. Although the 2022 season was a little step down, as Cincinnati went 9-3, but now Fickell is on to Wisconsin.
8. James Franklin, Penn State Nittany Lions
Last year’s rank: 17
Franklin has had an up-and-down time at Penn State. He went 4-5 then 7-6 in 2020 and 2021. The Nittany Lions were able to rebound last year to win 11 games, which is the fourth time Franklin has reached that many wins at the school. The biggest problem for Franklin is consistently beating Ohio State and Michigan, which he’ll need to do to move up any higher.
7. Ryan Day, Ohio State Buckeyes
Last year’s rank: 5
While he may be on the hot seat for not beating Michigan for two straight seasons, Day has a 45-6 record for Ohio State. The offense has been great under Day. He slips in this year’s rankings, but beating Michigan and getting back to the College Football Playoff could have him move back up.
6. Brian Kelly, LSU Tigers
Last year’s rank: 7
Kelly proved that a weird-looking fit didn’t matter when he won 10 games in his first year at LSU. This follows up a good run at Notre Dame where he had two CFP appearances and one National Championship Game appearance in the BCS era. He also made two BCS bowl games at Cincinnati. Kelly moves up a spot from last year’s list and can improve with another good season at LSU.
5-1
5. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan Wolverines
Last year’s rank: 8
After struggling with rivals and winning Big Ten Championships, Michigan has won two straight Big Ten Championships and made two straight CFPs. The next step is advancing in the postseason and possibly winning a national championship. If he does that, Harbaugh can rise up the list even further.
4. Lincoln Riley, USC Trojans
Last year’s rank: 4
Riley made three CFPs during his time with Oklahoma. In his first season at USC, he helped the team reach the Pac-12 Championship Game and win 11 games. He has done a good job to start at USC and looks like he is building something big.
3. Dabo Swinney, Clemson Tigers
Last year’s rank: 2
Swinney also has two national championship wins on his resume. For a long time, he was regarded as the second-best coach in the sport, but things have fallen off, albeit slightly in the last two seasons. Clemson has won double-digit games, but has failed to make the playoffs. Getting back to the CFP is the first step to moving back up the rankings.
2. Kirby Smart, Georgia Bulldogs
Last year’s rank: 3
Smart has won the last two national championships and has Georgia rolling. He has a case for the best college coach and can kick the door down with more national championships. His defenses are elite and the offense has really improved over the last few seasons.
1. Nick Saban, Alabama Crimson Tide
Last year’s rank: 1
Nick Saban has won seven national championships, with six of them coming at Alabama. He has had impressive stints at every stop he has had in college football. Until he retires or severely falls off, he won’t leave the top spot on this list. While he doesn’t have the most recent national championships, he still deserves the respect of the number-one spot for the time being.
Also in Consideration
Dave Aranda, Baylor Bears
His quick turnaround had him ranked last year, but falling back to a 6-7 record last season moves him off the list. He has done well early in his head coaching career, but needs another good season to get back on the list.
Shane Beamer, South Carolina Gamecocks
Beamer and the Gamecocks finished last season strong with two upsets against Clemson and Tennessee. After seven wins in year one and eight wins in year two, Beamer could push into this list with one more good season.
Jeff Brohm, Louisville Cardinals
After posting a 36-34 record at Purdue, Brohm is now coaching in his hometown. The success at Purdue was tough to come by and now he probably has a higher ceiling at Louisville.
Matt Campbell, Iowa State Cyclones
Campbell has just two losing seasons at a tough job. Iowa State could turn things around next season and if they do, Campbell will find himself back on the list.
Dave Clawson, Wake Forest
In every full season since 2016, Wake Forest has at least seven wins. They have an 11-win season in 2021 too. Clawson has done well at a tough job and another good season could put him back in next year’s list.
Dave Doeren, NC State Wolfpack
Doeren has a 72-54 record at NC State including three nine-win seasons. He hasn’t pushed through for a double-digit win season yet.
Mike Elko, Duke Blue Devils
Elko has just one season under his belt at Duke, but won nine games. That’s not easy. If he can do that again, he’ll be well on his way to making this list.
Hugh Freeze, Auburn Tigers
Freeze has a 10-win season at every school he has coached at and now has more resources at Auburn. He has had off-the-field issues before, so he’ll have to make sure that is in order as well.
Dan Lanning, Oregon Ducks
The jury is still out on how good Lanning is as a coach, but he did have a good start at Oregon by winning 10 games.
Gus Malzahn, UCF Knights
Malzahn had a solid run at Auburn and now two nine-win seasons at UCF. That is a step back from past UCF success and now Malzahn will have to prove himself in the Big 12.
Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh Panthers
After an 11-win then a nine-win season, Narduzzi is another good year away from being on the list.
Jonathan Smith, Oregon State Beavers
In his fifth season at the helm, Smith led the Beavers to 10 wins. It was a great rebuilding job, but now he needs to work on keeping that level of success up.
Jeff Traylor, UTSA Roadrunners
Two-straight seasons with double-digit wins puts Traylor in consideration, but not quite on the list.
Mel Tucker, Michigan State Spartans
Tucker got a big contract after going 11-2 in 2021. A 5-7 record last season leaves him off the list.
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