College football is heating up, though you might not realize it. College football teams are holding their Pro Days right now. They will soon have their spring games and showcases, or so they are likened. Plus, college football teams are right now signing recruits. In short, college coaches are earning their money now. College football coaches are game managers, staff builders, and recruiters. In the Name Image and Likeness era, college football coaches are the CEOs of multi-million dollar industries. However, who ranked the best?”
Ranking College Football Coaches
1. Kirby Smart, Georgia
The winner of two national championships in the past three years is the number-one choice for the second consecutive year following Nick Saban’s retirement. Last year was not great for Georgia. However, it is important to realize that even in a so-called “down” year, Georgia won 11 games and captured its third Southeastern Conference Championship (SEC) under Coach Smart. He has gone 53-5 with two national titles since 2021.
2. Ryan Day, Ohio State
The Ohio State football coach is 70-10 overall, a winning percentage that would rank him first among all college football coaches. Nevertheless, he is not number 1. That is because he has a four-game losing streak to rival Michigan. Day will never take the top spot in the rankings until he beats his rival, but his record is impressive.
3. Steve Sarkisian, Texas
Steve Sarkisian has put his Washington and USC eras in the rearview mirror. He is already a renowned offensive play-caller. Sarkisian has now taken a Texas program that spent fifteen years losing big game after big game to back-to-back College Football Playoff semifinals. Last season, the team reached the Southeastern Conference Championship Game in Texas’s first year of the conference. Do not let the shocking loss in the college football playoff game fool you. Coach Sarkisian is running a great program.
4. Dan Lanning, Oregon
We now have three seasons’ worth of data at the University of Oregon to conclude that Dan Lanning, who is thus far 35-6, is a good coach. He is inventive on offense and defense and recruits well. Oregon has gone 12-2 and 13-1 in the past two seasons. The Oregon Ducks won the Big Ten in their first season in the conference. He would be higher on the list, but the Rose Bowl beatdown by Ohio State is a bitter ending.
5. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
For now, DeBoer is here, but he is falling like a rock, and it is clear he is no Nick Saban. After succeeding Saban, his first year at Alabama did not go well (9-4 and no CFP berth). It is tough to fill the shoes of a legend, but DeBoer has a good resume. For example, taking Washington to its first national championship game just a year earlier. Questions about whether he can recruit and coach with the big boys.
Honorable Mention
Some younger but equally capable coaches who did not make the top five are honorably mentioned here. There are also a few coaches on the way down among the five. So, without further ado, here is the honorable mention list. Lance Leipold (Kansas), Dabo Swinney (Clemson), Curt Cignetti (Indiana), Matt Campbell (Iowa State), Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame).
Conclusion
It is fun to think about the top college football coaches in the nation. These coaches make millions of dollars, but nowadays, they’re similar to CEOs. The second half of the notable college football coaches list has several hot commodities. Perhaps some of them could shift, but that remains to be seen.
