ESPN
May 16, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
Who are the 10 best coaches in college football?
There are different ways to consider the question: What coaches have the best career résumés? What coaches are on track to achieve the most success? What coaches have helped develop the most NFL talent? What coaches have overachieved based on the talent and resources they have to work with?
We left it up to our college football reporters to interpret the question how they saw fit and to weigh those factors (and any others) in whatever manner they thought made the most sense. We took their rankings, 1 through 10, and awarded points based on their picks -- 10 points for first place, 9 points for second place and so on.
The results showed a clear No. 1 in Georgia's Kirby Smart, with a bit of a gap between him and our second- and third-place finishers, both of whom appeared in everyone's top 10. The next three coaches were bunched pretty tightly, drawing a wide range of opinions from our voters, and from there things were wide open.
Below is our top 10, listed with each coach's career record, the points they received in our survey, a statistical nugget courtesy of ESPN Research and a comment from one or two of our voters. We also asked voters to name a coach they are surprised didn't make the top 10 and asked one voter why the top of his ballot differed dramatically from the rest.
1. Kirby Smart, Georgia
Record: 105-19 (all at Georgia)
Points: 119 (11 of 12 first-place votes)
Numbers to know: Smart needs only five wins to move to second all time in wins through the first 10 seasons of a coach's career. Entering this season, he trails only Chris Peterson (107 wins from 2006-15 at Boise State and Washington), Bob Stoops (109 wins from 1999-2008 at Oklahoma) and George Woodruff (124 wins from 1892-1901 at Penn).
This is the second straight year Smart was the runaway pick as the No. 1 coach. Will he be No. 1 again next year?
With more first-round NFL draft picks (20) than losses (19) in his nine seasons as coach of his alma mater and back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022, it's hard to argue it could be anyone other than Smart with Nick Saban retired. I guess if Ryan Day guided Ohio State to a second straight national title or Dabo Swinney captured his third at Clemson this season, you could make the case they're better. I don't think Georgia's program is going to slip anytime soon. -- Mark Schlabach
2. Ryan Day, Ohio State
Record: 70-10 (all at Ohio State)
Points: 97
Numbers to know: Among head coaches with at least 50 FBS games under their belt, Day's .875 winning percentage is third best all time and the best in the AP poll era (since 1936).
You were one of three people who had Day at No. 4, the lowest anyone ranked him in our voting. Why didn't you have him higher?
There are a couple of reasons I did not rank Day higher. I think he should be docked for having a poor record against Michigan, the most important game on the schedule every year. He is 1-4 against the Wolverines and lost last season as a prohibitive favorite. The corresponding outrage from the fan base only died down after Ohio State won the national championship. That leads me to my second point. You might be thinking the national title is reason enough to have Day ranked higher. But in any other season, that Michigan loss would have ended the Buckeyes' season. They got a second chance only because of the newly expanded 12-team playoff. For those reasons, I have Day at No. 4. -- Andrea Adelson
3. Dabo Swinney, Clemson
Record: 180-47 (all at Clemson)
Points: 87
Numbers to know: Swinney's 12 career bowl wins are the most in ACC history.
Swinney was ranked no lower than sixth on any ballot, and you were one of two voters to rank him there. Why didn't you have him higher?
No shade here. There's not a clear line of delineation between No. 3 and No. 6, and there are logical arguments that could be used to advocate for Swinney as high as No. 1. So when splitting hairs, I think I dropped Swinney below the consensus because his recent success hasn't matched his peak success. But, again, this shouldn't be misconstrued. -- Kyle Bonagura
4. Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
Record: 33-10 (all at Notre Dame)
Points: 64
Numbers to know: In 2024, Freeman led the Fighting Irish to a 14-2 record, the most wins in a season in program history.
You were one of two voters to rank Freeman No. 2? What do you like about him as a coach?
In just his third year, Freeman coached Notre Dame all the way to the national championship game. Despite being outgunned by Ohio State, the Fighting Irish hung tough through the fourth quarter. Under Freeman, Notre Dame remarkably has returned to being a top-five program. -- Jake Trotter
You were one of two voters to exclude Freeman from your top 10? What was your thinking?
If I had it to do over again, I'd probably have Freeman somewhere in the 8-10 range, but my initial doubts are still reasonable: some notable in-game blunders (10 defenders vs. Ohio State in 2022), inconsistency on offense and not quite enough of a track record of success ... yet. He can silence any doubters this year. -- David Hale
5. Steve Sarkisian, Texas
Record: 84-52 (38-17 at Texas)
Points: 62
Numbers to know: Under Sarkisian, Texas finished the 2024 season 13-3, matching the school record for wins (2009 and 2005), and posted a top-five finish for the second consecutive year, a first for the program since 2008 and '09.
Sarkisian received a wide range of votes, including a pair at No. 2. Why did you rank him that high?
Sarkisian is one of college football's most well-rounded coaches, and he would be a name at the top of the proverbial short list of every athletic director in the country if that AD needed a coach and/or could afford him. Sarkisian is one of the game's top offensive minds. He's a juggernaut of a recruiter and hires good people around him. He was already building a program to compete in the SEC, especially in the lines of scrimmage. And in the Longhorns' first season in the SEC in 2024, they went to the conference championship game and made it to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. There's a lot more to come, too, even if some might be leery of Sark because of his personal issues in the past and the way it ended for him at USC. -- Chris Low
The difference of opinion on Sark included two voters leaving him off their ballot entirely. Why were you one of them?
You learn something about yourself when you make a list like this, and I learned that I evidently prefer coaches who a) do more with less or b) have a long track record. Sark obviously is doing great, and I'd have probably had him 11th or 12th on the list; his ability to navigate through the noise that the Texas job creates -- noise that has tripped up quite a few coaches through the years -- has been awfully impressive. We'll see how things go if or when there's a setback or disappointing season, but there might not be one of those for a little while. -- Bill Connelly
6. Dan Lanning, Oregon
Record: 35-6 (all at Oregon)
Points: 57
Numbers to know: Since Lanning took over as head coach in 2022, Oregon has 35 wins, the fourth-most wins in FBS in that span behind Georgia (39), Michigan (36) and Ohio State (36).
Lanning had a lot of supporters, topping out with four votes at No. 4, including yours. What do you like about him?
When creating my top 10, I considered experience and success, while also asking myself what coach I would want to start a program with. Lanning unquestionably has to be high on that list, in part because of his previous experience before becoming the head man, and his success as a head coach. He's shown an ability to get the most out of players, and carried Oregon's momentum from his first two seasons at the helm into its first season in the Big Ten by winning the conference with an undefeated record. I don't think he's finished raising the standard in Eugene. -- Harry Lyles Jr.
You were the only voter to leave Lanning out of the top 10. What is he lacking for you?
Longevity, I guess? He's obviously on his way to something pretty awesome in Eugene, and with quite a bit of turnover, we'll learn about his ability to navigate through a retooling season. But his ability to hold on to recruits and make great hires is setting him up for success. -- Connelly
7. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
Record: 46-13 (9-4 at Alabama, plus 67-3 at NAIA Sioux Falls)
Points: 33
Numbers to know: DeBoer is 15-3 against top-25 teams in the past five seasons, the third-most wins among active FBS coaches in that span behind Kirby Smart (23) and Ryan Day (17).
You were the biggest fan of DeBoer, ranking him No. 4. Why did you place him so high?
I think what has impressed me the most about DeBoer is that every program he's been at -- including several stops as a coordinator -- has achieved historic levels of success. That track record of elevating multiple programs to new heights shows he hasn't necessarily benefitted from inherited infrastructure or resource advantages like many on this list. Sure, Year 1 at Alabama was a disappointment, but I'm still very confident that he'll be successful in the long term, especially with all the advantages that come with being at Alabama. -- Bonagura
You were one of two voters who didn't have DeBoer in the top 10. What does he need to do to win you over?
Make the playoffs this year. His career on the NAIA and FCS levels and what he did in a short period at Washington is super impressive, don't get me wrong. But I thought Jalen Milroe regressed under DeBoer last season, and the team did not play consistently. Yes, I understand it is always hard to replace a legend, as DeBoer did with Saban. But Alabama is a place ready-made to win now. -- Adelson
8. James Franklin, Penn State
Record: 125-57 (101-42 at Penn State)
Points: 26
Numbers to know: Franklin secured a top-25 recruiting class each of his past 12 seasons, including a top-5 class at Penn State in 2018.
The voting for Franklin brought a wide range of opinions. Five people left him off their ballot, but you were his biggest supporter, ranking him No. 5? Why?
He's following a Mark Richt-style, success-over-the-long-haul path (without the ultimate success, at least so far), and I respect that. He dealt with a number of setbacks in the 2020-21 range, made the changes he needed to make and got PSU right back on the path they were following from 2016 to 2019. He has four former coordinators who have gone on to hold FBS head coaching jobs, and that number will likely grow when Andy Kotelnicki joins the ranks in the next couple of years. He hasn't figured out a way to get past Ohio State and into the promised land yet, but he's got his PhD in program-building at this point. -- Connelly
9. Kyle Whittingham, Utah
Record: 167-86 (all at Utah)
Points: 24
Numbers to know: With 20 seasons at Utah, Whittingham is tied with Mike Gundy as the second-longest tenured head coach at the same school in FBS, trailing only Kirk Ferentz (26 seasons at Iowa).
Whittingham's status was similar to Franklin's, with two voters (including you) having him as high as No. 5, and six not having him in the top 10. Why are you on Team Whittingham?
I tend to zoom out on these evaluations, and Whittingham's accomplishments at a program like Utah, which lacks baked-in advantages of national powers and has been in four different conferences since 1998, is remarkable. Whittingham guided Utah to conference or division titles in the team's final four seasons in the Pac-12. He won nine or more games seven times between 2014 and 2022. The past two seasons have been disappointing but were sidetracked by quarterback Cam Rising's injury issues. Whittingham's consistency in generating wins and producing NFL players despite unremarkable recruiting classes points to his talent as a coach. -- Adam Rittenberg
10. Matt Campbell, Iowa State
Record: 99-66 (64-52 at Iowa State)
Points: 15
Numbers to know: Campbell led Iowa State to an 11-3 record in 2024, the first double-digit win season in program history.
You were by far the biggest supporter of Campbell, ranking him No. 4. Why is he worthy of that position?
There are plenty of coaches who get bonus points for doing more with less, but how many have done so much with so little so consistently as Campbell? From 1979 through Campbell's hire in 2016, Iowa State won three bowls, had 11 players taken in the first four rounds of the NFL draft and had one nine-win season. In his nine years on the job, he has won three bowls, had 12 players drafted in the first four rounds and had two nine-win seasons, including an 11-3 mark last year. -- Hale
You had North Carolina's Bill Belichick as your No. 1 coach and no one else had him in their top 10. Why are you right and everyone else is wrong?
I guess it's a matter of how we all interpreted the criteria for the rankings. We were asked to rank the best football coaches, and Belichick is the most successful coach in the history of the sport at its highest level. Personally, I find having won six Super Bowls more impressive -- and a better indicator that he is a good coach -- than anything anyone else on this list has accomplished by a significant margin. If the prompt was to ask who we would most want to start a program with or who has been the best college coach, my list would have been different. But we weren't. We were asked to rank the best coaches, and somehow he's behind multiple coaches with only one outright conference title on their résumés. Let's not overthink this. -- Bonagura
Who are you most surprised didn't make the top 10 and why?
I actually had to wipe my eyes and do a double take. Chris Kieman with only one vote? The guy was promoted at North Dakota State and just kept on winning FCS national championships. He then got his FBS shot at Kansas State when he took over for the legendary Bill Snyder and has won nine or more games each of the past three years, including the Big 12 championship in 2022. There's also the case of Lane Kiffin, and while this might border on rat poison, he owns the only two 10-win regular seasons in Ole Miss history and has mastered the art of the transfer portal as well as anyone. -- Low
The guy who flies furthest beneath the radar is Louisville's Jeff Brohm. He's never been in a particularly high profile spot, but he won three straight bowls at Western Kentucky, took Purdue to the Big Ten title game, and has won 19 games in his first two years at Louisville. He also might be as brilliant an offensive mind as there is in college football right now. The Cardinals are one of my dark horse playoff teams for 2025, and if he gets Louisville to an ACC title, he won't be overlooked anymore. -- Hale
I had Brian Kelly in my top 10, and I see he was close to making it. The bottom line for me is he is a consistent winner, no matter where he has coached. While I understand he has not won the way people expect at LSU, it is hard to argue against a .728 career win percentage in 21 years as an FBS coach, including a 113-40 record at Notre Dame. He left the Irish as the winningest coach in school history. As for LSU, I know people see him as underperforming there. But he has won 29 games in three years, produced a Heisman Trophy winner and has a team that should be a CFP contender this year. -- Adelson
I'm with AA on BK. People need to separate how they feel about an individual from what that coach has accomplished. Kelly brought incredible stability to a Notre Dame program that talked about winning national titles but honestly wasn't set up that well to compete for them. He needs to deliver at LSU this fall, but he's clearly a top-10 coach in the sport. Army's Jeff Monken certainly deserves some consideration after the work he has done at a program that was rarely beating Navy and had only one winning season between 1997 and 2013. I would love to see what Monken could do at a Power 4 program with more resources and a wider recruiting base. -- Rittenberg
Honestly, the more I think about it, the more I think we've underrated Lane Kiffin. (That includes me.) Florida Atlantic has won 11 games twice in 21 FBS seasons, and they both happened in Kiffin's three-year tenure. Ole Miss has finished 11th or better in the AP poll four times in the past 55 years, and three happened in his four-year (so far) tenure. He had peaks and valleys early in his career, but it's been almost nothing but peaks since he rejoined the head coaching ranks in 2017. He has adapted as well as almost anyone to the changing roster management age, and he probably should have been in the top 10. -- Connelly
Also receiving votes: Brian Kelly, LSU, 13; Bill Belichick, North Carolina, 10; Curt Cignetti, Indiana, 10; Lance Leipold, Kansas,10; Jeff Monken, Army, 8; Jeff Brohm, Louisville, 6; Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State, 5; Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss, 3; Deion Sanders, Colorado, 3; Josh Heupel, Tennessee, 3; Rhett Lashlee, SMU, 3; Chris Klieman, Kansas State, 1; Kirk Ferentz, Iowa, 1
