The Top 9 College Football Coaches of 2009

There are several different Coach of the Year trophies: the Bear Bryant Coach of the Year, Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year, Liberty Mututal Coach of the Year as well as each conference having their own awards.

Here we will break down the best coaching performances of the 2009 season NOT in rank but in alphabetical order.

Mack Brown: Texas

Mack Brown led the Texas Lonhorns to a perfect 12-0 season with wins over Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech. Their signature win came against Oklahoma State, ranked 14th at the time, where they won 41-14 on the road.

Brown has one of the best defenses in the country in nearly every category and Colt McCoy (QB) and Jordan Shipley (WR) have become one of the best offensive connections in college football this season.

The Longhorns' D has only allowed a team to score more than 20 points twice this season and the O is averaging an incredible 43 points a game.

Their scoring margin is 27.59 meaning they do not just win games, they blow teams out.

Kirk Ferentz: Iowa

Iowa has been one of the most surprising teams in the country this year and their road to success has been far more challenging than most.

They began the season 9-0 with wins over Penn State, Arizona, Iowa State, Wisconsin and Michigan. They then went on to lose a heartbreaking game to Northwestern and lost again the next week at Ohio State in overtime.

Finishing the season 10-2 given their tough schedule, Ferentz has created quite a name for himself. They play very consistent, tough, and sound football and regardless of whether they are home or away, they always come out swinging.

His loss to Northwestern will most likely knock him out of the Coach the Year, but his performance this season was impressive none the less.

Paul Johnson: Georgia Tech

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are the top team in the ACC this season with a 10-2 overall record and 7-1 in league play. Their losses came at the hands of Miami and Georgia with impressive wins over Clemson, UNC and Virginia Tech.

Their three-headed monster rushing offense is lead by the combination of Jonathan Dwyer (RB) and Josh Nesbit (QB) have rushed for over 2,000 yards.

Johnson's team averages 35 points a game and allows 24.1 points against for a scoring margin of just over 10 points. They also rush for more than 300 yards a game and dominate in time of possession.

Johnson's losses against Georgia and Miami, losing by at least 14 points in both contests are major blemishes on his resume but to come out with ten wins in the ACC is good enough to be mentioned with the top coaches of '09.

Brian Kelly: Cincinnati

Brian Kelly has built Cincinnati from the ground up in only three seasons and sits undefeated after his first 11 games after starting the season unranked.

The Bearcats allow only 18 points against and their pass-first offense averages nearly 40 points a game. He has shown that he can win even when his best player, quarterback Tony Pike, was out with injury.

The Big East does not have any real premier college football teams but the league's depth is worth noting. In their first eight games of the season they did not allow a team to score over 20 points against them.

The outcome of their last game versus Pittsburgh, which could go either way, will decide if Kelly is worthy of Coach of the Year status.

Chip Kelly: Oregon

The Chip Kelly experiment at Oregon looked ugly from the start as they lost the season opener to Boise State as well as their top running back LeGarrette Blount after his infamously wild postgame antics.

At 0-1, the season did not look too bright for the Ducks, but they went on to win the Pac-10 finishing with a 10-2 record, clinching a spot in the Rose Bowl.

Oregon had some big wins this season by blowing out USC when they were ranked fifth and California when they were ranked third as well as close wins against No. 15 Oregon State and No. 25 Utah.

Kelly does not have the undefeated record that his rivals do but he has as many big wins as any team in the country and has brought Oregon back to a college football powerhouse, even with their best player suspended for the season.

Urban Meyer: Florida

Urban Meyer's football team has not lost a game since September of 2008 and his Gators have held the No.1 spot in the rankings since the preseason.

His 25-1 record in his last two seasons is noteworthy, however the Gators have had some close calls this season against Tennessee, Arkansas, LSU, and Southern Carolina. Their schedule is weaker this year than it has been in the past as the SEC's dominance in college football from top to bottom is fading (just a little) as only three SEC teams lie within the Top 25.

Tim Tebow is considered by many as the best college football player in the country and there defense is nothing short of brilliant allowing just nine points per game.

Meyer will face Alabama in the SEC Championship with a No. 1 vs. No. 2 teams but regardless of the result, Meyer's team has answered the call every time this season and Meyer has proven he can handle high expectations.

Gary Patterson: TCU

Gary Patterson has led TCU to an undefeated regular season at 12-0 as they wait for other teams to play in conference championships to decide their fate.

Patterson's squad plays in the Mountain West Conference however his wins over Clemson, Utah, and BYU are worthy of respect.

Patterson is known as defensive-minded coach and the evidence is there as they only allow 12 points against and 40 points for (28 point scoring margin). There defense's worst games were allowing 21 points against Texas State and 28 points against Utah—not bad if those are your worst games.

Patterson has no control over what bowl game they are going to play in but an undefeated record and allowing less than two touchdowns against speaks for itself.

Chris Peterson: Boise State

Chis Peterson, head coach of Boise State, is having yet another undefeated season for the Boys of Blue.

Unfortunately, it will not be enough to get a shot for the national title as they rank sixth (last of the six undefeated teams) in the BCS Standings.

However, unlike previous years, Peterson has a "signature win" over Oregon, the Pac-10 Champions who stand at No. 8 in the current polls.

Peterson's teams are well balanced with a positive scoring margin of over 25 points per game. Their competition on a weekly basis is weak to say the least but an undefeated season is impressive nonetheless.

With the success of TCU this year and their higher rank in the BCS it appears Peterson's title of best Coach of the Unknown's is at stake in 2009.

One thing Peterson can argue is that he is the only coach in the country to beat Oregon with their best player, Blount who was suspended for the season.

Nick Saban: Alabama

Does Nick Saban have the credentials this season to win Coach of the Year honors again? Conference Prestige...Check. Record...Check. Signature Wins...Check. National Championship contender...Check.

Nick Saban may be having his best year as a head coach in college football, which is saying a lot. His team ranks third in the country in defense allowing just 10.8 points a game and his offense is led by Heisman candidate Mark Ingram and star receiver Julio Jones.

This season their strength of schedule is better than any of the top 10 teams in the country with wins over Virginia Tech (No. 7 at the time), Mississippi (20th at the time), South Carolina (22nd at the time) and LSU (No. 9 at the time). They have shown that their consistent defense and pound it down your throat offense is Saban's recipe for success.

Unless he gets blown out in the SEC Championship, he should have as good a chance as anyone at winning Coach of the Year again.

Honorable Mentions

Joe Paterno: Penn State 10-2 Losses: Iowa and Ohio State
Reason For: Ten wins in Big Ten at over 80 years of age
Reasons Against: No signature wins.

Jim Tressel: Ohio State 10-2 Losses: USC and Purdue
Reasons For: Big Ten champs
Reasons Against: Expected to compete for the national title this year, ranked sixth in the preseason, and lost to Purdue.

Dave Wannstedt: Pittsburgh 9-2
Reason For: Overachieved this season, competing for a Big East Championship
Reasons Against: Two losses in the Big East is not enough

Randy Edsall: UConn 6-5
Reasons For: Lost 5 games by 15 points and dealt with the death of a player and winning over Notre Dame in South Bend.
Reasons Against: 6-5 with a fairly weak schedule.