BCS Rankings 2011: Power Ranking Coaches in the BCS Top 25

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When you look at the top four or five teams in the first BCS Rankings this season, you might sense a bit of debate about the order of the teams.

But would LSU's Les Miles, whose team tops the rankings, be on the top if you did a power ranking of the BCS Top 25 coaches?

It's not likely. But how far would he really be from the top?

His detractors would argue he's No. 26 in a ranking of 25.

So come along with us for a look at a power ranking of the BCS Top 25 coaches.

25. Ron Zook, Illinois

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Ron Zook is a punchline.

It didn't help that he admitted to forgetting the score of a recent game in which he chose to go for a two-point conversion when he shouldn't have.

Zook has been on the hot seat the past few years, but he has done a good job of getting Illinois back on track.

The Fighting Illini are 6-1 through strong recruiting and solid coaching from coordinators.

24. Joe Paterno, Penn State

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If this were 20 years ago, Joe Paterno would be a little higher up this list.

But he's 84 and performs limited duties with Penn State.

I know, he's forgotten more about football than I've ever known—but the gap isn't as big as it should be.

23. Mike Sherman, Texas A&M

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Mike Sherman got off the hot seat at Texas A&M with a big second half in 2010.

After some tough losses this season, Sherman needs another big second half to avoid a major letdown for a program that was a preseason Top 10 program.

He's 23-21 since taking over the Aggies in 2008.

Sherman also owns a 13-14 record in the Big 12, so it's going to be interesting to see how he does in the SEC starting next year.

22. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

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Dabo Swinney is enjoying a dream season with Clemson at 7-0, but in fairness a lot of things have broken in the Tigers' favor.

Clemson caught Auburn and Florida State at the right time, and barely survived a horrible Maryland team.

Let's give him credit for the big win at Virginia Tech, though, but one strong season doesn't erase years of doubt in Swinney's ability.

21. Brady Hoke, Michigan

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Brady Hoke proved himself at Ball State and San Diego State, and now he's cleaning up the mess Rich Rodriguez left behind at Michigan.

A 6-1 start is probably as good as Hoke could have ever imagined.

Hoke just hopes the Wolverines don't have a second-half meltdown like they normally did under Rodriguez.

He pulls that off and he'll move up this list.

20. Bo Pelini, Nebraska

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Ah, the Angry One!

Bo Pelini has the coaching pedigree and was a great hire for Nebraska.

But something just doesn't seem right with the Cornhuskers or Pelini these days.

Sure, Nebraska had the miracle comeback against Ohio State two weeks ago, but the Buckeyes are not the Big Ten powerhouse that we've watched over the past decade.

Pelini seems to let his emotions get the best of him too often.

19. Kevin Sumlin, Houston

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Kevin Sumlin has gone 29-16 since taking over at Houston in 2008, including two bowl games and a 6-0 start this season.

He's been on a number of short lists for openings around the nation and he may finally get a chance to upgrade after this season.

Sumlin has built a reputation as one of the best offensive minds in the game.

18. Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia

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To truly understand the impact Dana Holgorsen has made at West Virginia, just say the man's name to any Mountaineer fan and watch the smile that ensues.

Or you could just mention former offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen and the smile will quickly fade.

Holgorsen has guided the Mountaineers to a 5-1 start and, if he leads WVU to a Big East championship, it will become even clearer how bad of a hire Bill Stewart was.

17. Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech

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Just one year after dealing with one of his most frustrating seasons as a coach, Paul Johnson has Georgia Tech back in a position to win the ACC.

His triple-option offense is a pretty simple concept, but since so few teams run it that makes it difficult to stop.

Johnson is a winner and will continue to be at Georgia Tech.

16. David Shaw, Stanford

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David Shaw is the lucky first-year coach who inherited Andrew Luck as his quarterback.

But Shaw built a reputation as a top-notch offensive coordinator working with Jim Harbaugh, so there's a chance he can keep the Cardinal relevant in the Pac-12 after Luck moves on to the NFL.

Shaw is a Stanford alumnus, so naturally he's a smart guy.

15. Mack Brown, Texas

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Mack Brown will always be considered one of the great coaches in the college game.

He's done some good work getting Texas back on track this season, but the Longhorns are still a long ways off from being an elite program.

The 60-year-old Brown is one of the highest paid coaches in the game at more than $5 million a year. For that money, shouldn't Texas be better than a mid-level Big 12 program right now?

14. Steve Sarkisian, Washington

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Steve Sarkisian boasts a modest 17-14 record in two-plus seasons with Washington, but you have to go deeper than this.

He took over a Huskies program that was at the bottom of the Pac-10.

Now Sarkisian has Washington at 5-1 and contending for the Pac-12 championship.

Sarkisian also has the potential to become the quarterback coaching guru in the nation.

13. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State

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Mike Gundy is another coach who finds himself the butt of many jokes, but there's no questioning his coaching ability.

He has recruited and coached his way into the Top Five, and if he can finally find the magic to beat rival Oklahoma, the Cowboys will likely be playing for a BCS Championship.

Another sign of the great work he has done is how the offense hasn't missed a beat since Dana Holgorsen left.

12. Mark Dantonio, Michigan State

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While Mark Dantonio is still waiting on his first bowl win as the coach at Michigan State, the great work he has done in East Lansing is often overlooked.

Last year's 11-2 season was as much coaching as talent on the field. Look, the Spartans were not inept, but compared to many of their opponents it took some great coaching to pull off a few wins.

Dantonio is at it again this year, and we'll see how he does against Wisconsin at home Saturday.

11. Bill Snyder, Kansas State

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When Bill Snyder retired after the 2005 season, Kansas State was coming off back-to-back losing seasons.

When the Wildcats hired him back in 2009 there were a lot of people who thought he was crazy, but so was the university.

Well, Snyder has proven a lot of people wrong as he has K-State tied for first in the Big 12 and is 6-0 overall this season.

Now some tough games are coming up, but tip your cap to the job Snyder has done as a 72-year-old (which is actually quite youthful compared to Joe Paterno).

10. Steve Spurrier, South Carolina

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Steve Spurrier still lives off his reputation from his days at Florida, but he has molded South Carolina into an above-average SEC team the past few years.

Spurrier continues to bring in top recruits, but the Gamecocks seem to lose a game or two every year that they shouldn't.

How much of that is Spurrier's fault? Not sure, but it doesn't take away from his ability to coach up a team.

9. Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech

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Frank Beamer may be getting near retirement age, but he's still one of the best coaches in the game.

He has built an astounding foundation at Virginia Tech and the Hokies are the cream of the ACC crop.

It will be interesting to see if Beamer knows when it's time to go, or if he goes the Joe Paterno route.

8. Bobby Petrino, Arkansas

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Bobby Petrino's first head coaching job came at Louisville and he instantly became a top-notch coach.

He has his detractors because of his constant flirtation with other jobs.

But that seems to have quieted down a bit since he bolted from the Atlanta Falcons to take over at Arkansas.

He's winning a lot of games in the nation's toughest conference. The man can coach.

7. Chip Kelly, Oregon

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Chip Kelly has a brilliant offensive mind, but three losses keep him from being higher on this list.

It starts with the Rose Bowl loss to Ohio State, then last year's BCS Championship loss to Auburn and this year's season-opener to LSU.

Until Kelly finds a way to win one of these signature games he'll never be considered an elite coach.

6. Bret Bielema, Wisconsin

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It's hard to believe now that Bret Bielema entered the 2009 season on the hot seat.

Following a substandard 7-6 record in 2008, there were many who felt Bielema wasn't the right fit for the Badgers and Wisconsin was destined for another average season.

Bielema didn't let the talk faze him a bit.

Wisconsin responded with a 10-3 season and the Badgers followed that with an 11-2 season and a trip to the Rose Bowl last year.

Bielema has also managed the Russell Wilson addition about as well as any coach could hope to do.

5. Gene Chizik, Auburn

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Auburn officials took some serious heat from fans when they first hired Gene Chizik away from Iowa State.

It wasn't like the results with the Cyclones warranted the promotion.

But how smart do they look now?

Chizik delivered a BCS Championship last season, and he's bringing along a very young squad this year. His team has exceeded expectations and is maturing at an alarming rate.

Watch out for the Tigers next year.

4. Chris Petersen, Boise State

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Chris Petersen is the best bargain in college football today.

The Boise State coach makes $1.65 million a year, and he earns every penny with the success he has fostered on the field.

Petersen is 67-5 since taking over in 2006.

Another redeeming attribute is he's happy staying in Idaho, despite all of the temptations to jump to a larger university that would pay him five times as much as he gets now.

3. Les Miles, LSU

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You don't remain as competitive as Les Miles has at LSU without doing something right.

Maybe he's just a great recruiter or has great assistants. Doesn't matter, Miles is one of the game's best coaches because of how he handles adversity and keeps his team focused.

Just look at what he has managed so far this season.

There were preseason suspensions, which included starting quarterback Jordan Jefferson. LSU proceeded to win every game in his absence, including a season-opener against Oregon.

Now he has some more suspensions, and odds are the Tigers will come out of this looking as good as ever.

All thanks to Miles' leadership.

2. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma

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Bob Stoops has been dealt some unflattering nicknames over the years.

Despite his unflattering record in BCS Bowls, Stoops does have a championship on his resume and he keeps Oklahoma consistently in the elite program category.

Stoops is without a doubt the best coach who wears a visor.

1. Nick Saban, Alabama

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He's Nick Saban and that's all you really need to know.

The name alone says college football greatness.

Love him or hate him, you can't ignore his success.

Sir Nick, we all bow down to you.