Who Are the Most Valuable Defensive Coordinators in College Football?

Peyton Manning’s (likely) final rodeo and ride off into the sunset during Super Bowl 50 received most of the attention on Sunday following the Denver Broncos' victory over the Carolina Panthers. But there was one storyline that proved to be key to the final outcome of the game: Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

The longtime coach capped off a weekend in which he was named NFL Assistant of the Year by putting together one of the most impressive defensive performances of any Super Bowl and savoring the sweet, sweet moment of holding up the Lombardi Trophy.

While players like Von Miller and T.J. Ward were the ones who made the plays when they counted against the Panthers, it was Phillips’ game plan that might have been the most impressive effort of Denver’s title run.

With Phillips playing such a key role for a Super Bowl winner, who in college football might be considered the most valuable defensive coordinator? With most hires already in the books and offseasons getting ready to take the next step toward spring football, it seems like the perfect time to scan the landscape for those who have a Phillips-like impact on their teams as a quality coordinator.

Dave Aranda, LSU

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Aranda has been a rising star in the coaching profession for several years and drew his fair share of big headlines by making the move from Wisconsin to LSU this offseason. While it’s always a bit difficult to compare different situations, it could be argued that few defensive coordinators did more with less than the 38-year-old.

Let’s start with the fact that Aranda guided the Badgers to the No. 1 scoring defense in the FBS this past season and finished in the top 10 in four other major defensive categories as well.

That's been the case over the past several years in Madison despite the school not having a lot of access to high-end talent out of high school, as it finished in the top seven in total defense in each of the past three seasons. A perfect example of his work was on display in the Holiday Bowl, when Wisconsin limited a normally potent USC offense to just 286 yards and 21 points.

Even before proving himself at a Power Five school, Aranda put together impressive defenses at Utah State and Hawaii as well.

With his coaching chops well established, it’s now going to be fascinating to see what Aranda can do in Baton Rouge with a host of former 5-stars and future NFL draft picks.

Don Brown, Michigan

Brown has spent nearly 20 years as a successful defensive coordinator but parlayed a remarkable 2015 campaign into becoming much more of a national name, as Michigan hired him to replace the departed D.J. Durkin. While most of his career has been limited to the Northeast, he’s developed a quality track record at recent FBS stops in Maryland, Connecticut and Boston College.

His work with the Eagles this past season is particularly noteworthy for the normally aggressive coordinator. Despite having one of the worst (or the worst, depending on how you look at things) offenses of any Power Five team (125th of 127 in total offense), Boston College’s defense still finished as the top team in the nation in total defense.

Like some of his fellow peers on here, Brown will have put together several high-end defenses despite not having the player resources that one would normally associate with such lofty statistics and success.

Brown took home AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year honors in 2015, and the longtime veteran will also bring to Ann Arbor over a decade of head coaching experience at three different stops.

Whereas some defenses need offensive help in order to be successful, that does not tend to be a prerequisite for Brown. That’s a great sign for the Wolverines heading into the 2016 season as they enter with one of the best coordinators in the country taking over an already impressive unit.

Brent Venables, Clemson

Venables was part of a major storyline entering the College Football Playoff, guiding Clemson to a No. 1 ranking, but the former linebacker has been a noted defensive mind for a long time, even without all that attention. Whether it’s been at Kansas State, Oklahoma or Clemson, Venables’ units have brought some of his trademark intensity to the field and found plenty of success while doing so.

2015 might have been one of the more impressive jobs he has put forward, though. Despite losing two first-round draft picks and a host of other key players, Venables still guided the Tigers into the top 10 of a number of statistical categories and went toe-to-toe with Alabama and Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry in the national title game.

His track record for recruiting great players at multiple stops also speaks for itself.

This past season may only have served as confirmation, but Venables has proven to be one of the best defensive coordinators in the FBS, and he’s only enhanced his reputation since branching out from old friend and Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops. He can afford to be picky when it comes to his next gig, but it’s clear that the only thing left for Venables to do is try his hand at being a head coach.

Todd Orlando, Houston

When it comes to best defensive coordinators in the Group of Five schools, it’s hard to find anybody more qualified to earn the title than Orlando. He and his defenses have finished in the top 20 in scoring defense (at Houston and Utah State before that) in three straight years. He is highly regarded for not just clamping down on opposing offenses, but also for forcing a high number of turnovers.

Orlando’s acumen for devising a top-notch game plan was on full display in the Cougars’ Peach Bowl triumph over Florida State. In addition to limiting the team to just 24 points, Houston’s defense kept star tailback Dalvin Cook in check to the tune of 33 yards on 18 carries and forced five turnovers (including four interceptions).

Some thought that Orlando could replace Dave Aranda (as he also did at Utah State) at Wisconsin, but the former Badgers linebacker appears to be a key part in new head coach Tom Herman’s plans for 2016 and beyond in Houston.

As he begins to cement his role on Houston's staff, the coordinator played a role in luring 247Sports 5-star defensive tackle Ed Oliver to campus and returns a number of key contributors from last year’s team.

Bob Shoop, Tennessee

It was surprising to see Tennessee head coach Butch Jones dismiss John Jancek after the Volunteers turned in a 9-4 season with a solid defense. Still, a message was being sent around Knoxville that the stakes are higher than nine wins and a second-place finish in the SEC East. For the Vols, it’s time to get back to winning titles.

So who does Jones add to get the team over the hump? Bob Shoop, who has developed a reputation as a defensive wizard and will take his talents back to the SEC in one of the biggest offseason moves at the coordinator level.

Despite facing scholarship limitations at Penn State, the veteran coach still fielded a salty defense stocked with hard-nosed players. He also did a masterful job in bringing along former walk-on Carl Nassib and turning him into one of the best defenders in the country last season.

In order to win the SEC, you typically need an elite defense. That’s just what Shoop is expected to deliver, and based on his track record with the Nittany Lions and beyond, it’s a good bet he can do just that.

Pete Kwiatkowski, Washington

Kwiatkowski doesn’t have instant name recognition outside of the Northwest, but he’s got the track record of a high-profile defensive coordinator. A longtime member of Chris Petersen’s staff at Boise State, the former defensive lineman has led top-ranked defenses in the Big Sky, WAC, Mountain West and most recently the Pac-12.

Making his mark at his alma mater, Kwiatkowski was a big reason why Boise State was making annual appearances in the top 10 and fielding a defense to go along with its impressive offense. He took most of the same principles with him to Washington and managed to field a nasty defense despite the loss of three All-Americans and a host of other key contributors.

While every coach would love to have impact players return to school each season, the Huskies DC seems to always revamp his efforts and field an even stingier unit on that side of the ball the following year.

In 2015, Washington led the Pac-12 in scoring defense, total defense, first-down percentage and red-zone defense. It also led the country in defensive touchdowns scored. Other coordinators may get more press, but it’s clear that few are as capable of turning in quality defenses each year as Kwiatkowski.

Lance Anderson, Stanford

Anderson is the latest in a long line of successful defensive coordinators at Stanford, and he will likely be in line for a bigger job when the time comes to make a move. While head coach David Shaw has his hands in everything regarding the program, it’s Anderson who puts in the hard work with the defense, which keeps the Cardinal in every game they play.

Going on a decade now, Anderson has done a masterful job at identifying defensive talent from a limited recruiting pool, helping them into and through school and developing players into All-Pac-12 performers. He has coached a number of positions in the front seven and has consistently churned out quality players each and every season.

The Willie Shaw Director of Defense more than earned his fantastic title this past season in particular, as he maneuvered around a number of major injuries to field a tough unit that wound up being just as big of a factor in the team’s run for the Rose Bowl than Heisman runner-up Christian McCaffrey.

With more and more talented recruits arriving in his regime, it’s going to be interesting to see just how good Stanford’s defense will be under the steady watch of Anderson.

John Chavis, Texas A&M

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Affectionately known as "The Chief," there are few defensive coordinators more respected than Chavis, a longtime veteran of the SEC.

Chavis first made his mark at his alma mater, Tennessee, capturing the national title in 1998 and helping field a number of impressive defenses over 14 seasons in Knoxville. After a rough ending to his tenure there, he landed on his feet at LSU and eventually took home the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant.

His time in Baton Rouge was particularly notable, not just because his defenses were annually found near the top of every major statistical category, but also because of the amount of NFL talent that he churned out. Plus, it didn’t seem to matter just how many players left early for the draft, as others would capably take their places and help keep the Tigers defense near the top of the SEC rankings.

While his first Texas A&M unit did not quite reach those levels, it was still a noticeable turnaround that Chavis instrumented in College Station. Nobody would mistake the defense for the old "Wrecking Crew" of a decade ago, but the Aggies tackled better and improved against the pass. Chavis helped bring along stud defensive ends Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall, and he might have a future star in rising sophomore Daylon Mack.

Simply put, there are few coordinators who have the resume, film and acumen that The Chief does.

Bud Foster, Virginia Tech

When head coach Frank Beamer retired after the Independence Bowl last year, he did so as the winningest active head coach in the FBS.

One of the biggest reasons why he was able to rack up so many wins and find so much success was due in part to his longtime assistant and defensive coordinator, Bud Foster. The pair coached together for over 30 years, and Foster became just as closely associated with Virginia Tech as his old head coach was.

While "Beamer Ball" emerged as a signature style of special teams play for the Hokies, so did the style of defense that Foster helped nurture over the years. Whether it was a lockdown secondary or speedy defensive linemen, Virginia Tech almost always had a top-flight unit that harassed opposing offenses into big mistakes. Foster’s defense was a big reason why the Hokies made it to the national title game in 1999, and he was responsible for several teams finishing tops in the nation in scoring defense.

Many considered new head coach Justin Fuente as one of the better hires of the offseason, but the school is no doubt just as thankful that Foster decided Blacksburg was the place to be going forward.

Bryan Fischer is a national college football columnist for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.