Ranking the Top 25 College Football Coaches Heading into 2016
College football coaching is not for the meek or weak. While the pay scale, especially at the highest levels, has improved significantly over the past decade, the pressure to win, and win consistently, can be intense.
Carving out a career as a successful head coach is difficult, and we should celebrate those who do it well. We’re doing a little of that here. Here’s a list of the top 25 coaches in college football. We judged coaches by their resumes, including things like 10-win seasons, league titles and, in some cases, national championships.
Agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments.
25. Washington Head Coach Chris Petersen
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In two seasons at the University of Washington, Chris Petersen is only 15-12, which is not exceptionally impressive. But his track record at Boise State suggests that big things are ahead if Husky fans have some patience with his program.
In eight seasons with the Broncos, Petersen went 92-12. That includes seven seasons of at least 10 wins and a pair of unbeaten seasons (in 2006 and 2009). That’s highly impressive. With Washington’s higher resources and time to implement his program, Peterson can have similar success in Seattle.
24. Mississippi State Head Coach Dan Mullen
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Mississippi State is not an easy place to win. Playing in the SEC West, with powers like Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Texas A&M, could frustrate even the brightest head coach. But it hasn’t seemed to faze Dan Mullen.
Following successful stints as a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Florida, Mullen was hired by MSU in 2009. In seven seasons leading the Bulldogs, Mullen is 55-35 with only one losing season (his first).
The Dawgs finished 10-3 in 2014 and spent four weeks as the nation’s No. 1 team (the first time in program history achieving the top ranking). Mullen does more with less at MSU, and more people should appreciate that.
23. Florida Head Coach Jim McElwain
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Nick Saban’s coaching tree is gradually spreading roots across the nation, and one of the most interesting roots has taken hold in Gainesville, Florida. With Jim McElwain running the offense, Alabama won a pair of national titles. He’s hoping to do the same at Florida.
Colorado State hired McElwain as its head coach in late 2011, and he endured a 4-8 debut season before turning around the Rams in short order. A 10-2 season in 2014 got Florida’s attention, and the Gators hired him to replace Will Muschamp.
Last fall, he led Florida to an SEC East title and 10-4 record, although offensive struggles caught up with the Gators by season’s end. With time to recruit and improved facilities, McElwain will prove himself to be one of the better coaches in Saban’s lineage.
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22. Houston Head Coach Tom Herman
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Tom Herman has just one season as a head coach, but he is quickly building a reputation as one of college football’s best coaches. After winning a national title as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator, he took over an underachieving University of Houston program.
His debut season was nothing short of incredible. With Herman’s fast-paced offense in place, the Cougars finished 13-1. The only loss came at UConn with star quarterback Greg Ward Jr. hurt. Houston won the American Athletic Conference and defeated powerful Florida State in the Peach Bowl.
The Cougars hope to make a run at the College Football Playoff this season. If this keeps up, Herman will have his pick of attractive jobs for his next career move.
21. Miami Head Coach Mark Richt
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Mark Richt is back home again, and Miami fans couldn’t be happier. When the Hurricanes finally fired Al Golden following a program-worst 58-0 home loss to Clemson, it was unclear who they’d be able to attract to turn around the flagging fortunes. When Richt, a South Florida native and former Miami quarterback, became available, it was a perfect fit for both.
At Georgia, Richt had an excellent run. He finished 145-51 in 15 seasons, winning a pair of SEC titles and six SEC East titles. His best season came in 2002, when the Bulldogs finished 13-1 and won the Sugar Bowl. However, Georgia missing the SEC title game in each of the past three seasons doomed him, and he and the Bulldogs parted ways following the 2015 season.
Miami is an excellent landing spot for Richt, and he’ll get to work with talented quarterback Brad Kaaya to build a program that Hurricanes fans can be proud of once again.
20. Oklahoma State Head Coach Mike Gundy
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In January 2005, Oklahoma State promoted Mike Gundy to replace Les Miles, who took the LSU head coaching role. Gundy got off to a slow start, going 18-19 in his first three seasons. OSU was patient with him, and he has rewarded the Cowboys for their patience.
Oklahoma State is 76-28 since, with four 10-win seasons in the last six years. The Cowboys’ best season came in 2011—a 12-1 campaign capped with a Fiesta Bowl victory over Stanford. This season, OSU began the season 10-0 before losing its last three games, including a Sugar Bowl rout at Ole Miss’ hands.
Gundy’s teams play a fast-paced style, and he can get fiery at times, as anyone who’s watched his famous “I’m a man! I’m 40!” rant at a reporter knows. But his teams play a fun, fast-paced style that works. In Stillwater, Gundy really is the man.
19. Ole Miss Head Coach Hugh Freeze
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2015 was an excellent year for Hugh Freeze. He put together his most successful season at Ole Miss, guiding the Rebels to a 10-3 record that included a win at eventual national champion Alabama and a Sugar Bowl rout of Oklahoma State.
It was another sign that the Rebels are on the right track with Freeze. He has made an impressive rise from the high school ranks at Memphis’ Briarcrest Christian School to the SEC. He spent two years at NAIA program Lambuth and put together a 20-5 record. He then spent a year as Arkansas State’s offensive coordinator and was promoted to head coach in 2011. Following a 10-2 season, he caught the attention of Ole Miss, which hired him as its head coach.
He is 34-18 at Ole Miss and has improved his record in each of his four seasons. Freeze is also an excellent recruiter. The Rebels lost defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche, wide receiver Laquon Treadwell and offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil to the NFL draft, but they should be able to replace them with a great recruiting class that ranked No. 6 nationally, per 247Sports.
Freeze’s trajectory is clearly on its way up in Oxford, and Ole Miss fans would be wise to hang on for the ride.
18. Louisville Head Coach Bobby Petrino
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Yes, you can go home again. Just ask Bobby Petrino. His second stint as Louisville’s head coach is working out very well. Petrino became a head coach for the first time at Louisville in 2003 and excelled with a 41-9 record in four seasons. He left to take the Atlanta Falcons’ head coaching job but failed miserably, going 3-10 and quitting with three games left in his only season to take the Arkansas job.
Petrino was successful on the field at Arkansas with a 34-17 record in four seasons, but an affair with a staffer exposed by a motorcycle wreck forced him out. Following an 8-4 season at Western Kentucky, Louisville rehired him in 2014 to replace Charlie Strong.
The Cardinals are 17-9 in two ACC seasons within the Atlantic Division that includes powers Clemson and Florida State. Petrino has proved repeatedly that his high-flying offense is successful at multiple stops. Louisville fans hope this is the last stop on his coaching journey.
17. North Carolina Head Coach Larry Fedora
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Larry Fedora is proof that a slow, steady climb can pay off for college coaches. He became a college assistant in 1991 and made stops at Baylor, Air Force, Middle Tennessee, Florida and Oklahoma State before finally joining Southern Miss as head coach in 2008.
His fast-paced system excelled with the Golden Eagles, as Fedora put together a 34-19 record, including a 12-2 record and Conference USA title in 2011. That got North Carolina’s attention, and he became the Tar Heels' new head coach.
The Heels were just 21-17 in his first three seasons but enjoyed a breakthrough season last fall. They lost the opener to South Carolina before winning 11 consecutive games and making the ACC title game. Fedora employs an attractive, fun style that has largely been successful. The Tar Heels are establishing themselves as a force in the ACC Coastal.
16. Kansas State Head Coach Bill Snyder
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How many current FBS head coaches coach in a stadium that has their name on it? The answer is one: Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder. Well, it’s actually Snyder Family Stadium, but you get the idea. That’s how much Snyder has meant to Kansas State.
When he arrived in 1989, K-State was a joke, perhaps the worst program in college football. Snyder turned the program around and won 10 games seven times in 16 seasons while taking three Big 12 North titles and one Big 12 title. He retired in 2005 but returned in December 2008 after his replacement, Ron Prince, was fired.
The Wildcats have two more 10-win seasons and have made a bowl in six of seven seasons since Snyder returned. At 76 years old, it’s unclear how much longer he’ll coach, but Snyder’s legacy as one of the game’s best coaches is pretty secure regardless.
15. Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz
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Iowa is a model for college football consistency. The Hawkeyes have had exactly two football head coaches since 1979: Hayden Fry and Kirk Ferentz. After missing out on Bob Stoops in December 1999, Iowa officials turned to the little-known former Fry assistant Ferentz.
He just finished his 17th season with Iowa and ended the regular season with a 12-0 record and Big Ten West title before falling to Michigan State and Stanford to wrap up the year.
Ferentz is 127-87 at Iowa, with five seasons of at least 10 wins and 13 bowl appearances. Iowa has been streaky under his watch (a three-year run of 10-win seasons from 2002-04 followed by a 19-18 run from 2005-07), but the highs have been extremely high.
Iowa isn’t a college football garden spot, but Ferentz and his staff are excellent at player development and getting the most out of their talent. Ferentz has earned his status as one of college football’s best coaches.
14. TCU Head Coach Gary Patterson
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Under Gary Patterson’s watch, TCU has enjoyed some major upward mobility in the college football universe. When Patterson replaced Dennis Franchione in December 2000, the Horned Frogs were a member of Conference USA. Now, they’re in the Big 12 and a consistent member of the College Football Playoff conversation.
Patterson is 143-47 in 15 seasons as TCU’s head coach, and while the Horned Frogs have had some valleys (like a 4-8 mark in 2013), they’ve had more than their share of peaks.
Patterson has 10 seasons with at least 10 wins, including a 13-0 season in 2010 capped by a Rose Bowl win over Wisconsin. TCU has gone from Conference USA to the Big 12 (with a stop in the Mountain West) under Patterson, and in the last two seasons, the Frogs are 24-3 and just missed the College Football Playoff in 2014.
13. Michigan State Head Coach Mark Dantonio
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Mark Dantonio isn’t as flashy or exciting as Jim Harbaugh, his cross-state rival. But he is great at what he does, and that works for Michigan State. He boasted only an 18-17 record at Cincinnati when he was hired by the Spartans following the 2006 season, but he has built a powerful program.
The Spartans did have a losing record in 2009 (6-7), but under Dantonio’s watch, they’ve developed a tough-minded brand of football. They own three Big Ten titles in the last six seasons, including two of the last three seasons.
The 22-play, fourth-quarter touchdown drive to defeat Iowa 16-13 and secure a College Football Playoff berth epitomizes what the Spartans are all about under Dantonio. It’s not always the most aesthetically pleasing football, but it is successful. That’s good enough for him.
12. Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly
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Coaching at Notre Dame isn’t easy. Yes, the Fighting Irish program is one of the game’s most tradition-rich, but the pressure from fans and alums to win is intense, given the national spotlight that NBC’s exclusive deal to broadcast all home games provides.
That said, Irish fans should appreciate Brian Kelly. Following successful stints at Grand Valley State (with a pair of Division II national titles), Central Michigan and Cincinnati, Kelly has been solid as Notre Dame’s head coach.
The Irish are 55-23 under Kelly, including a national runner-up finish in 2012. They only have two 10-win campaigns in his six seasons, but that does include a 10-3 record and Fiesta Bowl appearance last fall. They’ll likely challenge for double-digit wins again in 2016. With Kelly around, the Irish can be a fixture on the national scene again.
11. Utah Head Coach Kyle Whittingham
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Kyle Whittingham is proof that stability has its advantages. Whittingham has spent 22 seasons on Utah’s staff (11 as a defensive assistant/coordinator and 11 as head coach) and looks entrenched as the program’s leader.
Whittingham became Utah’s head coach in December 2004 following Urban Meyer’s departure to Florida. Good call. Utah has nine winning seasons under his watch and has moved from the Mountain West to the Pac-12. In 2008, the Utes finished 13-0 and won the Sugar Bowl over Alabama.
Utah has won at least 10 games four times, including this season’s 10-3 mark. A pair of 5-7 records in 2012 and 2013 was concerning, but Utah rebounded by winning 19 games over the past two seasons. Whittingham is a solid leader for the Utes program and one of college football’s most underrated coaches.
10. Baylor Head Coach Art Briles
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Art Briles is proof that high school coaches can succeed at a much higher level. Briles spent 20 seasons as a Texas high school football coach before joining Texas Tech’s staff as an assistant in 2000. From there, his career really took off. Briles became Houston’s head coach in 2003 and spent five seasons with the Cougars. He finished with a 34-28 record (18-8 over his last two seasons).
He then took over what was a moribund Baylor program and breathed life into it with a fast-paced offensive style. The Bears were a combined 8-16 in his first two seasons, but they compiled a 57-21 record over his next six seasons, including three consecutive seasons with at least 10 wins.
Baylor just missed the College Football Playoff in 2014 and finished 10-3 last season. The Bears have become a perennial Big 12 contender, and they have Briles to thank for it.
9. Oregon Head Coach Mark Helfrich
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When Chip Kelly left Oregon for the Philadelphia Eagles' head coaching position following the 2012 season, Mark Helfrich was a natural choice to replace him. Oregon’s offense thrived under Helfrich from 2009-12, and his promotion was the obvious move.
It’s worked out pretty well so far. Helfrich has continued Kelly’s fast-paced scheme with great success. Oregon is 33-8 in three seasons, which includes a national runner-up finish in 2014. The Ducks have a fun, flashy brand, and Helfrich is just the guy to keep it fresh.
8. Stanford Head Coach David Shaw
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David Shaw has been mentioned repeatedly as a candidate for NFL jobs, but it will be tough to pluck him away from Stanford. Why would he think about leaving? He has it plenty good with the Cardinal. The former Jim Harbaugh assistant was promoted to head coach after Harbaugh left for the San Francisco 49ers in 2011, and he’s done nothing but win.
In five seasons as head coach, Shaw is 54-14 and has won at least 11 games in all but one season. He owns three Pac-12 titles and two Rose Bowl wins, including January’s 45-16 demolition of Iowa. Shaw’s teams are hard-nosed and defense-oriented. He could succeed anywhere he goes, but why would the former Stanford receiver ever want to try anywhere else?
7. Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh
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Love him or hate him, there’s one thing about Jim Harbaugh everyone can agree on: The man knows how to win. Harbaugh has won at every stop of his coaching career. At San Diego, he compiled a 29-6 mark in three seasons before Stanford hired him to turn around its program.
With the Cardinal, he endured 4-8 and 5-7 seasons before breaking through. He finished 12-1 with an Orange Bowl win in 2010 and then took the San Francisco 49ers job. With the 49ers, he made the NFC title game in each of his first three seasons and lost in the Super Bowl in 2012 before wearing out his welcome with team executives.
Harbaugh landed at Michigan, his alma mater, where he took a team that went 5-7 in Brady Hoke’s final season to a 10-3 mark in 2015. He is constantly creating buzz, whether it’s through his Twitter feed or staking out new territory for the Wolverines by holding a week of spring practice in Florida. Harbaugh recruits well and has fun, and it’s a winning recipe for him.
6. Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney
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Eight years ago, Clemson took a chance following Tommy Bowden’s departure after a decade-plus leading the Tigers. Then-athletic director Terry Don Phillips turned to a wide receivers coach named Dabo Swinney as the interim head coach, despite the fact that Swinney had no experience as a head coach or coordinator.
The gamble has paid off. Swinney won the job full time following the 2008 season, and following a 6-7 stumble in 2010, he’s won big and done so in energetic fashion. Dabo is 75-27 as Clemson’s head coach and has won a pair of ACC championships. 2015 was his best season yet; the Tigers began the season 14-0 and were the No. 1 team in the College Football Playoff Top 25 from the first poll into the national title game, where they pushed Alabama to the limit before falling 45-40.
Clemson has won at least 10 games for five consecutive seasons and has won or shared four ACC Atlantic Division titles under Swinney. He and his staff have recruited exceedingly well, and the program has sparkling facilities from Memorial Stadium’s new WestZone complex to a two-year-old $10 million indoor practice facility to an under-construction $55 million football operations complex next to the practice facility.
In fact, his name has come up as a natural candidate at his alma mater, Alabama, if and when Nick Saban leaves the program. Never say never, he told CBSSports.com's Jon Solomon:
"You don't ever know what the circumstances would be at any given time. First of all, Alabama may never, ever call me and I would never have a problem with that. They've got to do what they've got to do. My deal is to be great where I'm at. I had opportunities to leave Alabama. I had opportunities to leave Clemson. But I've just never been that guy about the next job. I'm about the job I've got.
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Clemson is in excellent shape under Swinney’s watch and in position to win a national title soon. He’s one of the nation’s top head coaches without question.
5. LSU Head Coach Les Miles
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Les Miles is fun to watch on the sidelines. He’s fun to listen to. He’s an interesting person. Want to know why he’s lasted 11 seasons at LSU? He’s a darn good coach. Miles’ eccentric nature overshadows the fact that he wins a lot of football games. He was nearly fired following a November swoon last fall, per CBS Sports' Tom Fornelli, which would have been a mistake by LSU. He is 112-32 with the Tigers, and that includes a national title, two SEC titles and three SEC West titles.
Hired from Oklahoma State to replace Nick Saban, Miles has kept the Tigers at a high level. LSU has seven 10-win seasons under his watch, and with Heisman Trophy candidate Leonard Fournette returning for his junior season, 2016 could bring the eighth. Miles is well-respected and a great personality who has been special for LSU.
4. Florida State Head Coach Jimbo Fisher
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While Nick Saban is regarded as one of the best coaches of this generation, it was fair to wonder whether his intense process could be duplicated successfully by others. Jimbo Fisher is proof that it can.
Saban’s former offensive coordinator at LSU has found tremendous success at Florida State. When he took over for legendary coach Bobby Bowden in 2010, the Seminoles had slipped from their glory days under Bowden’s watch. Fisher quickly brought them back. In six seasons, he is 68-14 with a national title, three ACC titles and pieces of four ACC Atlantic Division titles.
Over the last four seasons, Florida State is 49-6, with the losses coming to Florida, NC State, Oregon, Clemson, Georgia Tech and Houston. Not too shabby. The Seminoles are in excellent position as one of the best programs in the nation, and Fisher is a big reason why.
3. Oklahoma Head Coach Bob Stoops
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With the retirement of Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops is the longest-tenured coach at a single institution in the FBS. You don’t achieve that kind of longevity without being pretty good at what you do, and Stoops most certainly is.
When he was hired as Oklahoma’s head coach in 1999, Stoops quickly turned around a program that had gone 12-22 in the last three seasons under John Blake. OU won a national title in his second season and has become a constant presence as a national contender. Oklahoma is 179-46 in Stoops’ 17 seasons and has won at least 10 games 13 times.
The Sooners own nine Big 12 titles and have made three more appearances in the national title game, as well as a College Football Playoff appearance following the 2015 season. At that rate, Stoops can stay in Norman for as long as he cares to.
2. Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer
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Urban Meyer is proof that sometimes, you just need a little break. Meyer excelled at Bowling Green and Utah, compiling a 22-2 record as Utah’s head coach before Florida hired him in 2005. He was excellent as Florida’s head coach—65-15 with two national titles and three SEC titles in six seasons. But the stress of the job gave him health issues, as ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler noted.
He briefly retired, then returned, following the 2009 season and left for good following an 8-5 record in 2010.
A year away from the game renewed Meyer, and he has had fresh energy at Ohio State. The Buckeyes are a remarkable 50-4 in four seasons under his guidance, with the only losses coming to Clemson, Michigan State (twice) and Virginia Tech. Ohio State won the national title in 2014, and only a narrow loss to the Spartans separated them from another College Football Playoff appearance in 2015.
Meyer and Ohio State are an excellent fit. He is a great recruiter and, working with Ohio State’s large resources, he’ll be a force for years to come. His battles against Michigan and Jim Harbaugh will be fascinating to watch unfold.
1. Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban
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Alabama is perhaps the most tradition-rich program in college football. The Crimson Tide own 16 national championships, and 101,821 rabid, passionate fans fill Bryant-Denny Stadium on a weekly basis in the fall.
But when Nick Saban arrived in 2007, the Tide had fallen on hard times. The program’s last national title came in 1992, and Alabama had endured multiple NCAA probations while going through four coaches in Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione, Mike Price and Mike Shula. Saban proved he was the man to turn the program around.
He is 105-18 as Alabama’s head coach with four national championships, the latest coming in January with a 45-40 win over Clemson. Overall, Saban is 196-60-1 (including five Alabama victories that were vacated by the NCAA) and has won virtually everywhere he’s gone, from Toledo to Michigan State to LSU (where he won another national championship). The only mark on his record is a two-year stint with the NFL’s Miami Dolphins where he finished 15-17, including a 6-10 record in 2006 that was his only losing season as a head coach.
Saban is an excellent recruiter, a great defensive mind and a tremendous motivator. With two more national titles, he can tie Paul “Bear” Bryant with six championships as Alabama’s head coach. Maybe someday it’ll be Bryant-Denny-Saban Stadium. For now, Alabama fans should enjoy the game’s best head coach.
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