BCS Rankings: Power Ranking the Top 25 College Football Head Coaches

The 2010 BCS Championship race has been an interesting one so far. Numerous No. 1 teams have been knocked off, unexpected teams are now in the race and a few are just were they were expected to be.

Within the success of a team lies the head coach. It is not only his job to call the plays and recruit, but also to be a role model for the young men who move through that institution.

It is very rare that a great coach does not reach some form of success with his team.

That being said, here is a list power ranking the top 25 head coaches up until this point in the season. Factors being used include overall record, bowl game records, national championships and a large part weighted on the performance of their respective teams this season.

25. Joe Paterno, Penn State

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TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 11: Head coach Joe Paterno of the Penn State Nittany Lions during warmups before facing the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 11, 2010 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Overall Current Team Record: 398-132-3, 4-3 (2010) 

No great coaching list is complete without Joe Paterno, who is the winningest FBS head coach and has coached in more bowl game wins (24-11-1) than any other coach in college football history.

JoePa has been coaching at Penn State since 1966 and has brought in two national championships and three Big Ten championships since joining the conference in 1993.

Paterno could be coaching his last season in 2010, in which the fans, players and schools will possibly lose one of the most loved faces in college football.

24. Jeff Tedford, Cal

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SEATTLE - DECEMBER 05: Head coach Jeff Tedford of the California Bears looks on during the game against the Washington Huskies on December 5, 2009 at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. The Huskies defeated the Bears 42-10. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Get

Overall Current Team Record: 71-38, 4-3 (2010)

As much as the California Golden Bears' performance varies from week to week, Jeff Tedford's coaching reign has always brought in winning seasons since his hiring in 2002, including a share of the Pac-10 crown in 2006.

He has led the Cal Bears to be nearly unbeatable at home, seeing that since 2005 they have a 30-6 record at Memorial Stadium.

Tedford's bowl record at Cal is an impressive 5-2, as they continue to quietly produce winning seasons.

23. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State

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STILLWATER, OK - SEPTEMBER 05: Head coach Mike Gundy of the Oklahoma State Cowboys walks the sidelines during the college football game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Boone Pickens Stadium on September 5, 2009 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Cowboys defea

Overall Current Team Record: 42-28, 6-1 (2010)

Mike Gundy came to Oklahoma State in 2005, where he posted the only losing record of his career. Since then, the Cowboys have had two 7-6 seasons and two 9-4 seasons but have not been able to take over the conference.

This year could be different for the Cowboys, as they are rolling with a 6-1 record through eight weeks, and Gundy might get the opportunity to improve on his already impressive rebuilding process.

22. Mike Riley, Oregon State

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ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 04: Head coach Mike Riley of the Oregon State Beavers on the sidelines during play against the TCU Horned Frogs at Cowboys Stadium on September 4, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Overall Current Team Record: 67-50, 3-3 (2010)

Although Mike Riley's record isn't as impressive as others, he is one of the few coaches that can do more with less every year.

While battling it out with rival Oregon for recruits, Riley has only finished worse than third place in the Pac-10 twice within his second term with the Beavers.

Since 2003, Riley has led Oregon State to a 5-1 bowl record and continues to be the dark horse year in and year out in the conference with a win over then-No. 9 Arizona earlier this season.

21. Mike Stoops, Arizona

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TUCSON, AZ - OCTOBER 09: Head coach Mike Stoops of the Arizona Wildcats watches from the sidelines during the college football game against the Oregon State Beavers at Arizona Stadium on October 9, 2010 in Tucson, Arizona. The Beavers defeated the Wildc

Overall Current Team Record: 39-10, 6-1 (2010)

Mike Stoops inherited a horrible Arizona program in 2004, and after four years of rebuilding he finally got the Wildcats to back-to-back 8-5 seasons in 2008 and 2009.

The chance on Stoops definitely paid off, as he is off to a 6-1 start this season and has an upset win over then-No. 9 Iowa. Starting a strong season after losing both his offensive and defensive coordinators in the offseason shows that he has the coaching skills to possibly bring the program its first ever Rose Bowl berth.

Not to mention he is probably the most out of control/in control coach in the country.

20. Bill Snyder, Kansas State

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KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 6: Head coach Bill Synder of the Kansas State Wildcats questions a sideline judge after an interference penalty in favor of the Oklahoma Sooners during the second quarter of the Dr. Pepper Big 12 Championship December 6, 2003 a

Overall Current Team Record: 147-76-1, 5-2 (2010)

Bill Snyder came out of retirement to coach the 2009 Kansas State squad for which he went 6-6 (4-4 in conference play), enough to place the Wildcats second in the Big 12 North.

The man who coaches in a stadium named after him has seen a great deal of success through his two terms at Kansas State, including a 4-0 start in 2010.

Snyder has a 6-5 bowl record to go along with a Big 12 championship in 2003 and four Big 12 North Division championships.

19. Steve Spurrier, South Carolina

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COLUMBIA, SC - OCTOBER 9: Coach Steve Spurrier of the South Carolina Gamecocks lines up with players after play against the Alabama Crimson Tide October 9, 2010 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Image

Overall Current Team Record: 40-30, 5-2 (2010)

Overall Record: 182-10-2

Steve Spurrier is mostly known for his time as head coach at Florida, where he won a national championship and went 2-1 in BCS bowls.

Since then, he has led the South Carolina Gamecocks to five consecutive winning seasons and is on track for a sixth. His most notable win at SC is this year's upset win over then-No. 1 and reigning champs Alabama.

18. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa

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IOWA CITY, IA - OCTOBER 23- Kirk Ferentz head coach of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes looks on from the sidelines during the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers during the first half of play at Kinnick Stadium on October 23, 2010 in Iowa City, Iow

Overall Current Team Record: 86-56, 5-2 (2010)

Overall Record: 98-77

Kirk Ferentz has never been able to pull in the big-time recruits like fellow conference foes Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan, but he still manages to work with what he has to put the Iowa Hawkeyes in contention every year.

After finishing second to Ohio State (which seems to be the hump he hasn't gotten over lately) in 2009, Ferentz led the Hawkeyes to a BCS win at the Orange Bowl last season to place him at 1-1 in BCS bowls and 5-3 overall in bowl games.

Although upset by a strong Arizona team and Wisconsin earlier in the season, Iowa still sports one of the best defenses in the country.

17. Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech

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ATLANTA - DECEMBER 31: Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Frank Beamer watches warmups on the field before the Chick-Fil-A Bowl against the Tennessee Volunteers at the Georgia Dome on December 31, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. Virginia Tech beat Tennessee 37-1

Overall Current Team Record: 194-96-2, 5-2 (2010)

Overall Record: 236-119-4

Frank Beamer has been the head coach at Virginia Tech since 1987 and has consistently brought successful teams nearly every season.

Beamer is 8-9 in bowl games but 1-3 in BCS bowl games. Nevertheless, he has pulled in three Big East championships, three ACC championships and has not had a losing season since 1992.

16. Les Miles, LSU

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GAINESVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 09: Head coach Les Miles of the Louisiana State University Tigers watches the action during the game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on October 9, 2010 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Get

Overall Current Team Record: 58-16, 7-1 (2010)

Overall Record: 84-36

Many say that Les Miles might be the luckiest man on earth along with his suspect time-management skills, but nonetheless, he has seen a lot of success at LSU.

Miles has a 2007 BCS championship under his belt, along with a 4-1 bowl record (2-0 in BCS bowls), at LSU.

15. Chris Ault, Nevada

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LAS VEGAS - OCTOBER 02: Nevada Reno Wolf Pack head coach Chris Ault watches his players take on the UNLV Rebels at Sam Boyd Stadium October 2, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nevada Reno won 44-26. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Overall Current Team Record: 212-97-1, 6-1 (2010)

Chris Ault coached the Nevada Wolf Pack from 1976 to 1992 and 1994 to 1995, where he assumed the duties of the athletic director before returning to head coach in 2004 up to the present day.

During his three terms with Nevada, Ault has posted only two losing seasons, which was enough to place him in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Ault now has his Nevada Wolf Pack making a statement this season with a 6-1 start and a BCS No. 24 ranking.

14. Gene Chizik, Auburn

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AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 25: Head coach Gene Chizik of the Auburn Tigers against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Overall Current Team Record: 16-5, 8-0 (2010)

Overall Record: 21-24

Gene Chizik could not find a break while coaching at Iowa State for two years and posting a 5-19 record but found immediate success when moving to Auburn.

In just his second season at Auburn, he is off to an 8-0 start and holds the No. 1 BCS ranking in the country. The previous year, his Auburn team went 8-5 with a win in the Outback Bowl.

13. Bret Bielema, Wisconsin

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IOWA CITY, IA - OCTOBER 23: Wisconsin Badgers head coach Bret Bielema waves to fans after after his victory over the University of Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium on October 23, 2010 in Iowa City, Iowa. Wisconsin won 31-30 over Iowa. (Photo by David Purd

Overall Current Team Record: 45-15, 7-1 (2010)

Bret Bielema led the Wisconsin Badgers to a 38-14 record over the past four seasons and is off to a 7-1 start in 2010, highlighted by a win over then-No. 1 Ohio State and ranked Iowa.

In his first season with the Badgers, Bielema posted a 12-1 record and a No. 5 ranking and has seen consecutive winning seasons ever since.

While he is an even 2-2 in bowl games, he has consistently battled it out in the Big Ten conference and has the chance to finally make a postseason BCS appearance in 2010.

12. Chip Kelly, Oregon

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EUGENE, OR - OCTOBER 2: Head coach Chip Kelly of the Oregon Ducks is greeted by 'Puddles', the mascot of the Oregon Ducks, before the game against the Stanford Cardinal at Autzen Stadium on October 2, 2010 in Eugene, Oregon. Oregon won the game 52-31. (Ph

Overall Current Team Record: 17-3, 7-0 (2010)

After serving as Oregon's offensive coordinator for two years, Chip Kelly was given full control and promoted to head coach before the 2009 season.

In Kelly's debut season with the Ducks, he went 10-2 in the regular season, bringing in a Pac-10 Championship and a berth in the Rose Bowl, ultimately losing to Ohio State.

Kelly is leading the most explosive offense in the country for 2010 and is off to a perfect 7-0 start. He could be the coach to lead the Ducks into their first-ever National Championship Game appearance.

11. Kyle Whittingham, Utah

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EUGENE, OR - SEPTEMBER 19: Head coach Kyle Whittingham of the Utah Utes works the sidelines in the second quarter of the game against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium on September 19, 2009 in Eugene, Oregon. Oregon won the game 31-24. (Photo by Steve D

Overall Current Team Record: 55-17, 7-0 (2010)

Kyle Whittingham started his head coaching career as a co-head coach with Urban Meyer in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl with the program's first BCS bowl win.

Since then, Whittingham has not had a losing season, including an undefeated season in 2008, ending with a huge win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

The Utah head coach is a perfect 6-0 in bowl games and looks to continue his dominance when the Utes join the Pac-12 Conference for the 2011 season.

10. Mark Dantonio, Michigan State

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EVANSTON, IL - OCTOBER 23: Head coach Mark Dantonio of the Michigan State Spartans returned to the sidelines for a game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field on October 23, 2010 in Evanston, Illinois. Michigan State defeated Northwestern 35-27.

Overall Current Team Record: 30-17, 8-0 (2010)

Overall Record: 48-34

Mark Dantonio is showing great success with his 2010 Michigan State team, starting the season 8-0 and ranked in the Top 10 (with the help of assistant coach Don Treadwell as acting head coach in two games).

While Dantonio's 1-4 bowl record is less than impressive, he has rebuilt the Spartan program to compete with the best and has a great chance at finally snagging the Big Ten title.

9. Jim Harbaugh, Stanford

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PALO ALTO, CA - OCTOBER 23: Head coach Jim Harbaugh congratulates Andrew Luck #12 and Stepfan Taylor #33 of the Stanford Cardinal after the Cardinal scored a touchdown against the Washington State Cougars at Stanford Stadium on October 23, 2010 in Palo A

Overall Current Team Record: 23-21, 6-1 (2010)

Overall Record: 52-27

The former San Diego head coach came to Stanford in 2007, completely revamping the Stanford Cardinal program in recent years and leading the team to an AP Top 10 appearance before a heartbreaking loss to the Oregon Ducks.

Many doubted Harbaugh's Stanford team heading into 2010 after the departure of Heisman runner-up Toby Gerhart to the NFL, but things are only looking up for the program.

8. Bo Pelini, Nebraska

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LINCOLN, NE - OCTOBER 16: Coach Bo Pelini of the Nebraska Cornhuskers expresses his frustration with officials during their game against the Texas Longhorns at Memorial Stadium on October 16, 2010 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Texas Defeated Nebraska 20-13. (Phot

Overall Current Team Record: 26-9, 6-1 (2010)

Bo Pelini is only in his third total season as a head coach, but pulling in an impressive 26-9 record over that time and bringing the Nebraska program back to relevance is worth something.

Under Pelini, the Cornhuskers have a perfect 2-0 record in bowl games, but he has yet to cross the line into the BCS postseason.

An upset loss to Texas a few weeks ago may have killed his chances at the national title game, but he is on track to finally make his BCS appearance.

7. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma

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CINCINNATI - SEPTEMBER 25: Bob Stoops the Head Coach of the Oklahoma Sooners walks onto the field during the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Paul Brown Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Overall Current Team Record: 123-30, 6-1 (2010)

Bob Stoops has been regarded as one of the best in the game since his debut at Oklahoma in 1999. With an overall record of 123-30, nobody can really argue against it.

Stoops' only falter is his Sooners' performance in BCS bowl games. He has been to the BCS title game four times in his tenure but has only walked away with one win. In fact, since 2003 Stoops is 0-5 in BCS bowl games after posting impressive regular season records in their respective years.

6. Gary Patterson, TCU

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FORT WORTH, TX - OCTOBER 23: Head coach Gary Patterson of the TCU Horned Frogs celebrates on the field after TCU beat the Air Force Falcons 38-7 at Amon G. Carter Stadium on October 23, 2010 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Overall Current Team Record: 93-28, 8-0 (2010)

Gary Patterson became the head coach at TCU in 2000 and has pulled in six seasons of 10-plus wins since.

Patterson put the TCU Horned Frogs on the map by being only the second team from the Mountain West Conference to gain a berth in a BCS bowl in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl.

Other than being consistently ranked in the Top 10 the past few seasons, he has an overall 5-3 record in bowl games.

5. Urban Meyer, Florida

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TUSCALOOSA, AL - OCTOBER 02: Head coach Urban Meyer of the Florida Gators against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 2, 2010 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Overall Current Team Record: 61-13, 4-3 (2010)

Overall Record: 100-21

Urban Meyer arrived in Florida in 2005 and since has two national championships to show for it and a perfect 3-0 record in BCS bowl games.

While the Gators are struggling this season with a 4-3 start, not many coaches have seen this type of success in five years like Meyer has shown.

4. Mack Brown, Texas

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DALLAS - OCTOBER 02: Head coach Mack Brown of the Texas Longhorns yells on the sidelines during play against the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl on October 2, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Overall Current Team Record: 132-30, 4-3 (2010)

Overall Record: 217-103-1

Mack Brown is hands down one of the best recruiters in the country, bringing a talented roster in every year. Since his coming to Texas 1998, he has brought in one national championship (and lost one), two conference championships and an 8-4 bowl record.

Dating back to his time at North Carolina, Brown has posted 20 consecutive winning seasons as a head coach.

Brown's Longhorns were upset by the unranked UCLA Bruins early in the season, followed by a loss to rival Oklahoma, but regained themselves with an upset win over then-No. 5 Nebraska before losing to Iowa State.

3. Chris Petersen, Boise State

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 04: Head coach Chris Petersen of the Boise State Broncos celebrates after defeating the TCU Horned Frogs 17-10 during the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on January 4, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo b

Overall Current Team Record: 56-4, 7-0 (2010)

Overall Record: 56-4

Chris Petersen took over as head coach for the Boise State Broncos in 2006 and has had success ever since.

Petersen has only posted two regular season losses (the other two from bowl games) in the past five seasons and has led the Broncos to four consecutive bowl games, including two Fiesta Bowl wins over Oklahoma and TCU.

Out of his four completed years as head coach, Petersen has three undefeated regular seasons and is on track for a fourth in 2010.

2. Jim Tressel, Ohio State

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COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 23: Head Coach Jim Tressel of the Ohio State Buckeyes watches his team play the Purdue Boilermakers at Ohio Stadium on October 23, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

Overall Current Team Record: 101-22, 7-1 (2010)

Overall Record: 236-79-2

After coaching FCS Youngstown State for 15 years, Tressel made the leap in 2001 to become Ohio State's next head coach and has seen a great deal of success in his time there.

The sweater-vested Tressel has posted winning seasons since taking over at Ohio State and a national championship in 2002 and is 4-3 in BCS bowl games with the Buckeyes.

In his nine years with the Buckeyes, he has won or tied for first within the Big Ten six times.

1. Nick Saban, Alabama

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KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 23: Nick Saban the Head Coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide watches his team during the SEC game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on October 23, 2010 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Overall Current Team Record: 40-9, 7-1 (2010)

Overall Record: 131-51-1

Before Alabama's upset loss to South Carolina this season, Nick Saban hadn't lost a regular season contest since the 2007 season.

Saban is 5-6 overall in bowl games with Michigan State, LSU and Alabama and 3-1 in BCS bowl games, including a National Championship Game win over Texas in 2010.