College Football 2011: Ranking the Coaches for Every Top 25 Team
There may not be a sport where coaching has more of an impact than in college football.
Remember when Mike Shula was coaching Alabama? Now think what a difference Nick Saban has meant to the Crimson Tide.
Not sold yet?
Think how much the Florida Gators improved (with similar talent) after Urban Meyer took over for Ron Zook.
Think Will Muschamp is feeling the pressure?
How about we rank this year's preseason Top 25 coaches?
25. Bill Stewart, West Virginia
1 of 25
Bill Stewart hit the lottery when he was handed the WVU job after one big bowl victory.
Now he is in his fourth and final season because he's clearly overmatched in the coaching category, and West Virginia's athletic director Oliver Luck was not going to sit back and take it any longer.
Stewart does enjoy bragging about his three consecutive nine-win seasons, but it is not that impressive when you consider the talent WVU had and the lack of a serious threat in the Big East.
You almost want to rank him lower than 25, but rules are rules.
Could we just list him as "Others receiving votes"?
24. David Shaw, Stanford
2 of 25
David Shaw built a reputation as an outstanding assistant coach, but until he proves himself as a head coach he lands here.
Shaw inherits some serious talent, including Heisman-favorite Andrew Luck at quarterback.
He has high expectations and there are many who believe he'll be a great replacement for Jim Harbaugh.
Until then, he's at No. 24.
23. Will Muschamp, Florida
3 of 25
Will Muschamp was the hot coordinator that was always mentioned for some big openings, but he was supposed to be waiting to take over when Mack Brown left Texas.
He got anxious and jumped at the Florida gig.
Texas is still the better job, but working in Gainesville is a decent consolation prize.
It's not going to be easy replacing a legend like Urban Meyer.
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22. Mike Sherman, Texas A&M
4 of 25
A year ago, Mike Sherman was battling Bill Stewart for biggest waste of money.
Amazing what a 9-4 season will do for your reputation.
Now everyone in College Station thinks they have the next coming of R.C. Slocum.
It might be smart to see how well Sherman does over the long haul first.
21. Bret Bielema, Wisconsin
5 of 25
Bret Bielema is a coaching enigma.
He’s enjoyed success at Wisconsin, including a 12-win season in his first season and a share of the Big Ten championship last year.
But he has also had three average seasons and the loss to TCU in the Rose Bowl last year showed the entire nation how he was out-coached by Gary Patterson.
20. Mark Dantonio, Michigan State
6 of 25
Despite health issues in 2010, Mark Dantonio has stabilized the Michigan State football program.
He did one of his best coaching jobs by leading the Spartans to a share of the Big Ten championship year.
Dantonio cut his teeth as the defensive coordinator at Ohio State before heading off to Cincinnati for his first head coaching job.
19. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
7 of 25
Mike Gundy is known nationally for his rant during a press conference, but he’s also a talented coach.
Gundy has been a winner and considers Oklahoma State a destination and not a steppingstone.
He’s also a good judge of talent and is considered one of the better offensive minds in the game.
18. Mark Richt, Georgia
8 of 25
It seems everyone wants to evaluate Mark Richt's coaching ability on the past two years.
Talk about unfair.
Richt has been an outstanding coach since he arrived in Athens in 2001. His 96-34 overall record is enough proof.
What Richt has working against him is the lack of a BCS championship and his struggles against rival Florida.
He's still a great offensive mind and recruiter.
17. Gary Pinkel, Missouri
9 of 25
It always seems that Gary Pinkel doesn't garner the same respect and attention as other great college coaches.
He even seems to get overlooked in the Big 12.
It's time to give Pinkel his due.
He has led Missouri to seven bowl games in 10 seasons and even had the Tigers ranked No. 1 in the nation in 2007 before losing the Big 12 title game.
16. Les Miles, LSU
10 of 25
Stop laughing. Really. Even the SEC fans have to stop giggling now.
Les Miles may be the Mad Hatter, but his unusual, not-by-the-book ways are what make him a great coach.
Sometimes his craziness backfires, but he has a national championship to his credit and he recruits his tail off.
Miles just might coach LSU back into the BCS championship this season…that's if he can get his Tigers past Alabama.
15. Gene Chizik, Auburn
11 of 25
A year ago, Gene Chizik might have been one spot ahead of Bill Stewart.
Now he's the coach of the reigning BCS champs and he continues to recruit some of the best talent annually.
Auburn may take a dip this season, but the future is bright for the Tigers and Chizik.
14. Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech
12 of 25
Frank Beamer is getting close to being a Joe Paterno-like figurehead, but it was his coaching that helped the Hokies get to this point.
Virginia Tech is now an ACC power and regular among the Top 25.
The biggest knock on Beamer is how his teams have performed in big games.
Another plus for Beamer is the commitment he has received from his assistant coaches.
13. Mack Brown, Texas
13 of 25
In recent years, Mack Brown has been labeled as the CEO of Texas football.
What people were really saying was Brown doesn't really coach anymore.
He's doing more coaching now after last year's 5-7 debacle, and he's arguably a top-three recruiter.
So Brown deserves some credit for the success at Texas.
12. Steve Spurrier, South Carolina
14 of 25
If we were discussing Steve Spurrier in 1996, he might top this list.
And even though he guided the Gamecocks to a first-place finish in the SEC East last season, his time at South Carolina has not been his best coaching performance.
His public battles with quarterback Stephen Garcia are not a huge departure for Spurrier, but the lack of offensive firepower is.
Spurrier is still one of the great college coaches, but he's slipping.
11. Bo Pelini, Nebraska
15 of 25
If we were to look 10 years into the future Bo Pelini might be on top of this list.
But today he's still trying to complete the rebuilding project that he undertook at Nebraska after Bill Callahan destroyed the Cornhuskers tradition.
Pelini has his own anger-management issues, but he has a great defensive mind and Nebraska fans are excited about the direction of the program.
It will be interesting to see how he does coaching against the Big Ten coaches.
10. Bobby Petrino, Arkansas
16 of 25
It's easy to be turned off by Bobby Petrino, but very few detractors say he's a bad coach.
What they normally complain about is his wandering eye for a new job.
He helped Louisville to a BCS bowl victory and almost had the Cardinals in the BCS championship.
Now he is proving to the SEC that he can handle his own at Arkansas.
9. Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
17 of 25
OK, we've all heard it before—Brian Kelly wins every place he coaches.
He may have had some bad losses in his first year in South Bend, but Notre Dame closed strong and it is pretty evident the Irish's future is bright.
What Kelly did at Cincinnati and Central Michigan is worthy of his current placement in these rankings.
8. Jimbo Fisher, Florida State
18 of 25
Jimbo Fisher was always a well-respected assistant coach, and he didn't hurt his reputation in his first season after taking over for Bobby Bowden.
He's popular with the FSU alumni and recruits also love the new man in Tallahassee.
Watch him on the sidelines and you can see someone whose mind is always working.
He learned a lot as an assistant under Nick Saban and he's just getting better.
7. Jim Tressel, Ohio State
19 of 25
At last check, Jim Tressel was still the head coach at Ohio State.
Even if he's suspended for the first five games of 2011, Tressel is an elite tactician.
However, the NCAA inquiry and his own admission to some wrongdoing have caused Tressel to slip a bit.
Does that make him a bad coach? No. But it does call into question his judgment.
6. Gary Patterson, TCU
20 of 25
For years, Gary Patterson was considered the defensive genius who has that cute program down in Texas.
Now he's an elite coach who has spurned offers from "larger" programs to stay with the Horned Frogs.
When TCU joins the Big East in 2012 he will immediately become the conference's best and most respected coach.
Patterson is a top-notch coach and he proves each week with TCU.
5. Dan Mullen, Mississippi State
21 of 25
It didn't take Dan Mullen long to gain national attention for his coaching ability.
In two years with Mississippi State, Mullen has beaten Ole Miss twice and given every SEC opponent fits.
He's getting his own players on campus and coaching them up the best he can.
Why is he so high on this list? When big-time jobs open he's always on the short list of candidates.
4. Chip Kelly, Oregon
22 of 25
In two years as Oregon's head coach, Chip Kelly has guided the Ducks to a Rose Bowl and the BCS championship.
Of course, Oregon lost both games, but Kelly did a heck of a job coaching.
His offense is considered one of the elite in college football today and he's always adapting.
Kelly is also one of the best recruiters in the Pac-12 and he should keep the Ducks among the nation's elite for years.
3. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
23 of 25
Bob Stoops has plenty of critics out there, especially for his inability to win BCS bowl games.
Still, he has one national championship to his credit, and the Sooners have been one of the more consistent teams in the nation for over a decade.
Stoops is an elite coach and some might consider him the top coach on this list.
Finishing third is nothing to be embarrassed about.
2. Chris Petersen, Boise State
24 of 25
Chris Petersen's teams just keep winning (a lot) and pulling off upsets every season.
Are they really upsets anymore?
Not with Petersen on the sideline.
His teams are better prepared, better conditioned and they believe they can beat anyone.
That's what great coaches do.
1. Nick Saban, Alabama
25 of 25
The only coaching mistake Nick Saban has made in 20-plus years was when he left LSU for the NFL.
An Alabama fan would probably say that was his smartest move because it eventually led to him coming to Tuscaloosa.
Saban has won championships with LSU and Alabama and he gets into the heads of opposing coaches.
The Tide underachieved a bit in 2010, but don't be shocked when he works more his magic and has Alabama playing for a national title again.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
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