College Football 2011: Power Ranking All 120 FBS Coaches
Joe PenkalaCorrespondent IJuly 29, 2011College Football 2011: Power Ranking All 120 FBS Coaches
As we get ready to enter the 2011 college football season, there are a lot of new faces in new places as well as head coaches sticking with their programs for another season.
Throughout college football, there are coaches who have helped elevate their current program, may be on their way out or still looking to break through.
While some coaches have yet to coach a down at their current program, here is a power ranking of all 120 FBS coaches based on how they have done with their current program.
No. 120: Everett Withers, North Carolina
If you are Everett Withers, you are being tossed into the fire today. With the firing of Butch Davis this week, Withers has been named the interim head coach. What makes the situation worse is that UNC is very open about looking for a head coach to take over to recruit next year's class.
No. 119: Bill Blankenship, Tulsa
Bill Blankenship is getting his first shot, and doing so with Tulsa. This first year is going to be tough for him considering the success that Tulsa had in 2010. With a tough schedule in front of him, a repeat of last year may be a stretch.
No. 118: James Franklin, Vanderbilt
James Franklin is entering his first year at Vanderbilt and has his hands full taking over the worst team in the SEC. Franklin will have a lot to do in order to help this program become more competitive.
No. 117: Dan McCarney, North Texas
New to the Sun Belt and North Texas is Dan McCarney. McCarney has 12 years of experience as a head coach but will be challenged with taking over the Mean Green. McCarney will have to look to turn around both the offense and defense in 2011.
No. 116: Mark Hudspeth, Louisiana
Mark Hudspeth is taking over at Louisiana and will have his hands full. The lack of talent and depth with challenge Hudspeth and turn this into a big project.
No. 115: Steve Addazio, Temple
New to the MAC in 2011 will be Temple's new head coach, Steve Addazio. This will also be Addazio's first opportunity as a head man, and he will have the majority of the Owls starters back from 2010.
No. 114: Hugh Freeze, Arkansas State
Hugh Freeze is taking over at Arkansas State and will have his work cut out for him. Freeze must start to build up the depth on the team before they can start to challenge for the Sun Belt title.
No. 113: Pete Lembo. Ball State
Pete Lembo is the new head man at Ball State and is hoping to bring his offensive creativity to the MAC. While Lembo has 10 years of experience, and his move to the MAC will be a step up in competition.
No. 112: Darrell Hazell, Kent State
Darrell Hazell is taking over this year at Kent State, and it will be his first year as a head coach. If Hazell is able to turn around the Golden Flashes, it could open up doors for him later in his career.
No. 111: Dave Doeren, Northern Illinois
First year head coach Dave Doeren is taking over at Northern Illinois and will have a chance for immediate success. Last year, the Huskies went 11-3 and have returned a good portion of their starters.
No. 110: Jerry Kill-Minnesota
After a three win season in 2010, Minnesota is turning to Jerry Kill to turn the program around. Kill will have his hands full restocking the depth chart.
No. 109: Jon Embree, Colorado
Jon Embree is not only taking over at Colorado for the first time, but is also leading them into the Pac-12. Talent is thin right now for the Buffaloes, so Embree will have his hands full with his first head coaching job.
No. 108: Kevin Wilson, Indiana
Kevin Wilson is another new coach in the Big 10 and does not have an easy job in front of him. Wilson is taking over at Indiana and will have to find a way to replace his backfield in 2011.
No. 107: Don Treadwell, Miami of Ohio
Don Treadwell is the new head man at Miami of Ohio. He is inheriting a team that won the MAC last year and went 10-4. This will be his first opportunity as head coach.
No. 106: Paul Pasqualoni, Connecticut
Paul Pasqualoni has 19 years of experience, but this will be his first year at Connecticut. Taking over for Randy Edsall will not be easy, especially with having to replace your entire backfield.
No. 105: Randy Edsall, Maryland
Randy Edsall had good success as the head coach of Connecticut and now finds himself at Maryland. Edsall will immediately notice the increased conference talent and the fact that the cupboard was not full when he arrived.
No. 104: Todd Graham, Pittsburgh
Todd Graham may have not been Pitt's first choice but may end up being the right choice. While in his first year at Pitt, Graham has five years of experience under his belt and should help the Panthers in 2011.
No. 103: Rocky Long, San Diego State
Rocky Long takes over at San Diego State after Brady Hoke bolted for Michigan. While the Aztecs have some pieces, they will struggle in the Mountain West conference this year.
No. 102: Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia
With all of the drama that unfolded during the offseason, Dan Holgorsen has pressure to win in 2011. With Bill Stewart now gone and a solid depth chart on both sides of the ball, Holgorsen has everything he could ask for in his first year.
No. 101: David Shaw, Stanford
With the loss of Jim Harbaugh to the NFL, David Shaw will be taking over for his first year as head coach. With Andrew Luck at quarterback, the transition should be made easier.
No. 100: Luke Fickell, Ohio State
Taking over for Jim Tressel will not be an easy thing to do, but it is the task at hand for Luke Fickell. Fickell will be taking over a team that still has talent and depth but has lost Terrelle Pryor to the NFL and other players to suspension.
No. 99: Brady Hoke, Michigan
Brady Hoke has done a nice job at smaller schools but is taking a huge step forward in 2011 when he takes over at Michigan. The Michigan faithful are starving for a winner and have pinned their hopes on Hoke to deliver that.
No. 98: Al Golden, Miami
Al Golden has some experience under his belt, but it will be his first year with Miami. Hurricane fans are eager for this program to return to years past and are hoping that Golden is the man to help them do so.
No. 97: Will Muschamp-Florida
In his first year as head coach at Florida, Will Muschamp will be taking over for Urban Meyer. Muschamp will have a lot to live up to based on who he is taking over for and will need to cut down on last year's loss total.
No. 96: Mike Locksley, New Mexico
Mike Locksley finds himself in a make or break year. In his first two seasons, he has duplicated his record of 1-11, and even at New Mexico, this will not be tolerated for a third straight season.
No. 95: Rob Ianello, Akron
Year one did not go the saw that Rob Ianello had dreamed it up. Akron went 1-11 in his first season, and unfortunately, year two will likely go the same way.
No. 94: Mike MacIntyre, San Jose State
Year one at San Jose State did not quite go the way that Mike MacIntyre would have liked it to have gone. After a 1-12 season with the Spartans, MacIntyre is trying to recruit more talent to help turn this program around.
No. 93: Willie Taggart, Western Kentucky
The good news for second year man Willie Taggart is that the offense returns both its starting quarterback and running back. The bad news for Taggart is the defense lost most of its linebacking core and the team is coming off of a 2-10 season.
No. 92: Larry Porter, Memphis
Year one for Larry Porter was clearly not a success at Memphis. The Tigers went 1-11, and things are not looking to be getting much better in 2011.
No. 91: Ron English, Eastern Michigan
While things have not gone great at Eastern Michigan for Ron English, you can see that he has the program going in the right direction.
His first year was a disaster, as the Eagles failed to win a game. In 2010, the Eagles went 2-10 and look to make another step forward in 2011.
No. 90: DeWayne Walker, New Mexico State
Another shot tenured coach is DeWayne Walker at New Mexico State. Walker has two years under his belt as a head coach and has gone 5-20 with the Aggies. Last year's two win performance must be improved upon for Walker to see a fourth year with the program.
No. 89: Jeff Quinn, Buffalo
Taking over for Turner Gill is proving to be a tough act to follow. Last year, Jeff Quinn led the Bulls to a 2-10 record and is hoping to show that the program is going in the right direction.
No. 88: Mario Cristobal, FIU
Mario Cristobal has gone 16-33 during his career at FIU, but last year, he was able to lead the team to the Little Caesars Bowl. While the defense took a hit in the offseason, the offense could be enough to get them back to a bowl game.
No. 87: Bobby Hauck, UNLV
You could argue that you can only go up from last year's 2-11 record, but Bobby Hauck knows that UNLV will have a difficult time to do better.
No. 86: Neil Callaway, UAB
Things have not gone great for Neil Callaway at UAB. Callaway has compiled a record of 15-33 and only won four games in 2010. What makes things worse for him is four wins in 2011 might be a stretch.
No. 85: David Cutcliffe, Duke
Not many people envy the position that David Cutcliffe is in as head coach of the Duke Blue Devils. During his three year as head coach, Cutcliffe has gone 12-24, and things do not appear to be getting any better for him and the program in 2011.
No. 84: Dan Enos, Central Michigan
Seems like just yesterday that Central Michigan was getting into the Top 25 and winning the MAC. Last year, Dan Enos struggled in his first year, going 3-9. In 2011, he has a lot of talent back on offense but will only go as far as the defense will take them.
No. 83: Rick Stockstill, Middle Tennessee
For the past five years, Rick Stockstill has been the head man at Middle Tennessee. Stockstill has gone 33-30 during his career but had some major losses to graduation and will need to rebuild through 2011.
No. 82: Dave Clawson, Bowling Green
After a good opening season with Bowling Green in 2009, Dave Clawson saw them take a step back last year, going 2-10. Things do not look like they will be much easier in 2011, as they still lack the depth and talent to compete in the MAC.
No. 81: David Bailiff, Rice
David Bailiff has spent the past four years with Rice and has gone 19-30. Bailiff will have his work cut out for him in 2011, as Rice lost a good number of starters off of both sides of the ball.
No. 80: Steve Fairchild, Colorado State
In three years, Steve Farchild has taken Colorado State to a 13-24 record. Last year, the Rams won three games and will need to take steps forward in 2011 to keep his job secure.
No. 79: Gary Anderson, Utah State
Gary Anderson has been a head coach for three years, and two of them have been spent at Utah State. During his time with the Aggies, Anderson has gone 8-16 and is hoping to get the program into a bowl game.
No. 78: Paul Rhoads, Iowa State
Paul Rhoads has been a head coach now for two years and took a step back during his second season with Iowa State. Rhoads will have few excuses in 2011, as the depth and talent is there for Iowa State to make a bowl game.
No. 77: Robb Akey, Idaho
Robb Akey has spent all four years of his coaching career with Idaho and has struggled, going 17-33. While Idaho is not know for having a great football program, people surrounding the team will be looking for Akey to show signs of improvement.
No. 76: Sonny Dykes, Louisiana Tech
Sonny Dykes took over as head coach last year and led Louisiana Tech to a 5-7 record. Based on the schedule in front of them for 2011, it will be interesting to see if they can get to five wins again in 2011.
No. 75: Paul Wulff-Washington State
Paul Wulff has a record that may allow you to believe that he should have been fired yesterday. Over three years, he has gone 5-32, but the Cougars are showing some life. If he can get the win total up to four or five games in 2011, Wulff will have made a major stride to improvement.
No. 74: Todd Berry, Louisiana Monroe
Todd Berry did a good job in his first year at Louisiana Monroe and helped pave the way for a chance at an even better 2011. The program returns all but one starter on offense and hopes that the defense does enough to help them reach a bowl game.
No. 73: Dave Christensen, Wyoming
Dave Christensen has spent two years at Wyoming and has gone 10-15 overall. While Wyoming is not a hotbed for attracting talent, Christensen will have to do his best to help move this program forward.
No. 72: Howard Schnellenberger, Florida Atlantic
Howard Schnellenberger has been a head coach for 26 years and the leader at Florida Atlantic for 10 years. Schnellenberger has done a decent job with the Owls and is hoping that the can turn things around after a 4-8 season.
No. 71: Bill Cubit, Western Michigan
Bill Cubit has kept Western Michigan competitive in the MAC and led them to a 6-6 record in 2010. This year, the Broncos return key starters on both sides and will make a push to go to a bowl game in 2011.
No. 70: Bob Toledo, Tulane
Last year, Bob Toledo led Tulane to a 4-8 record and appear to have a chance to improve in 2011. If he can get some of his new starters to step up, the schedule is light enough that Tulane could have a shot at a bowl game.
No. 69: Mike London, Virginia
Mike London has spent one year at Virginia and went 4-8. With the talent at Virginia, London is hoping to help the Cavaliers become bowl eligible in 2011 but may fall short.
No. 68: Butch Jones, Cincinnati
Butch Jones was the new man at Cincinnati last year and had a less then desirable record, 4-8. In 2011, the depth chart will need to be built back up, and then the Bearcats can make strides to return to a bowl game.
No. 67: Doc Holliday, Marshall
Doc Holliday had an average start to his coaching career, going 5-7 last year and finishing fourth in the east. This year, Holliday will have to replace his starting quarterback and show that the program is moving forward.
No. 66: Mike Price, UTEP
Mike Price is entering his 30th season of coaching and has spent the past seven years as the head coach at UTEP. Last year, the Miners were able to get into a bowl game, but after losing nine starters on offense, Price will have trouble getting back to one in 2011.
No. 65: Art Briles, Baylor
Art Briles has spent three out of eight years with Baylor as a head coach and has had his ups and downs. Briles has led them to a 15-22 record but appears to have an offense that could do some damage, led by Robert Griffin.
No. 64: Turner Gill, Kansas
Turner Gill was able to turn his success with Buffalo into a job with Kansas last year and realized that it would be just as difficult with the Jayhawks. In 2010, Gill went 3-9 and does not have a strong team to look forward to in 2011.
No. 63: Ruffin McNeill, ECU
Ruffin McNeill is entering his second year as head coach at ECU and has a lot of holes to fill in 2011. Last year, the Pirates went 6-7 under McNeill and made a bowl game, but 2011 appears like it will be a step backwards.
No. 62: June Jones, SMU
June Jones has done an outstanding job since arriving at SMU and has the program heading in the right direction. In three years, he has gone 16-23 but led them to a 7-7 record last year, along with a bowl appearance.
No. 61: George O'Leary, UCF
George O'Leary has spent half his career with UCF and has gone 45-44 with the program. O'Leary has done a good job in his current position and led the Knights to a Conference USA title in 2010.
No. 60: Danny Hope, Purdue
Danny Hope has been the head coach at Purdue now for two years. During his two years, Hope is 9-15, and with the addition of Nebraska to the Big 10, Purdue has been bumped down another peg.
In 2011, Hope will need to show the people surrounding the program that things are moving in a positive direction.
No. 59: Rick Neuheisel, UCLA
UCLA has been hungry for a winner for awhile, and Rick Neuheisel came in three years ago, promising they would get just that. Three years later, and the Bruins are 15-22 and Neuheisel is on the hot seat.
No. 58: Joker Phillips, Kentucky
While Kentucky is not known for their football program, the fans are going to look for more than a 6-7 record. Joker Phillips must recruit hard and do a great job coaching his players to get them to be competitive in the SEC.
No. 57: Charlie Strong, Louisville
Charlie Strong is another coach that has not spent much time with his current Big East team. Strong went 7-6 in his first year as head coach at Louisville, and things do not look to be much easier in 2011.
No. 56: Jim Grobe, Wake Forest
Jim Grobe has spent the majority of his career with Wake Forest, compiling a record of 62-60 over 10 years. In 2011, the Demon Deacons return a good amount of starters and are hoping to stay out of the bottom of the ACC.
No. 55: Kevin Sumlin, Houston
With Case Keenum back for 2011, Kevin Sumlin's job is a whole lot easier. During his three years in Houston, Sumlin is 23-16 and is hoping that Keenum will help the Cougars improve from last year's 5-7 record.
No. 54: Larry Blakeney, Troy
Larry Blakeney has spent his entire 20 year career at Troy and has gone 161-82-1. After an 8-5 season last year, Blakeney has a solid defense returning but will need to develop his offense.
No. 53: Larry Fedora-Southern Miss
Last year, the Golden Eagles finished second in Conference USA, and Larry Fedora is hoping to take them to a conference title in 2011. Over his three years, Fedora has gone 22-17 and has the program improving.
No. 52: Tim Beckman, Toledo
After an 8-5 finish in 2010, the schedule will play a huge part in Tim Beckman and Toledo taking a step back in 2011. Overall, Beckman has done a good job with Toledo but will have a difficult time in 2011.
No. 51: Greg McMackin. Hawaii
Greg McMackin has been at Hawaii now for three years and has put together a 23-18 record during his time. In 2010, the Warriors were co-champions and hope to hold the title on their own in 2011.
No. 50: Ron Zook, Illinois
Ron Zook is starting to look like a coach on his way out of Illinois. Zook has spent six years with the Illini and has gone 28-45. Unless things turn around quickly in 2011, Zook could be looking elsewhere.
No. 49: Frank Spaziani, Boston College
Two years ago, Boston College turned to Frank Spaziani to take over the program, and he has led them to a 16-11 overall record. The problem in 2011 for Boston College will be the lack of depth, which will cause them to struggle in the ACC.
No. 48: Frank Solich, Ohio
Frank Solich has done a nice job of keeping Ohio competitive in the MAC for the past few years. Over his six years at Ohio, he has gone 40-36 and is looking to improve on last year's 8-5 record.
No. 47: Bill Snyder, Kansas State
After taking some times off, Bill Snyder returned to Kansas State in 2009 and is hoping to regain some of his past successes. Since rejoining the Wildcats, Snyder has gone 6-6 and 7-6 and is hoping to see a step forward in 2011.
No. 46: Dennis Erickson, Arizona State
Dennis Erickson knows that he is in a spot in which he must win. He is one of the favorites to come out of the Pac-12 South, and failure to do so might mark the end of his time at Arizona State.
No. 45: Greg Schiano, Rutgers
After spending 10 years at Rutgers, Greg Shiano may be realizing he missed the boat on moving to a more high profile job. Shiano has led the Scarlet Knights to success in past years, but as of late, things have not gone well for the program.
No. 44: Derek Dooley, Tennessee
Derrick Dooley took over at Tennessee when Lane Kiffin bolted out of town. While a 7-6 record is nothing to be blown away by, the Vols have done well recruiting and appear to have some young depth to work with in 2011.
No. 43: Mike Stoops, Arizona
Despite looking like he is ready to grab his chest and fall over, Mike Stoops is a fiery coach that has had some success at Arizona. Over seven years, Stoops is 40-45 but has the talent to surprise some teams in the Pac-12 this year.
No. 42: Skip Holtz, South Florida
Skip Holtz took over at South Florida last year and led the Bulls to a 8-5 record. Some believe that in 2011. South Florida is a contender to win the Big East, and to be honest, it is a conference that is wide open to most teams.
No. 41: Troy Calhoun, Air Force
Another coach who has done a good job with a service academy program is Troy Calhoun at Air Force. Calhoun has been the head man for four years now and has put together a 34-18 record.
In 2010, the Falcons went 9-4, but it will be interesting to see what they do in 2011 after the losses they suffered to graduation.
No. 40: Dabo Swinney, Clemson
Three years ago, Dabo Swinney took over at Clemson and has gone 19-15 during that time. Swinney is in a tough spot this year but continues to bring in solid recruiting classes. After last year's six win season, the Tigers should be able to win seven or eight games.
No. 39: Tom O'Brien, NC State
Losing Russell Wilson was a huge offseason blow to NC State and Tom O'Brien and will set them back in 2011. Over his four years with the Wolf Pack, O'Brien has gone 25-25 and will certainly see his record dip below .500 during this season.
No. 38: Houston Nutt, Ole Miss
Houston Nutt has gone 22-16 over three years at Ole Miss, and while he is not on the hot seat, fans are going to become anxious for a winner. Nutt must show that the Rebels are in good hands during the 2011 season.
No. 37: Rich Ellerson, Army
Rich Ellerson has spent two years with Army and is hovering around .500 with a 12-13 record. If he can put together a successful 2011, the program will show its making strides in the right direction.
No. 36: Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech
Paul Johnson has instituted the triple option offense at Georgia Tech and has seen great success with it. Over three years, he has gone 26-14, but now must replace key pieces of his potent offense.
No. 35: Ken Niumatalolo, Navy
For three years, Ken Niumatalolo has been leading Navy and has done a great job. While service academies struggle to remain competitive, Niumatalolo is showing that it can be done.
No. 34: Doug Marrone, Syracuse
Syracuse has seen Doug Marrone go 12-13 over his two years as head coach and showed promise last year, leading the program to a bowl victory. Orange fans are hoping to see another step forward in 2011.
No. 33: Mark Richt, Georgia
Mark Richt's 10 years at Georgia could be coming to an end in 2011. Richt has gone 96-34, but his recent struggles with the program has seen him fall out of favor with fans and people around the program. A slow start could end up sealing his fate.
No. 32: Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
Pat Fitzgerald has spent all five years of his coaching career with Northwestern. Fitzgerald has a good team heading into 2011 and will look to improve on his 34-29 record.
No. 31: Steve Sarkisian, Washington
Steve Sarkisian has been up in Washington for two years now and has put together a 12-13 record. More important than the record, Washington fans believe that he is bringing them back to their old form and will have them competing for conference titles very soon.
No. 30: Gary Pinkel, Missouri
Over the past 10 years, Gary Pinkel has coached at Missouri and has led them to a 77-49 record. This year, Pinkel will be without quarterback Blaine Gabbert, which could make winning 10 games a challenge.
No. 29: Lane Kiffin, USC
Lane Kiffin took over at USC last year and led the Trojans to a 8-5 record. Despite dealing with existing sanctions, Kiffin appears to be getting the Trojans ready for another run at the conference title.
No. 28: Dan Mullen, Mississippi State
In two years, Dan Mullen has made a name for himself inside the SEC and with his rivals. The coach has gone 14-11 through his first two years and has promised that he will never lose to rival Ole Miss during his tenure.
No. 27: Tommy Tuberville, Texas Tech
Tommy Tuberville has plenty of experience and is hoping to have that translate well at Texas Tech. In his first season with the Red Raiders, Tuberville went 8-5 and is looking to improve on that in 2011.
No. 26: Jeff Tedford, Cal
Jeff Tedford has done a very nice job over the past nine season and has led Cal to a 72-42 mark. Last year was a down year for Cal, and with the lack of returning starters in 2011, it could be another rough year before things get better.
No. 25: Bronco Mendenhall, BYU
For six years, Bronco Mendenhall has been keeping BYU on the map and making sure they remain competitive. The Cougars have gone 56-21 under him, and he is not going anywhere anytime soon.
No. 24: Mike Sherman, Texas A&M
After leaving the NFL, Mike Sherman has spent three years as the head coach of the Aggies. During his time with Texas A&M, Sherman has gone 19-19 and needs to capitalize on the talent they have going into 2011.
No. 23: Mike Riley, Oregon State
Mike Riley and Oregon State have never backed down from a challenge during his 10 years with the program, but that might be working against them in today's current time.
Riley has always had the Beavers competing in tough out of conference games but has seen this backfire time after time. Riley is a solid coach that will continue to keep the Beavers relevant in conference play.
No. 22: Jimbo Fisher, Florida State
Now in his second year, more will be expected of Jimbo Fisher. In 2010, he led the Seminoles to a 10-4 record and helped them win the Chick-fil-A bowl over South Carolina. Coming into 2011, Florida State is a top 10 team and is expected to make noise nationally.
We wont have to wait long to see how far the Seminoles can go as they take on Oklahoma in the third week of the season.
No. 21: Chris Ault, Nevada
With over 200 victories and 26 years experience, Chris Ault is an outstanding coach and led Nevada to a 13-1 record in 2010. Despite losing some key players, Ault will have the Wolf Pack ready for another run in 2011.
No. 20: Pat Hill, Fresno State
Pat Hill is trying to elevate Fresno State from a good team to a great team. While with the Bulldogs, Hill has had some success and is looking at 2011 as an important year in the programs history.
No. 19: Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
While a record of 8-5 in his first year may not seem that great, Brian Kelly has the Irish going in the right direction in 2011. If he is able to help the team live up to the hype surrounding this season, it could be a great year for the Irish.
No. 18: Kyle Whittingham, Utah
Kyle Whittingham has been one of the more underrated coaches in the nation. He has spent six years at Utah and has put together a 58-20 record. He has been able to lead this team into BCS bowl games and is now going to lead them into the Pac-12.
The switch in conference will be an outstanding opportunity to prove that the Utes belong.
No. 17: Bobby Petrino, Arkansas
Bobby Petrino's three years at Arkansas have seen its fair share of ups and downs. He has put together a 23-15 record and led the Razorbacks to a BCS bowl game.
No. 16: Mark Dantonio, Michigan State
Mark Dantonio has been a head coach for seven years and has spent the last four with Michigan State. Not only has Dantonio been able to turn things around in the state, but he has also helped Michigan State gain more national recognition.
No. 15: Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
Kirk Ferentz has been the head man at Iowa for 12 years now and has done an outstanding job leading this program. Ferentz is 89-60 overall at Iowa and has been consistent throughout his tenure.
No. 14: Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
Despite being known for his post game explosion, Mike Gundy done a solid job at Oklahoma State over the past six years. Gundy has put together a 47-29 record and appears to have a team that can compete for Oklahoma this year.
No. 13: Steve Spurrier, South Carolina
Some may think that the old ball coach has seen his best days come and go, but 2011 could be a terrific year for Spurrier. While at South Carolina, he has gone 44-33 over six years and led the Gamecocks to the SEC title game last year.
In 2011, Spurrier has a ton of offensive talent but will only go as far as his defense takes him.
No. 12: Bret Bielema, Wisconsin
Bret Bielema has spent all five years as a head coach at Wisconsin, and in 2010, he led the Badgers to the Rose Bowl.
With the recent addition of Russell Wilson to the offense, Bielema will certainly add to his 49-16 record.
No. 11: Bo Pelini, Nebraska
Bo Pelini spent his first three years as head coach in the Big 12, and now he heads to the Big Ten with Nebraska. Pelini is 30-12 overall and has the Huskers as a favorite to win the conference title.
No. 10: Gary Patterson, TCU
Last year, Gary Patterson helped TCU earn a huge BCS bowl victory in the Rose Bowl. Over 10 years at TCU, Patterson has put together a 98-28 record and will face his biggest test in 2011 after the loss of Andy Dalton.
No. 9: Joe Paterno, Penn State
Despite his age, Joe Paterno is still doing a good job at Penn State. During his 45 seasons as head coach, Paterno has put together a 401-135-3 record and will go down as one of the best coaches to ever be involved with college sports.
No. 8: Chip Kelly, Oregon
The one knock against Coach Chip Kelly is the fact that he hasn't finished off a great season. As the head coach of Oregon, Kelly has gone 22-4 and led the program to a Rose Bowl and National Title appearance.
If Kelly can lead the Ducks to a BCS bowl victory, he will start to elevate himself on this list.
No. 7: Gene Chizik, Auburn
In only his second year as head coach for Auburn, Gene Chizik made believers out of everyone by winning the BCS National Title. With a 22-5 record as Auburn head coach, it will be interesting to see how he adjusts and responds to the loss of Cam Newton.
No. 6: Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech
Frank Beamer has been at Virginia Tech for 24 years now and is knocking on the door of 200 wins. Beamer has done an excellent job building this program up and hopes to be able to push them over the top in 2011.
No. 5: Chris Petersen, Boise State
Chris Petersen has been at the center of Boise State's growth. Over his five years, he has gone 61-5 and has kept the Broncos in the conversation for the BCS national title every year.
No. 4: Les Miles, LSU
Les Miles has spent six years with the Tigers, and no matter how crazy or bizarre you think he can be at times, it has delivered results. Miles is 62-17 as the head man at LSU and also has a national title on his resume and is hoping to make it two in 2011.
No. 3: Mack Brown, Texas
During his 13 years with Texas, Mack Brown has become an icon in Texas. His only losing season occurred last year, and he has led the Longhorns to a national title.
No. 2: Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
Over 12 years with Oklahoma, Bob Stoops has put together an outstanding record, going 129-31. Early on his career, Stoops won a national title and has not done so since.
In 2011, Stoops has a great offense and solid defense that can hopefully bring them back to the BCS National Title game.
No. 1: Nick Saban-Alabama
Since arriving in Alabama, Nick Saban has gone 43-11 and delivered a national title to the Crimson Tide faithful. He is a tireless recruiter and rarely has a team that is unprepared for any opponent they go up against.