Rankings are basically just a sophisticated way to start an argument. You know it, I know it, and the guys voting in the polls definitely know it. When you look at the coaches football top 25, there is this weird tension between what a coach did five years ago and what they did last Saturday. Is Kirby Smart the best because he has the rings, or is Indiana’s Curt Cignetti the "it" guy because he just pulled off a miracle in Bloomington?
Honestly, the 2026 landscape has turned the traditional hierarchy upside down. The transfer portal and the expanded playoff have made it so a coach can go from the "hot seat" to a "national treasure" in about twelve months. If you aren't evolving, you're becoming a trivia question.
The Unattainable Top Tier
Kirby Smart is still the king. It is almost boring to say at this point, but 105 wins against 19 losses doesn't happen by accident. People love to talk about the talent he recruits—and he does—but his ability to keep a locker room from getting complacent in the NIL era is probably his most underrated skill. He’s the standard.
Then you have Ryan Day. It’s funny how a guy who wins nearly 90% of his games can still face so much heat. But winning the National Championship in 2024 finally silenced the "can't win the big one" crowd. He’s solidified at the number two spot for most experts because he proved he could get over the Michigan hump and the playoff hump in the same breath.
The New Blood Rising
- Curt Cignetti (Indiana): If you told someone three years ago that the Indiana coach would be a top-five staple, they’d have asked you to take a breathalyzer. Cignetti didn't just win; he changed the DNA of a program that was historically an afterthought. An 11-win season at Indiana is worth about three titles anywhere else.
- Dan Lanning (Oregon): He’s the recruiting monster of the West. Lanning has turned Oregon into a Big Ten powerhouse almost instantly. He’s aggressive, he’s young, and he’s built a defensive front that looks like something out of the NFL.
- Steve Sarkisian (Texas): Sark has finally made Texas "back" for real. No more memes. Just back-to-back playoff appearances and a roster that is arguably the deepest in the country.
Why the SEC Rankings are Melting Down
If you want to see a real mess, look at how people are ranking the SEC coaches right now. A recent list put Mike Elko at 8th despite taking Texas A&M to the playoff in just his second year. That feels low, right? But then you look at who is ahead of him.
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Lane Kiffin is at LSU now. Think about that for a second. The "Portal King" has one of the biggest brands in the sport and a blank check. Meanwhile, Kalen DeBoer is dealing with the impossible task of following Nick Saban. DeBoer is sitting at three or four on most lists because of his past success, but a couple of four-loss seasons at Alabama have the locals getting restless. The standard there isn't just winning; it's perfection.
Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea is another one that breaks the rankings. He won 10 games at Vandy. In the SEC. That’s like climbing Everest in flip-flops. Seeing him ranked 10th or lower in conference lists is exactly why fans think these polls are just "rage bait" to get clicks.
The Mid-Major Wizards
We have to talk about Jeff Monken at Army. One year in the American Athletic Conference, one conference championship, and a 12-win season. He does more with less than maybe any coach in the history of the sport. He’s 10th on the College Football News rankings for a reason.
Then there’s Kenny Dillingham at Arizona State. The energy is infectious. He’s 13th on several big boards because he’s proven that the "vibe shift" is a real coaching tactic. He turned a dormant program into a team that nobody wants to see on their schedule.
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The Metrics That Actually Matter
When experts put together a coaches football top 25, they aren't just looking at the scoreboard. They’re looking at:
- Roster Retention: How many guys stayed instead of hitting the portal?
- Recruiting Efficiency: Are you getting 5-stars, or are you developing 3-stars?
- In-Game Management: Do you blow timeouts? Do you go for it on 4th and 2?
Dabo Swinney is the perfect example of someone sliding because of these metrics. He has 180 wins. He has the rings. But his refusal to fully embrace the transfer portal has made Clemson feel like a "legacy" act rather than a current headliner. He’s still top five for some, but others have him sliding toward the teens because the sport moved, and he stayed still.
What People Get Wrong About the Bottom Half
The back ten of the top 25 is where the real coaching happens. It’s where you find guys like Matt Campbell at Iowa State. People criticize him for losing "weird" games, but they forget he’s winning at a place where winning shouldn't be the norm.
Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame is finally finding his footing, too. He’s moved up to 3rd or 4th in some aggressive rankings after his national championship run. He’s proven that he’s not just a recruiter; he’s a CEO.
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Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you're trying to figure out who the "real" top coaches are, stop looking at the preseason polls and look at the "spread vs. result" data.
Watch the "rebuilders" specifically. Coaches like Mike Elko and Curt Cignetti provide more value to their programs than "maintenance" coaches who just keep a blue-blood program running on autopilot.
Track the coordinator departures. A great coach is often defined by the staff they lose. If Kirby Smart keeps losing coordinators to head coaching jobs and keeps winning, that’s the sign of a system that is coach-proof.
Ignore the salary. Just because Kirby Smart makes $13.3 million doesn't mean a coach making $4 million can't out-scheme him on a given Saturday. Look at the tactical adjustments in the third quarter—that's where the top 25 are separated from the rest.
To get a true sense of where the power lies, keep an eye on the 2026 recruiting rankings alongside the on-field results. The coaches who are winning both battles—the talent acquisition and the tactical execution—are the ones who will stay on this list for the next decade. Keep a close watch on the "Group of 5" names like Bob Chesney at James Madison; they are usually the ones filling the vacancies in the top 25 by next January.