Top 15 College Football Head Coach Rankings: Kirby Smart, Ryan Day, Marcus Freeman, Dabo Swinney, Kalen DeBoer, Josh Heupel, Curt Cignetti, and more

Jackson's college football head coach rankings for 2025. His top 15 best NCAA head football coaches ahead of the 2025 CFB season, including Kirby Smart, Marcus Freeman, and more.

We're roughly four months away from the start of the 2025-26 college football season, but hey, who's counting? Sure, the offseason has become more intriguing thanks to the transfer portal madness, but nothing comes close to the excitement of college football Saturdays in the fall. While we continue to wait for kickoff, it's officially "list" and "rankings" season.

In this article, we'll dive into the top 15 college football head coaches heading into the 2025 campaign. As always, there will be debates and disagreements on the rankings, but that's part of the fun! Before we dive in, we'll examine nine head coaches who just missed the list or need to prove it for another year to claim their spot among the brightest coaches in America. This time next year, the rankings will surely look far different as coaches and teams either shatter expectations or fail to meet them.

Where do big-name head coaches like Kirby Smart, Ryan Day, Marcus Freeman, Dabo Swinney, Kalen DeBoer, Josh Heupel, and Curt Cignetti stand? Let's get to it.

Honorable Mentions

Need To See More

• Spencer Danielson, Boise State
• Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State
• Rhett Lashlee, SMU
• Deion Sanders, Colorado

Just Missed The List

• Shane Beamer, South Carolina
• Matt Campbell, Iowa State
• Chris Klieman, Kansas State
• Jeff Monken, Army
• Mike Norvell, Florida State

15. Lincoln Riley, USC

Career Resume

• Career Record: 81-24
• Record With USC: 26-14
• Top Feat With USC: 11-win season (2022)

Lincoln Riley was much higher on lists like these a few years ago, but he's dangerously close to falling outside the top 15. For now, he starts our list thanks to his overall body of work. The 41-year-old won four consecutive Big 12 titles with Oklahoma before a "down" year in Norman. He then jumped ship to USC and narrowly missed the four-team CFP in 2022.

His 8-5 record with reigning Heisman Trophy-winner Caleb Williams in 2023 felt like rock bottom, but then a 7-6 campaign in 2024 proved that was not the case. After losing five games by one score last year, the Trojans must show significant improvement in the program's second year in the Big Ten. If not, Riley is firmly on the hot seat and comfortably off the list of top-end head coaches.

14. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri

Career Resume

• Career Record: 50-24
• Record With Missouri: 38-24
• Top Feat With Missouri: 11-win season (2023)

Eli Drinkwitz might not be a household name, but his Tigers have quietly been one of the better Power 4 programs in the nation over the last two seasons. Missouri is 21-5 since the start of the 2023 campaign, including 11-5 in the SEC, despite its roster not matching up with the conference's elite teams on paper.

ELI DRINKWITZ IS YOUR 2023 SEC COACH OF THE YEAR pic.twitter.com/8Ffd6OQoV2

— Barstool Mizzou (@BarstoolMizzou) December 6, 2023

Key studs from the last few years, such as quarterback Brady Cook, running back Cody Schrader, and wide receiver Luther Burden III, are all gone, so it will be interesting to see how Drinkwitz moves forward with fresh personnel. Fortunately for Tigers fans, the program continues to attract strong transfer portal classes, helping to sustain its success.

13. Jeff Brohm, Louisville

Career Resume

• Career Record: 85-52
• Record With Louisville: 19-8
• Top Feat With Louisville: 10-win season (2023)

Jeff Brohm did a heck of a job with Western Kentucky before his six-year stint with the Purdue Boilermakers. While his 36-34 record in West Lafayette may not look impressive on the surface, he led Purdue to four bowl games after the program had missed the postseason for four consecutive years. He was easily one of the best head coaches in modern Purdue history.

Now at his alma mater, Louisville, the Kentucky native is off to a hot start. His 19 wins since taking the job are the program's most over a two-year stretch since Charlie Strong and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater shined in 2012 and 2013 (23 wins). Don't be surprised if he turns the Cardinals into a consistent player for the ACC crown and College Football Playoff spot.

12. Curt Cignetti, Indiana

Career Resume

• Career Record: 130-37
• Record With Indiana: 11-2
• Top Feat With Indiana: 11-win season, CFB appearance (2024)

Sure, you could argue Cignetti belongs in the "need to see more" section of this list, but winning an Indiana program-record 11 games in Year 1 at the helm, along with his work at James Madison, puts him firmly inside the top 15. Cignetti posted a 52-9 record with the Dukes, and the move from the FCS to the FBS was a seamless transition under his leadership.

Curt Cignetti? Google him 😏🔥@IndianaFootball stays undefeated 💯 pic.twitter.com/9P0PqLKkCT

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 19, 2024

With the Hoosiers, he instantly built a winner, as Indiana began the 2024 season with a 10-0 record and finished with a College Football Playoff berth. Many will point out the weak schedule the program faced, but this is Indiana we're talking about, a program that had not won more than eight games since 1967... even before Lee Corso coached there. Give Cignetti his flowers.

11. Brian Kelly, LSU

Career Resume

• Career Record: 292-107-2
• Record With LSU: 29-11
• Top Feat With LSU: 10-win season (2022, 2023)

Brian Kelly would be in the top five if this were a lifetime achievement list. He's arguably one of the greatest coaches ever to never win a National Championship, but his stock is down after three seasons with LSU. Sure, a 29-11 record is solid, but let's remember the last three LSU head coaches all won titles. With five-star talent littered throughout the state of LSU and the program's never-ending football resources, at least three losses in each season can be labeled a disappointment. The expectation for LSU should be to make the 12-team College Football Playoff every season, and he failed to do so in the first year of its existence.

His work with Grand Valley State, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, and Notre Dame should be applauded, though. Now, he's at a place with zero excuses for not winning at the highest level, so after the 2025 campaign, he's likely to be a big riser or faller among the sport's best active coaches.

10. Josh Heupel, Tennessee

Career Resume

• Career Record: 65-23
• Record With Tennessee: 37-15
• Top Feat With Tennessee: 11-win season (2022), CFP appearance (2024)

Make no mistake about it, Tennessee has always had the resources to be an upper-tier team in the SEC, but for whatever reason, the Vols could not find their footing with their last four head coaches following the departure of Phillip Fulmer. With Heupel in town, the program finally has stability and forward-thinking coaching, which has led to its most successful three-year stretch since Peyton Manning and Tee Martin were on campus in Knoxville. Heupel immediately transformed the Tennessee offense into one of the better units in the SEC, and over time, the defense has caught up. His win over Nick Saban in 2022 cemented him as a fan favorite.

The Vols have won 30 games over the last three years, but the 2025 season will be intriguing after the departure of quarterback Nico Iamaleava. However, it's not difficult to envision Heupel finding a way to field a more-than-servicable offense with App State/UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar or one of the talented freshmen, Jake Merklinger or George MacIntyre, based on his track record with multiple schools and signal-callers. Tennessee looks to snap two-decade droughts against Alabama and Florida on the road this year.

BREAKING: UCLA transfer QB Joey Aguilar has COMMITTED to Tennessee! 🍊

Aguilar transferred into UCLA from App State, where he totaled 7,216 yards and 61 TDs in two seasons

Josh Heupel has his Quarterback. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/YLvhGeA9r6

— Vol Scoops (@VolScoops) April 21, 2025

9. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss

Career Resume

• Career Record: 105-52
• Record With Ole Miss: 44-18
• Top Feat With Ole Miss: 11-win season (2023)

Opinions of Lane Kiffin vary widely, but it's impossible to deny his ability to coach football at this stage in his career. He took his lumps with Tennessee and USC early in his career, but after spending three seasons as Saban's offensive coordinator, he has emerged stronger on the other side. Kiffin's two Conference USA titles with Florida Atlantic earned him the head job in Oxford, and he's done nothing but exceed expectations since. The Rebels have won at least 10 games three times in Kiffin's five-year tenure. Ole Miss had two such seasons in the last 17 years before his arrival.

Now, the 49-year-old must prove he can take the next step after failing to make the College Football Playoff in 2024 thanks to inexcusable losses to Florida and Kentucky. Expectations have been raised tremendously in Oxford, so it will be interesting to see if he can meet them.

8. James Franklin, Penn State

Career Resume

• Career Record: 125-57
• Record With Penn State: 101-42
• Top Feat With Penn State: Big Ten Champion (2016), 13-win season, CFP semifinalist (2024)

Many will argue that James Franklin is overrated, while others will say he is underrated. What if he's simply properly rated? In most cases, he wins the games he's supposed to and loses the games he's expected to. That's not good enough to win a title, but his six seasons of at least 10 wins in Happy Valley are hard to deny. Yes, the Nittany Lions got a nice draw in the College Football Playoff last year, but we can't completely diminish the run to the CFP semifinals. How many programs would trade places or coaches with Penn State? The majority of them.

James Franklin
Average Recruiting Rank: 15th
Average AP Finish Rank: 8th
4th in NFL Draft Picks since 2022
CJF has built an NFL factory @ PSU & consistently over performed. Teams w consistent top 10 classes have not done this well. https://t.co/b0fgGEnhBl

— 🇧 🔟🇧 🇪 🇾 🇴 🇳 🇩 (@B10BEYOND) April 17, 2025

With quarterback Drew Allar and fantastic running back duo Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton back in the fold, Penn State has National Championship hopes again in 2025. Can Franklin "pull a Ryan Day" and silence the doubters by winning the Big One? That's one of college football's top storylines to watch next season.

7. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama

Career Resume

• Career Record: 113-16
• Record With Alabama: 9-4
• Top Feat With Alabama: Nine-win season (2024)

A 9-4 season at Alabama might as well be considered a 5-7 campaign, but we'll give DeBoer the Year 1 benefit of the doubt. If you want to dismiss his career at Sioux Falls, go ahead, but a 67-3 record with three NAIA National Championships counts for something. Even if you erase that part of his resume, his 37-9 record across four seasons with Fresno State and Washington is more than impressive, especially when his Huskies' tenure ended in a National Championship appearance.

That said, last year's four losses with arguably the best roster in college football were inexcusable. But there is reason for optimism moving forward. Jalen Milroe was never a great fit for what DeBoer wants to do on offense, so it's reasonable to expect a more versatile and explosive passing attack in 2025. If DeBoer fails to make the CFP next year, he'll already be firmly on the hot seat in Tuscaloosa and significantly fall down the head coach power rankings.

6. Dan Lanning, Oregon

Career Resume

• Career Record: 35-6
• Record With Oregon: 35-6
• Top Feat With Oregon: 13-win season, Big Ten Champion, CFP appearance (2024)

In just three seasons as a head coach at any level, Dan Lanning is already considered one of the game's best. The 39-year-old is a star in the making, and it looked like his Ducks were on the way to a potential title run before the Ohio State juggernaut was born following its loss to Michigan. Oregon was the first 1-seed in the 12-team CFP era after the Ducks defeated three playoff teams in the regular season and the Big Ten Championship Game.

Lanning has relied on seasoned veterans Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel to carry the offense and help build the program in his image, so he will have to navigate working with the inexperienced Dante Moore at quarterback in 2025. However, the Ducks never lack high-end talent and should be firmly in contention for another Big Ten crown.

5. Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame

Career Resume

• Career Record: 33-10
• Record With Notre Dame: 33-10
• Top Feat With Notre Dame: 14-win season, National Champion runner-up (2024)

After Notre Dame's loss to Northern Illinois, there were likely, and reasonably, people calling for his job. It's incredible how fast things can change. Following that Week 2 loss on the heels of a thrilling win at Kyle Field against Texas A&M, the Irish won 12 consecutive contests. 11 of those wins were by at least two scores (eight by three scores), including playoff bouts against Indiana and Georgia. Was it a flukey run? It's difficult to make that case given the margin of victories and the beatdown of the sport's best coach, Kirby Smart. We know by now the Irish fell short in the National Championship Game, but as expected, they battled back to nearly complete an all-time comeback.

Love thee, Notre Dame

Marcus Freeman, Sugar Bowl champ, is FIRED up. pic.twitter.com/CsQX897fZa

— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) January 3, 2025

All that said, Freeman has to find a way to prevent embarrassing upsets from happening after miscues against Marshall and NIU in his Notre Dame career. Next season, the Irish don't necessarily have any "trap" games on their schedule, as their small-conference contests include matchups against Boise State and Navy. With Sam Hartman, Riley Leonard, and Steve Angeli gone, it appears to be redshirt-freshman quarterback CJ Carr's time to lead the program. Freeman is still young, so let's see if he can replicate the extreme success he had in 2024.

4. Steve Sarkisian, Texas

Career Resume

• Career Record: 84-52
• Record With Texas: 38-17
• Top Feat With Texas: Big 12 Champion (2023), 13-win season, CFP semifinalist (2023, 2024)

Like Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian struggled early in his coaching career before heading to "Nick Saban camp." But now, he is officially the coach who has brought Texas back... finally. After a rocky 13-12 start in Austin, Sark has led the Longhorns to two consecutive College Football Playoff semifinal appearances. Year 1 in the SEC was a major success for Texas, going 7-0 in conference play against teams not named Georgia. Texas defeated Swinney and Clemson in the first round of last year's CFP before a thrilling "W" against the surging Arizona State Sun Devils. Texas was highly competitive with the eventual National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl, but ultimately fell short.

Now, it's time for Heisman-favorite Arch Manning to take over the reins of Sark's offense, and Longhorns fans believe he raises the program's ceiling. In Week 1, we get a battle between the two teams with the shortest odds to win the National Championship when Texas travels to Columbus. That will be a sneak peek into whether Texas is ready to bring home the hardware.

3. Ryan Day, Ohio State

Career Resume

• Career Record: 70-10
• Record With Ohio State: 70-10
• Top Feat With Ohio State: 14-win season, National Champion (2024)

After Ohio State suffered a fourth consecutive loss to Michigan in the final week of the regular season, it looked like Ryan Day could be on the hot seat. After all, the Buckeyes had title hopes, and losing to the worst Michigan team since 2020 eliminated them from the Big Ten title game, suggesting the CFP Championship would be hard to come by. Not so fast. That Michigan loss lit a fire under the program, and Tennessee, Oregon, Texas, and Notre Dame got to feel it.

Sure, the Buckeyes would not have even made the CFP under past formats, but what's the point in that argument? What we do know is that Day led the team to six victories over teams ranked No. 7 or higher, and Ohio State won its four playoff games by an average margin of 18.3 points. Day went from "overrated zero" to "title-winning hero" in the span of roughly two months, and until proven otherwise, there cannot be a set of head-coaching rankings without him at least in the top five.

2. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

Career Resume

• Career Record: 180-47
• Record With Clemson: 180-47
• Top Feat With Clemson: Two-time National Champion (2016, 2018)

If you're surprised by Swinney in the No. 2 spot, you have likely moved the goalposts of what makes a head coach great. While Swinney has not become the "next Nick Saban" after it looked like he might following six straight College Football Playoff appearances and two national titles, his "fall-off" has been dramatized. The Tigers have won eight of the last 10 ACC titles, including four since the program's last national title in 2018. Clemson has not been as dominant as it was with Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence, but they are still tied for fifth in total wins this decade (50). Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, and Notre Dame are the only programs ahead on that list.

“We’re just sitting back and watching, watching it all around us.” — Dabo Swinney

As the college football world turns in the recent NIL/portal madness, ⁦the ⁦@ClemsonFB⁩ model remains unchanged. https://t.co/uCfeodC16N

— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) April 23, 2025

Last season, Clemson earned the final spot in the CFP after knocking off SMU in Charlotte and is poised to make a run at a "natty" in 2025. Clemson has the most returning starters in the country (16), including the much-improved quarterback Cade Klubnik, a stud trio of wideouts Antonio Williams, Bryant Wesco Jr., and T.J. Moore, and four starters along the offensive line. Oh, and the Tigers lured former Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen to run its defense in 2025. Clemson is back.

1. Kirby Smart, Georgia

Career Resume

• Career Record: 105-19
• Record With Georgia: 105-19
• Top Feat With Georgia: Two-time National Champion (2021, 2022)

90 percent or more of these lists will have Kirby Smart in the No. 1 spot, so there should not be much controversy here. Former Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt had the program in a good spot when Smart took it over, but he's turned it from "good" to "elite". He's been so good that just an SEC Championship and CFP appearance in 2024 felt like a major letdown. NIL and the transfer portal have eliminated programs like Georgia from stacking a ridiculous amount of depth, but it would be a surprise if he's not back in the national title game soon.

We don't know all that much about Gunner Stockton as the next leader of the Dawgs, but we do know the floor in Athens is likely what we saw last year. Unless Swinney or Day win another national championship soon, Smart will keep his place atop the coaching hierarchy.

More College Football Analysis