RADIO
Jackson's college football head coach rankings for all 12 head coaches in the College Football Playoffs. His 1-12 breakdown for Curt Cignetti, Kirby Smart, and more.
College Football Playoff Head Coach Rankings
It’s almost time for the start of the second iteration of the 12-team College Football Playoff! No many how many teams have been eligible for the playoffs, there is always controversy on Selection Sunday. That said, the matchups are finalized, and the first round has four games, two of which seem lopsided.
In this article, we aren’t ranking the teams or picking winners of the games. Instead, we’re ranking all 12 coaches from first to last. It’s college football, so these aren’t apples-to-apples comparisons. Some of these coaches have 10 times the amount of resources as others, so we’re going to do our best to factor that in, too. Let’s get to it!
12. Pete Golding, Ole Miss
Career Record: 0-0
Golding is set to make his debut as a college football head coach on Saturday, so by default, he takes the No. 12 spot in the rankings. The 41-year-old was Nick Saban’s defensive coordinator at Alabama for five seasons before taking over the same role under Lane Kiffin in Oxford in 2023. He has plenty of big-game experience, but it will be his first time in the control chair.
Luckily for him, he draws a favorable matchup against Tulane, a team that Ole Miss already defeated by 35 points in September.
11. Mario Cristobal, Miami
Career Record: 94-78
Cristobol is one of the country’s greatest recruiters. He can put together a talented roster as well as anybody in the profession, but as a pure coach, there’s a lot to be desired. Miami couldn’t win the ACC this season, despite the conference being the weakest it’s been in decades.
Miami should have been a 12-0 football team this year, but losses to Louisville and SMU had it on the playoff bubble, where it narrowly got into the field. Oh yeah, and his team missed the CFP last year after collapsing late in the season, despite having Cam Ward at QB. Crisobol’s team has no-showed too many times in recent years.
10. Joey McGuire, Texas Tech
Career Record: 35-17
After turning in two eight-win campaigns and a seven-win campaign in his first two seasons in Lubbock, McGuire has the Red Raiders at 12-1 and a bye in the College Football Playoff. With a run of wins, he could skyrocket up this list. But it’s too early to say he’s one of the top dogs in the profession.
Texas Tech had, by far, the most talented roster in the Big 12 thanks to its NIL chops and transfer portal class, and the Red Raiders were not faced with much adversity. I want to see McGuire win some big games against some of the other conference’s elite teams.
9. Bob Chesney, James Madison
Career Record: 132-51
Bob Chesney is only 48, but he already has two NE-10 titles, five Patriot League titles, and a Sun Belt Championship under his belt. His winning percentage speaks for itself, and he’s already worked his way up to the UCLA head-coaching job in 2026, whenever the Dukes’ season ends.
He’ll be facing Oregon plenty during his tenure with the Bruins, and he’ll get his first crack at Dan Lanning and the Ducks on Saturday night.
8. Brent Venables, Oklahoma
Career Record: 32-19
Following the 6-7 season in 2024, Venables entered this year on the hot seat. Many had hope for Oklahoma after it landed quarterback John Mateer in the transfer portal, but the former Washington State Cougar hasn’t been all that impressive since his wrist surgery early in the season. Instead, it’s been Venables’ defense that has been carrying the load.
The Sooners won their final four regular-season games, including wins over three ranked opponents. The wins over Alabama in Tuscaloosa and Tennessee in Knoxville raised Venables’ stock as a head coach significantly. On Friday night, he’ll look to improve to 3-0 against the Kaleb DeBoer-led Crimson Tide.
7. Mike Elko, Texas A&M
Career Record: 35-15
After working as Jimbo Fisher’s defensive coordinator at A&M, Elko had a solid two-year stint at Duke, winning 16 games in two seasons. The Aggies brought him back as head coach, and he’s won 19 of his first 25 games in College Station, including posting an 11-1 record this season.
Texas A&M has struggled to compete for a championship since joining the SEC in 2012, but Elko has the program in the College Football Playoff in Year 2. Is the 48-year-old a rising star in the making? We’ll find out.
6. Jon Sumrall, Tulane
Career Record: 43-11
All Sumrall does is win. In four seasons as a head coach at Troy and Tulane, he’s qualified for the conference championship game every year, winning three. He’s a whopping 14-2 in four seasons of conference games, and his excellence earned him the head job at Florida when Tulane’s season concludes.
No, I do not expect Tulane to beat Ole Miss, but that’s because of the talent disparity. Sumrall will have the Green Wave ready to play, though. It should be closer than the 45-10 loss to the Rebels in September.
5. Dan Lanning, Oregon
Career Record: 46-7
In four years as a head coach, the 39-year-old Lanning has yet to post a season with fewer than 10 wins, despite having four different starting quarterbacks. He’s a great recruiter and motivator, and his only two losses over the last two seasons came against the eventual College Football Playoff National Champions (Ohio State) and this year’s No. 1 overall seed in the CFP (Indiana).
Lanning comes from Kirby Smart’s coaching tree, and he might be the next big thing in the coaching profession if he can bring a Natty to Eugene.
4. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
Career Record: 123-19
DeBoer’s stock isn’t quite as high as it was when he first came to Alabama, but his overall resume continues to be impressive. DeBoer is 2-0 against Dan Lanning, and he led Washington to a College Football Playoff National Championship appearance. The guy can coach football, but it hasn’t been perfect in Tuscaloosa.
If he takes Alabama far in the CFP, he might move up this list. If he suffered another loss to Oklahoma and a first-round exit after being stomped by Georgia, he’s trending in the wrong direction.
3. Ryan Day, Ohio State
Career Record: 82-11
Ryan Day is the head coach of the reigning College Football Playoff National Champions, which is why he’s a clear top-three coach on the list. He has had the Buckeyes in the title picture nearly every season, and he’s No. 1 all-time in career winning percentage.
But Ohio State is set up for success, and it always has been. It took him six years to win a title, and he might have been fired following last year’s loss to Michigan if the playoff had not expanded to 12 teams. Plus, he just lost to Curt Cignetti head-to-head. He deserves tons of credit, but those are the reasons he’s behind the two coaches left on the list.
2. Curt Cignetti, Indiana
Career Record: 143-37
If Indiana wins the CFP National Championship this year, Cignetti will easily move to the No. 1 spot in these rankings. What he’s done in Bloomington seems impossible, but it is reality. Cignetti is 24-2 so far with Indiana, including 17-1 in Big Ten play. The last time Indiana won nine games was in 1967, and Cignetti already won 11 and 13 games in the last two seasons, respectively.
And this isn’t a Texas Tech situation, either. According to 247, Indiana ranks 72nd nationally in total talent (last in the Big Ten). None of this makes sense. Cignetti is just that good.
1. Kirby Smart, Georgia
Career Record: 117-20
The only active coach in college football with two national titles is Kirby Smart, and he has the Bulldogs poised for another potential championship run in 2025. He’s fresh off winning his fourth SEC Championship after blowing out Alabama in Atlanta, and his team has gotten significantly better throughout the season. That’s a sign of a great coach.
Georgia isn’t as dominant as it was during its back-to-back title runs thanks to NIL and the transfer portal, but Smart has clearly adapted. He’s No. 1 on the list until further notice.
