Athlon Sports: Ranking All 130 College Football Head Coaches for 2017
With Harbaugh at the helm, it’s only a matter of time before Michigan is in the CFB Playoff and among the nation’s best every year. The Wolverines are 20-6 overall and 13-4 in Big Ten play under Harbaugh’s direction. One reason Michigan is poised for a return to the top of college football? Recruiting. The Wolverines have inked back-to-back top-five classes and another standout haul is on the way for 2018. Harbaugh also has a track record of success. At San Diego, he went 7-4 in his first year (2004) and proceeded to record a 22-2 mark over the next two seasons. After going 4-8 in his debut at Stanford (2007), Harbaugh improved the program’s win total in three consecutive years, culminating in a 12-1 finish in 2010. After a 44-19-1 mark with the 49ers from 2011-14, Harbaugh returned to his alma mater and is one of the nation’s best coaches.
Mark Dantonio is ranked #13.
Going 3-9 will do that
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This may be the best running gag on this site and we didn't even make it up.
They work in Tuscaloosa and Columbus.
Which would be accurate if we're honest.
#4 is the debate I like to start on here. I always says it's Dabo and I get killed because people don't like him. Toss in the fact that Chris Petersen brought Washington back from the dead last year and I was extra wrong.
However, they put Jimbo at #4 and Dabo at #5.
I also like to stand up for David Shaw as a top 10 coach. He's #7. I personally think that's too high, but he's a much better coach than people here like to give him credit for.
I'd put Whittingham ahead of D'antoni and Franklin without question.
In all, it's not a bad list and I'm glad Hugh Freeze isn't in the top 20.
I'd like to see what Swinney does post-Watson. If he keeps the engine running, then I like the #4 or #5 ranking.
I like Petersen a lot, and what he did at Washington was terrific. If he sustains it, his #6 is reasonable.
Bill Snyder at #8 raises an eyebrow. I have a lot of respect for what he accomplishes at K-State. But if that's the criteria -- maximizing output given limited input -- then the list swizzles a bit.
Gary Patterson at #9 doesn't feel right. Just a gut feeling.
maximizing output given limited input
If that is the criteria, then Bill Snyder is #1, 2, and 3.
What he has been able to do at Kansas State is stunning.
As somebody who has watched college football since the 70's, I can remember when Kansas State was one of the worst programs in the country by far with no hope of turning that around.
They have no natural advantages whatsoever. The idea that they could become consistently good, much less championship-level, was completely ludicrous.
By my rough calculations, Bill Snyder's winning percentage is .6574.
WIthout Bill Synder, Kansas State is at .3799.
One has never coached at the top level and the one that did was very unsuccessful. The best coach is Harbaugh. This is not about who is the best recruiter. Harbaugh wins all games with level playing field.
Let's not kid ourselves . Those two are in a level of their own right now with success and current status .
Yes at the college level, but if you are unwilling to challenge yourself at the top level I just can't respect you as much as others who at least tried. Who is the winningest coach in High school right know or ever. Are they a better coach than anyone currently coaching in the big ten. Hmm.
The college game is different than pros and to act like the only way to prove yourself as a great college coach is to succeed in the NFL is ridiculous. It's apples and oranges. You can't quantify NFL success vs college success.
The best on the field coach between Harbaugh, Meyer and Saban is Jim Harbaugh. That is a 100% accurate statement and most experts would agree. I just read an article on this subject on how Meyer has to continue to out recruit Harbaugh because of the coaching edge. Look at the coordinators Meyer needs. When Wilson and Schianno leave which I feel will be soon enough then we will see how the great Meyer does. He is not a better coach than Harbaugh and I will not bend on that. Dantonio is a better coach than Meyer. When you consistently have the best talent in the united states you should win. Let Meyer coach Rutgers this year and Saban can coach Vanderbilt and will see how they do. This is about recruiting and apples and oranges comparisons. Yes they are some of the best coaches but look at the programs they coach at. Peterson is a very good coach also. It's all apples and oranges to me until you have a proven track record at the NFL level. Harbaugh and Smith and maybe Mora.
You can't base next year's predictions on how many past years someone has coached in college. All of the top ten are arguably the best. Harbaugh isn't competing with Peterson - he doesn't even coach in the same conference.
It's about who the best coaches are right now. Swinney and Fisher have better records and have done more as college coaches than Harbaugh. That's not even remotely disputable, and neither shows any signs of falling off. After the top 4, Harbaugh and Petersen are the next two, and we'll see over the next 2 or 3 years which one is better.
Hoke's 2012 and 2013 recruiting classes Harbaugh inherited were far better than anything Dabo walked into.
Harbaugh didn't walk into an easy situation like Meyer, but it wasn't a disaster either.
Harbaugh won three division championships with the 49ers and three with the Tereros. That's just a fact. He also won one conference championship with the 49ers and two with the Terreros. Those are facts, too.
Honest questions...
Do you all think Harbaugh could've won equal to Swinney and Fisher if he arrived at those schools when they did?
Do you all think Swinney and Fisher could've won at Stanford if they arrived in Palo Alto when Harbaugh did?
I'm not suggesting anyting or saying this should be the determining factor - I just choose to believe that what Harbaugh did at Stanford proved he was a great football coach and I don't think Fisher or Swinney would've had the same success or better. However, I DO believe Harbaugh would have similar or better success if he was coaching FSU or Clemson for an equal period of time.
I also think what Harbaugh's done at Michigan doesn't get enough credit. He changed the culture, became a recruiting power...and no, you shouldn't get credit for losses, but that team last year was 4 plays away from a playoff and playing those Clemson Tigers in a 2/3 game.
They barely lost to FSU. My point is, the separation isn't that great.
And for the poster who gives Fisher credit for the head to head win...that is so stupid. #1 - Michigan didn't have it's best player. #2 - they barely won...that doesn't make either coach better than the other. It's sports...someone has to win. Kirk Ferentz isn't a better coach than Jim Harbaugh. #3 - the logic discounts someone like Harbaugh who had a MUCH lesser team when he was at Stanford for the first 3 years.
Sorry, but #3 is definitely too high at this point.
We are ranking "college" football coaches, after all. Dabo and Jimbo both deserve it more than Harbaugh, especially with the latter beating Jim last season head to head.
Harbaugh should fall somewhere in the #5-8 range, until he wins the Big Ten and threatens for a national championship.
as if that is useful against Harbaugh's case? He took San Diego and Stanford from nothing to excellent and took a floundering Michigan program and took them to 10-3 in his 1st 2 years. I think it's hard to argue he's not top 5.
It took Jimbo 5 years to get Clemson nationally relevant. He's done a great job, but it's not like he was revelation there immediately. And for Jimbo- I don't think it's really a favorable comparsion for Jimbo. Yeah he won, but we were down Jabrill Peppers and Jake Butt and the game was Florida and we still lost by 1. I call that a push
I mean, 10-3 is 10-3, but of Jim's 6 losses only one was by more than one possession - the ugly 2015 OSU game. His track record is excellent
21. Jim McElwain
24. Kirk Ferentz
25. Brian Kelly
29. Hugh Freeze
30. Butch Jones
It gets thin pretty fast outside the top 20, but not sure I agree with having most of those guys in front of guys like Ken Niumatalolo or Willie Taggart
I mean, you don't spend all those years punting from your opponent's 37 without eventually garnering some sort of recognition. Even if it is outside the top 20, it is recognition of just how ....oh, what is the word.....reliably uninteresting Iowa is.
This list shows me how small of a list of sure winners there are - I'd take the top 9 and then Kyle Whittingham who I think is always overlooked. Everyone outside of that is a meh to me.
Top 2 are by themselves and then I could argue a lot of people #3 thru #10 in different orders.
Fuentes and Herman will be interesting in the next 24 months - they will either vault into the top 10 or see their stars dim fast.
Took Memphis from horrid to very good and immediately kicked some life into a fading Virginia Tech program. He looks good.
Herman is a wait and see for me. We've all seen coaches look awesome at Houston and proceed to move up and look average
I cringe to think what would have happened if we did not get Harbaugh. There are not a lot of appelaing options out there.
Dan Mullen was a hot name for a while there during the post-Hoke coaching search as our Plan B, mostly because there were no better options.
The players and the fans love their Coach(es). Pretty sure we got that at Michigan. Best times are coming.
GO BLUE!
"Has won big at every collegiate spot he's been at, and hard to argue with 3 national titles and that doesn't include undefeated seasons with Utah in 2004 and Ohio St in 2012. Saban has 5 national titles .
Let's not kid ourselves . Those two are in a level of their own right now with success and current status ."
"Based on what they've actually done as college coaches, Fisher and Swinney should both be higher, along with Sabah and Meyer."
I really don't get this site. I said practically the same exact thing and get negged to minus 99 million points and was told to go suck off Urban Meyer. Not that I care about the point system, it makes me stand out. :)
Ask me if IGAF. I'll give you a hint. I don't.
Believe what you want. Have the site administrator run an IP comparison for all I care. Call me Donald Trump. Whatever helps you sleep at night. If you're comparing me to this Maizen person I like him/her already! Anyways, I couldn't care less. Matter of fact, this'll be the last time I'll address it. Stop wasting my time with trivial nonsense.
This list is totally dependant on what your are actually ranking. Ranking by college accomplishment is an easier task and Little Nicky and Satan are definately 1-2. Fisher and Swinney are probably 3-4. And Mork would be top 6 or 7 for sure.
But if you are ranking the best coach, Harbaugh is 1. This is clearly more subjective but Harbaughs NFL success and where his teams were when he took over, weighs in here.
I guess I got the article confused. Who is the best college coach is what it should read. College coaching has so much to do with recruiting. I also thought the NFL was the pinicle of playing and coaching. If a NFL team was looking for the best college coach who would they choose?. Would there first two choices be Meyer and Saban?. Maybe I am just naive, but I would think the NFL would want the best coaches. I wondered if you polled the 32 gm's who they thought were the best coaching candidates what this list would look like. I know one thing without even looking at the list, Lovie Smith would be right up near the top. Harbaugh and Smith have both coached a team to the super bowl which to me is a far greater accomplishment then going to a national championship game win or lose. That is because there is far greater parody in the league. As far as on the field coaching goes this list is not close. As far as recruiting, player development and use of boosters, maybe it is.
Two spots too low. Harbaugh clearly #1 already, and will cement this ranking in the next two years.
than Saban or Meyer? After two 3 loss seasons here? And how will he "cement" himself as the best college coach in the country in two years? Even if he won NCs the next two years (which he won't), that wouldn't put him above those guys.
Just curious how you defend that, without invoking the NFL (since we're talking about COLLEGE coaching here, a very different game).