CBS Sports ranks college football's Top 25 Power 5 head coaches

As we look forward to the 2023 college football season in a few months, CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli released a list of its top 25 Power 5 head coaches. There’s no surprise at the top, as Alabama coach Nick Saban claimed the No. 1 spot.

Saban has amassed a 194-27 record over the past 16 seasons with the Crimson Tide, won eight SEC Championships and six national titles. That track record is unmatched, though there is another SEC coach right below him who is quickly catching up.

Kirby Smart has led his alma mater Georgia to back-to-back national championships and comes in at No. 2 on the list. Smart defeated Saban and the Crimson Tide in 2021 to win his first ring before rolling past TCU in the most recent title game. If he can make it three straight this upcoming season, he would certainly be in the mix to overtake Saban.

Two years ago, the No. 2 spot likely would have belonged to Clemson coach Dabo Swinney. He led the Tigers to six straight College Football Playoff appearances from 2015-20, reaching the national championship four times and winning twice, both times against Alabama and Saban. However, he now ranks No. 3 after missing the CFP in back-to-back seasons.

USC‘s Lincoln Riley (No. 4) and Michigan‘s Jim Harbaugh (No. 5) round out the top five. You can view the full list of the top 25 Power 5 head coaches in college football, according to CBS Sports, below.

CBS Sports’ Top 25 Power 5 head coaches in college football

1. Nick Saban, Alabama
2. Kirby Smart, Georgia
3. Dabo Swinney, Clemson
4. Lincoln Riley, USC
5. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
6. Brian Kelly, LSU
7. Kyle Whittingham, Utah
8. Ryan Day, Ohio State
9. Luke Fickell, Wisconsin
10. James Franklin, Penn State
11. Sonny Dykes, TCU
12. Chris Klieman, Kansas State
13. Chip Kelly, UCLA
14. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss
15. Dave Clawson, Wake Forest
16. Josh Heupel, Tennessee
17. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
18. Mark Stoops, Kentucky
19. Mike Norvell, Florida State
20. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M
21. Bret Bielema, Illinois
22. Mack Brown, North Carolina
23. Lance Leipold, Kansas
24. PJ Fleck, Minnesota
25. Dave Doeren, NC State

Other notable coaches on the list

Coming off of a national championship appearance last season, TCU’s Sonny Dykes ranks just outside the top 10 at No. 11. His 13-2 record in his inaugural season with the Horned Frogs was his best yet in his 13-year coaching career and it will be interesting to see whether he can sustain that success moving forward.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day comes in at No. 8 behind Utah’s Kyle Whittingham. Utah has won back-to-back Pac-12 championships, but Day has led the Buckeyes to the College Football Playoff in three of his four seasons at the helm while Utah has never reached the CFP.

After leading LSU to an SEC West title in his first season in 2022, Brian Kelly is No. 6. He’s had success in the past, taking Notre Dame to the CFP in 2018 and 2020 and has Tigers fans excited about the future under his direction.

Outside of the top three coaches on the list, Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher (No. 20) and North Carolina’s Mack Brown (No. 22) are the only others with national championships on their resumes.