College football: Ranking Top 25 head coaches since 2000, per The Athletic

The Athletic ranked the top 25 college football head coaches since the year 2000 as we mark a quarter century in 2025. Some are still kicking in college, others retired and some are coaching in the NFL or even elsewhere.

Keep in mind, some of these coaches’ career records do include games prior to 2000, but The Athletic’s rankings are based on their stops this century. The teams listed for each coach are only over the last 25 years.

Without further ado, let’s dive into the top coaches of the last 25 years. We’ll start with a legend.

1. Nick Saban: Alabama, LSU

Career Record: 292-71-1

Saban led two SEC programs to new heights this century, winning national titles at both stops. Of course, Saban won six national championships at Alabama and one at LSU, mixed in with an NFL stint of course. But, we won’t count that. Saban has an argument for the greatest college football coach in the history of the game.

2. Urban Meyer: Ohio State, Florida, Utah, Bowling Green

Career Record: 187-32

Before a tumultuous season  as the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach, Meyer was one of the crown coaching jewels of college football. All four of his stops were this century and he found success everywhere. A three-time national champion (twice with Florida and once with Ohio State), Meyer’s teams were guaranteed to compete for the top prize. He handed it over to Ryan Day in Columbus, but Meyer ended his Buckeyes’ tenure with back-to-back Big Ten titles.

3. Pete Carroll: USC

Career Record: 97-19

Carroll’s second stint as an NFL head coach with the Seattle Seahawks was really successful: a Super Bowl win and two appearances. He’s now with the Las Vegas Raiders still coaching. But at USC, the Trojans were the premier program in the nation. Two national titles and nearly a third in a row, USC was a dominant force, winning the Pac-10 seven of nine years during his tenure. Yes he left in controversy with the recruiting violations and USC hasn’t seen those same heights since, but Carroll’s success was no accident.

4. Kirby Smart: Georgia

Career Record: 105-19

Smart is the first coach on this list that is still coaching at the college level and he’s been successful throughout his entire tenure. Already a winner of over 100 games, Smart also has two national titles and four College Football Playoff appearances to his resume since 2016. The Bulldogs will be in the title conversation pretty much every year under Smart. Perhaps he can surpass some of the coaches in front of him.

5. Dabo Swinney: Clemson

Career Record: 180-47

Swinney has far more wins than Smart on this list, and just as many national titles, but The Athletic opted to put Swinney just a notch below Smart. You can’t go wrong though as Swinney’s led Clemson to the peak of college football, pretty much since 2015. It was a slower build, albeit with a lot of winning, from 2008-14. Since then, two national titles and four national title game appearances later, Swinney remains one of the premier coaches in college football. They returned to the CFP last year and everything’s coming up Clemson again.

6. Bob Stoops: Oklahoma

Career Record: 191-48

Stoops returned in 2021 on an interim basis and won the Alamo Bowl, following five years away from the Sooners. He won 10 Big 12 titles and the 2000 national title with Oklahoma. He’s actually still coaching, currently with the UFL’s Arlington franchise and actually won the 2023 XFL title with them before the merger into the UFL. Safe to say, he can coach. Oklahoma replaced Stoops with Lincoln Riley, who’s also on this list, but hasn’t quite reached the dominant heights of Stoops since. He’s firmly a top 10 coach of the 21st century.

7. Jim Tressel: Ohio State

Career Record:  229-79-2

That’s right, Ohio’s Lieutenant Governor is on this list! All jokes aside, Tressel had an incredible run at Ohio State from 2001-10, following his Youngstown State tenure from 1986-2000. A national champion in 2002, Tressel then led Ohio State to a Big Ten title every year from 2005-09. Of course, the memorabilia for tattoos scandal pretty much ended his time. It is quite hilarious seeing that as a controversy these days with NIL and the transfer portal. Still, Tressel had Ohio State on top of the college football world for a decade and they’ve succeeded since with their subsequent coaches.

8. Jim Harbaugh: Michigan, Stanford, San Diego

Career Record: 144-52

Harbaugh is back in the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers and made the playoffs in his first year. But he had three successful stops in college this century. First it was San Diego with two Pioneer Football League titles, a resurrection of Stanford before leaving for the 49ers and then turning Michigan back into a national power over the course of nine seasons. Harbaugh saved his best for last with three Big Ten titles and a national title in 2023. Although the sign stealing scandal marred the end of his tenure, Harbaugh completed his college arc and now chases that elusive Super Bowl in the NFL.

9. Mack Brown: North Carolina, Texas

Career Record: 288-155-1

Brown is known for his Texas tenure this century before having a second stint at North Carolina. While with the Longhorns, he won 158 games, won the national title in 2005 and got back to the BCS Championship in 2009. His second ‘go round at UNC wasn’t as successful as he would’ve liked, but Brown was one of the top coaches of the last 25 years. Texas is just now starting to be a regular for the top of college football again, so his impact was undeniable.

10. Chris Petersen: Washington, Boise State

Career Record: 147-38

Do you want to know why Boise State was so good in the mid-2000s? Petersen is the reason why. He went 92-12 from 2006-13, winning four Western Athletic Conference titles and one Mountain West Crown. Everyone remembers the 2006 Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma, Petersen’s first year as head coach, a 13-0 season. He followed it up with a stellar coaching tenure at Washington, winning two Pac-12 titles and going 55-26 in six seasons before stepping down. He even led Washington to its first CFP appearance in 2016. 

The Athletic’s Top 25 college football coaches since 2000

11. Ryan Day: Ohio State
12. Brian Kelly: LSU, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Central Michigan
13. Jimbo Fisher: Texas A&M, Florida State
14. Frank Beamer: Virginia Tech
15. Gary Patterson: TCU
16. James Franklin: Penn State, Vanderbilt
17. Les Miles: Kansas, LSU, Oklahoma State
18. Mark Richt: Georgia, Miami
19. Kyle Whittingham: Utah
20. Lincoln Riley: USC, Oklahoma
21. Mark Dantonio: Michigan State, Cincinnati
22. Kirk Ferentz: Iowa
23. Bill Snyder: Kansas State
24. Chip Kelly: UCLA, Oregon
25. Mike Leach: Mississippi State, Washington State, Texas Tech