Kirk Herbstreit reveals top performing coaches of Week 3

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit on Monday revealed his top-six performing coaches of Week 3 of the 2021 college football season on Twitter.

Herbstreit’s list, which includes both head coaches and coordinators, is listed as follows:

1. Kalani Sitake (BYU)

Kalani Sitake, BYU’s head football coach, won Herbstreit’s No. 1 ranking after the Cougars won its third consecutive game against a Power Five opponent, this time beating Arizona State. BYU is now 3-0 with wins over Arizona, Utah and Arizona State, earning the Cougars a No. 15-ranking in the AP top-25.

2. Dave Clawson (Wake Forest)

Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson picked up a decisive victory in the Demon Deacons’ ACC season opener. After crushing Old Dominion and Norfolk State, Clawson and Wake Forest faced an 0-2 Florida State team, hungry for its first victory; the Demon Deacons prevailed, 35-14, bringing their record to 3-0 heading into Virginia.

3. Donte Williams (USC)

USC had a tough week, highlighted by the firing of former head coach Clay Helton. But interim head coach Donte Williams rolled with the punches, even after his starting quarterback, Kedon Slovis, was sidelined with an injury. After rolling with true freshman Jaxson Dart, USC managed to beat Washington State 45-14 after a strong second half.

4. Dan Mullen (Florida)

Florida head coach Dan Mullen was so close to pulling off a career-defining upset victory. Had the Gators converted on their final two-point conversion, the game may have even gone to overtime. But ultimately, Mullen and the Gators fell just short of Alabama, as Florida was bested 31-29 at home. For his second-half comeback, though, Herbstreit labeled Mullen as his No. 4 coach of the week.

5. Mel Tucker (Michigan State)

Michigan State football was quietly of to a great start heading into Week 3, as second-year head coach Mel Tucker had strung together wins against Northwestern and Youngstown State. In Week 3, Tucker’s team beat Miami with apparent ease, winning 38-17. Michigan State’s hot start is no longer being kept lowkey; the Spartans should continue to get attention as they play four-straight unranked opponents before Michigan on Oct. 30.

6. Joe Rossi (Minnesota)

Minnesota defensive coordinator Joe Rossi received the No. 6 honors on Herbstreit’s list after a perfect performance against Colorado. Minnesota was on the road, but Rossi’s defensive unit was still able to hold the Buffaloes to zero points, winning 30-0, and forced Colorado to fumble four times, two of which the Golden Gophers recovered. Rossi’s defense held Colorado to just 82 yards in the air, and perhaps more impressively, they forced the Buffaloes to negative 19 rushing yards on the afternoon.