PFF ranks the top 25 coaches in college football

Behind every great college football team is an equally great coach. With spring practices wrapping up, Pro Football Focus decided to rank the top 25 coaches in college football ahead of the 2023 season.

The list features both veterans of the game and up-and-coming names who enter this season looking to build upon successful 2022 seasons. These coaches have proven themselves among the best of the best, with several national titles among the top few.

Without further ado, below are the top 25 coaches in college football, according to Pro Football Focus.

Top 25 college football coaches according to PFF

1. Nick Saban, Alabama

You probably expected Saban to top this list. The Crimson Tide coach not only is the unequivocal leader among active coaches, but has also built a case as the greatest coach of all-time. Saban’s seven national championships are the most in history, and he’s always a threat to add another at the beginning of every season.

2. Kirby Smart, Georgia

Smart hasn’t been around long enough to quite reach the level of Saban, but he’s off to a good start. He led his alma mater to back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022 and has his eyes on a threepeat this season. In seven seasons at Georgia, Smart has amassed an 81-15 record and led the Bulldogs to three College Football Playoff appearances.

3. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan

After going 2-4 in the shortened 2020 season, Harbaugh found himself in the hot seat discussion. He responded with back-to-back Big Ten titles and College Football Playoff appearances to get rid of any doubt about his coaching ability. In eight seasons at his alma mater, Harbaugh’s 2020 season is his only losing record. He has led them to at least 10 wins five times.

4. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

Two or three years ago, Swinney likely would have found himself right below Saban on this list. But the Tigers have missed the CFP in back-to-back seasons, and college football is very much a “what have you done lately” world. Regardless, his sixth straight Playoff appearances from 2015-20 and two national championships speak for themselves.

5. Lincoln Riley, USC

Riley has shown a knack for both identifying and developing quarterback talent through his early career. In just six seasons as a head coach, he has coached three Heisman winners and three quarterbacks who have gone on to start in the NFL. He has another future pro on his 2023 roster in Caleb Williams, who has the Trojans receiving championship buzz entering his second year in Los Angeles.

6. Brian Kelly, LSU

Kelly left Notre Dame after 12 seasons to take over at LSU in 2022 and saw immediate success. After going a combined 11-12 the two years prior, the Tigers broke through to win the SEC West title and finished 10-4. They return quarterback Jayden Daniels in 2023 and should again be a contender in both the conference and national title race.

7. Ryan Day, Ohio State

Day has taken the Buckeyes to the College Football Playoff in three of his four seasons as head coach. However, he has yet to deliver a championship and has now lost to rival Michigan in back-to-back seasons. If he doesn’t beat the Wolverines and win a conference championship this season, Ohio State brass could start to grow restless.

8. Kyle Whittingham, Utah

Whittingham is set to enter his 20th season at Utah with a 154-74 record in that span. He’s led the Utes to back-to-back Pac-12 championships and also delivered a perfect 13-0 season and Sugar Bowl victory back in 2008.

9. Luke Fickell, Wisconsin

Fickell made history in 2021 by leading Cincinnati to an undefeated regular season and the College Football Playoff, making it the first Group of Five school to earn a bid. Now he is set to enter his first season with the Badgers, who finished 7-6 and had a losing Big Ten record last season for the first time since 2008.

10. James Franklin, Penn State

Ohio State and Michigan making the College Football Playoff overshadowed a great season from Franklin and the Nittany Lions in 2022. Penn State finished 11-2 with its lone losses coming against the Buckeyes and Wolverines. If he manages to take care of business in those games this season, Penn State could see its first CFP appearance in school history.

11. Josh Heupel, Tennessee

Heupel got the Volunteers off to an 8-0 start last season before going 2-2 over the final two games. They finished No. 1 in the nation in points (46.1) and yards (525.5) per game and won 11 games for the first time since 2001, giving Heupel plenty of momentum heading into Year 3.

12. Sonny Dykes, TCU

Dykes’ inaugural season with the Horned Frogs was a sight to behold. After going 5-7 the year prior, TCU rolled through the regular season with an unblemished 12-0 record and reached the national championship. That’ll be hard to top this season, but Dykes officially has TCU on the map.

13. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss

Kiffin quickly turned things around for the Rebels after taking over in 2020, leading them to 10 wins by his second season and a 7-0 start last year before going 1-5 in the final six games. His success in Oxford even made him a candidate for the Auburn job this offseason, but he opted to stay with Ole Miss.

14. Lance Leipold, Kansas

The Jayhawks were a college football doormat before Leipold took over, having won just seven conference games from 2009-20. But in just his second season, he led KU to a 6-7 (3-6 Big 12) record and its first bowl appearance since 2008. He had plenty of chances to leave for a more prestigious program but chose to return to Lawrence for a third season.

15. Kalen DeBoer, Washington

After going 4-8 in 2021, the Huskies finished with an 11-2 record in DeBoer’s first year at the helm. He led the offense to rank seventh in the nation in scoring (39.6 ppg) and returns quarterback Michael Penix, a Heisman candidate who ranked second in the country with 4,641 yards passing in addition to 31 touchdowns.

16. Chris Klieman, Kansas State

Klieman directed the Wildcats to a Big 12 title in 2022, as they handed TCU its first loss in the conference championship game. He reached 10 wins for the first time since taking over in 2019 and will look to build on that heading into Year 5 in Manhattan.

17. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M

Fisher has failed to reach the 10-win mark since taking over the Aggies in 2018, and last year’s 5-7 finish was his worst season yet. That’s caused some speculation regarding his future in College Station, but he does have past success at Florida State, where he won a BCS Championship in 2014.

18. Mark Stoops, Kentucky

The Wildcats have just four 10-win seasons in program history, and two of them have come under Stoops. Prior to last season, he had led them to four straight bowl victories from 2018-21.

19. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State

Over the past 10 seasons, only rival Oklahoma has more Big 12 wins than Gundy and the Cowboys. The Sooners are set to leave for the SEC in 2024, opening the door for OSU to take over as the conference’s top team. In 18 seasons at his alma mater, Gundy has finished with a losing record only once.

20. Willie Fritz, Tulane

After going 2-10 in 2021, Fritz led Tulane to a 12-2 finish, AAC Championship and 46-45 victory against USC in the Cotton Bowl. That marked the Green Wave’s first New Year’s Six Bowl win since 1934, and it will be interesting to see whether they can build on that in 2023.

21. Chip Kelly, UCLA

The Bruins have made great strides the past two seasons under Kelly, going a combined 17-8. A sharp offensive mind, he’s already shown an ability to win at this level during his time at Oregon and now appears to be building toward something big at UCLA.

22. Dave Clawson, Wake Forest

Clawson is set to enter his 10th season at Wake Forest with a 59-53 overall record. However, the Demon Deacons have gone a combined 19-8 in the past two seasons and finished inside the top 15 of the AP poll for the first time in school history in 2021.

23. Mike Norvell, Florida State

After losing seasons in his first two years in Tallahassee, Norvell broke through in Year 3. He led the Seminoles to a 10-3 finish — their first time reaching 10 wins since 2016 — and has many experts picking them to win the ACC in 2023.

24. Jonathan Smith, Oregon State

Smith led the Beavers to their first winning season in eight years in 2021 and following that up with a 10-3 finish this past season. They also won their first bowl game since 2013 and appear to be one of many teams on the rise out of the Pac-12.

25. Matt Rhule, Nebraska

Rhule has yet to coach a game at Nebraska, which hired him to replace Scott Frost this offseason. The Cornhuskers have not had a winning season since 2016, but Rhule’s experience rebuilding programs at Temple and Baylor give them confidence that will change soon. He spent the past three year in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers but is ready to return to the college ranks.