Ryan Day, Steve Sarkisian are among 8 coaches best-positioned to win first national championship

With Nick Saban retired, Jimbo Fisher fired and Jim Harbaugh off to the NFL, there are just three active head coaches in college football with national championships to their name. 

Georgia’s Kirby Smart (2), Clemson’s Dabo Swinney (2) and North Carolina’s Mack Brown (1, at Texas). 

That’s it.

With Nick Saban retired, Jimbo Fisher fired and Jim Harbaugh back to the NFL, there are just three active head coaches who have won a national title.

Georgia's Kirby Smart (2)
Clemson's Dabo Swinney (2)
North Carolina's Mack Brown

— Jesse Simonton (@JesseReSimonton) January 25, 2024

With Saban retired, Smart has ascended to the top of the throne as the king of the sport, and with all the other domino movement, it’s a real debate as to who is even the second-best coach in college football right now. It’s also an interesting debate as to who the next head coach will be to join the now select, small group of championship-winning head coaches?

From my vantage point, eight current head coaches have a legitimate chance to join that elite group in the near future. 

Listed in alphabetical order: 

Ryan Day, Ohio State
Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
Brian Kelly, LSU
Dan Lanning, Oregon
Mike Norvell, Florida State
Lincoln Riley, USC
Steve Sarkisian, Texas

Guys like James Franklin, Lane Kiffin and Josh Heupel just missed the cut. 

Of the group, Day, Lanning and Sarkisian are best positioned to make history as soon as next season. All three will coach teams ranked in the Top 5 in 2024, and there’s a feeling of when, not if, for all three head coaches.  

The Buckeyes have loaded up for bare this offseason, returning the bulk of their defense while adding the likes of Caleb Downs, Quinshon Judkins and Will Howard from the transfer portal. Oregon will make the transition to the Big Ten, but Lanning has assembled a roster that might only rival Ohio State in the conference. 

Sarkisian just took Texas to the CFP, and the Longhorns are set up to be ultra-competitive for the foreseeable future. They’re NIL game is top-notch, they’re loaded at QB and Sarkisian is one of the best in-game play-callers in the country. 

Riley, who is coming off a very disappointing 2023 season at USC, and Norvell don’t look to have championship-caliber teams in 2024, but both coaches are at programs with championship expectations. In the 12-team college football playoff, USC and Florida State figure to be regulars in the expanded field. 

DeBoer just took Washington to the national championship and is now at a better program with Alabama. Replacing Saban is an impossible task, but DeBoer seems undaunted by the pressure. With so much roster turnover, it’s probably a tall task to expect the Tide to win the national championship next season, but with DeBoer’s staff, Xs and Os acumen and early signs on the recruiting trail (landing 5-star wideout Ryan Williams), he should have Alabama in the mix most seasons. If he doesn’t, he won’t be in Tuscaloosa long. 

The last two coaches on the list will forever be linked considering Kelly left Notre Dame for LSU precisely to win championships. The Tigers’ last three head coaches all won titles and Kelly is looking to continue that streak. He has a pair of 10-win seasons to start his Tigers’ tenure and is recruiting at an elite level. If LSU fixes its defense, the Tigers could compete for the SEC — and national title — as soon as next year. 

The Irish have a 36-year championship drought, but in the new playoff format, they could be regulars in the CFP annually. So while Freeman might seem like an outlier on the list, he has an advantage over most other head coaches moving forward. In his second season at Notre Dame, Freeman won 10 games. He’s used the portal well and currently has recruited a Top 6 class in 2025.