CBS Sports ranks Top 25 college football head coaches ahead of 2022 season

CBS Sports named their top 25 college football head coaches ahead of the 2022 season. The list only consists of Power Five coaches, meaning somebody such as Luke Fickell of Cincinnati will not appear in the top 25. Five national championship head coaches appear on the list, spanning from No. 1 all the way down to No. 20.

Check out the full list.

Top 25 college football Power Five head coaches ahead of 2022 season

1. Nick Saban, Alabama
2. Kirby Smart, Georgia
3. Dabo Swinney, Clemson
4. Lincoln Riley, USC
5. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M
6. Ryan Day, Ohio State
7. Brian Kelly, LSU
8. Kyle Wittingham, Utah
9. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
10. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
11. Dave Aranda, Baylor
12. Matt Campbell, Iowa State
13. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
14. Paul Chryst, Wisconsin
15. James Franklin, Penn State
16. Mark Stoops, Kentucky
17. Dave Clawson, Wake Forest
18. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss
19. Mario Cristobal, Miami
20. Mack Brown, North Carolina
21. Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
22. Sam Pittman, Arkansas
23. P.J. Fleck, Minnesota
24. Mel Tucker, Michigan State
25. Dave Doeren, NC State

The Big Ten makes the most appearances throughout the list, with seven. You could even count USC’s Lincoln Riley in there, giving the conference a future total of eight. Nonetheless, Ryan Day leads the pack for the current members, while Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh, who is fresh off a College Football Playoff appearance, just cracks the top 10.

Where the SEC has strength is near the top. Three out of the top five comes from the southeast, with this year’s two national championship coaches claiming the first two spots. While Kirby Smart may have gotten the best out of Nick Saban this past season, the past success of the Alabama head coach keeps him at No. 1 overall.

First-year head coaches near top of list

Three first-year head coaches make a top 25 appearance, with Brian Kelly maybe being the most significant. After making the shocking move from Notre Dame to LSU, he still finds himself inside the top five, thanks to his success with the Fighting Irish. Making multiple College Football Playoffs, plus a BCS National Championship appearance, few have the resume of Kelly.

While Kelly and Riley both find themselves in the top five, Mario Cristobal finds himself ranked at No. 19 entering his first year at Miami. Coming over via Oregon, Cristobal is gaining momentum with the Hurricanes before ever playing a snap. Between his activity in the transfer portal and with the 2023 recruiting class, the feeling is different in Coral Gables.

Add in what Riley has done in Los Angeles and all three first-year head coaches, who have had success with other big named programs, are on track for early success at their new schools.