Bruce Feldman ranks college football's Top 25 head coaches after Nick Saban, Jim Harbaugh departures

This year’s coaching carousel saw some big names leave – the most notable being the NFL-bound Jim Harbaugh and a now-retired Nick Saban. As a result, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman shook up his Top 25 head coaches in college football with a new name replacing Saban atop the list.

In the midst of a dominant stretch at Georgia, Saban protege Kirby Smart now sits at No. 1 in Feldman’s Top 25 head coaches in college football. Dating back to 2021, the Bulldogs have a 42-2 record and won two national championships as they became arguably the top program in the country.

There was plenty of movement beyond Smart’s jump to No. 1, though. Here’s a look at Feldman’s full rankings.

1. Kirby Smart, Georgia

The 2024 season will be Kirby Smart’s ninth at his alma mater as UGA comes off a 13-1 record in 2023. The Bulldogs fell to Alabama in the SEC Championship to miss out on the College Football Playoff, but went on to defeat Florida State in the Orange Bowl to secure a third consecutive 13-win campaign.

All told, Smart has a 94-16 record after taking over at Georgia, including a 56-9 mark in SEC play. Georgia also brought in the No. 1-ranked recruiting class from the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings, meaning the future continues to be bright in Athens.

2. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

Clemson saw its streak of 10-win seasons end in 2023, but Dabo Swinney still came in at No. 2 in Bruce Feldman’s Top 25 head coaches in college football. The Tigers are 30-10 over the last three seasons, not to mention the fact that they’ve won two national championships under his watch.

Since taking over at Clemson in 2008, Swinney has a 170-43 record – including 12 straight years with 10 wins or more. The Tigers went 9-4 last season after making major changes on offense, bringing in Garrett Riley as coordinator with Cade Klubnik taking over as the starting quarterback.

3. Lance Leipold, Kansas

Lance Leipold has seen an impressive turnaround at Kansas went from 2-10 in his first season to 9-4 in his third year at the helm in 2023. His name has come up for multiple notable jobs over the last two cycles, but he’s still in Lawrence and getting ready for Year 4 with the Jayhawks.

Leipold has won everywhere he’s been in his career – from Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater to Buffalo and, now, Kansas. He won six D-III national titles at UW-Whitewater and owns a 167-60 career record at his three programs.

4. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama

This past year, Kalen DeBoer took Washington to a national title game in just his second season at the helm, and he’s now facing the tallest task in college football. He’s replacing Nick Saban following his retirement announcement in January.

Much like Lance Leipold, DeBoer is a proven winner. He took Sioux Falls to three NAIA championships and owns a 104-12 career record as he takes over an Alabama program with high expectations.

5. Ryan Day, Ohio State

Ohio State was Ryan Day first head coaching opportunity after Urban Meyer stepped down, and he’s been impressive in his five full years in the role. Day enters 2024 with a 56-8 overall record and a 39-3 mark in Big Ten play, and the Buckeyes were active on the recruiting trail this year, as well.

Ohio State landed the No. 3-ranked recruiting class in 2024, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking, and hauled in some notable transfers. The biggest fishes were Alabama transfers Caleb Downs and Julian Sayin – the Nos. 1 and 3 overall players in the On3 Industry Transfer Portal Rankings.

6. Brian Kelly, LSU

When Brian Kelly left Notre Dame for LSU, there were questions about his “fit” in Baton Rouge. He put those questions to rest right away, leading the Tigers to back-to-back 10-win seasons and helping turn Jayden Daniels into a Heisman Trophy winner in 2023.

Kelly also found success with Notre Dame, taking the Fighting Irish to 10 wins six times in his final seven seasons in South Bend. Feldman cited his consistency as a factor in Kelly’s ranking, although noted his performance in big games during his career.

7. James Franklin, Penn State

Penn State has made a bowl game every season under James Franklin, and the Nittany Lions are coming off an 11-win season in 2022 and a 10-win campaign in 2023. They’ve been a contender in the Big Ten East over the last few seasons, although with divisions going away, it might be even tougher to get to the top.

Franklin has an 88-39 record in Happy Valley, as well as a 56-32 mark in Big Ten play. This year will see some changes, though, as Franklin brought in Andy Kotenlicki and former Indiana coach Tom Allen as offensive and defensive coordinator, respectively.

8. Kyle Whittingham, Utah

Kyle Whittingham has been nothing short of consistent since taking over at Utah in 2005, and the Utes have found a new gear over the last five years. Utah is 42-18 dating back to 2019, including 10-4 seasons in 2021 and 2022.

Whittingham has a 162-79 record in Salt Lake City, and he’s now preparing to help lead the Utes to the Big 12 after a groundbreaking round of conference realignment. He remains one of the top coaches in the country, and Feldman put him in the Top 10 of his top 25 head coaches in college football.

9. Lincoln Riley, USC

It was an up-and-down season for USC in 2023, but the Trojans got a big victory in the Holiday Bowl after quarterback Caleb Williams opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft. Given his track record, though, Lincoln Riley came in at No. 9 on Bruce Feldman’s top coaches.

USC’s biggest shortcoming was on defense in 2023, and Riley made a bold move to address that by landing D’Anton Lynn from UCLA as defensive coordinator. Now heading to the Big Ten, it’ll be interesting to see what the Trojans do in Year 3 under his watch.

10. Mike Norvell, Florida State

After a rough first two seasons in Tallahassee, Mike Norvell has Florida State humming. The Seminoles are 23-4 dating back to 2022 and are coming off their first conference title since 2014.

FSU has been red-hot on the recruiting trail, as well – particularly in the transfer portal with the No. 4-ranked transfer class coming in, according to the On3 Team Transfer Portal Index. Norvell’s name came up in connection with the Alabama job after Nick Saban’s retirement, but with new quarterback DJ Uiagalelei in the fold, he will look to build on last year’s ACC title in 2024.

See the full Top 25 head football coaches from Bruce Feldman HERE

Bruce Feldman’s Top 25 head coaches in college football certainly provide an interesting look at what early expectations are across the country. Now, the attention will turn to spring ball as teams get ready for their respective practices.