Ranking college football's 25 best Power 5 coaches

[_rolltideroll_]

 

[SideSwipe52]

Where do you rank Mack Brown? Also where would Urban Meyer be on that list if he was still coaching?

 

[Red_Alert]

For me...

1. Nick Saban
2. Dabo Swinney
3. Chris Peterson
4. Jimbo Fisher
5. Mike Leach
6. Gary Patterson
7. James Franklin
8. Brian Kelly
9. Mark Dantonio
10. Kirby Smart
11. Lincoln Riley
12. David Shaw
13. Jim Harbaugh
14. Dan Mullen
15. Paul Chryst
16. Gus Malzahn
17. Pat Fitzgerald
18. Kirk Ferentz
19. Mike Gundy
20. Kyle Whittingham
21. Tom Herman
22. Jeff Brohm
23. Scott Frost
24. Matt Campbell
25. David Cutliffe

Any list without Chip Kelly on it is a flat out joke. He got Oregon to the next level.
I'd have him Top 10 in the interim and drop him accordingly if he doesn't get things going at UCLA in the next couple years.



Helfrich maintained what Kelly built for 1 year before Oregon crashed and burned (13-2),(9-4),(4-8).

 

[ericd7633]

Any list without Chip Kelly on it is a flat out joke. He got Oregon to the next level.
I'd have him Top 10 in the interim and drop him accordingly if he doesn't get things going at UCLA in the next couple years.

View attachment 204538

Helfrich maintained what Kelly built for 1 year before Oregon crashed and burned (13-2),(9-4),(4-8).

It really is crazy. He loses 7 games in 4 years and 4 seasons after he leaves they lose 8 in 1 year.

 

[Red_Alert]

And by firing him, Nebraska may never get back to that point.

The vast majority of SportsHoopla members who interact with you also think you're a flaming idiot. So there's that.

 

[Red_Alert]

It really is crazy. He loses 7 games in 4 years and 4 seasons after he leaves they lose 8 in 1 year.

Oregon was firing on all cylinders offensively when Kelly was in charge of the entire show. They left little to be desired defensively, but this is about winning.

One cannot apply his NFL days here, nor should any weight be placed on his first season at UCLA. Not saying it's a given he gets UCLA back to the top, but he can be dropped accordingly if he doesn't. If Frost is listed here, then Kelly should be listed at least 10 spots higher. Like I said, I'd have Kelly Top 10.

 

[blazer prophet]

I'd have Shaw #1.

 

[BamaDude]

Kirk Ferentz - Been at Iowa for 20 years now. Has a record of 152-101. Has given Iowa arguably the best football years of their existence (with only Fry bein argued along side of him). He has produced draft picks. Given Iowa their first and only 12-0 regular season. Has two Big Ten titles. Named 2002 AP College football Coach of the Year. Named the 2002 Walter Camp Coach of the Year. 4 time Big Ten Coach of the Year. 2015 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year. Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year. Woody Hayes Coach of the Year.

A long relatively successful tenure at Iowa. Making them into a progrma that people should at least take a glimpse at.

Congrats Iowa fans.

I would have though Ferentz would have a better record than that. That only averages out to 7.6 wins per year against 5.05 losses.

 

[TheReal_NU]

I would have though Ferentz would have a better record than that. That only averages out to 7.6 wins per year against 5.05 losses.

Just for pointing that out, Iowa gave Ferentz another 2-year extension.

 

[Red_Alert]

I would have though Ferentz would have a better record than that. That only averages out to 7.6 wins per year against 5.05 losses.

Ferentz only does well when they dodge the best conference teams in the regular season and everybody else on their schedule is mediocre or flat out sucks.

Iowa Hawkeyes Football Record By Year | College Football at Sports-Reference.com

Pelini (who was a terrible big game coach) was (3-1) against Ferentz.

 

[Codaxx]

3. Fisher
{ gap }
4. Smart
5. Riley

Fisher has started with worst and produced an FSU team. Including taken over a FSU team who finished

3. Fisher
{ gap }
4. Smart
5. Riley

Fisher has started with worst and produced an FSU team. Including taken over a FSU team who finished with 6 losses 3 out of the last 4 years before Fisher and produced six 10 win seasons, 2 Orange bowl victories and a Title. Also taken a 7-6 A&M team to 9-4 (3rd in the SEC) in his first year. Fisher is a clear #3, the Les and Mack is a weak counter argument when they haven't produce a great team in years.


Riley and Smart took over teams with 10 and 11 wins.

Interesting story. You kind of left out the fact that he had a losing record in his last year at FSU and left the program a complete mess

Interesting story. You kind of left out the fact that he had a losing record in his last year at FSU and left the program a complete mess

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

The vast majority of SportsHoopla members who interact with you also think you're a flaming idiot. So there's that.

Nice (untrue) deflection.

In a few years I would wager many Nebraska fans will look back longingly at the years where they would win 10-ish games a year.

 

[Codaxx]

Hate these lists, so much recency bias to them. Surprised Riley is at 3. He is an offensive genius, but he completely ignored the defense until it essentially imploded. He is young and learning, so he might have learned his lesson. I would give him an A on offense, but a F on defense for year 2. Not sure how that gets you to #3. You need at least 5-6 years to be considered in the top 10. Lots of coaches have success for 2-4 years, very few do it for 10


For the same reason Leach is too high also. Offensive genius, but his indifference to defense is well documented. HC needs to be on top of both sides of the ball. This has been the single biggest negative mentioned, when discussing coaches from the Air Raid tree

 

[Red_Alert]

Nice (untrue) deflection.

In a few years I would wager many Nebraska fans will look back longingly at the years where they would win 10-ish games a year.

Adding in a bowl game, they'll probably win that this year given they have a typical Iowa success year type schedule.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Adding in a bowl game, they'll probably win that this year given they have a typical Iowa success year type schedule.

But then 2020 and 2021 set up to be extremely difficult. Nebraska may artificially have a decent record next season by luck of the schedule but that's not sustainable success. If Nebraska goes 10-3 this year and follows that with two 7/8 win seasons, Frost will be on the hot seat.

 

[ericd7633]

1. Saban
2. Dabo





3. Kirby
4. Jimbo
5. Mullen

 

[Codaxx]

Not arguing Frost, he has to prove himself for sure. Campbell and Brohm are taking over perennial bad programs and making people worry about them. That's impressive in of itself.

Ferentz and Gundy, I agree. They should arguably do more given the time and money spent on them. Fitz is hampered by academics and is still able to produce a decent team, that's impressive. He gets a lot out of his players. He doesn't have a coastline or beaches to entice recruits with either.

Whittingham is in a similar boat as Campbell and Brohm. Dude is coach of Utah, a team that only recently joined a P5 conference and has transitioned well and competed. They could've and many actually thought they would've tanked entering a P5 conference. Even took them to the CCG.

Notre Dame gets a ton of credit for their schedule... I hear it every year, but I am sorry. Their schedule is whack. Last year for example Michigan and Syracuse (craxy enough) are the only ranked teams they played that stayed ranked. Other than that, they played: Ball St, Vandy, Wake, Va Tech, Pitt, FSU... really the shittiest teams of the ACC right now. USC and Stanford didn't do great either, but Stanford is decent win. Navy was bad, Northwestern struggled, but did make the CCG somehow (credit Fitz). I just feel like Notre Dame should be a lot better given the coverage they receive.

Funny. People think Mullen is a great coach for making Miss State respectable, but Gundy doesn’t do enough at Ok State. His 68% win percentage is 2nd to Pappy Waldorf (1929-33) in program history.

 

[Red_Alert]

But then 2020 and 2021 set up to be extremely difficult. Nebraska may artificially have a decent record next season by luck of the schedule but that's not sustainable success. If Nebraska goes 10-3 this year and follows that with two 7/8 win seasons, Frost will be on the hot seat.

You are certainly putting a lot of IF's out there for something that is very unlikely given Frost's track record as an assistant and head coach.

In 2020 the schedule is basically the same other than picking up Penn St.
In 2021 they have Oklahoma in Norman, Michigan St, Ohio St, and Michigan from the west.

You act as if Michigan or Michigan St are some kind of elite programs. They are not.

Got news for you, winning 10 games is irrelevance on the big stage. Given a 12 game regular season, CCG's, and bowl games, it's just not that big a deal anymore. Pelini did it numerous times. Harbaugh has an 8 win season just two years ago. Pelini never had less than 9 wins in 7 years.

Winning 10 games consistently with a few 11 and 12 win seasons sprinkled in is now the standard. Michigan has been as irrelevant as Nebraska was under Pelini with Harbaugh in charge.

 

[Red_Alert]

LOL @MAIZEandBLUE09 thinking 10 win seasons show relevance on the big stage anymore.

But Harblaugh!!!

 

[Red_Alert]

Harblaugh closing out the season (last 4 games)

2016: (1-3) Lost bowl game. Win was over Indiana
2017: (1-3) Lost bowl game. Win was over Maryland
2018: (2-2) Lost bowl game. Wins were over Indiana and Rutgers

There's your big game coach.