How do you rank a coach who won six Super Bowls as a head coach and two more as an assistant coach?
Welcome to the dilemma with Bill Belichick – who will make his college debut at North Carolina this season. Any spot on Sporting News' 2025 Top 25 college football coach rankings could be considered right or wrong.
How do you compare Belichick to Georgia's Kirby Smart, who has two national championships and maintains the No. 1 spot in our rankings for the second straight year? What about other national championship coaches such as Ohio State's Ryan Day and Clemson's Dabo Swinney – who is the top-ranked coach in the ACC.
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Ranking Belichick is one thing. Factoring success in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff is another. How does an appearance impact your ranking? Seven of our top-10 coaches made the College Football Playoff last season.
The SEC and Big Ten have seven coaches each in our top 25. The ACC and Big 12 have five coaches each, and Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman – who led the Irish to the CFP championship game last season – rounds out the list.
To determine rankings, Sporting News looks at a coach's overall record, record at the current school and a three-year record to determine a loose baseline in the subjective process. Career accomplishments, program expectations and the old "this guy or this guy" arguments come into play. It's not a perfect science, but it's our science, one we have stuck to since we first did these rankings in 2015.
Here are The Sporting News' top 25 coach rankings ahead of the 2024 college football season.
MORE: The top 25 quarterbacks in college football for 2025
25. Bret Bielema, Illinois
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Last year: 46
Record: 125-80 (28-22 at Illinois)
Lowdown: Bielema is the seventh Big Ten coach on this list. Bielema revived his career in the Big Ten, where he is coming off a 10-win season with the Illini. Illinois also is a trendy playoff pick for 2025. Between Wisconsin and Illinois, Bielema is 86-46 as a Big Ten coach – a .651 winning percentage that is a reflection of his teams that are built from the inside out. The Illini were 3-2 against ranked teams last season.
24. Mario Cristobal, Miami
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Last year: 37
Record: 84-76 (22-16 at Miami)
Lowdown: Cristobal might have turned the corner at his alma mater. Miami won 10 games in 2024 with the help of No. 1 NFL Draft pick Cam Ward. Cristobal has three 10-win seasons in the last six years between Oregon and Miami, and the Hurricanes have amplified their presence in the transfer portal and recruiting with the commitment of top recruit Jackson Cantwell at left tackle. Miami still is looking for that first ACC championship and CFP berth. Cristobal is getting the program closer.
MORE: Ranking the ACC quarterback situations for 2025
23. Rhett Lashlee, SMU
Last year: 58
Record: 29-12
Lowdown: Lashlee made the second-highest jump up the rankings. He continues to trend upward after back-to-back 11-win seasons with SMU. The Mustangs made an ACC championship game and CFP appearance in their first year in the conference. SMU has ranked eighth in the FBS in scoring offense each of the last two seasons. Lashlee helped the program make a smooth transition from the American Athletic Conference. How will SMU build on that success in 2025?
22. Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State
Last year: 70
Record: 14-12
Lowdown: Dillingham makes the highest jump in our rankings after a breakthrough season at Arizona State. Dillingham flipped a 3-9 program into a Big 12 championship team in just two seasons. He's the youngest coach on this list at 35 years old, and Arizona State was 6-2 in games decided by eight points or less last season. Dillingham made the quick rise from offensive coordinator to head coach – and he should have staying power with the Sun Devils.
MORE: Straight seeding for 2025 CFP is a step in the right direction
21. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri
Last year: 23
Record: 50-25 (38-24 at Missouri)
Lowdown: Drinkwitz moves up two spots after compiling back-to-back seasons with double-digit victories for the Tigers. Drinkwitz has found steady success in the SEC, and that includes a 5-5 record against ranked teams. Missouri also has won the Cotton Bowl and Music City Bowl the last two seasons. The Tigers have never been ranked in the final AP Poll in three consecutive years in school history. Drinkwitz has the opportunity to accomplish that this season.
20. Chris Klieman, Kansas State
Last year: 17
Record: 48-28
Lowdown: Klieman isn't flashy, but he's compiled a 28-12 record the last three years with nine or more victories in each of those seasons. The Wildcats are 18-9 in Big 12 play in that stretch. Klieman has helped maintain a 16-game winning streak against in-state rival Kansas, which is why he makes the top 25 ahead of Lance Leipold from the Big 12.
19. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
Last year: 19
Record: 204-124
Lowdown: With Mack Brown's exit from North Carolina, Ferentz is now the active FBS leader in career victories. The Hawkeyes have enjoyed 12 straight winning seasons, and the Hawkeyes have ranked no lower than 13th in scoring defense since 2018. The offense? Well, that's the point of criticism, and South Dakota State transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski could help fix that in 2025, which is Ferentz's 27th season as the head coach.
18. Bill Belichick, North Carolina
Last year: N/A
Record: 0-0
Lowdown: We're splitting the difference here because we're intrigued to see how Belichick makes the X's and O's adjustments on the field for the Tar Heels. Brown was ranked No. 21 on this list last season. Will the offseason drama spill into the regular season? This feels like the right spot for Belichick – one spot ahead of the elder statesman of FBS coaches.
MORE: Timeline of Bill Belichick's relationship with Jordon Hudson
17. Curt Cignetti, Indiana
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Last year: 55
Record: 30-6 (11-2 at Indiana)
Lowdown: Do a quick internet search. Cignetti is the real deal. He led the Hoosiers to a dream season that included a berth in the College Football Playoff, and he pieced together back-to-back 11-win seasons with Indiana and James Madison with the help of his aggressive transfer portal approach. Cignetti won SN Coach of the Year honors as a result. Will Cignetti build an "emerging superpower" at Indiana? A tougher conference schedule in 2025 will provide an early answer.
MORE: Curt Cignetti's instant turnaround at IU earns him SN's Coach of the Year
16. Matt Campbell, Iowa State
Last year: 44
Record: 64-51
Lowdown: Campbell is coming off his best season, but is this a reactionary jump? Campbell, 45, led the Cyclones to an 11-win season in the new-look Big 12, and Iowa State has won two of the last three matchups against Iowa. Iowa State's methodical formula worked last season, and the program made their second Big 12 championship appearance in five years. The Cyclones have enjoyed seven winning seasons in nine years under Campbell. They had seven in 36 seasons prior to his arrival.
MORE: Ranking the Big 12 quarterback situations for 2025
15. Jeff Brohm, Louisville
Last year: 18
Record: 85-52 (19-8 at Louisville)
Lowdown: Brohm has an identical 27-13 record as Sonny Dykes the last three seasons, and that's been accomplished at Purdue and Louisville – where he has excelled at quarterback development. Aidan O'Connell, Jack Plummer and Tyler Shough all are in the NFL. Will Miller Moss – a USC transfer – be next? Brohm has led the Cardinals to a 12-4 record in ACC play the last two seasons.
14. Sonny Dykes, TCU
Last year: 16
Record: 98-76 (27-13 at TCU)
Lowdown: The Horned Frogs have averaged nine wins the last three seasons under Dykes, who led TCU to the CFP championship game in 2022. TCU won nine games last season, and they are 18-9 in Big 12 play with Dykes. TCU closed last season with six victories in its last seven games and could re-emerge as a Big 12 playoff sleeper this season.
13. Kyle Whittingham, Utah
Last year: 7
Record: 167-86
Lowdown: Whittingham is a regular in the top 10, but the Utes slipped to 5-7 in their first season in the Big 12. That broke a streak of 10 consecutive winning seasons, so we're willing to give Whittingham a mulligan here. It took a few seasons for the program to find its footing in the Mountain West Conference and later the Pac-12. Whittingham hired a new offensive coordinator in Jason Beck. Will that speed up the process?
12. Lincoln Riley, USC
Last year: 9
Record: 81-24 (26-14 at USC)
Lowdown: Riley left for USC the same year Brian Kelly left for LSU – and those moves have been widely scrutinized the last three years. The Trojans are 15-11 the last two seasons, and it was a tough first-year transition in the Big Ten that included road losses at Michigan, Maryland and Minnesota. USC is 4-10 against ranked teams under Riley, and that includes an 0-4 mark against top-10 teams. We're not discrediting the success at Oklahoma, but it's a prove-it year for Riley at USC.
BENDER: It is not Trojans' fault USC-ND series may be ending
11. Josh Heupel, Tennessee
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Last year: 11
Record: 65-23 (37-15 at Tennessee)
Lowdown: Heupel led Tennessee to its first College Football Playoff appearance and a 10-win season in 2024. He's 30-9 the last three years, and he's beat Alabama and Florida two times each in the last four seasons. Heupel also got high marks for how he handled Nico Iamaleava's transfer in the spring – but the results of that stand have yet to be determined. The Vols have lost one home game the last three seasons – another tribute to the turn-around under Heupel.
MORE: Ranking the SEC quarterback situations for 2025
10. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss
Last year: 10
Record: 105-52 (44-18 at Ole Miss)
Lowdown: Kiffin stays in the same spot as last year. He's the highest-ranked coach on this list who has yet to reach the College Football Playoff, but the Rebels have been close the last two seasons. Kiffin is 29-10 the last three years, and Ole Miss had eight players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft – including first-round picks Walter Nolen and Jaxson Dart. Kiffin has excelled with the Rebels.
9. Brian Kelly, LSU
Last year: 5
Record: 174-72 (29-11 at LSU)
Lowdown: Opinions vary on Kelly's tenure at LSU after a four-loss season in which the Tigers were 1-3 against ranked teams. Kelly is 0-3 in openers at LSU – and the Tigers face Clemson on Aug. 30. Still, the nine-win season broke a string of seven consecutive years where Kelly won 10 or more games between Notre Dame and LSU. Kelly is still inching toward 200 wins at the FBS level.
8. James Franklin, Penn State
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Last year: 14
Record: 125-57 (101-42 at Penn State)
Lowdown: Franklin finally took Penn State to the College Football Playoff, which relieved some of the ever-present pressure on the Nittany Lions' coach. Penn State is 34-8 the last three seasons with a Big Ten championship appearance, but the Nittany Lions also are 5-8 against top-25 teams in that stretch. Franklin hired Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles this offseason. Penn State is 1-10 against the Buckeyes under Franklin. That's the circle-the-date game on Nov. 1.
MORE: Ranking the Big Ten quarterback situations for 2025
7. Dan Lanning, Oregon
Last year: 12
Record: 35-6
Lowdown: Lanning, 39, led Oregon to a Big Ten championship in its first year in the conference. He has an .854 winning percentage and a hyper-aggressive style that has been a hit the last three seasons. Lanning is 4-4 against top-10 teams, and Oregon is built for sustained success. The flop in the Rose Bowl – 41-21 loss to Ohio State – was the only blemish last season. Five of the six coaches ahead of Lanning on this list have played for the CFP championship. That's the next step.
6. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
Last year: 3
Record: 34-7 (9-4 at Alabama)
Lowdown: DeBoer took the unenviable task of replacing Nick Saban, and the Crimson Tide finished with four losses in his first season. Alabama finished 3-1 against ranked teams but also had three road losses in SEC play. DeBoer did take Washington to the CFP championship game in 2023 – and the Crimson Tide should be a playoff contender in 2025. DeBoer will face more pressure in Year 2.
5. Steve Sarkisian, Texas
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Last year: 6
Record: 84-52 (38-17 at Texas)
Lowdown: Sarkisian moves up one spot into the top five – and that's a nod to the two-year run at Texas. The Longhorns are 25-5 with two CFP appearances, and they reached the SEC championship game in Year 1. Texas is 10-5 against top-25 teams in that run. Sarkisian reeled in top-six recruiting classes each of the last three years – including the No. 1 class in 2025. Let the Arch Manning era begin.
4. Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
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Last year: 22
Record: 33-10
Lowdown: Freeman makes a huge jump after leading the Irish to the CFP championship game in 2024 – and we are not second-guessing this call. Freeman has delivered 24 wins in the last two seasons – and the bounce-back from the Week 2 loss to Northern Illinois last season showed the ability to hold a team together. The Irish were 7-1 against top-25 teams last season – with the lone loss coming to the Buckeyes.
MORE: Notre Dame now has path to first-round bye for 2025 CFP
3. Dabo Swinney, Clemson
Last year: 2
Record: 180-47
Lowdown: Swinney and Kirby Smart are the only two-time national championship coaches on this list. The narrative around Swinney's transfer portal usage continues, but the Tigers won the ACC championship in 2024 and have five players on our Top 50 Big Board for 2026. Swinney is 15-4 since the now-famous "Tyler from Spartanburg" radio call in 2024, but three of those losses are to SEC schools. Swinney can break that streak in the opener against LSU.
MORE: SN's Big Board for 2026 NFL Draft
2. Ryan Day, Ohio State
© Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch
Last year: 4
Record: 70-10
Lowdown: Day led Ohio State to a national championship in the first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff era – and his .875 winning percentage is the best among active FBS coaches. That run included five victories against top-five teams. The Buckeyes are 36-6 the last three seasons, and they have produced 24 NFL Draft picks in that stretch. Of course, Day still faces the pressure of a four-game losing streak to rival Michigan.
1. Kirby Smart, Georgia
Last year: 1
Record: 105-19
Lowdown: Smart is our choice at No. 1 for the second straight season. Georgia won the SEC championship in 2024 after back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022. The Bulldogs are 39-4 the last three seasons under Smart – a winning percentage of .904 that ranks first among all active FBS coaches. Smart also has an .847 winning percentage entering his 10th season with the Bulldogs – which is on par with the greatest coaches of all time.