A few days ago I said we were going to give our ACC and SEC football coach rankings. Gene Sapakoff of the Post and Courier ranked the ACC and SEC Football Coaches and I liked the idea, so here goes.
1. Nick Saban, Alabama
Only Urban Meyer is in same sentence as Nick Saban nationally, but Meyer still running second. Saban has turned the SEC into his personal playground.
2. Dabo Swinney, Clemson
The reigning national champion’s head coach has built a monster at Clemson. The Tigers have back to back national title game appearances.
3. Jimbo Fisher, Florida State
There have been a couple of hiccups since the 2013 national title season for FSU and Fisher, but the Noles late season surge in 2016 including an Orange Bowl win over Michigan proves Fisher still has things humming at FSU.
4. Bobby Petrino, Louisville
Bobby Petrino has a history of success anywhere he’s been. For 2/3 of 2016 he had Louisville in the playoff of discussion. The late season swoon though raises some questions. Petrino needs a good season, to hold on to this 4th spot.
5. Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech
Justin Fuente got Virginia Tech turned around in 1 year, going 10-4 in year 1. He also won 19 games his previous 2 years at Memphis. He can flat out coach.
6. Mark Richt, Miami
It didn’t take long to see Miami got a big coaching upgrade in Mark Richt. The Canes went 9-4 in his first year. Richt was a consistent if not spectacular winner at Georgia. He can recruit too.
7. Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech
Paul Johnson has 4 Coastal Division titles in his 9 years at Georgia Tech, and is coming off a 9 win season. He has 3 bowl wins in the last 5 years. His 2014 Georgia Tech team won the Orange Bowl and finished in the top 10.
8. David Cutcliffe, Duke
From 2013-2015 David Cutcliffe won 27 games… at Duke. That is incredible. Last year’s 4-8 year still included a win over Notre Dame.
9. Dan Mullen, Mississippi State
I’ve always wondered how much Dan Mullen could win at another school with more resources. Mississippi State is a perennial bowl team, that reached #1 in the county in 2014 and stayed there for 4 weeks.
10. Jim McElwain, Florida
Florida has won back to back SEC East Titles under McElwain. That’s the good. The bad is McElwain is 0-4 against Alabama and FSU.
11. Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh
Not many teams had a better pair of wins that Pitt did last year defeating Penn State and Clemson. Narduzzi is showing what is capable at Pitt.
12. Butch Jones, Tennessee
Butch Jones is often criticized at Tennessee, but he’s 3-0 in bowl games. He has back to back 9 win seasons in Knoxville. It’s time to win the SEC East though.
13. Larry Fedora, North Carolina
Winning 19 games in two years will move you up this list, but Fedora still mis-used some of his talented running backs the last couple of years.
14. Gus Malzahn, Auburn
The 2013 national title appearance seems a lifetime ago. Malzahn is only 11-13 in the SEC the last 3 years.
15. Ed Orgeron, LSU
Orgeron was a bust at Ole Miss a few years, but seemed to have brought some life to LSU in the 2nd half of last year.
16. Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss
Ole Miss never quite got over the hump, when * cough * they recruited well, but they were pretty good. Freeze is just 19-21 in the SEC. He’s not bad, but hardly great.
17. Dave Clawson, Wake Forest
Clawson gets major points for getting Wake Forest to and winning a bowl game last year. He does it again, and I’ll put him in the top 12.
18. Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M
Kevin Sumlin is starting to become synonymous with overpaid and underachieving.
19. Bret Bielema, Arkansas
10-22 in the SEC just isn’t going to cut it. Bielema has been a major disappointment after a fine tenure at Arkansas.
20. Dino Babers, Syracuse
Dino Babers had successful runs at Easter Illinois and Bowling Green. He was just 4-8 last season, but there was a surprising win over Virginia Tech.
21. Kirby Smart, Georgia
Home losses to Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech were part of a shaky 1st first year for Smart. Mark Richt did not leave the cupboard that bare.
22. Steve Addazio, Boston College
Boston College isn’t an easy place to win and Addazio has three 7 win seasons in four years. There is an ugly 3-16 record in his last 19 ACC contests.
23. Mark Stoops, Kentucky
Mark Stoops built some good will at Kentucky with 7-6 season, and bowl appearance. He also knocked off arch-rival Louisville.
24. Dave Doeren, N.C. State
Dave Doeren has averaged barely 2 ACC wins a year in 4 seasons at NC State, but there is optimism going into this year. This is a make or break season or Doeren.
25. Bronco Mendenhall, Virginia
Bronco Mendenhall had a really solid record at BYU, but last years 2-10 record at Virginia raises some question marks.
26. Will Muschamp, South Carolina
Will Muschamp ran Florida into the ground before departing. Last season was a 6-7 season that included an 56-7 loss to arch rival Clemson.
27. Derek Mason, Vanderbilt
In 3 years, Derek Mason has only 5 SEC wins. He did get Vanderbilt to a bowl last year and beat Tennessee. He could move up with a similar season.
28. Barry Odom, Missouri
Barry Odom is no Gary Pinkel.
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