It’s amazing to think we’re 25% through the college football In the ACC, we can already start to get idea who are the ACC Coach of the Year candidates at this early point of the season..
James Franklin, Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech is off to a 3-0 under James Franklin, including a P4 win at Maryland. The offense has put up 73, 44, and 35 points and looks as sharp and crisp as we’ve seen in years. The Hokies have a great chance to get 4-0 before playing at Pittsburgh. I don’t think Virginia Tech is quite ready to compete for a trip to Charlotte, but you just get the sense James Franklin is going to make Virginia Tech a real force again soon.
Manny Diaz, Duke
Duke has the ACC’s best out-of-conference win of the season – a 31-27 win at Illinois. You thought Duke might take a step back after their ACC Championship and the loss of their QB Darian Mensah, but Diaz just keeps things rolling. Duke will have tougher games later in the year but could win 8-10 regular season games.
Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh
Pitt has been flying under the radar, but they are also 3-0 with a P4 win over Central Florida. They will very likely be 4-0 when they face Virginia Tech. The winning coaching of that game moves ahead of the other in the COY chase. Pitt is in the top 50 in both offense and defense, and the Panthers could have some staying power in the ACC race.
Jeff Brohm, Louisville
Jeff Brohm is the only coach on this list with a loss, but you can’t penalize the Cardinals for a 41-38 last-second loss to a legit top 10 team in Ole Miss. They knocked off a good SMU team, and have already played the two best teams on their schedule. If they play like they are capable of, they could be 10-1 when they go to Kentucky.
Mario Cristobal, Miami
Miami was expected to be really good, and they are really good. They should be undefeated when they head to Notre Dame in early November. Cristobal’s candidacy is the classic case of having high expectations and playing to them. Is that better than exceeding expectations when it comes to the COY race?o If the Canes run the table the other coaches are going to need something special to overtake him.
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