Kirby Smart tops Ryan Day, Dan Lanning, Marcus Freeman and more in latest college football head coach rankings
With Nick Saban officially out of the picture, college football feels like it's entering a brand new chapter. For so long, Saban was the guy who set the standard everyone else was chasing. Now that he's retired, the question is: who’s the top dog in the coaching world? It’s tough to say for sure, but […]
With Nick Saban officially out of the picture, college football feels like it's entering a brand new chapter. For so long, Saban was the guy who set the standard everyone else was chasing. Now that he's retired, the question is: who’s the top dog in the coaching world?
It’s tough to say for sure, but Georgia Bulldogs' Kirby Smart definitely has a strong case. Since taking over in Athens in 2016, he’s turned the Bulldogs into a consistent national powerhouse, stacking wins, reeling in top-tier recruits, and collecting championships.
If there’s anyone who looks ready to take over Saban's spot as the face of college football coaching, it’s probably Smart.
And A to Z Sports' team of college football analysts seems to think so in their new college football head coach rankings.
Smart took No. 1 over Ohio State's Ryan Day (No.2), Clemson's Dabo Swinney (No.3), Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman (No. 4), and Oregon's Dan Lanning (No. 5).
"Kirby Smart was the unanimous number one as the obvious voice of the sport with two national championships, an 85% career win percentage, and nine career postseason wins in as many seasons as the head coach for Georgia," writes
In nine seasons so far, Smart has compiled a 105–19 record, led the Bulldogs to back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022, and captured three SEC titles (2017, 2022, and 2024).
Under Kirby Smart, Georgia rattled off an SEC-record 29 straight conference wins and went perfect in 2022, capping it off by absolutely stomping TCU 65–7 in the national title game. Thanks to a first-class recruiting team and defensive mindset, Smart has made Georgia a regular in the playoff conversation, and in 2024, he cashed in with a 10-year, $130 million deal, making him the highest-paid coach in college football.
A to Z Sports' Tier 1 College Football Head Coach Rankings
1. Kirby Smart, Georgia
2. Ryan Day, Ohio State
3. Dabo Swinney, Clemson
4. Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
5. Dan Lanning, Oregon
6. Steve Sarkisian, Texas
A to Z Sports' Tier 2 College Football Head Coach Rankings
7. Kyle Whittingham, Utah
8. James Franklin, Penn State
9. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
10. Matt Campbell, Iowa State
11. Brian Kelly, LSU
12. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss
13. Chris Klieman, Kansas State
14. Lance Leipold, Kansas
15. Kalani Sitake, BYU
16. Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State
