The top 29 FBS coaches?

[jr/shotglass]

I have no idea what New Arena is, and it plays like clickbait. That's why I put the list together for you all for discussion and disagreement. Conferences added for ****s and giggles.

1. Nick Saban (SEC)
2. Urban Meyer (Big Ten)
3. Jim Harbaugh (Big Ten)
4. Jimbo Fisher (ACC)
5. Dabo Swinney (ACC)
6. Chris Petersen (Pac-12)
7. Bill Snyder (Big 12)
8. David Shaw (Pac-12)
9. Bobby Petrino (ACC)
10. Mike Gundy (Big 12)
11. Gary Patterson (Big 12)
12. Mark Dantonio (Big Ten)
13. Kyle Whittingham (Big 12)
14. Mark Richt (ACC)
15. James Franklin (Big Ten)
16. David Cutcliffe (ACC)
17. Dan Mullen (SEC)
18. Mike Leach (Pac-12)
19. Ken Niumatalolo (AAC)
20. Paul Johnson (ACC)
21. Gus Malzahn (SEC)
22. Pat Fitzgerald (Big Ten)
23. Brian Kelly (Independent)
24. Kirk Ferentz (Big Ten)
25. Jim McElwain (SEC)
26. Tom Herman (Big 12)
27. Justin Fuente (ACC)
28. Mike MacIntyre (Pac-12)
29. Bret Bielema (SEC)

 

[Neutral Corner]

Bret Bielema? 10-24 in the SEC and the only reason he still has a job is a $15m buyout, that Bret Bielema?

 

[Michael_ Gee]

I think Harbaugh is a fine coach. But there are guys ranked below him, some by a lot, who have accomplished much more in college football.

 

[Dick Whitman]

I think Harbaugh is a fine coach. But there are guys ranked below him, some by a lot, who have accomplished much more in college football.

My answer to that is a big, "So what?"

It's not a lifetime achievement list, right? It's a list of who is the best coaches right now.

 

[hondo]

Fisher is more at the bottom of the top -10. So far his only years were he had an elite team was the two with Jameis Winston.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

My answer to that is a big, "So what?"

It's not a lifetime achievement list, right? It's a list of who is the best coaches right now.

I'd like some more evidence that Harbaugh is better than Dantonio when you know, their two teams play each other.

 

[Dick Whitman]

I'd like some more evidence that Harbaugh is better than Dantonio when you know, their two teams play each other.

I was just pushing back against the general principle you stated.

 

[micropolitan guy]

Given the academic/physical requirements he must work with, I think Ken Niumatalolo might be the best coach in the country. Certainly higher than 19th.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Given the academic/physical requirements he must work with, I think Ken Niumatalolo might be the best coach in the country. Certainly higher than 19th.

I always thought that about Paul Johnson, too. But there he is, fringe top 20 with his successor.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Bret Bielema? 10-24 in the SEC and the only reason he still has a job is a $15m buyout, that Bret Bielema?

Between that buyout and hiring the ESPN guy for the WBB gig, Jeff Long has made some odd decisions the past few years.

 

[Neutral Corner]

Arkansas still has both Alabama and Auburn to play, and has a fine chance to lose both of those as well. They have a good shot at going 6-6, which is not going to defuse the heat much. I don't know if it's coaching or bad recruiting or what, but the rank and file fans are going to be screaming for his head if the Hogs don't get an unexpected win or two.

 

[jr/shotglass]

Given the academic/physical requirements he must work with, I think Ken Niumatalolo might be the best coach in the country. Certainly higher than 19th.

That was exactly the first thought I had looking through the list.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

That's obviously a factor and why such a list is so hard to do accurately. It's not the NFL, there's no level playing field for a coach. Within FBS there are like three levels of academic requirements, geographic limitations on recruiting, etc. What would Niumatalolo do with Saban's resources? If the former is smart, we'll never know. For inventive offense, Murphy at Harvard would be hard to beat in terms of pure x's and o's. But of course, that's Harvard, which isn't even FBS.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

Harbaugh, who has won nothing, ahead of two coaches who have won titles.

**** outta here with this. And Beilema shouldn't even be on the list.

 

[jr/shotglass]

Didn't even realize the Middies are off to a 5-0 start until I looked up their schedule. Could be 9-0 when they face Kelly's Irish.

Harbaugh, who has won nothing, ahead of two coaches who have won titles.

I thought Harbaugh's spot was going to be solidified by a full set of recruiting classes, but looking it up, Franklin and Meyer are killing him in the 2018 class.

 

[Double Down]

I always thought that about Paul Johnson, too. But there he is, fringe top 20 with his successor.

Remember when I was pushing hard here for Paul Johnson to be the next coach at Notre Dame, and you thought that idea was ****ing insane?

They should've hired him. Would have saved a lot of money, and gotten results at least on par with Brian Kelly.

(In fairness, your position was more that Norte Dame's powers-that-be thought too highly of themselves, and the school, to ever stoop to hiring the likes of Paul Johnson, not that Johnson couldn't coach.)

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Remember when I was pushing hard here for Paul Johnson to be the next coach at Notre Dame, and you thought that idea was ****ing insane?

They should've hired him. Would have saved a lot of money, and gotten results at least on par with Brian Kelly.

(In fairness, your position was more that Norte Dame's powers-that-be thought too highly of themselves, and the school, to ever stoop to hiring the likes of Paul Johnson, not that Johnson couldn't coach.)

Now they have a ****head who can't coach. Good work, gang.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Now they have a ****head who can't coach. Good work, gang.

Nah, he can coach.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Remember when I was pushing hard here for Paul Johnson to be the next coach at Notre Dame, and you thought that idea was ****ing insane?

They should've hired him. Would have saved a lot of money, and gotten results at least on par with Brian Kelly.

(In fairness, your position was more that Norte Dame's powers-that-be thought too highly of themselves, and the school, to ever stoop to hiring the likes of Paul Johnson, not that Johnson couldn't coach.)

Yeah, there was no way they were hiring Navy’s coach - mostly because of the gimmick offense. I think they would have found that undignified and a concession they weren’t ready to make.

In fairness, the last time they played two years ago, Notre Dame beat them like a stepchild.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Nah, he can coach.

Scoreboard doesn't say so. If they weren't playing ACC dregs instead of Big 10, he'd be gone already.