CBS Sports ranks Top 25 college football head coaches ahead of 2022 season
CBS Sports named their top 25 college football head coaches ahead of the 2022 season. The list only consists of Power Five coaches, meaning somebody such as Luke Fickell of Cincinnati will not appear in the top 25. Five national championship head coaches appear on the list, spanning from No. 1 all the way down to No. 20.
Check out the full list.
Top 25 college football Power Five head coaches ahead of 2022 season
- Nick Saban, Alabama
- Kirby Smart, Georgia
- Dabo Swinney, Clemson
- Lincoln Riley, USC
- Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M
- Ryan Day, Ohio State
- Brian Kelly, LSU
- Kyle Wittingham, Utah
- Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
- Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
- Dave Aranda, Baylor
- Matt Campbell, Iowa State
- Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
- Paul Chryst, Wisconsin
- James Franklin, Penn State
- Mark Stoops, Kentucky
- Dave Clawson, Wake Forest
- Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss
- Mario Cristobal, Miami
- Mack Brown, North Carolina
- Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
- Sam Pittman, Arkansas
- P.J. Fleck, Minnesota
- Mel Tucker, Michigan State
- Dave Doeren, NC State
The Big Ten makes the most appearances throughout the list, with seven. You could even count USC’s Lincoln Riley in there, giving the conference a future total of eight. Nonetheless, Ryan Day leads the pack for the current members, while Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh, who is fresh off a College Football Playoff appearance, just cracks the top 10.
Where the SEC has strength is near the top. Three out of the top five comes from the southeast, with this year’s two national championship coaches claiming the first two spots. While Kirby Smart may have gotten the best out of Nick Saban this past season, the past success of the Alabama head coach keeps him at No. 1 overall.
First-year head coaches near top of list
Three first-year head coaches make a top 25 appearance, with Brian Kelly maybe being the most significant. After making the shocking move from Notre Dame to LSU, he still finds himself inside the top five, thanks to his success with the Fighting Irish. Making multiple College Football Playoffs, plus a BCS National Championship appearance, few have the resume of Kelly.
While Kelly and Riley both find themselves in the top five, Mario Cristobal finds himself ranked at No. 19 entering his first year at Miami. Coming over via Oregon, Cristobal is gaining momentum with the Hurricanes before ever playing a snap. Between his activity in the transfer portal and with the 2023 recruiting class, the feeling is different in Coral Gables.
Add in what Riley has done in Los Angeles and all three first-year head coaches, who have had success with other big named programs, are on track for early success at their new schools.