Where should all 136 of the current college football head coaches be ranked going into the 2025 season?
Take your pick of ways to judge the leaders of the fall properly.
The new guys generally get a break. They have a relatively clean slate as they get their programs up and going. Some get ranked a tad higher or lower based on their respective histories.
Some are red-hot coaching prospects, and others are coaching for a chance to return next season. But most of all, we're going by a combination of buzz, respect, and expectations.
Here's our preseason belief on how all 136 coaches should be ranked (and yes, we'll change these radically at the end of the fun in mid-January).
2024 CFN Coach Rank: NR
Wins as FBS Coach: 0
The Kent State gig was impossible when Kenni Burns took over a few years ago. That's nothing compared to what Carney is dealing with. No joke, a two-win season will be great.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: 128
Wins as FBS Coach: 7
It's been a rough first two years, winning just seven games in two rough runs. UAB didn't lose fewer than six games in the seven seasons before he arrived.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: NR
Wins as FBS Coach: 0
Give him at least a year to get up and going. Marshall was gutted by the transfer portal, Gibson has never been a head coach, and this should be a stepping-stone season.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: NR
Wins as FBS Coach: 0
Longo had a rough 7-14 run in two years as the La Salle head coach, was just okay as an offensive coordinator at several stops, and now he gets a program used to success.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: 127
Wins as FBS Coach: 23
As we now know, it's possible to win at UNLV, but he was 20-40 in five years, went 3-9 last year at NMSU, and has never been close to a winning season. This is his shot to take over.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: NR
Wins as FBS Coach: 0
After bouncing around as a top offensive coach at several spots, he's getting his first shot at running his own program. If nothing else, the attack will be interesting.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: NR
Wins as FBS Coach: 0
Good with NC Central in the mid-2010s - he won three conference titles in four years - he'll get plenty of time to make the Owl program his. The running game should be great.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: NR
Wins as FBS Coach: 0
Under the radar, it's a good hire after rocking as a key assistant at Army. Before that, he had a nice run at Kansas Wesleyan, including a trip to the 2018 NAIA semifinals.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: NR
Wins as FBS Coach: 0
The new head man made Gardner-Webb into a Big South champion, had one decent year at East Tennessee State, and now the young rising star gets his chance to build up Tulsa.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: NR
Wins as FBS Coach: 0
A LONGTIME assistant coach at a whole slew of spots, now he's getting a shot to run his own program. This should be a very different look for the formerly high-octane Gamecocks.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: 132
Wins as FBS Coach: 4
A bit of a curveball hire last year, he went 4-8 with a team that should've at least gone bowling. That should all change quickly if he can get the attack steadily rolling.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: 130
Wins as FBS Coach: 3
This is supposed to take a little while. He was a new head coach who dealt with a nasty schedule in his first year. Give him another season and expect a bunch of improvement.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: NR
Wins as FBS Coach: 0
A top offensive line coach in the FCS, he took over Idaho and pounded out three straight FCS playoff runs. His New Mexico teams are about to blast away.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: NR
Wins as FBS Coach: 0
Dues have been paid. The 55-year-old won three conference titles at Washington & Lee, two more at Davidson, and he owns 12 winning seasons in 13 years. He can make Rice his.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: 121
Wins as FBS Coach: 3
Nevada has floundered over the last several seasons, but he got his feet wet with a 3-10 first run. He knows how to coach - he won at Montana State - but this will still be a fight.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: 118
Wins as FBS Coach: 10
Let's put it this way - he improved by two wins. However, no WMU head coach has had back-to-back losing seasons since 2003 and 2004. This is a big season for the program.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: 115
Wins as FBS Coach: 13
There were glimmers of hope last year, but he's still just 11-26 at a place that should be cranking up the offense. This is a key year with the program leaving for the Sun Belt.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: NR
Wins as FBS Coach: 0
A young, new head coach, he has a strong team entering the FBS after an 8-4 season. His defenses know how to attack, and his offense will be a wild card in the C-USA race.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: 120
Wins as FBS Coach: 3
Don't sweat the 3-9 first season too much. It's always hard to go from top assistant to the main man, but he fits the Wyoming system. A great defensive mind, things should turn fast.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: 131
Wins as FBS Coach: 2
Let's see if he can fix the glitch. Part of the idea of hiring him was to crank up an offense that overcomes a talent gap with the SEC elite. This year's team has to stop someone.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: NR
Wins as FBS Coach: 0
George put in the work to be ready for this. His Tennessee State team won the OVC and got to the playoffs last year, and there's a real shot to be great right away.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: NR
Wins as FBS Coach: 0
Stanford needs to come up with a little bit of luck and a lot of magic to restore the glory. Reich might be just the right fit with a time to get the parts for the offense.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: 114
Wins as FBS Coach: 11
Things are starting to point in the right direction. After two three-win seasons, his Cavaliers pulled off a nice 5-7 run. Getting them to a bowl for the first time since 2019 is a must.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: NR
Wins as FBS Coach: 0
It took a while to get going at Saint Francis, but he eventually turned it into a winner. After three good years at Butler, he's ready for a step up. He can win early on in the MAC.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: NR
Wins as FBS Coach: 0
Can he be the one who finally wins games in Amherst? A whale of a defensive coordinator at Minnesota and Rutgers after getting Maine to the FCS semifinals in 2018, he's ready.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: NR
Wins as FBS Coach: 5
That worked well. He took over in the middle of a dead season and went 5-1 with a bowl win over NC State. He didn't beat a team that finished with a winning record, though.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: 123
Wins as FBS Coach: 5
In a tough spot after all the changes, and with the loss of so much talent, he turned in a decent 5-7 season. Now it's time to show he'll make Oregon State a Pac-12 player in 2026.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: 88
Wins as FBS Coach: 27
He was the right idea head coaching hire last season for a program that needed some flash, but it was a painful 3-9 first campaign. If nothing else, the AztecFAST O needs to fly.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: 107
Wins as FBS Coach: 22
He's a good head coach with a great offensive mind, but Akron isn't an easy place to win. For what it's worth, he doubled his win total in his third year, even if it was just a 4-8 run.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: NR
Wins as FBS Coach: 1
It worked when Frank Solich passed the torch off to Tim Albin, and now Smith should be ready after three good years as a key offensive coach. Nothing stops.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: NR
Wins as FBS Coach: 0
How long can Delaware hang on to him? He's just 42, talented, and he put together three great seasons going into the FBS. Don't be shocked if the Blue Hens are good right away.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: 100
Wins as FBS Coach: 30
It's a big overhaul to get Middle Tennessee back to its winning ways, and this is when Mason needs to show he's the right guy to do it after a 3-9 first season.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: 99
Wins as FBS Coach: 13
The Hawaii quarterback legend was handed an impossible situation, and after three losing seasons, he might finally have the pieces to start winning. The O will be even more fun.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: 109
Wins as FBS Coach: 23
Well, there we go. It might have ended with a thud, but he finally got Louisiana back to where it's supposed to be with an appearance in the Sun Belt Championship.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: NR
Wins as FBS Coach: 15
Huge hire - there's a real chance Wazzu upgraded after losing Jake Dickert to Wake Forest. The 38-year-old Rogers went 27-3 in two years at South Dakota State with a national title.
2024 CFN Coach Rank: 126
Wins as FBS Coach: 4
In the underground college football world, Walden is considered a potential next big thing if he has any success. There's plenty of work to do after a 3-9 season, but his upside is huge.
College Football Head Coach Rankings
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