ESPN’s latest look at the top head coaches in college football puts Indiana’s Curt Cignetti at No. 1 heading into the 2026 season, with Georgia’s Kirby Smart right behind him at No. 2.
The panel of ESPN reporters wasn’t asked to rank coaches by résumé alone. The question was more pointed than that: who would they most want to lead their hypothetical team this coming season? In other words, the list is a snapshot of which coaches carry the most momentum heading into 2026.
Five SEC head coaches made the cut. Smart checked in at No.
2, Texas’ Steve Sarkisian landed at No. 6, LSU’s Lane Kiffin came in at No.
7, Texas A&M’s Mike Elko was No. 8, and Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer tied for No. 10.
The rest of the top 10 included Dan Lanning, Marcus Freeman, Kyle Whittingham, Ryan Day and Mario Cristobal. Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea also picked up one top-10 vote.
There’s plenty for these coaches to chase this season, but the pressure is especially heavy on the group near the bottom of the list. None of them has won a national title as a head coach. Sarkisian and Texas are facing real expectations to get back to the College Football Playoff, while DeBoer will need more than just a trip to make Alabama fans happy - he’ll need a CFP win or two.
Elko’s year is just as intriguing. Texas A&M reached the College Football Playoff in Year 2 under him, but Year 3 brings a far tougher road, with trips to LSU, Alabama and Oklahoma, plus home games against Tennessee and Texas.
Kiffin’s situation is different, but the pressure is real all the same. He has never coached in the College Football Playoff, and that’s the goal for LSU in Year 1.
He brought in a wave of transfers, including Sam Leavitt from Arizona State to run the offense. LSU’s defense has talent at every level, and Blake Baker is back as defensive coordinator.
By the end of the season, Kiffin could have a strong case for climbing even higher on this list.
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Delgatty is expected to handle center and bring the kind of leadership that position demands, while James looks like the answer at right tackle after already logging meaningful college experience and showing he can protect the passer. Fields gives Alabama another versatile piece who can move around the line if needed, and the staffs confidence in this group suggests these are not stopgap options. For a team trying to keep the front stable, the question is less about where these players came from and more about how quickly they can make the line feel settled. [Read more 🡒]
Terrion Arnolds NFL Future Just Took A Tense New Turn
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Alabama Fans Will Have Strong Feelings About DeBoers Latest Ranking
Greg McElroy is not buying ESPNs latest read on Kalen DeBoer. The former Alabama quarterback and current college football analyst pushed back on the network placing DeBoer tied for 10th among the sports coaches, arguing that the Alabama head coachs body of work already stacks up better than that slot suggests.
It is an easy debate for Crimson Tide fans to jump into, especially with DeBoer having guided Alabama back to the College Football Playoff last season and now entering his third year in Tuscaloosa. McElroys point centered on DeBoers success against some coaches ranked ahead of him, which only adds to the case that the conversation around Alabamas coach may be lagging behind what he has actually done on the field. [Read more 🡒]