Who is the best college football coach in the country?

For the past two years, ESPN's panel of reporters chose Georgia's Kirby Smart in a runaway. In 2026? Not so fast.

The remarkable surge orchestrated by Curt Cignetti at Indiana, culminating in the program's first national championship last season, understandably drew a lot of attention. Would Cignetti's meteoric rise unseat Smart's consistency over his decade with the Dawgs? And who else is on the rise in the eyes of our voters?

We posed the question to our reporters by asking which coaches they would most want leading their (fictional) team for the coming season, not necessarily the coaches who have accumulated the best résumés over their careers. Each person listed their top 10 choices, and points were given based on their responses (10 points for first, 9 points for second and so on). We then asked our voters to explain some of their picks.

Here are the rankings and the voters' responses, along with some stats provided by ESPN Research.

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1. Curt Cignetti, Indiana

Record: 46-6, .885 winning percentage (27-2 at Indiana)

Points: 94 (five of 10 first-place votes)

Last year's ranking: Not ranked

Numbers to know: Cignetti is the first head coach to win a national championship within his first two seasons at a school since Gene Chizik did it in 2010 in his second season at Auburn. ... Cignetti's 27 wins in his two seasons in Bloomington are two more than any other coach in his first two years at a school since the AP poll debuted in 1936. (Kalen DeBoer won 25 games at Washington in 2022 and '23.) ... Indiana before Cignetti (1887-2023): .419 winning percentage, no 10-win seasons or national championships. Indiana with Cignetti (2024 and '25): .931 winning percentage, two 10-win seasons, one national championship.

Half of our voters had Cignetti No. 1, and you were one of them. Was there any hesitation on your part?

Not really. It takes a special coach to wrangle all the forces at a blue blood the way Kirby Smart has at Georgia while dominating the SEC. If it were easy, everyone who has had one of those jobs could do it. But we've never seen anything like what Curt Cignetti has done at Indiana, taking the losingest program in college football history to a national title in two years, after an 11-1 season at James Madison in 2023. In 125 seasons before Cignetti's arrival, Indiana had never won 10 games and had won nine just twice, in 1945 and 1967, and had three total bowl wins. He is 27-2 in two seasons in Bloomington (with three postseason wins last year alone) and added a national championship trophy during a span where the Big Ten has won three straight titles. If the definition of an elite coach is someone you'd trust to lead any program anywhere, he's where you start. -- Dave Wilson

2. Kirby Smart, Georgia

Record: 117-21, .848 (all at Georgia)

Points: 90 (four first-place votes)

Last year's ranking: 1

Numbers to know: Smart's 117 wins are the second most by a head coach in their first 10 seasons in major college football history. (Penn's George Woodruff had 124 from 1892 to 1901.) ... The Bulldogs coach's trophy case includes two national championships (2021 and '22), four SEC titles and five College Football Playoff appearances.

You were one of four voters to have Smart at No. 1. State your case as to why the Dawgs' coach is the best in the land.

Cignetti has pulled off an absolute miracle in his two years at Indiana, and I have no issue with him sitting on the throne in these rankings. The argument for Smart is his program remains the gold standard for elite, sustained success even as the expanded CFP, the portal and NIL have in many ways made his job tougher. He has maintained an incredibly high standard at Georgia with no bad years, finishing in the top seven of the AP poll in nine consecutive seasons, with eight trips to the SEC title game. If you exclude the COVID year, Smart is averaging 12.6 wins over his last eight full seasons at Georgia. His SEC record is a ridiculous 40-5 since 2021. Sure, consecutive CFP semifinal losses in the Sugar Bowl have been disappointing endings for the back-to-back SEC champs, but I still think Smart's track record of acquiring and developing blue-chip talent and consistently winning at the absolute highest level can't be beat. -- Max Olson

3. Ryan Day, Ohio State

Record: 82-12, .872 (all at Ohio State)

Points: 77 (one first-place vote)

Last year's ranking: 2

Numbers to know: Day's career winning percentage is the third highest in major college football history (minimum 50 games), trailing Walter Camp (.924) and Knute Rockne (.881), and the highest in the AP poll era (since 1936). ... In seven seasons at Ohio State, Day's teams have made the CFP five times, the most of any program in that span.

You were the only voter to have Day at No. 1. Everyone else went with Cignetti or Smart. What was your rationale?

Nobody wins more. Day owns the best winning percentage of any active coach while operating under the game's most demanding expectations. Two seasons ago, he delivered Ohio State's first national championship in a decade, leading the Buckeyes on a dominant playoff run. Last November, he finally cleared the one obstacle critics held against him, beating Michigan 27-9 in Ann Arbor. Every preseason, Ohio State is deservedly in the national title conversation. Every spring, the Buckeyes send a wave of talent to the NFL. When combining elite results, championship success, player development and the pressure that comes with the Ohio State job, Day is doing it better than anyone else. -- Jake Trotter

You had Day ranked No. 8. No one else had him lower than No. 4. What was your reasoning?

Honestly, it's just really hard to evaluate the performance of a successful Ohio State head coach, as it has been the most consistently awesome program in the nation for decades. I may have dropped Day too far after last season, but I just didn't think he stuck the landing at all in 2025. When it was time to help that offense shift into gear late and ramp up the tempo and the risk profile against elite opponents, Day just couldn't do it. I'm not an Ohio State fan, but I was yelling at the TV during the Miami CFP game because the Buckeyes just refused to pick up the pace in the second half when they were down multiple scores. They weren't up for the task late in the season, and it cost them. Eighth is probably too low, but I guess it could be considered a challenge for 2026. -- Bill Connelly

4. Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame

Record: 43-12, .782 (all at Notre Dame)

Points: 68

Last year's ranking: 4

Numbers to know: Freeman has five bowl wins since 2022 (his first full season as Notre Dame's head coach), the most among FBS head coaches during that span. ... Notre Dame and Indiana are the only two programs to have a 10-game win streak in each of the past two seasons (10 straight in 2025, 13 straight in 2024). ... Under Freeman, the Fighting Irish are 16-7 vs. AP-ranked opponents for a .696 winning percentage, which is second best in the FBS during that span (Georgia 19-6, .760). In 12 seasons under Brian Kelly, Notre Dame was 23-23 vs. ranked opponents.

You had Freeman ranked sixth, the lowest of any voter (although eight had him either fourth or fifth). What was your hesitation to ranking him higher?

I wouldn't say I'm low on Freeman at all. After Cignetti, Smart and Day, I viewed it as a three-way battle for the No. 4 spot among Freeman, Dan Lanning and Steve Sarkisian. All three have done an exceptional job of building up their respective programs over the past four years. Now it's time for one of them to break through and win a national title. Lanning has the best record (48-8) of this trio since 2022. Freeman has the most top-25 wins with 16. Sarkisian has two top-four finishes. Lanning and Sarkisian maintaining their success despite moving into tough conferences has been impressive to me. Considering all three of these coaches have championship expectations for 2026, I think the season ahead will tell us plenty about who's the best of this bunch. -- Max Olson

5. Dan Lanning, Oregon

Record: 48-8, .857 (all at Oregon)

Points: 61

Last year's ranking: 6

Numbers to know: Oregon is 48-8 since Lanning took over in 2022, tied with Ohio State for the second-highest winning percentage (.857) in the FBS during that span (Georgia 51-6, .895). ... In the past three seasons, the Ducks are 1-5 against teams that ended up in the national title game and 37-0 against everyone else. ... Lanning has led Oregon to 10 or more wins in all four seasons since taking over as head coach. From 2015 to 2021, Oregon had two 10-win seasons.

You were one of two voters to rank Lanning No. 3. What do you like most about the fifth-year head coach?

Lanning and Oregon do everything a college football program needs to in order to compete at an elite level in 2026. Roster retention? The Ducks didn't lose a single projected starter in the transfer portal, kept quarterback Dante Moore out of the NFL draft and held on to their entire starting defensive line this offseason. Transfer success? Oregon consistently identifies value and bolsters its roster via the portal. For example: Bear Alexander, Malik Benson, Dillon Gabriel, Evan Stewart and Dillon Thieneman. High school recruiting? Lanning has delivered a top-five class in all four cycles since he took over in Eugene, matching Big Ten foe Ohio State's count of six five-star signees over that span. Elite staffing? Former Lanning assistants Kenny Dillingham (Arizona State), Tosh Lupoi (Cal) and Will Stein (Kentucky) are three of the most highly regarded young head coaches in the sport. On the field? Lanning owns a better career winning percentage -- 85.7% -- than every coach ranked ahead of him on this list outside of Ryan Day, and the Ducks have progressively gone one step further in every season under his watch, from the Holiday Bowl in 2022 to a College Football Playoff semifinal last fall. Sure, we're still waiting for Oregon to finally win the big one and fully cement its place among college football's elite. With Lanning at the helm, the Ducks have perhaps never been closer. -- Eli Lederman

You were one of two voters who had Lanning at No. 8. Why so low?

Dan Lanning is a smart coach. He's likable, he has had success as a coordinator at Georgia and he has won a ton of games at Oregon. All of that is true. But where's the signature moment, the proof in the pudding that he's more than just a really good caretaker for a well-funded football machine? In 2022, he was blown out by Georgia and lost to Oregon State. In 2023, he lost twice to Washington in games that were the difference between making the playoff and missing out. After narrowly edging Ohio State in the regular season in 2024, the Buckeyes destroyed Oregon in the playoff that year. And then last season, when Lanning had arguably his best team, he lost to Indiana twice by double digits. There's no shame in any of that. Losing to good teams happens to everyone. But if Penn State just fired James Franklin for not being able to win the big one, that probably puts Lanning on the clock. Three Big Ten teams have won it all in the past three years, and none of them is Oregon. He's very good, but he has to come closer to a championship before I can say he's elite. -- David Hale

6. Steve Sarkisian, Texas

Record: 94-55, .631 (48-20 at Texas)

Points: 36

Last year's ranking: 5

Numbers to know: Sarkisian has three straight seasons with 10 or more wins. Texas had just one 10-win season from 2010 to 2022. ... The Longhorns had three wins over AP top-10 opponents in 2025, tied for the program's most in a season in the AP poll era (and its most since 2008).

You were one of two voters with Sarkisian at No. 5. No one had him higher. What was your thinking?

If I was hiring one coach to rebuild my program, Sarkisian would absolutely be in my top five. While I understand some voters may have knocked him down a peg or two because of his past, particularly at USC, I tried to evaluate coaches based on where they and their programs are right now. Before Sarkisian got the Texas job, the Longhorns were irrelevant on the national stage and there were valid questions about why a program with so much money and so many resources had fallen so far behind. Sarkisian has done a terrific job bringing Texas back into the national championship conversation -- not only in helping elevate the QB position with Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning -- but by taking the program to back-to-back CFP semifinal appearances in 2023 and 2024. Of course, Texas wants more, and this year is absolutely pivotal because the Longhorns have everything they need to win a title. But the job Sarkisian has done so far at Texas puts him in the top five in my rankings this year. -- Andrea Adelson

You were one of two voters who left Sarkisian out of your top 10. Why?

He ultimately must show he can do more with more at a Texas program that spares no expense. Sarkisian deserves credit for recording consecutive playoff appearances at Texas, and winning the Big 12 in the team's final season in the league. But he has had only two top-10 finishes despite holding two A-list jobs (Texas and USC). He's a very gifted playcaller who has grown as a head coach, but others on my list have accomplished more with less and have done so more consistently. A massive season for Sark awaits in 2026. -- Adam Rittenberg

7. Lane Kiffin, LSU

Record: 116-53, .686 (first year at LSU)

Points: 25

Last year's ranking: Not ranked

Numbers to know: In his six seasons at Ole Miss, Kiffin led the program to three straight 10-win seasons (including 2025), which was the longest streak in program history, and four 10-win seasons overall, tied with Johnny Vaught for the most in program history. ... Under Kiffin, the Rebels spent 48 straight weeks in the AP poll, the second-longest streak in program history (73 from 1957 to 1963). ... Kiffin's .743 winning percentage (55-19) at Ole Miss is second highest in program history behind Vaught's .745 (190-61-12).

Not surprisingly, Kiffin was the most polarizing coach in our poll. Among our voters, you had Kiffin slotted higher than anyone else (fourth). Why are you on Team Kiffin?

For all of his, um, eccentricities, Kiffin has aced his last two head coaching gigs. Florida Atlantic was 9-27 in the three years before his arrival, 27-13 during his three seasons and 15-18 the three years after. Ole Miss enjoyed four top-15 finishes during the 50 years before he was hired and scored four in his six seasons in charge. He might be great at burning bridges, but he's also great at being a head coach. -- Bill Connelly

You were one of three voters to leave Kiffin out of your top 10. What can he do to win you over?

Win big. Aside from two Conference USA titles with Florida Atlantic, Kiffin has yet to win a league championship or national title as a head coach. He has a proven track record as an offensive coordinator and assistant -- there's no shortage of titles there. But in 11 combined seasons at Tennessee, USC and Ole Miss, none of Kiffin's teams has played for a conference championship or finished with fewer than two league losses. So let's start there. -- Heather Dinich

8. Mike Elko, Texas A&M

Record: 35-16, .686 (19-7 at Texas A&M)

Points: 18

Last year's ranking: Not ranked

Numbers to know: Elko has posted a 19-7 record in two seasons at Texas A&M, the second-most wins by a head coach in his first two seasons at A&M. Kevin Sumlin went 20-6 in 2012 and '13. ... Texas A&M was ranked third in the AP poll during the 2025 season, its highest AP ranking since 1995.

You had Elko fifth in your rankings, and six of your fellow voters didn't even have him on their ballot. Why are you right and your colleagues wrong?

It's a fair critique to suggest Elko still has a lot to prove, but I'm already sold. Yes, I knocked Lanning for failing to win the big one -- and Elko hasn't done that either. But unlike Lanning, who took over a program where everyone before him also had won big, Elko has been the coach who appears poised to finally turn A&M into the behemoth everyone always thought it could be. And that comes after winning as a defensive coordinator at Wake Forest, Notre Dame and A&M -- working with high-intensity head coaches at each stop -- and then instantly building Duke into a consistent winner. Elko has the rare combination of smarts, vision and communication skills to do the job at the highest level -- but without the ego or stubbornness that had made A&M such a tough place to win amid the program's politics for so many coaches who came before him. -- David Hale

9. Kyle Whittingham, Michigan

Record: 177-88, .668 (first year at Michigan)

Points: 17

Last year's ranking: 9

Numbers to know: If you can't beat him ... hire him? Since the 1978 FBS/FCS split, Whittingham is the only FBS coach to face Michigan at least three times and have an undefeated record (3-0). His teams beat Michigan in 2008, 2014 and 2015. ... Whittingham's 177 wins are the most in Utah history. Only one other Utah coach eclipsed 100 wins: Ike Armstrong, who had 141 wins from 1925 to 1949.

You were the biggest Whittingham supporter, ranking him No. 6. What do you like about him as a coach?

I'm big on longevity, consistency and overperforming recruiting rankings and resource allocation, and Whittingham checked all of those boxes at Utah. Whittingham has had one losing season since 2014, seven AP top-20 finishes and eight seasons of 10 or more wins, including last fall. He has navigated conference moves and other changes with player movement and compensation. His teams have been consistently elite at the line of scrimmage and flood the NFL draft. I'm fascinated to see what he can do at a program like Michigan. -- Adam Rittenberg

You were one of four voters to leave Whittingham out of your top 10. What was your reasoning?

I think Whittingham is a fantastic coach and was a home run hire for Michigan. I'd put him in the top dozen coaches in the FBS after what he accomplished at Utah. But until last season's 10-2 campaign, his teams lost four games or more in four straight seasons, including a 5-7 dud in 2024. (If quarterback Cam Rising had been able to stay healthy, that might not have been the case.) His teams have lost in five straight bowl games. Like Adam, I'm curious to see what he does at Michigan with better players and more resources. -- Mark Schlabach

10 (tie). Mario Cristobal, Miami

Record: 97-79, .551 (35-19 at Miami)

Points: 15

Last year's ranking: Not ranked

Numbers to know: Last season, Cristobal led Miami to a program-record 13 wins and the program's first national championship game appearance since the 2002 season. ... He has led the Hurricanes to at least 10 wins each of the past two seasons; from 2004 to 2023, Miami had one 10-win season. ... Miami was 7-1 vs. AP-ranked opponents in 2025, the most ranked wins in the FBS last season and the most in a season in program history.

You were one of four voters to rank Cristobal eighth, his high-water mark, while four others left him out of their top 10. Are you surprised he didn't get more support?

A little bit. Didn't everyone watch Miami's run to the national championship game last season? Cristobal has done a terrific job bringing winning back to the U after two decades of mediocrity. Miami is back to dominating the trenches, which fueled its playoff run last year. The Hurricanes are also developing blue-chip playmakers again, headlined by Mark Fletcher Jr. and Malachi Toney. Cristobal is the biggest reason Miami is relevant again. -- Jake Trotter

10 (tie). Kalen DeBoer, Alabama

Record: 57-17, .770 (20-8 at Alabama)

Points: 15

Last year's ranking: 7

Numbers to know: DeBoer has a 20-6 career record against ranked opponents. His .770 winning percentage is the third best by a head coach (minimum 15 games) since the AP poll era began in 1936, trailing Frank Leahy (.829) and Pete Carroll (.795). ... Over his career, DeBoer's teams are 10-5 outright as an underdog, the best winning percentage by any head coach whose team has been an underdog at least 10 times since the 1978 FBS/FCS split.

You had DeBoer ranked sixth. Five of your colleagues left him off their ballot. Does that mean you expect big things from him and the Tide this season?

No, it means I believe he has been able to win at every stop with fewer resources and less talent -- and it's only a matter of time before he gets the Tide back. DeBoer enters the season with 20 wins against Top 25 teams since 2021, the second most among active head coaches. Bama fans don't have patience, but that's what it's going to take, along with an understanding that the days of Nick Saban-esque dynasties are probably over. DeBoer is a proven winner, but taking over for Saban was a lose-lose situation for anyone. Give him a minute. -- Heather Dinich

Also receiving votes: Dabo Swinney, Clemson (10 points); Matt Campbell, Iowa State (9); Rhett Lashlee, SMU (5); Eric Morris, Oklahoma State (4); Kalani Sitake, BYU (2); Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State (1); Willie Fritz, Houston (1); Clark Lea, Vanderbilt (1)