The 2026 college football season is upon us, and The Sporting News has ranked all 138 FBS head coaches. Indiana's Curt Cignetti leads the list, having guided the Hoosiers to an unblemished 16-0 record and a National Championship last season. The SEC dominates with four coaches in the top 10, including Kirby Smart of Georgia, Ryan Day of Ohio State, and Kalen DeBoer of Alabama. However, DeBoer has had a mediocre two seasons at Alabama, compared to Crimson Tide standards. Steve Sarkisian of Texas and Lane Kiffin of LSU round out the SEC's top 10. The Big Ten follows with three coaches, including Cignetti, Ryan Day, and Dan Lanning of Oregon. Marcus Freeman of Notre Dame ranks No. 4, while Dan Lanning of Oregon comes in at No. 5. The ACC has two coaches in the top 10, with Mario Cristobal of Miami and Dabo Swinney of Clemson. The rest of the top 25 includes Mike Elko of Texas A&M, Kyle Whittingham of Michigan, and Rhett Lashlee of SMU. The full list of coaches is available on Sporting News' website. As an expert, I find this ranking particularly fascinating, as it showcases the depth of talent and strategy in college football. However, I also find it interesting that some coaches, like DeBoer and Kiffin, have had to overcome challenges to reach the top. In my opinion, the ranking is a reflection of the coaches' ability to lead their teams to success, and it will be interesting to see how the rankings shift throughout the season.
