68 DeShaun Foster: Someone must be ranked final, and as is often the case, it is a newcomer who has but to teach a recreation. Foster is in a novel spot. He was the selection to exchange Chip Kelly at UCLA, and never solely is he entering into the top teaching spot for the primary time (he is been an assistant and former participant in Westwood for years), however he has to take action as UCLA makes the transfer to the Massive Ten. 2023 rank: n/a 67 Fran Brown: This rent is one which I look ahead to following. Brown was coach and unimaginable recruiter for Georgia, however will his recruiting acumen translate to upstate New York? It is a very completely different promote, however Brown is off to a robust begin. Now we await what sort of outcomes the Orange can get on the sphere. 2023 rank: n/a 66 Jeff Lebby: A considerably controversial rent given Lebby’s earlier ties to Artwork Briles, however it’s additionally a return to what labored at Mississippi State. The varsity was in an not possible state of affairs following the surprising dying of Mike Leach, and Zach Arnett introduced a totally completely different strategy. With Lebby, State is hoping to get again to the thrilling offensive strategy that had success underneath Leach and Dan Mullen. 2023 rank: n/a 65 Ryan Walters: No coach ought to be judged by their first yr at a program, significantly when it is their first season as a head coach. That stated, truthful or not, the primary season typically units the tone, and Walters might have gotten off to a greater begin at Purdue. The Boilermakers went 4-8 final season and have seen key contributors go away by way of the portal. The 2024 season shall be vital. 2023 rank: 64 (-1) 64 Kenny Dillingham: Dillingham took over an Arizona State program that wanted to be stripped right down to the studs, and final season was simply step one in that course of. Now the rebuild heads into its second yr however that course of continues in a brand new convention. Expectations are low in 2024, however given the plan and Dillingham’s connection to the college, he ought to have loads of runway left with which to work. 2023 rank: 65 (+1) 63 Clark Lea: The 2022 season felt like an enormous step ahead for the Commodores as they improved from 2-10 to 5-7 in Lea’s second season, together with two SEC wins. Sadly, final yr noticed the ‘Dores drop to 2-10 once more whereas failing to win an SEC recreation. Few jobs within the Energy 4 are tougher than Vandy, and issues do not get simpler with the addition of Oklahoma and Texas to the league. 2023 rank: 56 (-7) 62 Tony Elliott: It looks like a make-or-break season for Elliott at Virginia. After a 3-7 begin in 2022, the Hoos went 3-9 final season and have gone 3-12 in ACC play underneath Elliott. His predecessor, Bronco Mendenhall, gained a minimum of 4 ACC video games in every of his ultimate 4 seasons with this system. If Elliott would not win 4 this yr, you marvel if we’ll nonetheless be rating him subsequent Could. 2023 rank: 66 (+4) 61 Deion Sanders: No coach has ever generated as a lot consideration with so few noticeable outcomes. Coach Prime got here out the gates sizzling final season, successful his first three video games and pulling off upsets of Nebraska and TCU, however the hype cooled off rapidly. Each the teaching workers and roster have been overhauled, and we’ll quickly discover out if the second go-round of this grand experiment finds extra success. If not, I do not know that there shall be a 3rd yr. 2023 rank: 55 (-6) 60 Troy Taylor: Here is some hope for DeShaun Foster. Taylor was our lowest-ranked coach final yr, and he climbs 9 spots after going 3-9 with the Cardinal final season. I determine the double-OT win over Colorado was price a minimum of 5 spots on the ballots of a few of our voters. Can Taylor and the Cardinal enhance of their first season within the ACC? I do not know, however they will rack up airline miles both means. 2023 rank: 69 (+9) 59 Scott Satterfield: How does one observe one of the crucial profitable coaches in program historical past? Nicely, hopefully, higher than the 3-9 mark Satterfield’s Bearcats posted final season, however it was a tough spot. Not solely was Satterfield changing Luke Fickell, however Cincinnati took a step up in weight class by becoming a member of the Massive 12. Maybe they will discover extra success within the new model of the Massive 12 this season. 2023 rank: 54 (-5) 58 Sam Pittman: Whereas Pittman is a private favourite of lots of our voters as a human being, he is heading within the incorrect course in these rankings. Pittman drops 16 spots after going 4-8 final season and 1-7 within the SEC. Just one different coach fell additional in our rankings this season, and Pittman enters 2024 on one of many hottest seats within the SEC. 2023 rank: 42 (-16) 57 Justin Wilcox: I discover Wilcox to be one of many extra underrated coaches within the nation, and our ultimate rankings affirm the sensation for me but once more. Wilcox has accomplished a stable job at a program the place it’s difficult to win constantly, and the Golden Bears are coming off a bowl look and went 4-5 in a robust Pac-12 final yr. It will not get any simpler in 2024 because the Bears swap coastlines. 2023 rank: 58 (+1) 56 Brent Brennan: The 2024 season shall be Brennan’s first at a power-conference faculty, however he begins larger due to his success at San Jose State. Brennan gained two Mountain West titles in his seven seasons with the Spartans, together with final yr. Now he steps into a great spot with top-of-the-line QB-WR duos within the new-look Massive 12. 2023 rank: n/ a 55 Dave Aranda: What’s one of the best ways to make sure you plummet in our rankings? Set extremely excessive expectations with early success after which fail to satisfy them. Baylor went 12-2 with a Sugar Bowl win in 2021, and Aranda noticed his identify talked about for high-profile jobs like USC. The Bears are 9-16 since, together with a 3-9 mark final season. Consequently, Aranda falls additional than some other coach within the rankings this yr and is firmly on the recent seat in Waco. 2023 rank: 28 (-27) 54 Brent Key: What’s one of the best ways to climb in our rankings? Exceed expectations. That is precisely what Key did in his first full season at Georgia Tech. He went 4-4 because the interim in 2022 and adopted it up with a 7-6 mark final yr. Secret’s now 9-6 in ACC video games with the Yellow Jackets, giving off the impression that he might turn out to be a program establishment.   2023 rank: 63 (+9) 53 David Braun: The place did that come from? If you happen to do not bear in mind, Braun was named interim coach at Northwestern shortly earlier than the season began primarily as a result of he was new to the workers and had no connection to any of the hazing accusations that value Pat Fitzgerald his job. Then, Braun led the Wildcats to an 8-5 mark, far exceeding anyone’s cheap expectations. 2023 rank: n/a 52 Sherrone Moore: We do not sometimes see first-year coaches begin this excessive within the rankings, however Moore is not your typical first-year coach. He served 4 video games as head coach final season due to Jim Harbaugh’s numerous transgressions and gained all of them, together with victories in opposition to Penn State and Ohio State. Loads of coaches are ranked forward of him with out wins that spectacular, however it’ll be fascinating to see how Moore performs as captain of a ship coming off a nationwide title. 2023 rank: n/a 51 Invoice O’Brien: BOB is again! This is likely one of the extra fascinating hires of the cycle. Alabama had success with O’Brien as offensive coordinator, although Crimson Tide followers weren’t all the time keen on him. Now, after a yr again within the NFL, O’Brien will get a crack at a university head teaching job for the primary time since 2013 at Penn State. O’Brien is acquainted with the realm, however BC was all the time a tough job that is not getting simpler within the present faculty sports activities panorama. 2023 rank: n/a 50 Brent Pry: Certainly one of this season’s greatest climbers, and it is easy to see why. After a sluggish begin in Blacksburg, the Hokies completed the 2023 season sturdy and are considered by some as a darkish horse within the ACC this season. I do not understand how a lot of an enchancment we’ll realistically see on final yr’s 7-6 mark, however Pry already looks like match at Tech. 2023 rank: 67 (+17) 49 Kalani Sitake: BYU all the time performed a tough schedule as an impartial program. Final yr was reminder, although, that it is one factor to play Energy 5 applications sometimes however one other to do it each week. The Cougars had their first dropping season since 2017, ending 5-7 and successful solely two convention video games. Not suprisingly, Sitake’s standing took a success in these rankings. 2023 rank: 41 (-8) 48 Manny Diaz: This marks a return to the rankings for the primary time since 2021 when Diaz was at Miami. It did not work out effectively for him in Coral Gables (although, who has it turned out effectively for there these days?), however after two seasons as Penn State’s defensive coordinator, Diaz is getting one other crack at Duke. It isn’t the simplest job within the nation, however Mike Elko left him a stable basis, which might assist Diaz get the Blue Devils up and working rapidly. 2023 rank: n/a 47 Billy Napier: The pinnacle man in Gainesville enters 2024 on a scorching sizzling seat, however his standing in these rankings did not endure too badly following a 5-7 season. The Gators have not completed larger than fourth within the SEC East in both of Napier’s two seasons, and he is solely 6-10 total in convention play. There is a good likelihood he will not get a fourth season with out critical enchancment this yr, however in the event you take a look at Florida’s schedule, it is laborious to see from the place that enchancment will come. 2023 rank: 43 (-4) 46 Shane Beamer: After main the Gamecocks to bowl video games in his first two seasons, Beamer’s workforce took a step again final yr. South Carolina completed 5-7, and their three SEC wins got here in opposition to groups that went a mixed 4-20 in convention play. On the flip facet, the Gamecocks had been aggressive in almost each recreation they performed, so there is a sense they are not distant from a bounce-back season. 2023 rank: 40 (-6) 45 Rhett Lashlee: Lashlee is coming off a convention title after SMU went 11-3 and undefeated in league play final yr. In fact, the Mustangs had been AAC members final season and can debut within the ACC in 2024. There is no scarcity of individuals prepared to disparage the ACC (together with a lot within the CFP choice committee!), however it’s nonetheless a big step up at school in comparison with final yr’s American. Can the Mustangs get out the gate rapidly? 2023 rank: n/a 44 Joey McGuire: How will the brand new Massive 12 have an effect on the way in which folks view McGuire? By means of two seasons, McGuire’s Tech groups have gone 15-11 total and 10-8 in convention. That is good! You see outcomes like that and perceive why of us in Lubbock are so excessive on their head coach. However, now that Oklahoma and Texas are out of the way in which, will expectations change? McGuire actually is not the one Massive 12 coach we are able to ask that about, however with the state of Texas being such a focus of the league and Tech being one of many dwindling variety of Texas faculties remaining, the stress is completely different. 2023 rank: 46 (+2) 43 Curt Cignetti: Just one coach new to the Energy 4 begins ranked larger than Cignetti, however we’ll have extra on him later. The 2024 season shall be Cignetti’s first at this stage, however he is had loads of expertise and success at stops alongside the way in which. Between his time at IUP, Elon and James Madison, the 62-year-old Cignetti is 119-35 in his profession with 4 convention titles. He had James Madison seem within the AP Prime 25 in every of the final two seasons (this system’s first two seasons on the FBS stage), and Indiana hopes his profitable strategy to constructing a program brings consistency to its program. 2023 rank: n/a 42 Neal Brown: Right now final yr, I used to be pretty sure Neal Brown would not survive the upcoming season. The Mountaineers had been coming off a 5-7 file in his fourth season, and the natives had been rising stressed. Brown responded with a 9-4 season that noticed the ‘Eers go 6-3 within the Massive 12, his first season with a successful file in convention play. Consequently, the vibes are a lot larger in Morgantown heading into 2024, as is Brown’s rating right here as he climbed 17 spots. Solely six coaches had a much bigger leap this yr. 2023 rank: 59 (+17) 41 Mike Locksley: It is an fascinating season for Locksley and the Terrapins. He climbs eight spots within the rankings this season after a second straight 8-5 marketing campaign, however whereas the Terps have gained three straight bowls, they’re but to complete with a successful file in Massive Ten play. Maybe getting out of a division with Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State will assist, however the Terps should additionally change Taulia Tagovailoa at QB. It isn’t typically the sixth season at a college looks like a contemporary begin, however you get that sense in School Park. 2023 rank: 49 (+8) 40 Greg Schiano: One other yr rating coaches, one other yr the place I really feel like Schiano is underrated. To the credit score of our voters, Schiano did climb 10 spots following a 7-6 season — Rutgers’ first successful marketing campaign since 2014, its first within the Massive Ten. Rutgers has by no means been a simple job, and it solely turned tougher when it joined the Massive Ten at a monetary deficit to the remainder of the league in one of the crucial tough divisions within the nation. However Schiano finds a solution to construct this program up, and the Knights enter the season as a wild card within the convention. 2023 rank: 50 (+10) 39 P.J. Fleck: We have a run on Massive Ten coaches right here, however whereas the earlier three had been all climbers, Fleck went the wrong way. Eradicating the COVID season of 2020, the Gophers went 29-10 from 2019-2022 however fell to 6-7 final season and posted their first dropping Massive Ten file in a full season since Fleck’s second yr in 2018. I am unsure that warrants as steep a drop within the rankings as Fleck took, however there are a variety of dramatic adjustments this yr with all of the shifting throughout the Energy 4 stage. 2023 rank: 24 (-15) 38 Pat Narduzzi: The Pitt coach has been an fascinating case in these rankings. I am curious if his gruff persona impacts how folks view him, which causes him to overlook out on among the credit score he deserves, contemplating what he is completed with the Panthers. He is gained an ACC title and performed for an additional, which is greater than loads of different ACC coaches ranked forward of him can say. That stated, his groups may also be a troublesome watch at instances! That was the case final season when the Panthers completed 3-9 after going 20-7 over the earlier two seasons. It was Narduzzi’s worst season at Pitt, and his inventory took a success amongst our pollsters. 2023 rank: 29 (-9) 37 Mack Brown: When Brown returned to North Carolina forward of the 2019 season, he was a top-10 coach as a consequence of having gained a nationwide title at Texas. His inventory has dropped each season since, and he tumbled all the way in which out of the highest 25 this yr. Brown is 38-27 in his second stint with the Tar Heels, which is not horrible, however if you take a look at the expertise the Heels have had at QB in that point and the way open the Coastal had been whereas it existed, you are left with the sensation the outcomes ought to’ve been higher. 2023 rank: 22 (-15) 36 Bret Bielema: The Illinois coach made a bug leap final yr after the Illini went 8-5, ending with their finest file because the Rose Bowl season of 2007. Bielema falls this season after the Illini took a step backward, ending 5-7 final yr. Issues have actually improved in this system — there are much more Illini names being heard within the NFL Draft than there had been for a very long time — however Bielema is 18-19 total and 12-15 within the Massive Ten at Illinois. It is a vital enchancment on the place this system had been, however the hope is for extra seasons that resemble 2022 than 2023.  2023 rank: 21 (-15) 35 Mario Cristobal: One of the polarizing coaches in these rankings yearly. A few of our voters take into account Cristobal a sure-fire top-20-to-top-15 coach as a consequence of his potential to land expertise. Then there are others who suppose getting the expertise is nice however you need to do one thing with it. Cristobal has been at Miami for 2 seasons and is 12-13 with a 6-10 mark within the ACC. Final season was a step ahead — the ‘Canes bought again to a bowl recreation — however they left a win or two out on the sphere. That impacts Cristobal’s fame amongst our voters. 2023 rank: 39 (+4) 34 Brent Venables: The Oklahoma coach took warmth after a 6-7 file in his first season, however the change in strategy and tradition for this system wasn’t one thing that might take instantly. We started to see the optimistic results final yr because the Sooners improved to 10-3 and went 7-2 within the Massive 12. Now we wait to see how the Sooners adapt to life within the SEC the place the schedule will get harder however expectations will not decrease. I do not know the way it’ll go in Yr 1, however I do suppose this program is best outfitted alongside the strains of scrimmage to take care of it than they had been earlier than Venables’ arrival. 2023 rank: 52 (+18) 33 Hugh Freeze: The Auburn coach was ranked twenty sixth final season upon his return to the SEC, however it appears like our voters weren’t overly impressed with the Tigers’ 6-7 season as he drops seven spots this yr. I would not fear about it an excessive amount of if I am an Auburn fan, although, as a result of Freeze’s monitor file suggests there shall be enchancment. His workforce’s win whole has improved in his second season at each cease. 2023 rank: 26 (-7) 32 Mike Elko: A step up in job and our rankings for Elko. It is easy to determine why. Folks will discover any time you win 16 video games over two seasons at Duke and go 9-7 in convention play — all whereas lacking your beginning QB for a bit of a season. Those in School Station actually did as Elko has been tabbed to exchange Jimbo Fisher. The excellent news is Elko is acquainted with life as an Aggie due to 4 seasons as a defensive coordinator with this system, however the stress is a bit completely different if you’re the top coach. 2023 rank: 44 (+12) 31 Jedd Fisch: The brand new Washington coach took an enormous leap within the rankings this yr, although it is not the largest climb in our ballot (in truth, it is solely tied for second). Contemplating Arizona improved from 1-11 in Fisch’s first season to 5-7 in 2022, it wasn’t out of line to count on additional enchancment final yr, however I do not suppose anyone noticed a 10-3 marketing campaign coming. Fisch cashed in on the success with the Wildcats with an opportunity to take over a Washington program that performed for a nationwide title final season. It’s kind of of a rebuild state of affairs, however so was what Fisch inherited in Tucson. 2023 rank: 61 (+30) 30 Dave Clawson: This one is shocking. Clawson has lengthy been one of the crucial revered coaches amongst our panel, routinely ending excessive whereas getting absolutely the most out of Wake Forest. I figured he would drop following a 4-8 season, however this feels too harsh for a coach who completed with a dropping file  — exterior the COVID season — for the primary time since 2015. That stated, Wake Forest is the sort of small, non-public faculty prone to endure greater than others in at this time’s faculty soccer panorama, so it’s going to be fascinating to see if Clawson can claw his means again to the highest 25. 2023 rank: 15 (-15) 29 Matt Rhule: In his first season at Temple, Matt Rhule went 2-10. His first yr at Baylor noticed the workforce go 1-11. By these metrics, a 5-7 file at Nebraska in Yr 1 is spectacular, although the state of affairs in Lincoln wasn’t almost as tough as the primary two jobs he inherited. What Nebraska followers are most enthusiastic about is that Rhule noticed an enormous leap in wins in his second season at each faculties, and the hope is he’ll do the identical at Nebraska. If he does, you may be positive he’ll be ranked quite a bit larger than this subsequent spring. 2023 rank: 27 (-2) 28 Gus Malzahn: Like a Waffle Home menu, on the subject of Malzahn, you already know what’s on it and what you may get earlier than you ever stroll within the door. What was completely different final season was that after going 18-9 in his first two seasons at UCF, the Knights moved to the Massive 12. All issues thought of, a 6-7 file of their first season within the Energy 4 was a decent end. The three-6 file in convention play is not best, however it was a greater mark than any of the opposite newcomers posted. 2023 rank: 34 (+6) 27 Jonathan Smith: I might argue that our annual coach rankings had been forward of the curve on Smith; he is accomplished effectively right here on an annual foundation. Now that Smith has landed a Massive Ten job at Michigan State, his profile will possible rise additional. Contemplating the entire roster overhaul that is taken place in East Lansing this offseason, I do not understand how expectations ought to be set this season, however Smith’s monitor file suggests Sparty shall be pleased with its choice in the long term. 2023 rank: 32 (+5) 26 Willie Fritz: Making his debut in our Energy 4 rankings, Fritz is ranked larger than some other newcomer and one spot exterior the highest 25. It is a rarity to see a coach with no energy convention expertise begin this extremely, however it’s no shock that Fritz can be the one to do it. The person is a serial winner who has accomplished it at a number of ranges. Tulane went 23-4 the final two seasons and beat USC within the Cotton Bowl two years in the past. The Massive 12 is Fritz’s newest problem, and his historical past suggests it’s going to be a profitable one. 2023 rank: n/a