How to Rank a Coach with Six Super Bowl Rings in College Football
Bill Belichick will make his college debut at North Carolina this season, creating a ranking dilemma. Where do you place a coach with six Super Bowl rings as head coach and two more as assistant?
Georgia’s Kirby Smart maintains the No. 1 spot in Sporting News’ 2025 Top 25 college football coach rankings for the second straight year. But how does Belichick compare to Smart’s two national championships? Or to other championship coaches like Ohio State’s Ryan Day and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney?
Success in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff adds another layer to these rankings. Seven of the top-10 coaches made the CFP last season.
The SEC and Big Ten dominate with seven coaches each in the top 25. The ACC and Big 12 contribute five coaches each, while Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman rounds out the list.
These rankings consider overall record, current school performance, and three-year results as a baseline. Career accomplishments, program expectations, and direct comparisons all factor into this subjective process.
25. Bret Bielema, Illinois
Last year: 46
Record: 125-80 (28-22 at Illinois)
Bielema revived his career in the Big Ten, coming off a 10-win season with the Illini. Illinois is a trendy playoff pick for 2025. Between Wisconsin and Illinois, Bielema is 86-46 as a Big Ten coach – a .651 winning percentage that reflects his teams built from the inside out. The Illini went 3-2 against ranked teams last season.
24. Mario Cristobal, Miami
Last year: 37
Record: 84-76 (22-16 at Miami)
Cristobal might have turned the corner at his alma mater. Miami won 10 games in 2024 with help from No. 1 NFL Draft pick Cam Ward. Cristobal has three 10-win seasons in the last six years between Oregon and Miami. The Hurricanes have amplified their presence in the transfer portal and recruiting with top recruit Jackson Cantwell’s commitment at left tackle. Miami is still seeking its first ACC championship and CFP berth.
23. Rhett Lashlee, SMU
Last year: 58
Record: 29-12
Lashlee made the second-highest jump in the rankings after back-to-back 11-win seasons with SMU. The Mustangs reached the ACC championship game and CFP in their first year in the conference. SMU has ranked eighth in FBS scoring offense each of the last two seasons. Lashlee helped the program transition smoothly from the American Athletic Conference.
22. Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State
Last year: 70
Record: 14-12
Dillingham makes the highest jump after a breakthrough season. He transformed a 3-9 program into a Big 12 champion in just two seasons. At 35, he’s the youngest coach on this list. Arizona State went 6-2 in games decided by eight points or less last season. Dillingham made a quick rise from offensive coordinator to head coach and should have staying power with the Sun Devils.
21. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri
Last year: 23
Record: 50-25 (38-24 at Missouri)
Drinkwitz moves up two spots after back-to-back seasons with double-digit victories. He’s found steady success in the SEC, including a 5-5 record against ranked teams. Missouri has won the Cotton Bowl and Music City Bowl the last two seasons. The Tigers have never been ranked in the final AP Poll three consecutive years in school history – Drinkwitz has the opportunity to change that this season.
20. Chris Klieman, Kansas State
Last year: 17
Record: 48-28
Klieman isn’t flashy, but he’s compiled a 28-12 record the last three years with nine or more victories each season. The Wildcats are 18-9 in Big 12 play during that stretch. Klieman has maintained a 16-game winning streak against in-state rival Kansas, which is why he ranks ahead of Lance Leipold from the Big 12.
19. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
Last year: 19
Record: 204-124
With Mack Brown’s exit from North Carolina, Ferentz is now the active FBS leader in career victories. The Hawkeyes have enjoyed 12 straight winning seasons, and their defense has ranked no lower than 13th in scoring since 2018. The offense remains a point of criticism, but South Dakota State transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski could help fix that in 2025, Ferentz’s 27th season as head coach.
18. Bill Belichick, North Carolina
Last year: N/A
Record: 0-0
We’re splitting the difference here because we’re intrigued to see how Belichick makes the X’s and O’s adjustments for the Tar Heels. Brown was ranked No. 21 on this list last season. Will the offseason drama spill into the regular season? This feels like the right spot for Belichick – one spot ahead of the elder statesman of FBS coaches.
17. Curt Cignetti, Indiana
Last year: 55
Record: 30-6 (11-2 at Indiana)
Cignetti is the real deal. He led the Hoosiers to a dream season that included a CFP berth, piecing together back-to-back 11-win seasons with Indiana and James Madison through his aggressive transfer portal approach. Cignetti won Sporting News Coach of the Year honors. Will he build an “emerging superpower” at Indiana? A tougher conference schedule in 2025 will provide an early answer.
16. Matt Campbell, Iowa State
Last year: 44
Record: 64-51
Campbell is coming off his best season, leading the Cyclones to 11 wins in the new-look Big 12. Iowa State has won two of the last three matchups against Iowa. Their methodical formula worked last season, and the program made their second Big 12 championship appearance in five years. The Cyclones have enjoyed seven winning seasons in nine years under Campbell. They had just seven in the 36 seasons before his arrival.
15. Jeff Brohm, Louisville
Last year: 18
Record: 85-52 (19-8 at Louisville)
Brohm has an identical 27-13 record as Sonny Dykes over the last three seasons, accomplished at Purdue and Louisville where he’s excelled at quarterback development. Aidan O’Connell, Jack Plummer and Tyler Shough all are in the NFL. Will USC transfer Miller Moss be next? Brohm has led the Cardinals to a 12-4 record in ACC play the last two seasons.
14. Sonny Dykes, TCU
Last year: 16
Record: 98-76 (27-13 at TCU)
The Horned Frogs have averaged nine wins the last three seasons under Dykes, who led TCU to the CFP championship game in 2022. TCU won nine games last season and is 18-9 in Big 12 play with Dykes. They closed last season with six victories in their last seven games and could re-emerge as a Big 12 playoff sleeper this season.
13. Kyle Whittingham, Utah
Last year: 7
Record: 167-86
Whittingham is a regular in the top 10, but the Utes slipped to 5-7 in their first Big 12 season. That broke a streak of 10 consecutive winning seasons, so we’re giving Whittingham a mulligan. It took a few seasons for the program to find its footing in previous conference moves. Whittingham hired new offensive coordinator Jason Beck. Will that speed up the process?
12. Lincoln Riley, USC
Last year: 9
Record: 81-24 (26-14 at USC)
Riley left for USC the same year Brian Kelly left for LSU – both moves have been scrutinized the last three years. The Trojans are 15-11 the last two seasons, with a tough first-year Big Ten transition that included road losses at Michigan, Maryland and Minnesota. USC is 4-10 against ranked teams under Riley, including 0-4 against top-10 teams. We’re not discrediting his Oklahoma success, but it’s a prove-it year for Riley at USC.
11. Josh Heupel, Tennessee
Last year: 11
Record: 65-23 (37-15 at Tennessee)
Heupel led Tennessee to its first College Football Playoff appearance and a 10-win season in 2024. He’s 30-9 the last three years and has beaten Alabama and Florida twice each in the last four seasons. Heupel earned high marks for handling Nico Iamaleava’s transfer in the spring, though the results remain to be seen. The Vols have lost just one home game in the last three seasons – another tribute to Heupel’s turnaround.
10. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss
Last year: 10
Record: 105-52 (44-18 at Ole Miss)
Kiffin stays in the same spot as last year. He’s the highest-ranked coach who hasn’t reached the College Football Playoff, though the Rebels have been close the last two seasons. Kiffin is 29-10 the last three years, and Ole Miss had eight players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft – including first-round picks Walter Nolen and Jaxson Dart.
9. Brian Kelly, LSU
Last year: 5
Record: 174-72 (29-11 at LSU)
Opinions vary on Kelly’s LSU tenure after a four-loss season where the Tigers went 1-3 against ranked teams. Kelly is 0-3 in openers at LSU – and faces Clemson on Aug. 30. Still, the nine-win season broke a string of seven consecutive years with 10+ wins between Notre Dame and LSU. Kelly continues inching toward 200 FBS-level wins.
8. James Franklin, Penn State
Last year: 14
Record: 125-57 (101-42 at Penn State)
Franklin finally took Penn State to the College Football Playoff, relieving some of the pressure on the Nittany Lions’ coach. Penn State is 34-8 the last three seasons with a Big Ten championship appearance, but the Nittany Lions are 5-8 against top-25 teams in that stretch. Franklin hired former Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles this offseason. Penn State is 1-10 against the Buckeyes under Franklin, with their next matchup on Nov. 1.
7. Dan Lanning, Oregon
Last year: 12
Record: 35-6
Lanning, 39, led Oregon to a Big Ten championship in its first year in the conference. He has an .854 winning percentage and a hyper-aggressive style that’s been successful for three seasons. Lanning is 4-4 against top-10 teams, and Oregon is built for sustained success. The Rose Bowl flop – a 41-21 loss to Ohio State – was last season’s only blemish. Five of the six coaches ahead of Lanning have played for the CFP championship. That’s his next step.
6. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
Last year: 3
Record: 34-7 (9-4 at Alabama)
DeBoer took the unenviable task of replacing Nick Saban, and the Crimson Tide finished with four losses in his first season. Alabama went 3-1 against ranked teams but suffered three road losses in SEC play. DeBoer took Washington to the CFP championship game in 2023, and the Crimson Tide should be playoff contenders in 2025. He’ll face increased pressure in Year 2.
5. Steve Sarkisian, Texas
Last year: 6
Record: 84-52 (38-17 at Texas)
Sarkisian moves up one spot into the top five after a strong two-year run at Texas. The Longhorns are 25-5 with two CFP appearances and reached the SEC championship game in Year 1. Texas is 10-5 against top-25 teams during this stretch. Sarkisian has secured top-six recruiting classes each of the last three years – including the No. 1 class in 2025. The Arch Manning era begins now.
4. Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
Last year: 22
Record: 33-10
Freeman makes a huge jump after leading the Irish to the CFP championship game in 2024. He’s delivered 24 wins in the last two seasons, and the bounce-back from the Week 2 loss to Northern Illinois showed his ability to hold a team together. The Irish went 7-1 against top-25 teams last season – with the lone loss coming to Ohio State.
3. Dabo Swinney, Clemson
Last year: 2
Record: 180-47
Swinney and Kirby Smart are the only two-time national championship coaches on this list. The narrative around Swinney’s transfer portal usage continues, but the Tigers won the ACC championship in 2024 and have five players on the Top 50 Big Board for 2026. Swinney is 15-4 since the famous “Tyler from Spartanburg” radio call in 2024, but three of those losses are to SEC schools. He can break that streak in the opener against LSU.
2. Ryan Day, Ohio State
Last year: 4
Record: 70-10
Day led Ohio State to a national championship in the first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff era. His .875 winning percentage leads all active FBS coaches. That championship run included five victories against top-five teams. The Buckeyes are 36-6 the last three seasons and have produced 24 NFL Draft picks during that stretch. Day still faces pressure from a four-game losing streak to rival Michigan.
1. Kirby Smart, Georgia
Last year: 1
Record: 105-19
Smart remains our top choice for the second straight season. Georgia won the SEC championship in 2024 after back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022. The Bulldogs are 39-4 the last three seasons under Smart – a .904 winning percentage that ranks first among all active FBS coaches. Smart has an .847 winning percentage entering his 10th season with the Bulldogs, which is on par with the greatest coaches of all time.
