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Reaching the College Football Playoff -- even in the current 12-team era -- is extremely difficult. So it's no surprise that the coaching quality among this year's CFP contenders is top-notch, and that the chase for the national championship will feature some of the sport's biggest names going head-to-head on the game's largest stages.

From a big-picture standpoint, the coaching field in the 2025-26 CFP is notable not just for its strength but also for the variety of backgrounds and profiles involved. The group includes coaches with CFP and national championship experience, as well as rising stars coaching their final games before departing for new opportunities. There are the journeyman paths of Curt Cignetti and Kalen DeBoer, who were high-level winners at multiple stops before their current gigs, and more traditional climbs from coordinators to power-conference head coaches for Dan Lanning, Mike Elko and Brent Venables.

There's a wide range of experience and results to consider when ranking all the coaches in the CFP, and we've tried to weigh it all in creating a definitive list. It's a terrific group that likely includes multiple future College Football Hall of Famers. But how do they stack up?

Because we are adults and this is a ranking, there will be a No. 1 and a No. 12. But don't mistake No. 11 or No. 12 as residing anywhere near the bottom tier among their peers. The coaching quality is so strong in this CFP that half of the top 10 -- and probably 10 of the top 20 -- coaches in our upcoming offseason rankings will come from this group.

So let's begin at the top, with the only coach in the bracket who owns multiple CFP national championships.

1. Kirby Smart, Georgia 

There's no reason to overthink the top spot. Only one other coach is making his fifth College Football Playoff appearance, and none of the others has two national championships to his name. Since the start of his second year in Athens in 2017, Kirby Smart is 109-15 overall and has finished no lower than No. 7 in the final AP Top 25 poll. That kind of sustained success over a nine-year run, paired with back-to-back national titles in 2021-22, gives Smart the edge as both the top coach in this playoff and the top coach in the sport.

But while Smart can win this debate on résumé alone, he also deserves credit for the coaching job we've seen this year in Athens. Georgia opened the season with significant youth and inexperience across the depth chart, and that depth has been tested by injuries throughout the year -- especially on offense. Yet the Bulldogs have remained resilient, showing a competitive DNA that powered a half-dozen comeback wins in SEC play. That kind of resiliency and in-season growth is crucial to a deep playoff run and underscores the importance of the coach who sets the tone.

2. Ryan Day, Ohio State  

The last 12 months have been pretty great for Ryan Day. While there's obvious disappointment in falling short with a 13-10 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship, Day has come a long way since entering last season's CFP fresh off the sting of a fourth straight loss to Michigan. Since then, he is 16-1 with wins over Tennessee, Oregon, Texas, Notre Dame, Texas (again), Penn State and -- most importantly -- Michigan.

Day lost a bevy of NFL Draft picks from last year's team plus both coordinators, yet the 2025 Buckeyes have been one of the country's best from start to finish. This season has showcased the strength of Ohio State's development, and his hire of Matt Patricia as defensive coordinator mirrors the earlier addition of Chip Kelly -- another example of Day's ability to integrate high-level coaching talent into his program. Like Kirby Smart, Day has a nearly impeccable résumé (82-11 overall) and is making his fifth College Football Playoff appearance. He's just missing that second title ring to match Smart in the debate for the sport's top coach, but the next six weeks could change that if the Buckeyes use the Indiana loss as fuel for a deep playoff run.

3. Curt Cignetti, Indiana 

Like the other coaches at the top of this ranking, Curt Cignetti has a résumé that matches what your eyes tell you when his Hoosiers teams play. As he famously said when he took the job, he wins everywhere he goes. In his first two seasons in Bloomington, Cignetti delivered the best season in school history and then topped it with an even better one. This is a program on the rise, and Cignetti's guidance has been central to that success, making his impact undeniable.

But it's also in the fundamentals. For two years, Indiana has often outplayed its competition, even if it hasn't always looked like the most polished team coming off the bus. Fernando Mendoza affectionately described this year's squad as a team of "misfits," an identity they embrace. Players have come from FCS programs, the Sun Belt and beyond, yet Indiana is the only team in the country sitting at 13-0. That success comes down to execution, positioning, and confidence in knowing exactly what to do and how to do it. All of those edges trace back to coaching -- and they're why Cignetti stands out as the top coach in the playoff without a national title (yet).

4. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama 

There's an argument to slot Kalen DeBoer at No. 3, given that he guided Washington all the way to the national championship game. But he loses a slight edge due to some head-scratching performances over the last two seasons.

What DeBoer has consistently done across all his stops -- particularly from Washington to Alabama -- is out-scheme high-level opponents. That skill could be crucial in a playoff scenario and is worth highlighting in a coach-ranking exercise. Each of the past two seasons has featured big-time wins where Alabama's offense was in sync and a step ahead of the defense, much of that credit going to DeBoer. He's been excellent overall and particularly strong against top-25 opponents, going 19-5 across his stops at Fresno State, Washington and Alabama.

5. Dan Lanning, Oregon 

Here's the thing: you can't really put Dan Lanning ahead of Kalen DeBoer when DeBoer holds a 3-0 record in their head-to-head matchups. Still, Lanning has built an impressive résumé in his early career. He took over one of the sport's biggest programs and, in four seasons, has posted a 46-7 record with back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances.

Guiding the Ducks, a Big Ten newcomer, to a conference championship and a 13-0 record last season ranks among the most impressive coaching jobs in recent memory. Oregon navigated wins over Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State to claim the conference crown, and this year's only misstep was a 10-point loss to the No. 1 team in the country. Lanning's messaging and energy are perfectly suited for the high-stakes games Oregon plays regularly -- and will continue to face in the playoff -- making him an easy choice for the top tier of these rankings.

6. Mike Elko, Texas A&M 

Mike Elko is limited by a smaller sample size, but there's little doubt he belongs among the game's top coaches. After successful stints as a defensive coordinator at Notre Dame and Texas A&M, Elko quickly turned around a Duke program at risk of sliding into the ACC cellar. He then became Texas A&M's top choice for head coach after 2023 -- a decision that has paid off: Elko is 12-4 in SEC play across two seasons and has led the Aggies to their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance.

Though his rise came on the defensive side of the ball, Elko's real strength may be program building. He has established a winning culture at a school with no shortage of resources or ambition. Overall, Elko is 35-15 in four years as a head coach, and the upcoming playoff games will be some of the biggest of his career.

7. Mario Cristobal, Miami

Among a collection of rising stars with varying experience, Mario Cristobal is one of the veterans. The former Miami offensive lineman got his first head-coaching opportunity at FIU in 2007, leading the Panthers to a conference title and the program's first winning season in six years. He then spent four formative seasons with Nick Saban at Alabama (2013-16), earned an internal promotion to Oregon head coach after Willie Taggart's departure and enjoyed a successful run with the Ducks before his alma mater called him home after the 2021 season.

Two bumpy years to start left dreams of "The U is Back" unfulfilled, but the last two seasons have solidified Cristobal's era as an undeniable success. Relentless recruiting has produced a roster that delivered back-to-back 10-win seasons and the program's first-ever College Football Playoff appearance. His recruiting prowess and big-time wins give him a case for a higher ranking, but an 18-14 record against ACC opponents -- including two conference losses in each of the past two seasons -- raises questions about why such talented teams have been relatively average in conference play.

8. Joey McGuire, Texas Tech 

Joey McGuire is the perfect coach for this moment in Texas Tech football history. Two decades in the Texas high school ranks endeared him to coaches across the state. When he joined Matt Rhule's staff at Baylor, he quickly became a connector to some of the top local talent. His hire at Texas Tech before the 2022 season aimed to bring "home cooking" back to the program, but his coaching acumen has delivered results that go far beyond recruiting.

In his first season, the Red Raiders posted their first winning record in conference play since 2009. In four years, McGuire has never had a losing conference record and just led the program to its first-ever Big 12 title. While the school's infrastructure allows it to compete on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal like never before, McGuire has excelled at uniting that talent, fielding a dominant team that won 12 games by 20 or more points this season.

9. Brent Venables, Oklahoma 

Some coaches on this list get credit for their work as coordinators, and Brent Venables certainly deserves that recognition. He helped lead Clemson to two national championships and six straight College Football Playoff appearances from 2015-20. There's always a question of how coaches will perform in their first head-coaching role late in their careers, but Venables has risen to the occasion in 2025.

Oklahoma faced one of the toughest schedules in the country and finished 10-2, far exceeding preseason expectations and quieting any hot-seat talk in Norman. The bet on quarterback John Mateer had its bumps, but he delivered in some of the biggest moments in low-scoring games. Make no mistake, though. Oklahoma is here thanks to the strength of Oklahoma's defense -- which Venables deserves major credit for leading. Those earlier 6-7 seasons aren't flattering, but 10-win campaigns in 2023 and 2025 solidify his status as a top-30 coach in the sport.

10. Jon Sumrall, Tulane 

Jon Sumrall has been a head coach for just four seasons, and in each one, his team has played for a conference championship. He won back-to-back Sun Belt titles at Troy and maintained that success at Tulane, capturing another conference title this season. In total, Sumrall is 43-11 overall and 28-4 in conference play over four years.

That sets up a borderline Cignetti-like situation for Florida's next head coach, who will face the challenge of preparing Tulane for a College Football Playoff game while also organizing the 2026 staff and schedule for the Gators. The former Kentucky linebacker has a high ceiling as a coach and will get the chance to prove himself in the SEC starting next season.

11. Bob Chesney, James Madison 

Speaking of a Cignetti situation, UCLA is hoping that's what they've got with their next head coach, who still needs to finish James Madison's CFP run before departing for Westwood. Chesney won two conference titles at the Division II level with Assumption, then his star rose with five straight Patriot League titles at FCS Holy Cross. When Cignetti left for Indiana, JMU hired Chesney, and he's gone 21-5 over the last two years.

He's done strong work maintaining JMU's program standard despite a transition that required significant backfill for both staff and players. The Dukes' success is a credit both to the university's institutional commitment to football and Chesney's ability to field a team that meets those expectations.

12. Pete Golding, Ole Miss  

There are no hard feelings here, but Golding has been a head coach for less than a month, making it impossible to rank him ahead of these other championship-contending coaches. Ole Miss fans should be excited about how Golding can establish himself with the team's core during a playoff run, particularly with the Rebels starting at home as double-digit favorites against Tulane.

Golding is also an excellent recruiter and should handle fielding talented teams well moving forward, but without any head-coaching experience, he takes the No. 12 spot on our list.