Last month, college football experts from CBS Sports and 247Sports participated in the voting process that powers our annual CBS Sports coach rankings. Those rankings, which take every Power Five coach and stacks them up from Nos. 1-65, give a glimpse not only into the hierarchy of coaches at the top of the sport, but how recent success and expectations lead to year-to-year changes.
When we ran through that same process here in 2021, ACC fans may have noticed that only two coaches from the league made the top 25: Clemson's Dabo Swinney at No. 2 and North Carolina's Mack Brown at No. 12. When compared to some of the other conference representation in the top 25, it was certainly lacking, but what makes the coaching in the ACC so interesting isn't the absence of elite coaches but the abundance of coaches that are right in the middle. Being a Power Five head coach at all means you have reached a level of success in the industry, and those coaches that can hold Power Five positions with any kind of longevity are what every athletic director is looking for in a hire.
If you throw out the top 15 and the bottom 15 of the 1-65 rankings, you are left with a "middle 35" which mostly includes schools that are in various stages of development but feel confident in their current head coach. That middle 35 is where you will find 10 of the 14 ACC coaches, reflecting a league that has one dominant power setting the pace but enough well-respected coaches to ensure competitiveness both within and outside of the conference.
So while we detail how the consensus CBS Sports coach rankings shook out for the ACC coaches against each other, remember how fluid it can be for those coaches in the middle 35. A small adjustment in the full Power Five rankings can lead to big moves here in terms of how ACC coaches stack up against each other.
Complete Power Five coach rankings: 1-25 | 26-65
2021 ACC Coach Rankings
| 1 |  |
| Dabo Swinney (2 overall): The gap between Swinney and Nick Saban grew a bit in the last year with Alabama claiming the title and the Tigers falling short against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinals, but there was no adjustment to where the Clemson coach stands against his peers in the ACC. Swinney has an 85-17 record in ACC conference play, and 14 of those 17 losses came prior to 2015 when the current run of six straight ACC titles and College Football Playoff appearances began. Last year: 1 in ACC | |
| 2 |  |
| Mack Brown (12 overall): It's been a noticeable jump for Brown each year since his return to coaching. The success of Year 1 vaulted him up to No. 2 among ACC coaches in our rankings, but leading the Tar Heels to one of their biggest bowl appearances in program history last season has Brown knocking on the door of the top 10 nationally. Combine that on-field success with continued wins on the recruiting trail, and Brown has proven he's still in the elite tier of the sport. Last year: 2 in ACC | |
| 3 |  |
| Bronco Mendenhall (26 overall): Our voters here at CBS Sports have always had a soft spot for Bronco going back to his BYU days. There was a level of consistency in performance from his teams in Provo that made his cross-country move to Virginia something to keep an eye on in terms of the Power Five landscape. It's taken a couple years, but after winning the Coastal Division in 2019, Mendenhall vaulted up to the top of the ACC rankings where he remains heading into 2021. Last year: 3 in ACC | |
| 4 |  |
| Dave Clawson (28 overall): With some volatility in the middle of the rankings, consistency is going to be rewarded. Clawson has Wake Forest football in a position where making the postseason is less of a celebration and more of an expectation. They've leveled up thanks to a get old and stay old approach that has highlighted how Clawson and his staff evaluate talent, identify good fits for the program and rely on development so when Year 3 or 4 (or 5) comes along, they're ready to play at an all-conference level. Last year: 7 in ACC | |
| 5 |  |
| David Cutcliffe (29 overall): While we're another year beyond one of the high points in Duke football history, Cutcliffe remains strong in our rankings thanks to credit given for the 2013-15 run that included 27 wins, an ACC Coastal Division title and the program's first bowl victory in 54 years. There have been high points since then for Cutcliffe and the Blue Devils, but also some staff shakeups and just two bowl appearances (both wins) in the last five seasons. Last year: 4 in ACC | |
| 6 |  |
| Pat Narduzzi (31 overall): OK, I'm going to break from trying to identify the consensus reasoning here and just offer the analysis as I saw it making my personal ballot. Narduzzi has done a phenomenal job of creating an identity for Pitt that often mirrors the kind of toughness and intensity displayed by its head coach. Words like "culture" get twisted a lot in college football, so I think identity works better here. That toughness was on display in 2020 when Pitt rallied back from injury issues and a four-game losing streak -- two of those losses by one point apiece -- to win three of its final four in impressive fashion. Last year: 9 in ACC | |
| 7 |  |
| Manny Diaz (32 overall): After being the face of what he described as a "dark day" in Miami football history, Diaz has greatly changed his standing among his peers in both the ACC and Power Five in the eyes of our voters. Miami's offensive woes had become so impactful that even very good defenses (that Diaz helped recruit and build under Mark Richt) eventually broke down against lesser opponents. The hire of Rhett Lashlee and the signing of D'Eriq King delivered on the promise of "The New Miami," and 2020's success has him soaring in our rankings. Last year: 13 in ACC | |
| 8 |  |
| Dave Doeren (36 overall): Another big mover in the year-over-year analysis was Doeren, thanks to a 2020 season that saw the Wolfpack overcome multiple setbacks including a COVID pause in fall camp and season-ending injury to starting quarterback Devin Leary to post a 7-3 conference record and finish the regular season in the top 25 and tied for fourth place in the ACC standings. He's only up three spots here, but judged against all Power Five coaches, he jumped up into a new tier from No. 49 to No. 36 and might even still be a little underrated at his current position. Last year: 11 in ACC | |
| 9 |  |
| Jeff Hafley (40 overall): Many of our voters punish inexperience at the head coaching level when it comes to these rankings, so it's no surprise that Jeff Hafley had to start at the bottom heading into his first year in 2020. So to see him leap a handful of ACC coaches and nearly two dozen Power Five coaches doesn't come as a huge surprise after seeing the product on the field last fall. It was a fine season on paper -- a 6-5 record with highlights being home wins against Pitt and Louisville -- but it was the competitiveness even against the best opponents that hints at a new era for Boston College football. Last year: 14 in ACC | |
| 10 |  |
| Mike Norvell (44 overall): The roster situation at Florida State provides context for why a program with this much success posts a 3-6 record, but even with that taken into consideration, it's going to be tough to make argument for the Seminoles coach to be in the top five of the ACC when the team finished in the bottom three of the conference standings. Now as you can see from the aforementioned log jam of coaches, it's possible he's going to be a big riser soon, but the results on the field have to improve first. Last year: 5 in ACC | |
| 11 |  |
| Scott Satterfield (45 overall): With so much buzz around the Cardinals heading into last year, there was to bound to be a significant reaction when the team finished 4-7 and in 12th place in the ACC standings. My guess is that we overreacted to a solo second place finish in the ACC Atlantic Division in Year 1 and then overreacted the other way when Louisville didn't meet or exceed the expectations set by 2019's success. Satterfield's 14-spot drop overall was the second biggest fall in the 1-65 rankings, and my guess is he'll be back into the 30s at least after a year that splits the difference between the highs and lows of his early Louisville tenure. Last year: 6 in ACC | |
| 12 |  |
| Justin Fuente (49 overall): After going 19-8 in his first two seasons with an ACC Coastal Division title, Fuente has gone 19-18 the last three years and overseen the end of both the program's 28-year bowl streak and 15-year run of success in the Commonwealth Cup against rival Virginia. He's down 12 spots in the overall rankings, barely inside the middle 30 and entering 2021 as one of the few coaches in the league tied to the "hot seat" narrative. A thorough evaluation of the football program is coming, no doubt, but Fuente's future is not determined yet and there's enough opportunities to turn things around this fall. Last year: 8 in ACC | |
| 13 |  |
| Geoff Collins (55 overall): I'm way too high on Collins and got roasted by my Cover 3 co-hosts after revealing that I had him No. 25 on my ballot. So if I've got him at No. 25 and he landed at No. 55, then at least one voter is not at all impressed by the success on the recruiting trail and how some of the young talent has already stepped up on the field. I get the criticism I received for going all in on the future value when he's got just six wins in two years, but bottom 10 feels way too low considering the roster remodeling that came with the job. Last year: 12 in ACC | |
| 14 |  |
| Dino Babers (59 overall): The 2020 season presented challenges for everyone who played, but Syracuse football seemed to have a particularly tough time fielding a competitive roster. At one point in the season, the number of available scholarship players for games was closer to FCS levels and a majority of those 60-some players were inexperienced underclassmen. Now the challenge for Babers and the Orange is to combine the super seniors anxious to bounce back after being sidelined with the youth movement that now has learned, the hard way, what it takes to win in the ACC. If it all gels, there could be much-improved levels of depth and competitiveness, which should lead to more wins and a move up in the rankings. Last year: 10 in ACC | |
2021 ACC Coach Rankings
| 1 | |
| Dabo Swinney (2 overall): The gap between Swinney and Nick Saban grew a bit in the last year with Alabama claiming the title and the Tigers falling short against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinals, but there was no adjustment to where the Clemson coach stands against his peers in the ACC. Swinney has an 85-17 record in ACC conference play, and 14 of those 17 losses came prior to 2015 when the current run of six straight ACC titles and College Football Playoff appearances began. Last year: 1 in ACC | |
| 2 | |
| Mack Brown (12 overall): It's been a noticeable jump for Brown each year since his return to coaching. The success of Year 1 vaulted him up to No. 2 among ACC coaches in our rankings, but leading the Tar Heels to one of their biggest bowl appearances in program history last season has Brown knocking on the door of the top 10 nationally. Combine that on-field success with continued wins on the recruiting trail, and Brown has proven he's still in the elite tier of the sport. Last year: 2 in ACC | |
| 3 | |
| Bronco Mendenhall (26 overall): Our voters here at CBS Sports have always had a soft spot for Bronco going back to his BYU days. There was a level of consistency in performance from his teams in Provo that made his cross-country move to Virginia something to keep an eye on in terms of the Power Five landscape. It's taken a couple years, but after winning the Coastal Division in 2019, Mendenhall vaulted up to the top of the ACC rankings where he remains heading into 2021. Last year: 3 in ACC | |
| 4 | |
| Dave Clawson (28 overall): With some volatility in the middle of the rankings, consistency is going to be rewarded. Clawson has Wake Forest football in a position where making the postseason is less of a celebration and more of an expectation. They've leveled up thanks to a get old and stay old approach that has highlighted how Clawson and his staff evaluate talent, identify good fits for the program and rely on development so when Year 3 or 4 (or 5) comes along, they're ready to play at an all-conference level. Last year: 7 in ACC | |
| 5 | |
| David Cutcliffe (29 overall): While we're another year beyond one of the high points in Duke football history, Cutcliffe remains strong in our rankings thanks to credit given for the 2013-15 run that included 27 wins, an ACC Coastal Division title and the program's first bowl victory in 54 years. There have been high points since then for Cutcliffe and the Blue Devils, but also some staff shakeups and just two bowl appearances (both wins) in the last five seasons. Last year: 4 in ACC | |
| 6 | |
| Pat Narduzzi (31 overall): OK, I'm going to break from trying to identify the consensus reasoning here and just offer the analysis as I saw it making my personal ballot. Narduzzi has done a phenomenal job of creating an identity for Pitt that often mirrors the kind of toughness and intensity displayed by its head coach. Words like "culture" get twisted a lot in college football, so I think identity works better here. That toughness was on display in 2020 when Pitt rallied back from injury issues and a four-game losing streak -- two of those losses by one point apiece -- to win three of its final four in impressive fashion. Last year: 9 in ACC | |
| 7 | |
| Manny Diaz (32 overall): After being the face of what he described as a "dark day" in Miami football history, Diaz has greatly changed his standing among his peers in both the ACC and Power Five in the eyes of our voters. Miami's offensive woes had become so impactful that even very good defenses (that Diaz helped recruit and build under Mark Richt) eventually broke down against lesser opponents. The hire of Rhett Lashlee and the signing of D'Eriq King delivered on the promise of "The New Miami," and 2020's success has him soaring in our rankings. Last year: 13 in ACC | |
| 8 | |
| Dave Doeren (36 overall): Another big mover in the year-over-year analysis was Doeren, thanks to a 2020 season that saw the Wolfpack overcome multiple setbacks including a COVID pause in fall camp and season-ending injury to starting quarterback Devin Leary to post a 7-3 conference record and finish the regular season in the top 25 and tied for fourth place in the ACC standings. He's only up three spots here, but judged against all Power Five coaches, he jumped up into a new tier from No. 49 to No. 36 and might even still be a little underrated at his current position. Last year: 11 in ACC | |
| 9 | |
| Jeff Hafley (40 overall): Many of our voters punish inexperience at the head coaching level when it comes to these rankings, so it's no surprise that Jeff Hafley had to start at the bottom heading into his first year in 2020. So to see him leap a handful of ACC coaches and nearly two dozen Power Five coaches doesn't come as a huge surprise after seeing the product on the field last fall. It was a fine season on paper -- a 6-5 record with highlights being home wins against Pitt and Louisville -- but it was the competitiveness even against the best opponents that hints at a new era for Boston College football. Last year: 14 in ACC | |
| 10 | |
| Mike Norvell (44 overall): The roster situation at Florida State provides context for why a program with this much success posts a 3-6 record, but even with that taken into consideration, it's going to be tough to make argument for the Seminoles coach to be in the top five of the ACC when the team finished in the bottom three of the conference standings. Now as you can see from the aforementioned log jam of coaches, it's possible he's going to be a big riser soon, but the results on the field have to improve first. Last year: 5 in ACC | |
| 11 | |
| Scott Satterfield (45 overall): With so much buzz around the Cardinals heading into last year, there was to bound to be a significant reaction when the team finished 4-7 and in 12th place in the ACC standings. My guess is that we overreacted to a solo second place finish in the ACC Atlantic Division in Year 1 and then overreacted the other way when Louisville didn't meet or exceed the expectations set by 2019's success. Satterfield's 14-spot drop overall was the second biggest fall in the 1-65 rankings, and my guess is he'll be back into the 30s at least after a year that splits the difference between the highs and lows of his early Louisville tenure. Last year: 6 in ACC | |
| 12 | |
| Justin Fuente (49 overall): After going 19-8 in his first two seasons with an ACC Coastal Division title, Fuente has gone 19-18 the last three years and overseen the end of both the program's 28-year bowl streak and 15-year run of success in the Commonwealth Cup against rival Virginia. He's down 12 spots in the overall rankings, barely inside the middle 30 and entering 2021 as one of the few coaches in the league tied to the "hot seat" narrative. A thorough evaluation of the football program is coming, no doubt, but Fuente's future is not determined yet and there's enough opportunities to turn things around this fall. Last year: 8 in ACC | |
| 13 | |
| Geoff Collins (55 overall): I'm way too high on Collins and got roasted by my Cover 3 co-hosts after revealing that I had him No. 25 on my ballot. So if I've got him at No. 25 and he landed at No. 55, then at least one voter is not at all impressed by the success on the recruiting trail and how some of the young talent has already stepped up on the field. I get the criticism I received for going all in on the future value when he's got just six wins in two years, but bottom 10 feels way too low considering the roster remodeling that came with the job. Last year: 12 in ACC | |
| 14 | |
| Dino Babers (59 overall): The 2020 season presented challenges for everyone who played, but Syracuse football seemed to have a particularly tough time fielding a competitive roster. At one point in the season, the number of available scholarship players for games was closer to FCS levels and a majority of those 60-some players were inexperienced underclassmen. Now the challenge for Babers and the Orange is to combine the super seniors anxious to bounce back after being sidelined with the youth movement that now has learned, the hard way, what it takes to win in the ACC. If it all gels, there could be much-improved levels of depth and competitiveness, which should lead to more wins and a move up in the rankings. Last year: 10 in ACC | |
