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Curt Cignetti tops 2026 college football coach rankings, with Kirby Smart and Ryan Day close behind

NEW YORK, Aug. 12. Indiana's Curt Cignetti ranks first among college football's active coaches ahead of the 2026 season, according to a ranking that scored 10 coaches on career resume, recent success, and results relative to program resources. Georgia's Kirby Smart is second and Ohio State's Ryan Day third, with NIL and the transfer portal shifting how the sport measures what a coach is actually worth.

By Hannah Voss2 min read
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Key takeaways

  • Indiana's Curt Cignetti ranks first among active college football coaches entering the 2026 season, with Georgia's Kirby Smart second and Ohio State's Ryan Day third.
  • The ranking scored 10 coaches on career resume, recent success, and results relative to program resources, with NIL and the transfer portal reshaping how a coach's worth is measured.
  • Under Cignetti, Indiana recorded its first 11-win season, first College Football Playoff appearance, first undefeated regular season, and first five-star recruit in program history.
  • Oregon's Dan Lanning ranks fourth and Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman fifth, with the ranking projecting Notre Dame as a top-five team entering 2026.
  • The rest of the top ten is Texas's Steve Sarkisian sixth, LSU's Lane Kiffin seventh, Vanderbilt's Clark Lea eighth, Michigan's Kyle Whittingham ninth, and USC's Lincoln Riley tenth.

NEW YORK, Aug. 12. Indiana's Curt Cignetti ranks first among college football's active coaches ahead of the 2026 season, according to a ranking that scored 10 coaches on career resume, recent success, and results relative to program resources. Georgia's Kirby Smart is second and Ohio State's Ryan Day third, with NIL and the transfer portal shifting how the sport measures what a coach is actually worth.

Indiana before and after Cignetti

No program in the ranking carries a starker before-and-after. Before Cignetti arrived, Indiana had no 11-win season, no College Football Playoff appearance, no undefeated regular season, and no five-star recruit in program history. All four firsts came under his tenure.

The ranking's single criticism is volume. Cignetti has not coached at Indiana long enough to accumulate the career record typical of all-time greats. The counterargument in the same piece: this is Indiana.

Smart, Day, and the Oregon branch

Smart's position at second rests on two national championships, both secured while Nick Saban was still coaching Alabama. Day won his title following the 2024 season, roughly 18 months ago, and has not yet turned 50.

Oregon's Dan Lanning ranks fourth. He arrived in Eugene in 2022 and has won at least 10 games in every season since. Three of his coordinators have moved on to head coaching jobs. His ties to Smart's program are cited as a direct factor in the Ducks' recruiting operation.

Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman is fifth. The Irish reached the national championship game two seasons ago and finished in the AP Poll's top 10 last season. The ranking projects Notre Dame as a top-five team entering 2026.

The rest of the top ten

Texas's Steve Sarkisian ranks sixth, heading into a season with quarterback Arch Manning again drawing Heisman attention. Lane Kiffin, who departed Ole Miss for LSU, is seventh. The ranking credits him with positioning the Rebels as a realistic College Football Playoff title contender before his exit.

Vanderbilt's Clark Lea is eighth after delivering the program's first 10-win season and signing five-star quarterback Jared Curtis, the school's first five-star recruit. Lea arrived in Nashville in 2021. Kyle Whittingham, the winningest coach in Utah history, left Salt Lake City this offseason for Michigan and ranks ninth. USC's Lincoln Riley closes the list at tenth in his fifth season with the Trojans. Riley, 42, guided USC to nine wins last season with quarterback Jayden Maiava.

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Frequently asked

Why is Curt Cignetti ranked number one despite a short tenure at Indiana?

He delivered four program firsts at Indiana—its first 11-win season, first College Football Playoff appearance, first undefeated regular season, and first five-star recruit—though the ranking's lone criticism is that he hasn't coached there long enough to build an all-time-great career record.

What criteria were used to rank the coaches?

The 10 coaches were scored on career resume, recent success, and results relative to program resources.

Why is Kirby Smart ranked ahead of Ryan Day?

Smart is second on the strength of two national championships won while Nick Saban was still coaching Alabama, while Day, who won his title after the 2024 season, ranks third.

Which coaches changed jobs before the 2026 season according to the ranking?

Lane Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU, and Kyle Whittingham, the winningest coach in Utah history, left for Michigan this offseason.

How did Dan Lanning earn the fourth spot?

Since arriving at Oregon in 2022 he has won at least 10 games every season, sent three coordinators to head coaching jobs, and used his ties to Smart's program as a factor in the Ducks' recruiting operation.