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Who are the 10 best coaches in college football?
There are different ways to consider the question: What coaches have the best career résumés? What coaches are on track to achieve the most success? What coaches have helped develop the most NFL talent? What coaches have overachieved based on the talent and resources they have to work with?
We left it up to our college football reporters to interpret the question how they saw fit and to weigh those factors (and any others) in whatever manner they thought made the most sense. We took their rankings, 1 through 10, and awarded points based on their picks -- 10 points for first place, 9 points for second place and so on.
The results showed a clear No. 1 in Georgia's Kirby Smart, with a bit of a gap between him and our second- and third-place finishers, both of whom appeared in everyone's top 10. The next three coaches were bunched pretty tightly, drawing a wide range of opinions from our voters, and from there things were wide open.
Below is our top 10, listed with each coach's career record, the points they received in our survey, a statistical nugget courtesy of ESPN Research and a comment from one or two of our voters. We also asked voters to name a coach they are surprised didn't make the top 10 and asked one voter why the top of his ballot differed dramatically from the rest.
7. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
Record: 46-13 (9-4 at Alabama, plus 67-3 at NAIA Sioux Falls)Points: 33
Numbers to know: DeBoer is 15-3 against top-25 teams in the past five seasons, the third-most wins among active FBS coaches in that span behind Kirby Smart (23) and Ryan Day (17).
You were the biggest fan of DeBoer, ranking him No. 4. Why did you place him so high?
I think what has impressed me the most about DeBoer is that every program he's been at -- including several stops as a coordinator -- has achieved historic levels of success. That track record of elevating multiple programs to new heights shows he hasn't necessarily benefitted from inherited infrastructure or resource advantages like many on this list. Sure, Year 1 at Alabama was a disappointment, but I'm still very confident that he'll be successful in the long term, especially with all the advantages that come with being at Alabama. -- Bonagura
You were one of two voters who didn't have DeBoer in the top 10. What does he need to do to win you over?
Make the playoffs this year. His career on the NAIA and FCS levels and what he did in a short period at Washington is super impressive, don't get me wrong. But I thought Jalen Milroe regressed under DeBoer last season, and the team did not play consistently. Yes, I understand it is always hard to replace a legend, as DeBoer did with Saban. But Alabama is a place ready-made to win now. -- Adelson
