Ranking the MAC's College Football Coaches for 2026

NCAAF College Football
May 12, 2026
Akron Zips, Ball State Cardinals, Bowling Green Falcons, Buffalo Bulls, Central Michigan Chippewas, college, College Football, Eastern Michigan Eagles, Kent State Golden Flashes, Massachusetts Minutemen, Miami (OH) RedHawks, Ohio Bobcats, Sacramento State Hornets, Sports, Toledo Rockets, Western Michigan Broncos

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The MAC’s head-coaching ranks have experienced significant turnover and change in recent seasons. Just four of the league’s 13 coaches have worked at their current job for at least three years, including Chuck Martin (Miami) and Lance Taylor (Western Michigan). Although coaching longevity certainty helps, winning tops the list of strengths for both coaches, which is why Martin and Taylor take the top two spots in the MAC coach rankings for ‘26.

After the top two, coaching veterans in Buffalo’s Pete Lembo and Eastern Michigan’s Chris Creighton headline the next tier. New coach Mike Jacobs is a promising hire at Toledo, with Akron’s Joe Moorhead and Central Michigan’s Matt Drinkall also in the mix for a spot in the top five.

How did we compile the rankings for coaches by conference? For starters, it’s an impossible task. However, we tried to weigh every possible factor. This is not simply a list of coaches ranked by accomplishment or wins. Career biography/resume, success in developing talent and landing prospects on the recruiting trail factored into the ranking. Additionally, Athlon’s annual coach rankings also take into account a blank slate and subjectivity. If you start a program from scratch, which coach would you hire knowing what they accomplished so far and their career trajectory? Remember, you don’t get the assistants – only the head coach. And head-to-head wins do not matter for this ranking.

Here are the results for the MAC:

Carter has the tough assignment of leading Sacramento State on its FBS transition to the MAC in ‘26. While it may take some time for the Hornets to find their footing at the FBS level, Carter’s roots as a high school head coach in California, along with a stint as an assistant at San Jose State (2017-23), should help the program recruit FBS talent. The Oakland native spent the last two seasons as Arizona’s running backs coach and has a fascinating background thanks to a stint as a backup dancer for MC Hammer. This is Carter’s first chance to be a head coach at the FBS level.

Transition has been a big part of the offseason calendar for Ohio recently, as Hauser marks the program’s third coach in three years. The Ohio native worked as an assistant at Miami (Ohio) from 2014-21 and joined the Bobcats’ staff in a similar capacity in ‘22. He worked as the program’s defensive coordinator starting in ‘24 and guided the team to a bowl victory over UNLV as an interim coach last year. This is Hauser’s first chance to be a FBS head coach.

Uremovich guided Ball State to a 4-8 mark in his first year in charge. Prior to this stint, the Indiana native went 23-11 as Butler’s head coach (2022-24) and 33-45 at St. Francis (2005-11). That experience and track record of winning at hard jobs with limited resources should give Ball State plenty of confidence Uremovich can show progress in ‘26.

Harasymiak inherited a major rebuilding effort, so it was no surprise UMass finished 0-12 in his debut. However, the program took major steps towards improvement with a solid transfer haul this offseason. The Minutemen might be a year away from moving up the MAC standings but should be more competitive in ‘26. Prior to UMass, Harasymiak went 20-15 as the head coach at Maine (2016-18), which included a No. 5 finish with 10 victories in his final year. He also had successful stints as a defensive assistant at Minnesota (2019-21) and Rutgers (2022-24).

Carney inherited a challenging situation last offseason after taking over the program late in the spring following the dismissal of Kenni Burns. Despite those challenges, Carney guided the Golden Flashes to a 5-7 record and a 4-4 mark in MAC play. That performance helped Carney land the full-time job. Although Carney still has a lot to prove, last year’s coaching job provides plenty of optimism he can win at one of the nation’s hardest jobs.

George was a late arrival to Bowling Green last offseason after Scot Loeffler’s departure to the NFL at the end of February. The former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL standout went 4-8 in his debut with the Falcons but should be positioned for a move up in the standings in ‘26. George previously went 24-22 at Tennessee State from 2021-24, which included a FCS Playoff trip in his final year in charge.

Drinkall maximized Central Michigan’s roster in his debut last season, guiding the team to a 7-6 finish and an appearance in the GameAbove Sports Bowl. Prior to taking over the Chippewas, the Iowa native spent five seasons at Kansas Wesleyan and accumulated a 42-17 record behind a prolific offense at the NAIA level. From 2019-24, Drinkall worked as an assistant at Army. He’s one of the Group of 6’s top coaches on the rise.

Considering the difficulty of the Akron job, along with the program’s recent track record (two bowl trips since ‘06), Moorhead engineered one of the better coaching performances in the MAC last season by guiding the Zips to a 5-7 mark while facing a bowl ban due to low APR scores. The Zips are 13-35 under Moorhead’s direction, but he has successful stops on his resume from stints at Mississippi State (14-12 from 2018-19 and Fordham (38-13 from 2012-15). Moorhead is one of the top offensive minds in college football. And after a promising five-win campaign last year, can Akron take the next step and reach the postseason in ‘26?

Jacobs was one of the top hires in last year’s coaching carousel and should keep Toledo in the mix to win the MAC title this fall. The former Ohio State offensive lineman has won at every stop in his coaching career. He compiled a 42-8 mark at Notre Dame College from 2016-19 and 32-9 at Lenoir-Rhyne (2020-23). Over the last two seasons, Jacobs guided Mercer to a 20-6 record and two FCS Playoff appearances. That track record of success and consistent winning at lower levels should translate well into the MAC.

Eastern Michigan is only 9-15 and has missed out on a bowl appearance over the last two seasons. However, this is one of the hardest jobs in college football. With nine returning starters for ‘26, Creighton should get the program back into the postseason mix. Under Creighton’s direction, the Eagles are 61-83 with six bowl appearances and a nine-win season in ‘22. Counting previous stints as a head coach at Ottawa, Wabash, and Drake, Creighton is 200-129 overall as a head coach.

Lembo has a track record of winning at difficult jobs, compiling a 126-76 overall mark with stints at Lehigh (2001-05), Elon (2006-10), Ball State (2011-15), and Buffalo (since ‘24). Over 17 seasons as a head coach, Lembo has only four losing records. The Bulls went 9-4 in Lembo’s debut but just missed a bowl last year with a 5-7 mark. Buffalo is 10-6 in MAC play under Lembo’s watch and should be in the mix for another postseason trip in ‘26.

The Broncos are coming off a breakthrough third season under Taylor’s watch. Western Michigan finished 10-4, won the MAC title over Miami (Ohio), and claimed the program’s first bowl victory since ‘21. Last season’s 10 victories culminated three years of program development for Taylor, as he went 4-8 in his debut in ‘23, followed by a 6-7 mark the next season. Taylor’s stock should increase again in ‘26. The Broncos should be one of the preseason favorites to win the MAC title thanks to seven starters returning on offense.

Martin’s overall record at Miami (Ohio) is only 72-74, but that mark doesn’t tell the whole story. Under Martin’s direction, the RedHawks know how to push the right buttons in MAC play. Over the last three years, the program is 20-4 in conference action, has played for the MAC Championship three seasons in a row, and claimed the ‘23 title. Additionally, Martin has guided Miami (Ohio) to six consecutive bowl games over a full season of scheduled contests. Managing a roster and program is significantly more challenging due to the transfer portal and NIL at the Group of 6 level than in previous years. However, despite those obstacles, Martin continues to find a way to churn out winning records and teams capable of consistently contending for the MAC crown.

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on May 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Ranking the MAC's College Football Coaches for 2026

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