Ranking the American Conference's College Football Coaches for 2026

NCAAF College Football
May 15, 2026
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The American Conference was home to some of the top rising star coaches last season. However, Alex Golesh (Auburn), Ryan Silverfield (Arkansas), Jon Sumrall (Florida), and Eric Morris (Oklahoma State) have all moved on to power conference jobs after successful stints in this conference. Transition in recent years is also a top storyline for coaching overall in this league. Of the 14 American Conference coaches, only three – Navy’s Brian Newberry, Army’s Jeff Monken, and UTSA’s Jeff Traylor – have spent three or more seasons at their current job.

With five new coaches and massive turnover in recent years, the ‘26 group of American Conference coaches is not easy to rank.

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 American Conference:

Mortensen worked as the program’s interim coach for the final six contests last season, picking off Memphis in a significant upset on Oct. 18 to cap a 2-4 mark in that span. Over the last three years, Mortensen worked as UAB’s offensive coordinator under former coach Trent Dilfer and led the ‘23 unit to an average of 30.9 points a game in American Conference action. UAB is one of the tougher jobs in the American Conference, and Mortensen will be learning on the job as a first-time head coach.

Tulane opted for continuity by promoting Hall after Jon Sumrall’s departure to Florida. Prior to spending ‘25 as an assistant under Sumrall with the Green Wave, Hall worked for four seasons as the head coach at Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles went 7-6 in ‘22 but posted a 7-24 mark in the other three years prior to his dismissal during the ‘24 season. Hall has been successful at lower levels of competition with a 25-11 stint at West Alabama (2011-13) and a 31-9 stop at West Georgia in 2014-16. The bar is high for Hall after Tulane emerged as one of the top Group of 6 programs under Sumrall and Willie Fritz.

Lamb has Tulsa on the right track entering ‘26. The Golden Hurricane finished 4-8 in Lamb’s debut last year, but that record included upsets over Oklahoma State and Army. Additionally, the program was close to another victory or two with three defeats by one score. The 36-year-old coach previously went 20-20 at Gardner-Webb with two FCS Playoff trips and finished 7-5 at East Tennessee State in ‘24.

Abell has a track record of winning at hard jobs, including stints at Washington and Lee (39-24 from 2012-17) and Davidson (47-28 from 2018-24). Abell’s first season at Rice was solid, delivering a 5-8 record and a trip to the Armed Forces Bowl. After navigating a roster and scheme in transition last year, the program should be on more stable footing this fall. And with another year to find players to fit his scheme, Abell can help push the Owls a step forward and in contention for a winning mark in ‘26.

Kittley garnered a reputation as one of college football’s top offensive-minded coaches thanks to successful stints as a coordinator at Houston Baptist, Western Kentucky, and Texas Tech. The 34-year-old coach finished 4-8 in his debut at Florida Atlantic last season and guided the offense to No. 1 in the nation in passing yardage (340.2 yards a game). With another offseason to build the roster and continue to develop one of the American Conference’s top offenses, the Owls should push for a bowl in Kittley’s second year.

Hartline is one of college football’s coaches on the rise entering the ‘26 season. The former Ohio State receiver thrived in Columbus as a recruiter and consistently landed (and developed) elite talent at that position. After his playing career in the NFL ended in ‘15, Hartline joined the staff in Columbus in ‘17 and was promoted to wide receivers coach a year later. He added the offensive coordinator title in ‘23 and contributed as a play-caller over the last three years. Although this is Hartline’s first chance to be a FBS head coach, he’s displayed the ability to be a top-flight recruiter and worked under one of college football’s top coaches in Ryan Day. That combination should suit Hartline well as he grows into a job that’s among the best in the Group of 6 conferences.

The Pirates thrived in Harrell’s first full season on the job by going 9-4 overall and 6-2 in American Conference play. Also, East Carolina capped the ‘25 campaign with a bowl victory over Pitt. Since taking over as the program’s interim coach during the ‘24 season, Harrell is 14-5 overall and 10-3 in conference play. The Pirates have a major roster rebuild ahead in ‘26. However, Harrell’s short track record suggests this team will once again factor into the mix for the conference title.

Albin struggled in his first season at Charlotte. The 49ers finished 1-11 and went winless in American Conference play. The team’s only victory was against FCS opponent Monmouth (42-35 in Sept. 13) and all 11 losses were by 17 or more points. However, Albin’s track record of winning provides optimism for improvement in ‘26. After a 3-9 debut at Ohio in ‘21, the Bobcats won 10 games in each of the next three seasons, giving Albin a 33-19 overall mark in Athens. Is another year two jump also coming for Albin at Charlotte this fall?

Brown was among the top coaches outside of the power conferences during a successful four-year run at Troy. From 2015-18, the Trojans went 35-16 and posted three consecutive double-digit win totals. However, Brown’s stock dropped a bit at West Virginia. The Mountaineers finished 37-35 under Brown’s watch and had only one year (2023) of more than six victories. As last season’s run to the American Conference title game showcased, North Texas is a program with significant upside in this league. However, nearly all of that personnel from last season’s team departed or followed former coach Eric Morris to Oklahoma State. Although a major roster reset is on tap, if Brown can rekindle his success and track record of maximizing talent at Troy, the Mean Green will consistently compete for a finish in the top half of the conference.

Huff is one of the offseason’s top hires after successful stints at Marshall and Southern Miss. From 2021-24, Huff guided the Thundering Herd to a 32-20 record with four bowl trips. Included in that stint was a 10-win season and Sun Belt Championship in ‘24. Huff left Marshall for Southern Miss last offseason and delivered a seven-win regular season – a six-game jump from the previous year. Memphis has all of the necessary resources to rank as one of the top Group of 6 programs on an annual basis. Huff should help this program continue to reach its potential in ‘26 and beyond.

Keeler – a Pennsylvania native and former standout coach at Rowan and Delaware – returned to the East Coast last season following a successful stint at Sam Houston. Over an 11-year run, the Bearkats went 97-39 and won the 2020-21 FCS Championship. Keeler’s arrival sparked the Owls to a 5-7 record last fall, with two of those defeats coming by one point. The veteran coach is 276-119-1 overall with two FCS titles in his career. Keeler should have Temple poised to take another step forward in the American Conference in ’26.

Over six years in charge at UTSA, Traylor has yet to have a losing record and has guided the program to bowl appearances in every year since 2020. The Roadrunners are 53-26 under Traylor’s watch. After back-to-back 7-6 seasons, UTSA aims to return to American Conference title contention in ‘26. With a good chunk of contenders from ‘25 navigating transition, continuity and experience with Traylor could pay off in a big way for the Roadrunners.

Monken is among the nation’s longest-tenured coaches and has elevated Army into a consistent winner since his arrival in ‘14. The Black Knights are 89-63 and have earned seven bowl trips under Monken. Army has three double-digit win seasons in his tenure, including a 12-2 mark with an American Conference title in ‘24. Additionally, the program has just one losing season over the last 10 years.

In just three seasons in charge at Navy, Newberry has emerged as one of the top Group of 6 coaches. The Midshipmen went 5-7 in his debut in 2023 but are 21-5 over the last two years. Included in that stretch are back-to-back bowl victories against power conference opponents (Oklahoma and Cincinnati), along with a No. 23 finish in the final rankings in ‘26. Also, Newberry’s program is 13-3 in American Conference play since ‘24. Navy is also riding a two-game winning streak over rival Army.

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on May 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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