College Football Coach Rankings 2026: The Best of the Rest, 26-50
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Accomplished coaches all, you had to do something right to be among the CFN 50 best head coaches going into the 2026 college football season.
There are plenty of conference championships in this group, a few national championships – at least at the FCS level – and a whole lot of coaches who do a lot with a little.
CFN Preseason Head Coach Rankings 26 to 50
CFN 2026 Preseason Head Coach Rankings
– Just outside the elite: 11-25
– The best of the best: Top 10
50. Jimmy Rogers, Iowa State
2025 Coach Rank: 102* (at Washington State)
FBS Record: 6-6 | FBS Win %: 50%
27-3 in two years at South Dakota State, he stepped in and was fine at Washington State for a season. Now he gets to make the Iowa State program his, but it might take a bit.
– Iowa State 2026 Team Preview
49. Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia
2025 Coach Rank: 32
FBS Record: 140-99 | FBS Win %: 58.6%
It took a year to get up to speed, and now West Virginia should be a dangerous Big 12 factor with a loaded backfield. Settled in, he really might recreate the magic of the 2000s.
– West Virginia 2026 Team Preview
48. Brent Key, Georgia Tech
2025 Coach Rank: 56
FBS Record: 27-20 | FBS Win %: 57.4%
After doing a good job in just over two seasons, there’s the nine-win season to take it up a few notches. He’s doing big things to upgrade the talent – this is a long-haul head man.
– Georgia Tech 2026 Team Preview
47. Greg Schiano, Rutgers
2025 Coach Rank: 45
FBS Record: 99-108 | FBS Win %: 47.8%
Schiano had improved the program with two winning seasons before coming up just short last year. It’s a low bar, but he’s made Rutgers more than just competitive again.
– Rutgers 2026 Team Preview
46. Pete Golding, Ole Miss
2025 Coach Rank: Not Ranked
FBS Record: 2-1 | FBS Win %: 66.7%
Able to let it rip in the playoff after Lane Kiffin became an LSU Tiger, now the pressure is really on. Kiffin set an impossibly high standard that Golding now has to match.
– Ole Miss 2026 Team Preview
45. Manny Diaz, Duke
2025 Coach Rank: 53
FBS Record: 39-24 | FBS Win %: 61.9%
Fine, so he didn’t crush with Miami. He has two nine-win seasons at Duke, including an ACC Championship. At the moment, he’s doing more with less than just about anyone.
– Duke 2026 Team Preview
44. Willie Fritz, Houston
2025 Coach Rank: 50
FBS Record: 85-65 | FBS Win %: 56.7%
It took six years for him to turn Tulane into a powerhouse. It took just one season to get Houston going, won ten games last season, and now he’s about to do really big things.
– Houston 2026 Team Preview
43. Dave Doeren, NC State
2025 Coach Rank: 33
FBS Record: 118-74 | FBS Win %: 61.5%
Kirk Ferentz, Troy Calhoun, Dabo. They’re the only three coaches who have been at a school longer. Don’t discount consistently winning, with just one dud season in the last 12.
– NC State 2026 Team Preview
42. Jamey Chadwell, Liberty
2025 Coach Rank: 23
FBS Record: 64-35 | FBS Win %: 64.6%
After winning 52 games in five years between Coastal Carolina and Liberty, was the 4-8 campaign an aberration? Probably – he’s been way too good for too long.
– Liberty 2026 Team Preview
41. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri
© Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
2025 Coach Rank: 26
FBS Record: 58-30 | FBS Win %: 65.9%
A big year to be in the CFP mix would be nice – if Ole Miss can do it … – and 8-5 is a step back, but don’t dismiss the three straight winning seasons and 29 wins in three years.
– Missouri 2026 Team Preview
40. Troy Calhoun, Air Force
2025 Coach Rank: 25
FBS Record: 139-97 | FBS Win %: 59.3%
The show goes on. He’s coming off two straight losing seasons, but going into his 21st season, that’s just a blip.
– Air Force 2026 Team Preview
39. Tim Polasek, North Dakota State
2025 Coach Rank: Not Ranked
FBS Record: 0-0 | FBS Win %: 0%
The honor of being the Bison head coach who leads the program into the FBS era is his. Two years, one national title, a 26-3 run, and he’s good enough to keep it all going.
– North Dakota State 2026 Team Preview
38. Charles Huff, Memphis
2025 Coach Rank: 90* (at Southern Miss)
FBS Record: 39-25 | FBS Win %: 60.9%
Memphis lost Ryan Silverfield to Arkansas – and upgraded. A winner everywhere he’s been, it’s Huff’s third head coaching gig in three years as he keeps on moving up.
– Memphis 2026 Team Preview
37. Bob Chesney, UCLA
2025 Coach Rank: 81* (at James Madison)
FBS Record: 21-6 | FBS Win %: 77.8%
As long as you don’t think he’ll be another Cignetti – even though he rocked at James Madison, too – there’s a lot to love about what he’s about to do at UCLA. He was a home run swing in the latest round of coaching hires.
– UCLA 2026 Team Preview
36. Jason Candle, UConn
2025 Coach Rank: 59* (at Toledo)
FBS Record: 81-44 | FBS Win %: 64.8%
It wasn’t necessarily a lateral move, but he’s going from rocking at Toledo to a UConn program coming off a season when everything worked. They’re expecting big things.
– UConn 2026 Team Preview
35. Bret Bielema, Illinois
2025 Coach Rank: 38
FBS Record: 134-84 | FBS Win %: 61.5%
After his star run at Wisconsin and rough time at Arkansas, he has become Illinois football – and a master SEC trolling king – with 19 wins over the last two seasons.
– Illinois 2026 Team Preview
34. Jason Eck, New Mexico
2025 Coach Rank: 124
FBS Record: 9-4 | FBS Win %: 69.2%
Home run. Terrific at Idaho, he stepped into the job and turned New Mexico into a winner. Eck – a Wisconsin grad; just sayin’ – will soon be a huge name in the coaching carousel.
– New Mexico 2026 Team Preview
33. Jerry Mack, Kennesaw State
2025 Coach Rank: 130
FBS Record: 10-4 | FBS Win %: 71.4%
Wow. He was terrific with NC Central and was supposed to be a decent hire, but ten wins and a Conference USA championship in his first year? He’s destined for a bigger gig.
– Kennesaw State 2026 Team Preview
32. Brent Venables, Oklahoma
2025 Coach Rank: 83
FBS Record: 32-20 | FBS Win %: 61.5%
Sometimes it takes a little bit to get up to speed – Dabo is the perfect comp. Venables came from Clemson to OU, and in four years has the program back to a CFP level.
– Oklahoma 2026 Team Preview
31. Matt Entz, Fresno State
© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
2025 Coach Rank: 72
FBS Record: 9-4 | FBS Win %: 69.2%
Terrific at North Dakota State with two national titles, he proved what a great get he was for Fresno State with a 9-4 first season. He’ll quickly become a bigger hot name.
– Fresno State 2026 Team Preview
30. Jedd Fisch, Washington
2025 Coach Rank: 57
FBS Record: 32-33 | FBS Win %: 49.2%
Known for always moving around, with coaching gigs at 14 different stops, he should settle in and make Washington terrific. He built back Arizona, and he’s doing the same thing in Seattle.
– Washington 2026 Team Preview
29. Spencer Danielson, Boise State
2025 Coach Rank: 28
FBS Record: 24-8 | FBS Win %: 75%
Three seasons, three Mountain West championships and a College Football Playoff appearance. Winning like that is never a given, even at Boise State.
– Boise State 2026 Team Preview
28. Jim Mora, Colorado State
2025 Coach Rank: 29* (at UConn)
FBS Record: 73-53 | FBS Win %: 57.9%
Better than given credit for at UCLA, going 46-30, he turned UConn into a strong program with two straight nine-win seasons. He was a great get for Colorado State.
– Colorado State 2026 Team Preview
27. Dan Mullen, UNLV
2025 Coach Rank: 60
FBS Record: 113-65 | FBS Win %: 63.5%
He’s right – how has Florida done since he was whacked? After winning ten games in his first year at UNLV, he found a home – his Rebels should be the star of the Mountain West.
– UNLV 2026 Team Preview
26. PJ Fleck, Minnesota
2025 Coach Rank: 35
FBS Record: 96-66 | FBS Win %: 59.3%
Is there a more fun and energetic coach? He won eight or more games in four of his last five seasons, is 7-0 in bowls, and, all things considered, is doing fine in a loaded Big Ten.
– Minnesota 2026 Team Preview
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