College football coach rankings: Where's Kirby Smart?

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College football coach rankings: Where's Kirby Smart?

Athlon magazine voted on a ranking of coaches for all 10 conferences. Here's where Georgia's first-year coach Kirby Smart and some notable others fall on the list.

Athlon magazine voted on a ranking of coaches for all 128 coaches across 10 conferences. Here's where Georgia's first-year coach Kirby Smart and some notable others fall on the list.

96. Mike Bobo, Colorado State: After spending most of his coaching career at Georgia and as a first-time head coach, Bobo is still learning on the job. However, the future looks bright for Colorado State with Bobo at the helm, Athlon says.

87. Trent Miles, Georgia State: This program has made significant strides over the last three seasons, as Miles guided Georgia State to a 6-7 record last season and an appearance in the Cure Bowl. Even though Miles’ record in Atlanta is just 7-30, he’s a coach on the rise for 2016.

54. Kirby Smart, Georgia: While Smart is back at his alma mater, there’s plenty of pressure to win right away. The challenge for Smart is simple: Elevate Georgia into contention for playoff berths and be a consistent SEC title contender. That’s something that has eluded the Bulldogs in recent years, as the program’s last SEC title was in 2005. Smart certainly has the right background and experience to win big.

38. Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech: Despite the disappointing 2015 campaign, Georgia Tech is 61-44 under Johnson’s direction and is just one year removed from winning 11 games and the Orange Bowl in 2014. A quick turnaround in 2016 wouldn’t be a surprise with Johnson’s track record.

16. Mark Richt, Miami: While Richt won plenty of games at Georgia, a change of scenery (for both parties) and a return to his alma mater isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The Hurricanes are still looking for their first trip to the ACC title game, and Richt should be the right coach to get this team back in contention for division titles and top 25 finishes.

12. Bobby Petrino, Louisville: In his second stint with the Cardinals, Petrino has Louisville projected to finish among the nation’s top 25 teams for 2016. Petrino has the program on stable ground and poised to be a consistent top 25 team over the next few seasons.

9. Dabo Swinney, Clemson: Under Swinney’s watch, Clemson has shed its underachieving label. Swinney has surrounded himself with a good staff of assistants, including one of the nation’s top defensive minds in Brent Venables. Clemson’s recruiting is also trending up.

3. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan: Winning at a high level (and right away) is nothing knew for Harbaugh. And the expectation level is high going into 2016, as the Wolverines are picked among the favorites to contend for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

2. Urban Meyer, Ohio State: Meyer continues to set the bar high for success in the Big Ten. Ohio State is 50-4 overall under Meyer’s watch. Despite heavy personnel losses in 2016, Meyer won’t allow Ohio State to slip too far in the win column, which should allow the Buckeyes to compete for another playoff bid this fall.

1. Nick Saban, Alabama: With three national championships over the last five years, the rest of college football is chasing Alabama and Nick Saban. There’s no question the bar is set high at Alabama and maintaining this level of success isn’t easy for any program.

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Athlon magazine voted on a ranking of coaches for all 128 coaches across 10 conferences. Here's where Georgia's first-year coach Kirby Smart and some notable others fall on the list.

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