Tag: best college football coaches

ESPN ranks top 25 CFB hires of past 25 years: As expected, no Georgia or Kirby Smart

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg released his top 25 CFB hires of the last 25 years and Georgia football coach Kirby Smart was left off the list. 

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg recently released his list of the top 25 college football hires of the last 25 years and Georgia football’s hiring of head coach Kirby Smart did not make the cut.

That’s to be expected, though. 25 years is a long time. And though Kirby Smart’s already a top-five coach in college football, he has not quite accomplished enough to crack that top-25.

Before Georgia fans get all riled up about this, I should point out that the most recent hiring on this list is Penn State’s landing of Bill O’Brien in 2012, and that’s dead last at No. 25. The second most recent is Urban Meyer to Ohio State, which happened in 2011 (that’s No. 5). In addition to Kirby Smart not making it, neither did Ed Orgeron at LSU or Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma.

Just like many in the football coaching landscape, Smart started as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Georgia, before moving on to Valdosta State, Florida State and LSU. Smart then spent some more time back at UGA, until moving on to the Miami Dolphins of the NFL and more notably, spent eight years in Tuscaloosa before taking the head coaching job at Georgia in 2016.

In his top 25 hires, Rittenberg said that tenure was a major factor as well as obviously the success at the program, but also what kind of situation the coach walked into. Although Smart has taken Georgia to new heights in terms of recruiting, facilities and overall success, he didn’t exactly walk into a dumpster fire in Athens. The Bulldogs had a 75% win percentage (40-13) in Mark Richt’s last four years at Georgia.

I think it’s a popular opinion that, with more time, Smart will be considered one of the top hirings in college football history. With the way he recruits, it’s just a matter of time before Georgia brings a National Championship home to Athens. You’d be hard pressed to find a college program and fan base that are dreaming of a title more than DawgNation.

SEC hirings on the list:

  • No. 1 – Nick Saban (twice, Bama / LSU)
  • No. 6 – Urban Meyer (twice, Florida / Ohio St.)
  • No. 19 – Gary Pinkel (Missouri)
  • No. 21 – James Franklin (Vanderbilt)
  • No. 23 – Steve Spurrier (South Carolina)

College Football Morning Announcements for April 8

Listen in to the College Football Morning Announcements. Jim Harbaugh proposes NFL Draft changes, Oregon large crowd ban & 25 best coaches!

Happy Friday!  Congrats, in a world where many of us have trouble recalling what day of the week it actually is anymore, you’ve made it to another weekend.  Or, you’re at least only a few hours away from one, I should say.

[protected-iframe id=”2a8313c1a6c168993d506d276990052f-162776928-7793168″ info=”https://anchor.fm/cfnpodcast/embed/episodes/Ep-4—Harbaugh-proposes-NFL-Draft-Changes–NFL-Schedule-Day-is-lame–Oregons-empty-stadium-rule-edp3pl” width=”400px” height=”102px” frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no”]

The latest edition of Nick Shepkowski’s College Football Morning Announcements is out.  In it you’ll find:

  • Jim Harbaugh speaking some truths about the NFL Draft rules – Wolverines Wire
  • One of the lamest annual events on the sports calendar took place – (my words, no article here…yet 😉
  • Oregon’s Governor says no large crowds at September football games – Fighting Irish Wire
  • Top 25 College Football Coaches per 247 Sports – Is Brian Kelly one of 10 best?  – Fighting Irish Wire
  • And Notre Dame picks up their 10th commitment in the 2021 recruiting class as defensive end Jason Onye of Rhode Island gives his commitment – Fighting Irish Wire

Subscribe to Nick Shepkowski’s CFB Morning Announcements on Apple Podcasts

247Sports spot on in ranking Kirby Smart 4th best coach in CFB

247Sports ranked Georgia football’s Kirby Smart as the #4 coach in college football. Here’s why he was spot on.

On Thursday, Brad Crawford of 247Sports released his list of the top-25 coaches in college football.

Give credit to Crawford — he took on this story knowing that it would receive mixed reviews from across the country.

Here was his top-five:

1. Nick Saban, Alabama

2. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

3. Ed Orgeron, LSU

4. Kirby Smart, Georgia

5. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma

I don’t think there’s any question about numbers one and two. Saban and Swinney have taken turns ruling college football for the last decade.

But after those two is when fans start to think their coach should occupy that #3, #4 or #5 spot.

I’m not here to bash Crawford’s ranking of Smart at #4. Instead, I 100% agree with it. How can you not?

I saw a story that stated Georgia fans should be offended by Smart’s ranking on this list. It mentioned recency bias as the main reason Orgeron was put at #3.

I’m not on board with that. Some can call it recency bias, but I call it a national championship win, meaning he’s accomplished something that Smart has not. Meanwhile, they were both playing in the same conference, and LSU kicked Georgia’s butt for the second straight season. At one point, you have to tip your cap to Coach O.

Smart’s time will come where he’ll eventually pass Coach O, but that won’t be until he wins a title. He’s doing everything else right. He’s getting his team to the big games, he’s recruiting better than any coach in America, he catapulted Georgia back into the national spotlight and he’s producing NFL talent.

All that’s left is a ring. That may be a very simplistic way of looking at it, but in the end that’s how success is measured. Have you not been watching the Jordan documentary?

Had Georgia beaten LSU last season in the SEC Championship Game, then we would be having a different discussion. But Georgia did not just lose, it got pounded by a final score of 37-10. The year before, Georgia got spanked in Baton Rouge 36-16. In Smart’s last two games vs Orgeron, his Bulldogs have gotten beat by a combined score of 73-26.

So no, Georgia fans have no right to be offended about the #4 ranking for Smart. If anything, we should be celebrating the fact that Georgia has the fourth best coach in America.

I loved Mark Richt as much as the next guy, but come on, he was never a top-five coach in America. Maybe not even top-10.

Kirby’s time will come.

A few other notable names on the list:

#8 – Florida head coach Dan Mullen

#9 – Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher

#13 – Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn

#15 – Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops

#21 – Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt

247Sports ranks top-25 CFB coaches: Where is Georgia’s Kirby Smart?

Georgia football coach Kirby Smart was ranked 4th in 247Sports’ list of the top-25 coaches in college football.

On Thursday, Brad Crawford of 247Sports released his list of the top-25 coaches in college football.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart checked in at No. 4.

Crawford’s top-five was as follows:

1. Nick Saban, Alabama

2. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

3. Ed Orgeron, LSU

4. Kirby Smart, Georgia

5. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma

Smart was named the Bulldogs coach in 2015 after serving as Alabama defensive coordinator under Nick Saban for eight years.

Smart has led his alma mater to a 44-12 record over four years as the Bulldogs head coach and has boasted three consecutive No. 1 ranked recruiting classes.

There is no question that Smart has built a powerhouse at Georgia. He recruits at an elite level and has one of the best defensive minds in all of college football.

So, what separates Smart from Saban, Swinney and Orgeron?

A national championship.

Smart has led Georgia to three consecutive SEC East titles, an SEC Championship title, a College Football Playoff victory and a National Championship bid, but a couple of close losses to Bama have held the Bulldogs from the top of college football.

Jan 1, 2018; Pasadena, CA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart holds the Rose Bowl trophy — Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

However, Smart will have another shot at a title in 2020 and it may be with the most talented team he has had in his time at Georgia.

The Bulldogs return many of the starters from the 2019 record-breaking defense and have a new air-raid offensive system behind the arm of Wake Forest transfer quarterback Jamie Newman, and new offensive coordinator Todd Monken.

A few other notable names on the list:

#8 – Florida head coach Dan Mullen

#9 – Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher

#13 – Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn

#15 – Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops

#21 – Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt

ESPN’s Booger McFarland names elite SEC coaches

ESPN’s Booger McFarland talks which SEC coaches are in elite status. Did Georgia football HC Kirby Smart make the cut?

While on the Paul Finebaum show, ESPN analyst Booger McFarland was asked about the job that Dan Mullen is doing at Florida.

In response, he said that Mullen deserves to be considered as one of the league’s elite coaches and then went on to name other SEC coaches who he’d put in that top-tier.

McFarland included Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Ed Orgeron and Mullen as the coaches who are at the top of the conference at the moment.

“I think if I had to rank the top four right now,” McFarland said, “I would go Saban, and in some order, you can sway me in this order — it would be Saban, it would be Kirby, it would be Ed and it will be Dan Mullen, and I think there’s a line of delineation right there and then there’s a second-tier.”

Sorry Gus Malzahn and Auburn, Booger does not think you’ve done enough to be included in that top-tier of coaches. Three 8-5 seasons, one 7-6 year and one at 9-4 just will not cut it.

Also left off the list is former national championship winning coach Jimbo Fisher (Texas A&M) and Kentucky’s Mark Stoops, who has recently turned the Wildcats program into a headache for some of the league’s top contenders.

The Athletic ranks CFB’s best coaches – Is Kirby Smart too low?

The Athletic ranked the best coaches in college football, but did they rank Georgia football’s Kirby Smart too low?

This week, Stewart Mandel and Bruce Feldman of The Athletic ranked college football’s top coaches.

Kirby Smart checked in relatively high on both lists, but is he high enough?

Here are the two lists.

Stewart Mandel:

1. Nick Saban (Alabama) and Dabo Swinney (Clemson)

3. Ed Orgeron, LSU

4. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma

5. Kirby Smart, Georgia

6. Brian Kelly, Notre Dame

7. James Franklin, Penn State

8. Dan Mullen, Florida

9. Paul Chryst, Wisconsin

10. Bill Clark, UAB

Bruce Feldman:

1. Nick Saban, Alabama

2. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

3. James Franklin, Penn State

4. Ed Orgeron, LSU

5. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma

6. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M

7. Kirby Smart, Georgia

8. Brian Kelly, Notre Dame

9. Kyle Whittingham, Utah

10. Scott Satterfield, Louisville

Let’s discuss:

Pages: Page 1, Page 2