When writers and editors rank players, coaches or teams, there is always a need to make one basic distinction. The best coaches on an overall level are often different from the best coaches “right now.” Coaches can have superior career results yet perform worse than another coach in the present moment, generally regarded as the past year or two years. A great example of this comes from the Southeastern Conference. Nick Saban of Alabama has the best career results of any coach in the SEC, hands down, but it’s just as clear that Kirby Smart of Georgia is the best coach in the league “right now.”
With that simple distinction in mind, we present our rankings of the best coaches in the Pac-12 in terms of career results.
If we used the “right now” standard, Kyle Whittingham of Utah would be No. 1. He has won the Pac-12 two straight years. He beat Lincoln Riley twice last season. Right now, he is getting the most out of his program.
Overall, however, Whittingham is definitely not No. 1 in the Pac-12. Here are our rankings: