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ESPN released its updated ranking of the top 10 coaches in college football on Friday morning.
The ranking was put together by a panel of ESPN college football experts. The SEC coaches who made the cut were Georgia coach Kirby Smart, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer.
Smart took home the No. 1 spot as he’s one of just two active coaches with multiple national championships to his name. The other, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, comes in at No. 3 behind Ohio State’s Ryan Day. Sarkisian earned a spot at No. 5 after back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances. Kalen DeBoer picked up enough votes to land at No. 7 despite falling short of CFP expectations in Year 1 at Alabama.
A couple SEC coaches just missed the cut. LSU coach Brian Kelly is the first name off the list. Kelly hasn’t reached the CFP yet at LSU, but has a long track record of success at multiple stops in college football. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin and Tennessee coach Josh Heupel also received votes.
Here’s a look at the full top 10 via ESPN:
- Kirby Smart, Georgia
- Ryan Day, Ohio State
- Dabo Swinney, Clemson
- Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
- Steve Sarkisian, Texas
- Dan Lanning, Oregon
- Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
- James Franklin, Penn State
- Kyle Whittingham, Utah
- Matt Campbell, Iowa State
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
