Kirk Herbstreit names 4 to his Coach of the Year watchlist
By Rolando Rosa
Published:
In order to compete at the highest level, a college football team needs to have strong leadership at the top. ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit believes these four head coaches are the cream of the crop for the 2026 season.
For the Coach of the Year watchlist for The Herbies, Herbstreit selected Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, Vanderbilt‘s Clark Lea, Georgia‘s Kirby Smart, and Indiana’s Curt Cignetti.
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The 40-year-old Freeman has won at least 9 games in all 4 seasons at the helm for the Fighting Irish. Freeman guided Notre Dame to the College Football Playoff title game 2 seasons ago. Last season, Notre Dame went 10-2 and ended up on the wrong side of the bubble for the CFP.
The 44-year-old Lea took Vanderbilt to new heights last season. The Commodores went 10-3 in 2025, the program’s first-ever season with 10+ victories. The Nashville native guided Vanderbilt to a No. 15 end of season ranking in the AP poll.
The 50-year-old Smart is a 2-time national champion coach who has also led Georgia to 4 SEC titles. The Georgia alum has lost 3 or fewer games each season since 2017. Georgia finished last season with a 12-2 mark and spot in the CFP.
The 65-year-old Cignetti anchored Indiana to an undefeated record and the program’s first national title last season. Cignetti is a 2-time AP Coach of the Year who has amassed a 27-2 mark with the Hoosiers.
For each team’s season opener, Notre Dame begins vs. Wisconsin, Vanderbilt hosts Austin Peay, Georgia takes on visiting Tennessee State, and host Indiana faces North Texas.
