ESPN ranks all 129 FBS head coaches based on playing ability
By Nick Cole
Published:
If you had to pick one FBS head coach to revert to his younger self and suit up to play for your team next fall, which would it be?
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg gave this a lot of thought, as he ranked all 129 FBS head coaches based on their playing careers.
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh topped the list, which was no surprise given his successful 14-year career as an NFL quarterback.
A fellow Big 10 coach was No. 2, as Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald earned College Football Hall of Fame honors for his time as an All-American linebacker for the Wildcats.
So what about the SEC?
Well, it’s a clear case of the “haves” and the “have nots” among the league’s coaches.
There are six coaches that ranked 103rd or worse, but there were also six coaches that found their way into the top 30.
Here’s a quick breakdown:
Haves
10. Kirby Smart, Georgia
23. Barry Odom, Missouri
25. Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M
27. Will Muschamp, South Carolina
28. Bret Bielema, Arkansas
30. Les Miles, LSU
43. Nick Saban, Alabama
51. Mark Stoops, Kentucky
Have Nots
103. Derek Mason, Vanderbilt
111. Jim McElwain, Florida
112. Dan Mullen, Mississippi State
113. Gus Malzahn, Auburn
115. Butch Jones, Tennessee
122. Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss
Rittenberg gives an explanation of his ranking for each coach on the list, which was surely an exhausting exercise.
Nick Cole is a former print journalist with several years of experience covering the SEC. Born and raised in SEC country, he has taken in the game-day experience at all 14 stadiums.
