Ranking The Top 25 Power Four College Football Coaches For 2026

CBS Sports recently ranked the Top 25 Power Four Coaches entering the 2026 season.

The highest-ranked SEC Coach on the list was Georgia's Kirby Smart at No. 2.

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2. Kirby Smart, Georgia
Kirby Smart is in a similar boat to Day right now. He's one of the most accomplished coaches in the country. He's won two national titles, and every year his program is expected to compete for another. But last year ended on a sour note. The Dawgs won the SEC again but failed to win a playoff game. They have not won a playoff game since winning the national title in 2022. I don't think that's why Smart fell out of the No. 1 spot (it's more about the accomplishments of the man who usurped him), but it probably played a role. Smart still received four first-place votes (one from me), but it wasn't enough to hold onto No. 1. 2025 rank 1 (-1), High 1, Low 3

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SEC Coach Rankings:
2. Kirby Smart, Georgia
6. Steve Sarkisian, Texas
8. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
9. Lane Kiffin, LSU
14. Mike Elko, Texas A&M
19. Josh Heupel, Tennessee
23. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri

Top-10 Coaches:
1. Curt Cignetti, Indiana
2. Kirby Smart, Georgia
3. Ryan Day, Ohio State
4. Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
5. Dan Lanning, Oregon
6. Steve Sarkisian, Texas
7. Mario Cristobal, Miami
8. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
9. Lane Kiffin, LSU
10. Kyle Whittingham, Michigan