Ranking the top 25 Power Five college football coaches entering the 2023 season

[UT_VOLS13]

Ranking the top 25 Power Five college football coaches entering the 2023 season (msn.com)


16Josh Heupel: It felt like 1998 in Knoxville last year as Tennessee's football program finally seemed to wake up from a long slumber. The Volunteers reached No. 2 in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2001 and beat Alabama for the first time since 2006. Heupel's 18 wins in his first two seasons are more than Jeremy Pruitt had in his three at the helm (16). Thank the football gods for NCAA violations! 2022 rank: 33 (+17)

 

[Hacksaw]

This is awesome! I have been losing sleep wondering what Tom Fornelli's opinion would be on this subject.

 

[KnoxRealtorVOL]

Lol there are 15 better coaches than Heupel huh? So 15 other guys could have taken this 3-win mess of a program and gone 11-2 by his second year?

 

[TNHopeful505]

Wow, some of the names ahead of Heupel....what a joke of a list.

We may not have the best coach, but we have the best coach for us, and that's all we need. Heupel was a match made in heaven for Tennessee.

 

[RDU VOL#14]

Chip Kelly and Lane should not be above Heupel. James Franklin and Mark Stoops are consistently ranked higher than I think they should be . Jimbo and Mack Brown could fall out of the top 25 this season.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

There are two main ways to rank coaches: demonstrated performance (the past) or anticipated potential (the future).

Putting Nick Saban in the #1 spot tells the world which way this fella is doing it. Saban is in fact the greatest college football coach of all time. But his future looks a lot less exciting than his past.

Given that methodology, I think the #16 ranking of Josh Heupel is actually pretty decent. Every coach above him has more hardware in the trophy case, or has a LOT more wins.

One might argue, yeah, but that's a lot more wins over a greater period of time. Josh has done more in just two years than....

Agreed.

But see, you're with me: looking at the future, at what recent performances portend about what we'll see next.

If this ranking were based on potential, I'd put Josh Heupel in the Top 5, along with Kirby Smart, Lincoln Riley, Brian Kelly, and Ryan Day.

Everyone gets to do their own list, though, however they want to do it. This is one fella's way. More power to him.

Go Vols!

 

[Otis1105]

This is awesome! I have been losing sleep wondering what Tom Fornelli's opinion would be on this subject.

It’s an aggregate of all the CBS sports college football writers. It’s not just Fornelli’s.he was just tasked with writing the excerpts once the results were tallied.

 

[Enki_Amenra]

Now rank the top25 AD's. Danny White #1

 

[Daniel_Lincolns_Foot]

A big snub on this list is Chris Klieman not being ranked higher.

 

[tobybeast]

I am glad Heupel made this list! It is exciting having good leadership on Rocky Top.

I don't think Saban should be #1 on this list.

 

[Hacksaw]

It’s an aggregate of all the CBS sports college football writers. It’s not just Fornelli’s.he was just tasked with writing the excerpts once the results were tallied.

Somehow, the combined wisdom of all CBS Sports cfb writers doesn't make it feel any more legitimate to me.

 

[VolFreakJosh]

Dave Clawson over Heupel is a joke

 

[livefaith]

I love how media types always quote the AP Poll as the authority. They protect their corrupt brethren in article after article. The Vols were #1 at one point in the Poll that really matters, the CFP.
I distinctly remember them stealing the "NC" from LSU years ago bc the OFFICIAL BCS left their darling media market team, USC, out after LSU earned its way to the true NC according to the scheme laid down for everyone before that season began. To this day the media still uses the AP poll for that. Pure corruption.

 

[livefaith]

Lol there are 15 better coaches than Heupel huh? So 15 other guys could have taken this 3-win mess of a program and gone 11-2 by his second year?

Piece a Cake! Greg Shiatno would have done it in year 1. I saw the whole story on ESPN.

 

[Manchester Vol]

I am glad Heupel made this list! It is exciting having good leadership on Rocky Top.

I don't think Saban should be #1 on this list.

That little man that is very little and insignificant has more championship rings than fingers. I think he lost a couple fingers a few weeks back juggling chainsaws.

If he is in contention this year with his current set of problems on his roster, then he should stay at number one.

 

[DirtyDawg]

I am glad Heupel made this list! It is exciting having good leadership on Rocky Top.

I don't think Saban should be #1 on this list.

As much as I don’t want to admit this, Huepel absolutely earned his spot on this list. He already has made TN a very tough team to beat. Sure, having a QB like Hooker certainly helped but it’s not like the roster was full of 5 stars. He has been impressive. In truth, I am a bit worried about what TN may look like when the jimmies and Joes catch up with the X’s and O’s. Good football in the future!!!

Of course I’m a big Kirby guy, but I’ll still say Sabin is #1. No love for Bama but Sabin has earned it. It kinda says something when folks say Bama is down after a season when they lost two games and both on last second plays to two very good teams. I’m afraid Bama isn’t yet going away.

 

[MurphyVol]

Does anyone edit their work anymore? He expects Dabo to "fall out of the top through"

Sometimes I miss newspapers...get off my lawn!

 

[OrangeTsar]

It amazes me how quickly Kiff’s tenure at USC has been sent down the memory hole

 

[OrangeTsar]

Does anyone edit their work anymore? He expects Dabo to "fall out of the top through"

Sometimes I miss newspapers...get off my lawn!

I Miss the funny pages

 

[Illinoisvolfan2]

That’s BS. He’s way higher than 16

 

[NDVol]

Ranking the top 25 Power Five college football coaches entering the 2023 season (msn.com)

These rankings are fun to do but it's hard to put too much stock into them. However, ranking Clawson ahead of Heupel is ridiculous IMO.

Winning at Tennessee is 10X more difficult than winning at Wake Forest. Yes, Tennessee gets way more talent but the competition level in the SEC is ridiculous. Look at Wake's 2022 schedule.

Just ask Clawson about it. He tried to win at Tennessee and ended up being the final nail in Fulmer's coffin.

 

[OrangeTsar]

That’s BS. He’s way higher than 16

I agree, but he will have to win some championships (at least SEC) before they will give him his due

 

[Nationdom]

Chip Kelly and Lane should not be above Heupel. James Franklin and Mark Stoops are consistently ranked higher than I think they should be . Jimbo and Mack Brown could fall out of the top 25 this season.

Chip and Lane should definitely be above Josh at this time. Especially Kelly. Another couple 11-13 win seasons for Josh and he passes both

 

[RDU VOL#14]

Chip and Lane should definitely be above Josh at this time. Especially Kelly. Another couple 11-13 win seasons for Josh and he passes both

I think It depends on the metrics. They’ve both been head coaches longer, w/ varying degrees of success. If you gave me a choice of Lane, Chip Kelly or Heupel to rebuild a program from where were in January 2021 I have a very hard time believing Lane or Kelly would’ve done a better job than Heup. I think we’re a much more desirable landing spot than any either one at this point.

 

[HooahVol]

I disagree about Lane being above Heupel. Lane has only shown he chokes in big games at Ole Miss. Heupel took a team that, to be completely honest, was an absolute dumpster fire and had them ranked #1 in the nation in his 3rd year for a brief time. I know I would not trade Heupel for Lane for any amount of money.