Cignetti and Smart Lead 2026 College Football Coaching Tiers
TL;DR
The Athletic ranks Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches into eight tiers for 2026, evaluating the full body of work, resources, longevity, and sustained success rather than just recent results. Curt Cignetti and Kirby Smart anchor the top tier, with movements across tiers reflecting evolving roles, program resources, and the pressures of modern college football, including longer-term trends and note-worthy upward or downward shifts among multiple programs.
- College football coaching tiers 2026: It’s Curt Cignetti and Kirby Smart, then everyone else The New York Times
- Pat Forde: Forty Observations on the 2026 College Football Schedule Sports Illustrated
- College football coaches under the most pressure heading into the 2026 season Yahoo Sports
- 7 College Football Teams with the Toughest Strength of Schedule Bleacher Report
- Josh Pate names six college football programs with most pressure to win this season On3
Want the full story? Read the original reporting
Read on The New York Times