CBSSports released its annual college football head coach ranking this week. The service went through all 68 Power Four coaches throughout the week, finally releasing its top 25 on Wednesday afternoon.
The bottom of the ranking was full of familiar names — mostly unproven former assistants. It includes UCLA HC DeShaun Foster at No. 68, Syracuse HC Fran Brown at No. 67, Mississippi State HC Jeff Lebby at No. 66 and Purdue HC Ryan Walters at No. 65.
Related: Post-spring Big Ten football 2024 power rankings, starting quarterback rankings
Foster, Lebby and Brown were hired this offseason after excelling as the UCLA running backs coach, Oklahoma offensive coordinator and Georgia DBs coach respectively. None of the three have head coaching experience.
The comparison between the bottom tier and the top group is significant. Kirby Smart, Dan Lanning, Dabo Swinney and Ryan Day are predictably toward a top group that now is no longer led by college football legend Nick Saban.
Of note, Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell was No. 9 on CBS’ list ahead of the 2023 season. He was two years removed from taking Cincinnati to the College Football Playoff and had just taken over at Wisconsin with sky-high expecations.
The Badgers’ 7-6 2023 season with losses to Indiana and Northwestern predictably cooled the national sentiment on the program and on Fickell.
Now, entering 2024, here is where Fickell ranks among CBSSports’ top 25 coaches in college football:
No. 1: Kirby Smart (Georgia)
Apr 13, 2024; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart on the field during…
Apr 13, 2024; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart on the field during the G-Day Game at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory
No. 2: Ryan Day (Ohio State)
Dec 29, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day walks off the…
Dec 29, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day walks off the field after losing 14-3 to Missouri Tigers in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium.
No. 3: Dabo Swinney (Clemson)
Sep 30, 2023; Syracuse, New York, USA; Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney reacts in the fourth…
Sep 30, 2023; Syracuse, New York, USA; Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney reacts in the fourth quarter against Syracuse at JMA Wireless Dome.
No. 4: Brian Kelly (LSU)
Jan 1, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier…
Jan 1, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) talk on the podium after the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at the Reliaquest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium.
No. 5: Steve Sarkisian (Texas)
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian greets wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) while warming up for…
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian greets wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) while warming up for the Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff semifinals game against the Washington Huskies at the Caesars Superdome on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
No. 6: Kyle Whittingham (Utah)
Apr 23, 2022; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham looks on…
Apr 23, 2022; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham looks on during the second half of the Utah Spring Football Game at Rice–Eccles Stadium.
No. 7: Kalen DeBoer (Alabama)
Jan 13, 2024; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; The University of Alabama introduced new head football coach Kalen…
Jan 13, 2024; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; The University of Alabama introduced new head football coach Kalen DeBoer with a press conference at Bryant-Denny Stadium. DeBoer speaks during the press conference.
No. 8: Mike Norvell (Florida State)
Sep 23, 2023; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell on the…
Sep 23, 2023; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell on the sideline in the first half against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium.
No. 9: Dan Lanning (Oregon)
Nov 18, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning (center) leads quarterback Bo…
Nov 18, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning (center) leads quarterback Bo Nix (10) and Ty Thompson (13) onto the field for the game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium.
No. 10: Lincoln Riley (USC)
Oct 28, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts after a penalty…
Oct 28, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts after a penalty during the third quarter against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium.
No. 11: James Franklin (Penn State)
Dec 30, 2023; Atlanta, GA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin on the…
Dec 30, 2023; Atlanta, GA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin on the sidelines against the Mississippi Rebels during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
No. 12: Lance Leipold (Kansas)
Sep 17, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold on the sideline during…
Sep 17, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold on the sideline during the first quarter against the Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium.
No. 13: Chris Klieman (Kansas State)
Dec 28, 2023; Orlando, FL, USA; Kansas State Wildcats head coach Chris Klieman celebrates after beating…
Dec 28, 2023; Orlando, FL, USA; Kansas State Wildcats head coach Chris Klieman celebrates after beating the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the Pop-Tarts bowl at Camping World Stadium.
No. 14: Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss)
Nov 6, 2021; Oxford, Mississippi, USA;Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin talks with a referee after…
Nov 6, 2021; Oxford, Mississippi, USA;Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin talks with a referee after a call during the second half against the Liberty Flames at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
No. 15: Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State)
Sep 16, 2023; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy takes the field before an…
Sep 16, 2023; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy takes the field before an NCAA football game between Oklahoma State and South Alabama at Boone Pickens Stadium. South Alabama won 33-7.
No. 16: Dave Doeren (NC State)
Dec 28, 2023; Orlando, FL, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren looks on…
Dec 28, 2023; Orlando, FL, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren looks on from the sidelines during the Pop-Tarts bowl against Kansas State Wildcats in the fourth quarter at Camping World Stadium.
No. 17: Luke Fickell (Wisconsin)
Oct 14, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell leads the football team…
Oct 14, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell leads the football team onto the field for warmups prior to the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Camp Randall Stadium.
No. 18: Kirk Ferentz (Iowa)
Oct 14, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz looks on during warmups…
Oct 14, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz looks on during warmups prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium.
No. 19: Jeff Brohm (Louisville)
Dec 2, 2023; Charlotte, NC, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Jeff Brohm during warm ups against…
Dec 2, 2023; Charlotte, NC, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Jeff Brohm during warm ups against the Florida State Seminoles at Bank of America Stadium.
No. 20: Mark Stoops (Kentucky)
Sep 30, 2023; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops walks off the field…
Sep 30, 2023; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops walks off the field after the game against the Florida Gators at Kroger Field.
No. 21: Eli Drinkwitz (Missouri)
Nov 24, 2023; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz during the fourth quarter…
Nov 24, 2023; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz during the fourth quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Missouri won 48-14.
No. 22: Sonny Dykes (TCU)
Nov 18, 2023; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs head coach Sonny Dykes during the…
Nov 18, 2023; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs head coach Sonny Dykes during the game between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Baylor Bears at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
No. 23: Josh Heupel (Tennessee)
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel during preseason football practice held on UT's campus on Monday, August…
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel during preseason football practice held on UT's campus on Monday, August 7, 2023.
No. 24: Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame)
Notre Dame head football coach Marcus Freeman celebrates at the 90th annual Sun Bowl game against…
Notre Dame head football coach Marcus Freeman celebrates at the 90th annual Sun Bowl game against Oregon State on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023, at El Paso, Texas.
No. 25: Matt Campbell (Iowa State)
Dec 29, 2023; Memphis, TN, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell (right) reacts with…
Dec 29, 2023; Memphis, TN, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell (right) reacts with Iowa State Cyclones offensive linemen James Neal (75) during the second half against the Memphis Tigers at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
