Who is #1 in the ACC Coaching Power Rankings?
The ACC is an interesting conference when it comes to the strength of its coaches. There is one king in the ACC, and that’s Dabo Swinney. It’s a no-brainer, and his resume speaks for itself. Every other coach is playing for second. A few names such as Mark Richt of Miami, Bobby Petrino of Louisville, and Justin Fuente come to mind. If no one can knock Dabo off the top, can any team at least take down Clemson for conference supremacy?
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Big XII Coaching Power Rankings
Pac-12 Coaching Power Rankings
Big Ten Coaching Power Rankings
Here are the ACC Coaching Power Rankings.
14. Syracuse – Dino Babers
Well, at least they beat Clemson last year. Syracuse football is one of the toughest jobs in the country because of the location. Syracuse is a basketball school in central NY that is trying to compete with the likes of Florida State and Miami every year. Florida or Central NY? It is a pretty simple choice for most kids. Getting kids to turn down the sunshine for snow is not exactly the easiest recruiting pitch. Do I think Dino Babers is a bad coach? No. Do I think he can do better than back-to-back 4-8 seasons? Absolutely. If Babers can win at least three games in the ACC this year, he might have a job for a few more years. Baby steps for the Orange.
13. Steve Addazio, Boston College
Steve Addazio is a smart coach. If you’re a vital member of Urban Meyer’s staff for two National Championships at Florida, you must be doing something right. However, his time at Boston College has been below average in the win/loss category. In 6 seasons with the Eagles, Addazio’s record is 31-33. For a Power 5 school, it’s nothing to brag home about. However, Addazio is well-respected and revered by both his peers and the school, who signed him to a contract extension through 2020. For my money, Steve Addazio is probably one of the most likable dudes out there. I use the word dude because Addazio coined the legendary phrase, “Guys being dudes.” For that, Addazio has my stamp of approval.
12. Pittsburgh – Pat Narduzzi
Pittsburgh football is the definition of mediocre. Since 1999, the Panthers win total has been between 5 and 9 wins besides 2009, which was their only 10 win season this century. Will Pat Narduzzi be able to take the Panthers back to the top tier of college football, which is a place they have not been since Dan Marino played quarterback. Narduzzi is a master of defense and proved that by becoming one of the best defensive coordinators in college at Michigan State. In three seasons at Pittsburgh, Narduzzi’s Panthers have been slightly above average with a season-high win total of 8. Last season, Narduzzi shocked all of college football when his Panthers beat previously unbeaten Miami in the final game of the regular season. Can Narduzzi build momentum off of that historic win?
11.Virginia – Bronco Mendenhall
The record may not show it, but Bronco Mendenhall has made significant strides with Virginia. Winning has not exactly been part of the program with their last winning season coming in 2011. Mendenhall built a very respectable program at BYU with 11 straight trips to bowl games. Year 1 was a learning year for Mendenhall and the Cavaliers, which resulted in 2 wins. However, the Cavs shocked a lot of people last year as they not only tallied 6 wins but reached a bowl game. Let’s see what Mendenhall can do in Year 3 with the program.
10. North Carolina- Larry Fedora
Just like David Cutcliffe, it’s hard to build a successful football program at a Power 5 school where basketball is king. However, Fedora has done an admirable job with the Tar Heels. In 2015, the Tar Heels posted an 11-3 season with an 8-0 conference record before losing in the ACC title game. Since then, Fedora has struggled with a combined 11-14 record the past two seasons. Look for a bounce-back year for Fedora and the Tar Heels.
9. Wake Forest – Dave Clawson
Dave Clawson is known as the man who can turn around programs. At Fordham, Clawson went from a 0-11 season to the Division I-AA quarterfinals within 4 years. At Richmond, Clawson also took the Spiders to the FCS Semifinals after a dreadful 3-8 season to begin his tenure. At Bowling Green, Clawson ended his five-year tenure a 10 win season and conference title. Now, Clawson is in his fifth year at Wake Forest, and the program is on the upswing after an 8-5 season. If history repeats itself, this will be Clawson’s best year to date with the Demon Deacons.
8. Florida State – Willie Taggart
Willie Taggart is an enigma. Truthfully, I don’t know how to judge him because he’s been at 3 different schools the past 3 years. Now, Taggart is at Florida State, a team that had a rocky 2017 who is looking to move on after Jimbo Fisher’s departure. Taggart is a Florida born product so he should have no trouble recruiting in the state. However, don’t expect Florida State boosters or fans to wait patiently for Taggart to build a program. An under .500 first season would be an instant trip to the hot seat. Let’s see what Taggart can do with the pressure at an all-time high.
7. NC State – Dave Doeren
Dave Doeren has not had a sub .500 season at NC State since his inaugural season as the Wolfpack head coach. Dave Doeren has three bowl wins in five seasons. Last year, Dave Doeren led the Wolfpack to their best season during his tenure. NC State finished with a 9-4 record. So why is Dave Doeren not thought of as a top coach in the ACC? A lot of that stems from his 15-25 record in conference. If Doeren wants to take the next step, he has to find more success in the conference.
6. Georgia Tech – Paul Johnson
The triple option should not work in today’s game where offenses are faster, and defenses are stronger than ever. The fact that Paul Johnson has had success with the triple option at Georgia Tech is beyond remarkable. In his 10 seasons with Yellow Jackets, Johnson’s teams have only been under .500 three times. Johnson’s best season came in 2014, where the Yellow Jackets lost a heartbreaker to Florida State in the ACC title game, but saved their best for last with a win in the Orange Bowl. Johnson has never had back-to-back sub .500 seasons at Georgia Tech so expect the Yellow Jackets to the right the ship in 2018.
5. Virginia Tech – Justin Fuente
Taking over for the legendary Frank Beamer was almost an impossible task, but Justin Fuente has passed with flying colors. Since coming over from Memphis, Fuente has lead the Hokies to seasons of 10-4 and 9-4 with a bowl win. Fuente has now found success at both Memphis and Virginia Tech. The next task for Fuente will be to dethrone Clemson at the top of the ACC. If Fuente can knock Clemson off, he will frighten many college football teams. Do not be surprised if his name gets brought up for the head coaching position at Ohio State if Urban Meyer is fired.
4. Duke – David Cutcliffe
Duke football can credit their recent success to one man, David Cutcliffe. When Cutcliffe arrived there in 2008, the Blue Devils were the laughing stock of the ACC in which the win total never eclipsed 4 in the 14 previous seasons. It’s hard to build a successful football team at a Power 5 school when basketball is the top dog. However, Cutcliffe has completely turned the program around, ending an 18-year bowl drought back in 2012. The height of his excellence came in 2013, which was the first team to win 10 games in school history. Cutcliffe also had the privilege of grooming both Peyton and Eli Manning in college. Making Duke relevant was no easy task, but Cutcliffe has done that and more.
3. Louisville – Bobby Petrino
Love him or hate him, and a lot of people hate him, Bobby Petrino can flat out coach. Since Petrino came back to Louisville in 2014, the Cardinals have won at least 8 games every year. Petrino is known for his explosive offense, and the pinnacle of his coaching came in 2016 when quarterback Lamar Jackson won the Heisman Trophy. With Jackson in the NFL, let’s see what Petrino can do with a new crop of talent at Louisville. The Cardinals open this season against Alabama. Petrino will shock the world if he can knock off the champs without Lamar Jackson under center.
2. Miami – Mark Richt
The U is (almost) back. Miami is on the upswing thanks to the arrival of former Georgia coach Mark Richt. Last year, the Hurricanes and their “Turnover Chain” dominated the national media, and the Hurricanes were #2 in the country going into the final week of the regular season before suffering three consecutive losses to end the season. That being said, Coach Richt is building something special. He has the third highest winning percentage among active FBS Division 1 coaches who have coached 200 or more games. Richt is arguably one of the five best coaches in the country to never win a National Championship. Can he bring Miami to the College Football Playoff in the near future? I wouldn’t bet against it.
1. Clemson – Dabo Swinney
The reigning, defending, undisputed champion of the ACC is Dabo Swinney. Swinney has turned Clemson from an average team in the ACC to a national power that has been in the College Football Playoff the last three seasons. Since 2011, Dabo’s Tigers have won at least 10 games with two seasons of 14 wins. What does Dabo have that no other coach in America has? A win over Nick Saban in the National Championship game. To beat Nick Saban for the title, you must be perfect, and for that, Dabo sits atop the ACC coaching power rankings.