I’m still shaking my head thinking about last season’s college football championship game between Georgia and Michigan. As I’ve said before, I was pulling for the Bulldogs because of their scrappy defense and that underdog storybook feel. But Michigan was just a better team. The Wolverines’ offense dominated all night, and it was like watching the ’85 Bears in their prime.
It’s been a couple months since then, and I’m still trying to process everything that happened last season. There were so many exciting performances and storylines. Indiana’s Cinderella run to the title was incredible, especially considering they were taking over a losing program with no recent success. The Hoosiers’ 16-0 record and Heisman Trophy win for Fernando Mendoza was one of the most improbable upsets in college football history.
Curt Cignetti deserves all the praise he’s getting for leading Indiana to that incredible season. His scouting, recruiting, development, confidence-building tactics, and game planning were top-notch. And the numbers prove it. When looking at a team’s performance against their 20-year baseline average, Cignetti’s Hoosiers produced a +32.5 rating in 2025. That’s not just the best of last season; it also ranks first on the list since 2006.
Now we have the “Messi Rule” in college football. If you’re evaluating coaching performances and Curt Cignetti doesn’t rank first, start over. His performance was that exceptional. But other coaches like Joey McGuire from Texas Tech, Clark Lea of Vanderbilt, Eric Morris at North Texas, Lane Kiffin of Ole Miss, and Ryan Day from Ohio State also had incredible seasons.
It’s interesting to see how these coaches’ performances stack up against the past 20 years. Cignetti’s rating is still first even after all these great performances by other coaches. It’s a testament to just how remarkable his season was that his performance could stand out above others like Nick Saban, Chris Petersen, and Kirby Smart.
For the most part, I agree with the list of top 20 coach ratings for 2025. The only one I might question is Rhett Lashlee coming in second overall. While he did have an impressive run at SMU, it’s hard to place him above coaches like Cignetti and McGuire who had truly historic performances last season.
Now let’s talk about the best coaches of the 2020s. Of course, Cignetti is at the top, but it’s interesting to see other familiar names on this list like Harbaugh, Smart, Saban, and Ryan Day consistently producing excellent results. But there are also some surprises like GJ Kinne from Texas State who has made a significant improvement since taking over the Bobcats.
I’m excited to see how these coaches will perform in 2026. We can already look at teams that have made coaching changes and identify potential improvements or regressions based on their historic baseline averages. For example, Oklahoma State underachieved last season, so any new coach is likely to improve them. Virginia Tech also hired a good coach in James Franklin after a poor performance last year.
On the other hand, some programs like North Texas may struggle this season with their first-year head coach Neal Brown following a great year under Eric Morris. Tulane and UConn are also at risk of regression due to coaching changes.
Overall, it’s going to be an exciting 2026 season as we see how these coaches perform and adjust to new situations. As for me, I’m just hoping my kids Michael-Vincent and Blake will stop asking for Culver’s ButterBurger Bacon Cheese Fries on the way back from every game. That stuff is delicious but it’s not good for our waistlines.
Anyway, that’s all for now. Let’s see how these teams perform in 2026.