If we put forth a list of the top four head coaches in college football today, a Mount Rushmore, if you will, you would be hard-pressed to see a list that did not include Indiana's Curt Cignetti, Ohio State's Ryan Day, and Georgia's Kirby Smart. The choice for the fourth-best coach is up for grabs, but those are the top three. As far as Cignetti is concerned, FOX Sports' Joel Klatt likes him the best of them all.
According to Klatt, these would be the top 10 head coaches in college football. Look at who is No. 1!
- Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti
- Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day
- Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart
- Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman
- Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian
- Michigan Wolverines head coach Kyle Whittingham
- BYU Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake
- Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal
- LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin
And if you need a visual representation of what Klatt's list look likes, check this out from over on X.
Thoughts on @joelklatt's Top 10 head coaches in college football? pic.twitter.com/FYULiDqCvM
— The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football on FOX Pod (@JoelKlattShow) February 23, 2026
There are some discrepancies when it comes to the order, as well as who made the list to begin with. That being said, Cignetti being ahead of Day and Smart illustrates how remarkable of a coaching job he has done at Indiana the last two years. Since leaving James Madison to take over in Bloomington, Indiana has gone a combined 27-2. Indiana has not lost a game in over a year. He built a powerhouse.
With Day and Smart having more resources available at established programs, this speaks volumes.
Joel Klatt ranks Curt Cignetti over Ryan Day and Kirby Smart for best HC
Another interesting wrinkle here is who is not listed... The only other active head coach who has won a College Football Playoff before is Dabo Swinney over at Clemson. Like Smart, he has won a pair, albeit in the four-team format in a time that predated COVID. One would have thought he should have at least cracked the top 10 here. Then again, who would you have him knocking off this list instead?
Regardless, Cignetti is on top of the coaching world only two years into his run at Indiana. Where things stand now, Indiana is among a half-dozen teams who made the playoff last season who should make it back in 2026-27. Frankly, it would be shocking if Georgia, Indiana, Ohio State, and Oregon did not make it back to the playoff for the third year in a row. Look at who the top four coaches are, too...
In the end, Cignetti's eye for talent in the transfer portal, empowering an awesome staff, and putting his hungry players in positions to succeed is why he is at the top of the list. While this is up for debate, there is no debate in the eyes of the Hoosier faithful. They have seen firsthand what type of head coach Cignetti is. Could Day or Smart have won like this in Bloomington? That is why Cignetti is No. 1.
For now, Cignetti has undeniably established himself as a future hall of famer like Day and Smart have.