A wide collection of coaching talent falls into the middle class section of the 2026 CFN preseason head coach rankings.Several in the 50s belong higher - and will be with another great season - and others are top prospects who are just getting going. And then there are the coaches who have been around for a long time, but need to find a little bit of magic.Here are the CFN head coach rankings from 51 to 100.2026 CFN Preseason Head Coach Rankings 51-100CFN 2026 Preseason Head Coach Rankings - The Best of the Best: Top 10- Just Outside the Elite: 11-25- The Best of the Rest: 26-50- The Bottom 38: 101-138- Grading All 30 New Head Coach Hires100. Chris Creighton, Eastern Michigan2025 Coach Rank: 86 FBS Record: 61-83 | FBS Win %: 42.4% Entering his 30th season overall, despite all he has done, he has eight losing seasons in the last 12 at EMU - the record has been progressively worse in each of the last four. - Eastern Michigan 2026 Team Preview99. Pete Lembo, Buffalo2025 Coach Rank: 77 FBS Record: 47-40 | FBS Win %: 54% A coach’s coach, he knows what he’s doing, but there hasn’t been a lick of consistency. After a great nine-win start at UB, last year was a disappointing dip. - Buffalo 2026 Team Preview98. Tim Albin, Charlotte2025 Coach Rank: 64 FBS Record: 34-30 | FBS Win %: 53.1% Too good a head coach to struggle as much as he did last season at Charlotte - he was great at Ohio - he has to improve the talent level faster. It’s not there yet - Charlotte 2026 Team Preview97. Ken Niumatalolo, San Jose State2025 Coach Rank: 52 FBS Record: 119-98 | FBS Win %: 54.8% Able to adapt in a snap, he went from cranking up great ground games at Navy to a high-powered passing attack at SJSU. Now the wins have to come after a rough year. - San Jose State 2026 Team Preview96. Collin Klein, Kansas State2025 Coach Rank: Not Ranked FBS Record: 0-0 | FBS Win %: 0% The favorite son has come home. A star offensive coordinator about to take on his first head coaching gig. He’ll get a little bit of time to find his footing - a little. - Kansas State 2026 Team Preview95. Scott Frost, UCF2025 Coach Rank: 97 FBS Record: 40-45 | FBS Win %: 47.1% Forget trying to recreate the magic of that 13-0 2017 season - this is a rebuilding job. Frost suffered losing seasons in his other six campaigns between UCF and Nebraska. - UCF 2026 Team Preview94. Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati2025 Coach Rank: 92 FBS Record: 87-62 | FBS Win %: 58.4% At least he came up with a winning season, going 7-6. Great at App State, he’s been a winner, but he’s 40-46 over seven seasons at Louisville and Cincinnati. - Cincinnati 2026 Team Preview93. Butch Jones, Arkansas State2025 Coach Rank: 87 FBS Record: 110-91 | FBS Win %: 54.7% Jones hasn’t made Arkansas State a superpower, but he has settled into the gig going into his sixth year. He was better than he got credit for at Cincinnati and Tennessee. - Arkansas State 2026 Team Preview92. Bill Belichick, North CarolinaOct 25, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick with the team before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images© Bob Donnan-Imagn Images2025 Coach Rank: 16 FBS Record: 4-8 | FBS Win %: 33.3% He might be the greatest NFL coach of all-time, but he has just one winning record since 2019. He’s Belichick. This has to work, right? At least, this can’t be a hot mess this year. - North Carolina 2026 Team Preview91. Mike Locksley, Maryland2025 Coach Rank: 82 FBS Record: 39-75 | FBS Win %: 34.2% Just 8-43 before he turned Maryland around in his third season, the good vibes of three straight bowl-winning campaigns are gone after two 4-8 runs. He’ll get one more shot. - Maryland 2026 Team Preview90. Fran Brown, Syracuse2025 Coach Rank: 70 FBS Record: 13-12 | FBS Win %: 52% Great in his first year when QB Kyle McCord was healthy, it all went wrong last year when QB Steve Angeli got hurt. It might not be a consistent run, but his teams turn it loose. - Syracuse 2026

Team Preview89. GJ Kinne, Texas State2025 Coach Rank: 58 FBS Record: 23-16 | FBS Win %: 59% Even though he’s just 37, he packed a lot of coaching into a little bit of time. Great in his one year at Incarnate Word, he has three straight winning seasons with the Bobcats. - Texas State 2026 Team Preview88. Dave Aranda, Baylor2025 Coach Rank: 51 FBS Record: 36-37 | FBS Win %: 49.3% Give the guy credit - he’s doing everything possible to make it all work. The offense was a blast last season, but the 5-7 run wasn’t, making this a make or break season. - Baylor 2026 Team Preview87. Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State2025 Coach Rank: 117 FBS Record: 7-18 | FBS Win %: 28% Is it possible to have more excitement around a 7-18 coach about to deal with a death-trap of a slate? Lebby’s attack will be a problem for the SEC, but can it produce wins? - Mississippi State 2026 Team Preview86. Bronco Mendenhall, Utah State2025 Coach Rank: 54 FBS Record: 146-95 | FBS Win %: 60.6% His offenses are amazing, and he has the resume from his time at BYU and then Virginia, but he hasn’t had a winning season since 2019. His Aggie attack will rock again this year. - Utah State 2026 Team Preview85. Clay Helton, Georgia Southern2025 Coach Rank: 48 FBS Record: 73-49 | FBS Win %: 59.8% Helton isn’t dominating the Sun Belt, but he’s been okay in four seasons, coming off his second straight winning campaign. He’s good, but he’s overdue for a big year. - Georgia Southern 2026 Team Preview84. Barry Odom, Purdue2025 Coach Rank: 49 FBS Record: 46-43 | FBS Win %: 51.7% He was better than given credit for at Missouri, made an impossible situation great at UNLV, and he’ll get time to try turning Purdue around - but a sign of life would be nice. - Purdue 2026 Team Preview83. Bill O’Brien, Boston College2025 Coach Rank: 43 FBS Record: 24-25 | FBS Win %: 49% O’Brien’s Eagles were way better than the 2-10 record, but he needs to pull out of the nosedive fast after just his second losing season, college or pro. - Boston College 2026 Team Preview82. Luke Fickell, Wisconsin2025 Coach Rank: 67 FBS Record: 80-46 | FBS Win %: 63.5% Still around after a stunningly miserable run so far, he’s getting another shot to reconfigure the program and be the coach everyone was hoping for from Cincinnati. - Wisconsin 2026 Team Preview81. Deion Sanders, Colorado2025 Coach Rank: 42 FBS Record: 16-21 | FBS Win %: 43.2% He’s Deion Sanders - his teams always bring the attitude and skill parts. Now he needs to prove he can win without Shedeur and Travis, especially after a brutal team crash in 2025. - Colorado 2026 Team Preview80. Ryan Silverfield, Arkansas2025 Coach Rank: 44* (at Memphis) FBS Record: 50-25 | FBS Win %: 66.7% Ehhhhhhh, let’s see. He’s young, has a world of upside, and he still has to prove he can win big after never finishing better than third in the conference in six years at Memphis. - Arkansas 2026 Team Preview79. Charles Kelly, Jacksonville State2025 Coach Rank: 127 FBS Record: 9-5 | FBS Win %: 64.3% Could he go from a top assistant to a decent head man? All he did was take a team gutted by transfers and win nine games with a CUSA Championship appearance. - Jacksonville State 2026 Team Preview78. Matt Drinkall, Central Michigan2025 Coach Rank: 129 FBS Record: 7-6 | FBS Win %: 53.8% Relatively unknown after coming over from the Army coaching staff, he made the Chippewas solid right away. Just 43, he’s a rock-solid high-rising star. - Central Michigan 2026 Team Preview77. Willie Simmons, FIU2025 Coach Rank: 88 FBS Record: 7-6 | FBS Win %: 53.8% A wonderful fit for FIU after doing a fantastic job at Florida A&M, he made the Panthers interesting in a winning first run. He’s about to be a star with one more great campaign. - FIU 2026 Team Preview76. Pat Narduzzi, Pitt2025 Coach Rank: 71 FBS Record: 80-61 | FBS Win %: 56.7% Pitt was known for churning through coaches, and now Narduzzi - who won the 2021 ACC title - is going into his 12th season. His teams win just enough to think a

corner is about to be turned. - Pitt 2026 Team Preview75. Morgan Scalley, Utah2025 Coach Rank: Not Ranked FBS Record: 1-0 | FBS Win %: 100% No pressure or anything. Just follow a Hall of Fame-caliber head coach, win double-digit games every year, and take things one step further and get into the CFP. Good luck. - Utah 2026 Team Preview74. Pat Fitzgerald, Michigan State2025 Coach Rank: Not Ranked FBS Record: 110-101 | FBS Win %: 52.1% Hell hath no fury like a head coach scorned. Fitzgerald closed 4-20 in his last two years at Northwestern, but no coach in America has a hotter fire going into the season. - Michigan State 2026 Team Preview73. Billy Napier, James Madison2025 Coach Rank: 41* (at Florida) FBS Record: 62-35 | FBS Win %: 63.9% Let’s just say the Florida gig didn’t work. He’s still the guy who went 40-12 at Louisiana, but now he has to follow Curt Cignetti and Bob Chesney. This will be interesting. - James Madison 2026 Team Preview72. Mike Jacobs, Toledo2025 Coach Rank: 59 FBS Record: 0-0 | FBS Win %: 0% A wonderful hire for the Rockets, Jacobs won’t be at Toledo for long. All he does is win lots of games, with 33 victories over the last three years at Lenoir-Rhyne and Mercer. - Toledo 2026 Team Preview71. Lance Taylor, Western Michigan2025 Coach Rank: 121 FBS Record: 20-19 | FBS Win %: 51.3% The Broncos are just renting him. In his first gig as a head coach, WMU went from four wins to six to ten, to being the favorite to repeat as the MAC champion. - Western Michigan 2026 Team Preview70. Chuck Martin, Miami University2025 Coach Rank: 78 FBS Record: 72-74 | FBS Win %: 49.3% Among the better and most underappreciated head coaches going, 12 seasons in, Miami is a consistent MAC contender with three straight trips to the title game. - Miami Unviersity 2026 Team Preview69. Mike Norvell, Florida State2025 Coach Rank: 36 FBS Record: 76-49 | FBS Win %: 60.8% The win over Alabama was a mirage in a 7-18 run since the gut-punch of 2024. The program wants him to win, but four losing seasons in six years isn’t okay at this program. - Florida State 2026 Team Preview68. Matt Rhule, Nebraska2025 Coach Rank: 39 FBS Record: 66-62 | FBS Win %: 51.6% A huge, big-name hire, he slowed the Nebraska skid into irrelevance. However, he’s 19-19 with the Huskers and 66-62 in ten years as a college head coach. - Nebraska 2026 Team Preview67. Lance Leipold, KansasSep 6, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold reacts during the first half against the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images© Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images2025 Coach Rank: 37 FBS Record: 64-68 | FBS Win %: 48.5% It's amazing how everyone seems to have forgotten how totally miserable Kansas football was before Leipold arrived. He has his best team, a new stadium, and a world of upside. - Kansas 2026 Team Preview66. Ricky Rahne, Old Dominion2025 Coach Rank: 84 FBS Record: 30-33 | FBS Win %: 47.6% Shockingly below the radar, he’s an offensive coach whose defenses and ground games have been great. After a 10-3 season, he’s one more big year away from being noticed. - Old Dominion 2026 Team Preview65. KC Keeler, Temple2025 Coach Rank: 75 FBS Record: 17-19 | FBS Win %: 47.2% He won national titles at Delaware and Sam Houston, and at 67, he’s trying to turn Temple into a player. To paraphrase Cignetti, Google him. He wins football games. - Temple 2026 Team Preview64. Blake Harrell, East Carolina2025 Coach Rank: 111 FBS Record: 14-5 | FBS Win %: 73.7% A great defensive coordinator in an under-the-radar way, he took over in the middle of 2024 and hasn’t looked back. One more good season and he’ll be hot on the carousel. - East Carolina 2026 Team Preview63. Shane Beamer, South Carolina2025 Coach Rank: 46 FBS Record: 33-30 | FBS Win %: 52.4% Can he get his groove back after a lousy season following a meltdown bowl loss to Illinois to end 2024? He’s still good, this year’s team is solid, and the bounce-back

should come. - South Carolina 2026 Team Preview62. Brent Brennan, Arizona2025 Coach Rank: 89 FBS Record: 47-60 | FBS Win %: 43.9% Things look a lot better when you overcome your four-win first season with a 9-4 campaign. Now he has to prove Arizona has staying power. - Arizona 2026 Team Preview61. Clark Lea, Vanderbilt2025 Coach Rank: 79 FBS Record: 26-36 | FBS Win %: 41.9% Having Diego Pavia had a lot to do with it, but Lea brought him aboard. He’s recruiting well, won 17 games over the last two seasons, and he made Commodore fans believe. - Vanderbilt 2026 Team Preview60. David Braun, Northwestern2025 Coach Rank: 73 FBS Record: 19-19 | FBS Win %: 50% Just 41, he might be Northwestern football for a long time with a new stadium, a strong team, Chip Kelly as his OC, and two bowl-winning seasons in his first three years. - Northwestern 2026 Team Preview59. Eric Morris, Oklahoma State2025 Coach Rank: 85* (at North Texas) FBS Record: 22-16 | FBS Win %: 57.9% Okay, let’s see if this works at a power conference level. Just 40, he’s a rising superstar whose offense ripped it up at Incarnate Word and then at North Texas. His teams score. - Oklahoma State 2026 Team Preview58. Alex Golesh, Auburn2025 Coach Rank: 74* (at USF) FBS Record: 23-15 | FBS Win %: 60.5% Let’s see if this thing works. His high-powered offensive style turned USF into a winner with 23 victories in three seasons, and now he’s about to make Auburn fun. - Auburn 2026 Team Preview57. Sean Lewis, San Diego State2025 Coach Rank: 109 FBS Record: 36-44 | FBS Win %: 45% Known for his great offensive coaching, last year he adapted and put together a whopper of a defense. He won at Kent State, and in one season he did wonders with the Aztecs. - San Diego State 2026 Team Preview56. Tony Elliott, VirginiaOct 18, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott looks on from the sidelines against the Washington State Cougars in the second quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images© Geoff Burke-Imagn Images2025 Coach Rank: 114 FBS Record: 22-26 | FBS Win %: 45.8% There it is. After fighting through adversity and tough seasons, Elliott was able to put it together in a shockingly great season. Now he has to prove it wasn’t a one-off. - Virginia 2026 Team Preview55. Timmy Chang, Hawaii2025 Coach Rank: 104 FBS Record: 22-29 | FBS Win %: 43.1% Amazing, he took over a total redo of a Hawaii program and, in three years, pulled off a nine-win campaign. Now he has enough talent back to be a real Mountain West player. - Hawaii 2026 Team Preview54. Jake Dickert, Wake Forest2025 Coach Rank: 80 FBS Record: 32-24 | FBS Win %: 57.1% The 42-year-old very quietly put together a great nine-win season at Wake Forest. He’s turning into the next big deal head man who’ll be on everyone’s radar if he does it again. - Wake Forest 2026 Team Preview53. Jeff Traylor, UTSA2025 Coach Rank: 66 FBS Record: 53-26 | FBS Win %: 67.1% Overdue for a Power Four program gig, he has six winning seasons and two conference titles in six years. However, UTSA needs to be a bigger factor again in the American. - UTSA 2026 Team Preview52. Joey McGuire, Texas Tech2025 Coach Rank: 65 FBS Record: 35-18 | FBS Win %: 66% Yeah, he got a ton of help from the transfer portal, the NIL financing, and … he’s still the coach who brought a Big 12 title to Lubbock. That’s how the game is played now, and even with all of the turmoil, the results are all that matter. Texas Tech wins now. - Texas Tech 2026 Team Preview51. Tyson Helton, WKU2025 Coach Rank: 47 FBS Record: 58-35 | FBS Win %: 62.4% He has one of the consistently great Group of Six programs with six years with eight wins or more in seven years, another CUSA-contending team, and great winning consistency. - WKU 2026 Team Preview

Source: Yahoo Sports