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A guided quest to find the next coach to win his first college football national championship turns up obvious names like Brian Kelly and Kalen DeBoer, but also wild cards Josh Heupel and Lane Kiffin.
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Let’s embark on a scavenger hunt to find the next college football coach who will win his first national championship. Kirby Smart, Dabo Swinney and Ryan Day account for the only active championship coaches.
Who’s next?
Reflecting on past winners and adhering to some guiding principles will help identify top candidates.
Sixteen coaches won their first national championship during either the Bowl Championship Series or College Football Playoff era that started in 1998.
We’ll use that group of coaches as our guide, as we try to winnow the list:
∎ Each of the 16 first-time championship coaches from the BCS and CFP eras coached a school that’s now in the Power Four ranks. So, we’ll confine our search for the next champion to the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC, plus Notre Dame.
∎ Miami’s Larry Coker was the only coach from our control group of 16 who won a national championship in his first season. Coker inherited a team that went 11-1 the prior season. He stepped into a ready-made winner. No current first-year coach enjoys a situation so nice, so let’s eliminate the Power Four’s six coaches who are entering Year 1. Sorry, Bill Belichick, that includes you.
Second-year coaches like Michigan’s Sherrone Moore remain in the mix. Bob Stoops, Jim Tressel, Urban Meyer and Gene Chizik won a national championship in their second season, making Year 2 a time to shine. Looking at you, Kalen DeBoer.
∎ Programs rarely go from the outhouse to the…
Source link : https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2025/08/11/college-football-national-championship-next-coach/85410023007/
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Publish date : 2025-08-11 10:06:00
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