Where Does Kenny Dillingham Land in Coach Rankings?

Kenny Dillingham has posted a record of 14-12 through two years on the job at Arizona State - including an appearance in the 2024 College Football Playoff.

The now 35 year old took over a head coach at 32 and has rebuilt the program into one that is to be respected nearly overnight.

Now, the reigning Big 12 coach of the year is a frequent when the best coaches across the scope of college football are mentioned - but where does he truly fall?

A ranking of the 10 best coaches in the nation in order:

1. Kirby Smart, Georgia

2. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

3. Ryan Day, Ohio State

4. Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame

5. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama

6. Dan Lanning, Oregon

7. Steve Sarkisian, Texas

8. James Franklin, Penn State

9. Kenny Dillingham

10. Kyle Whittingham, Utah

Smart leading the pack makes logical sense - the longtime UGA coach has two national titles and 105 victories under his name in nearly a decade on the job.

Swinney has two national titles to his name as well since taking over at Clemson in 2009 - his refusal to adapt to the transfer portal/NIL era has arguably held him back from winning at an even greater level.

Day has separated himself from the Freeman/DeBoer/Lanning tier by securing his first national title in 2024, and could be shooting for number two this season.

Sarkisian has improved greatly as a head coach since his days at Washington and USC - having lead Texas to consecutive CFP appearances. The ceiling could be even higher this season with Arch Manning lining up at QB.

Franklin gets a slight edge over Dillingham due to his previous success at Vanderbilt and longevity with Penn State - but the Sun Devil head coach could jump up the list with another dream season.

Dillingham edges out Whittingham due to his debut forray into Big 12 play - the ASU head man proved to be more adaptable and prepared to face adversity over the course of the season.

Read more about Dillingham's quest to climb up the list of elite coaches in college football in the coming years here, and 2029 recruit Darnell Lacy discussing potentially entertaining an offer from Arizona State from our own Caleb Sisk here.

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