Cignetti takes the No. 1 spot in Sporting News’ 1-138 coach rankings for 2026, Belichick falls

Sporting News has set the tone for the 2026 college football season with its annual 1-138 head coach rankings, a leaguewide snapshot that blends recent performance and expectations at the schools where coaches are building programs. The biggest change at the top is a new No. 1: Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti, who is credited with leading the Hoosiers to a perfect 16-0 season in 2025.

In this year’s ranking, Georgia coach Kirby Smart lands at No. 2 after holding the top spot for the previous two seasons. Sporting News’ approach emphasizes multiple yardsticks, including overall record, record at the current school, and a three-year view, while also weighing career achievements, program expectations, and “this guy vs. this guy” comparisons. The publication stresses the list is not meant to be scientific, but that it uses a consistent formula from year to year.

The ranking also highlights significant movement within the top tier, particularly for coaches tied to major recruiting and title conversations. Texas A&M’s Mike Elko is highlighted for moving into the Top 25 at No. 12, while Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire rises to No. 19. Oklahoma’s Brent Venables is listed at No. 23, one of several coaches in the upper portion who are seen as positioned to sustain elite results in the current era of conference realignment and rapid roster turnover.

Sporting News points to another category of change: coaches who are sliding relative to last year’s evaluation. In particular, the list calls out Bill Belichick’s drop, placing North Carolina coach Bill Belichick at No. 56 after listing him outside the top of the rankings in prior movement. The outlet notes that both Belichick and Boston College’s Bill O’Brien fell by more than 30 spots in the new ordering.

The analysis then widens to include a cluster of coaches making steep jumps, suggesting that Sporting News believes some programs are moving closer to national contention. Oklahoma State’s Eric Morris is cited as having the biggest jump upward, one of four coaches said to have moved up more than 40 spots. Auburn coach Alex Golesh, UCLA coach Bob Chesney, and New Mexico coach Jason Eck are among others singled out for large upward movement, indicating Sporting News sees their recent trajectories as shifting the competitive balance.

Beyond the names at the top, the 1-138 rankings cover the full range of FBS coaching across familiar power programs and smaller projects. The list includes coaches at Group of Five schools and emerging programs, including schools listed at the bottom end of the 138 spots. That breadth matters because it underscores the ranking’s purpose: to provide a consistent, cross-program evaluation rather than a single-conference preview.

As with any preseason coach ranking, the biggest caveat is that it is an estimate about coaching impact before the season supplies new evidence. The 2026 title picture will be shaped by quarterback play, health, recruiting cycles, and in-season adjustments, and those factors are not fully captured by a resume-and-expectations model. Still, the list sets expectations for what programs are being told to deliver and provides a quick reference point for how national media outlets are framing the 2026 coaching hierarchy.