Sports

Ranking the ACC's College Football Coaches for 2026

By Steven Lassan Athlon Sports

Updated May 31, 2026 11:55 AM

There's a new No. 1 coach in the ACC. After holding the title for an extended run in Athlon's annual coach rankings, Clemson's Dabo Swinney slides to No. 2 behind Miami's Mario Cristobal. The Hurricanes' run to the national title, along with the Tigers' disappointing ‘25 campaign played a major role in the shake up, as the two programs seem to be on different trajectories entering ‘26.

The ACC has a solid second tier of coaches behind Cristobal and Swinney, with Louisville's Jeff Brohm and SMU's Rhett Lashlee returning after drawing interest from other power conference programs this offseason, and James Franklin's hire at Virginia Tech is one of the best of the 2025-26 carousel.

How did we compile the rankings for coaches by conference? For starters, it's an impossible task. However, we tried to weigh every possible factor. This is not simply a list of coaches ranked by accomplishment or wins. Career biography/resume, success in developing talent and landing prospects on the recruiting trail factored into the ranking. Additionally, Athlon's annual coach rankings also take into account a blank slate and subjectivity. If you start a program from scratch, which coach would you hire knowing what they accomplished so far and their career trajectory? Remember, you don't get the assistants - only the head coach. And head-to-head wins do not matter for this ranking.

Here are the results for the ACC:

Stanford hopes for stability and a return to consistent winning seasons with a familiar face in charge of the program. Pritchard - a former Stanford quarterback from 2006-09 and assistant from 2013-22 - takes over following Frank Reich's one-year interim stint. The Washington native has no previous FBS head-coaching experience but gained valuable insight after working with the Commanders as an assistant over the last three seasons. Also, his familiarity with program general manager Andrew Luck is a huge plus as Stanford looks to continue to adapt to the ACC.

California hopes Lupoi's track record of success as a recruiter, along with his familiarity with the program as a former player, elevates the Golden Bears in the ACC. Lupoi has no previous head-coaching stops at the FBS level but has garnered a wealth of experience as an assistant from stints at Alabama, Oregon, and Washington, along with a couple of teams in the NFL. Over the last four years, Lupoi has helped Oregon coach Dan Lanning build standout defenses. That's crucial for a California program that gave up 31.5 points in ACC play last year.

After a solid 7-6 debut for O'Brien in Chestnut Hill in 2024, the Eagles regressed to 2-10 last year. Boston College won just one matchup in ACC play, with both sides of the ball to blame. In ACC contests last season, the Eagles averaged only 20.8 points and surrendered 34.8 a matchup. Boston College is one of the ACC's toughest jobs, but O'Brien needs to show the program is back on track in ‘26.

Belichick's debut in Chapel Hill was a disappointment, as an anemic offense dropped the Tar Heels to 4-8 overall and only 2-6 in ACC play. Upgrading the offense behind new coordinator Bobby Petrino should help North Carolina's bowl hopes this fall, but Belichick's ability to adapt to the college level is still a major question mark. Belichick ranks among the best coaches in NFL history. However, last year's four-win season with the Tar Heels weighs significantly on his ranking.

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Syracuse was one of the ACC's biggest surprises in 2024 with a 10-3 record in Brown's first season in charge. However, the Orange took a step back last year, finishing 3-9 after an injury to starting quarterback Steve Angeli limited the program's offensive potential. Brown has already proved he can push the right buttons to get Syracuse to a winning record. With Angeli back in the fold, the Orange should rebound in ‘26.

Dickert had one of the best seasons for a first-year coach in 2025. After a 23-20 stint at Washington State, Dickert guided the Demon Deacons to a 9-4 finish last season. Included in the nine victories was a bowl victory over Mississippi State - the program's first postseason win since ‘22 - and an upset at Virginia (16-9 on Nov. 8).

Norvell is arguably the coach sitting on the hottest seat in college football entering ‘26. Florida State has experienced plenty of highs under Norvell, including a 13-1 mark, ACC title and near trip to the playoff in ‘23. However, the Seminoles have trended in the wrong direction since that playoff snub. After a 2-10 mark in ‘24, the program finished 5-7 last fall. Florida State is just 3-13 in ACC play over the last two seasons and has not won a road game since ‘23. Norvell is 38-34 in Tallahassee since ‘20.

From hot seat to ACC Coach of the Year was the story of Elliott's ‘25 season. After an 11-23 start to his tenure in Charlottesville, Elliott guided Virginia to an 11-3 mark and an appearance in the ACC title game last year. The Cavaliers' 11 victories were the most for a single-season in program history and improved his overall record to 22-26.

Narduzzi just continues to churn out winning seasons in the Steel City. Over 11 seasons with the Panthers, Narduzzi is 80-61 overall and has only two losing records. Pitt won the ‘21 ACC title and tied for second in the conference last year with a 6-2 mark in conference play. Narduzzi has finished .500 or better in ACC action in eight of his 11 seasons in charge.

Consistent success is the best way to sum up Doeren's tenure in Raleigh. Since taking over in 2013, the Wolfpack are 95-70 under his watch. NC State has only two losing records over the last 12 years and has qualified for 11 bowl games since ‘14. Doeren has yet to guide NC State to double-digit victories in a season or a trip to the ACC title game. However, winning at least eight games in seven out of the last eight years is a solid resume entering ‘26.

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Diaz's tenure in Durham is off to an impressive start. The Blue Devils have won nine games in back-to-back years and defeated Virginia to claim the ACC Championship last season. Additionally, the program is 11-5 in conference play over the last two years. Diaz previously went 21-15 at Miami from 2019-21. The late departure of quarterback Darian Mensah to transfer was a massive setback for ‘26. However, Diaz's track record so far in Durham suggests he will find a way to keep Duke in the mix for a winning mark.

Key is on the rise among ACC coaches following last year's 9-4 record and push into ACC title contention. The Yellow Jackets have displayed marked improvement since Key was promoted to interim coach during the ‘22 season. Under Key's watch, Georgia Tech is 27-20 overall and has posted a winning record in ACC play for three straight years.

SMU's transition from the American Conference to the ACC has been seamless behind Lashlee's leadership. The Mustangs played for the ACC title and earned a spot in the College Football Playoff with a 11-3 mark in ‘24. And the program wasn't far off a repeat trip to the title game last year with a 9-4 finish and 6-2 record in conference action. Under Lashlee's watch, SMU is 38-16 overall over the last four seasons.

Louisville has won at least nine games in each of Brohm's three seasons at the helm, including a 10-win campaign in ‘23. With running back Isaac Brown returning, along with an improved passing attack, the Cardinals have the pieces in place to push for a return to the ACC Championship Game. Brohm is 94-56 as a head coach at the FBS level counting stops at Western Kentucky and Purdue. He's also one of the top offensive minds in the game.

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A fresh start in Blacksburg should be beneficial for both Virginia Tech and Franklin. The Hokies have slipped from the top of the ACC in recent seasons, but Franklin arrives with a track record of success. He previously went 24-15 at Vanderbilt from 2011-13 and won 104 games at Penn State since ‘14. Included in that run was a Big Ten title in ‘16, six seasons of double-digit victories, and a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinal last year. Franklin's run at Penn State ended in disappointment with his firing during the ‘25 campaign. However, Virginia Tech's increased investment in football, along with Franklin's ability to deliver on-field victories, should help this program return to the top 25 in the near future.

Swinney is still among college football's top coaches with a 187-53 overall record with the Tigers. However, the program has slipped just a bit and is coming off a disappointing 7-6 season after seemingly having the pieces in place for another deep run in the playoff. After recording six consecutive top-five finishes from 2015-20, Clemson has not finished higher than No. 13 in the final rankings over the last five years. Swinney is one of four active coaches with a national championship ring, winning two (2016 and ‘18) with the Tigers.

Miami's run to the national championship, along with Cristobal's overall success at his alma mater, has moved him to No. 1 among ACC coaches in Athlon's rankings. After going 12-13 in his first two years in Coral Gables, the ‘Canes are 23-6 since ‘24. Included in that span is a 12-4 mark in ACC play and three victories in the College Football Playoff last year. Counting previous stints at FIU and Oregon, Cristobal is 97-79 as a FBS head coach. The next step for Cristobal is to guide Miami to its first ACC Championship and hoist the national title trophy after coming a few plays away in ‘25.

This story was originally published May 31, 2026 at 11:45 AM.

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