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Top 20 college football head coaches heading into 2017

By Nicholas Ian Allen

COLUMBUS, OH - NOVEMBER 26: (R-L) Head coach Urban Meyer of the Ohio State Buckeyes and Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - NOVEMBER 26: (R-L) Head coach Urban Meyer of the Ohio State Buckeyes and Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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12 JAN 2015: Head Coach Urban Meyer of the Ohio State University Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
12 JAN 2015: Head Coach Urban Meyer of the Ohio State University Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images /

2. Urban Meyer, Ohio State Buckeyes

  • Career Record: 165-29 (.851), 15 seasons
  • Record at Ohio State: 61-1 (.910), five seasons
  • Championships and Awards: 2006, 2008, 2014 National Champions; 2003, 2004 Mountain West Conference Champions; 2006, 2008 SEC Champions; 2014 Big Ten Conference Champions; 3-time conference Coach of the Year, 2-time National Coach of the Year:

All Urban Meyer has done is win. After spending 15 years as an assistant coach, the last five as wide receivers coach at Notre Dame, Meyer was given his first opportunity to be a head coach.

In 2001, Meyer took over at Bowling Green. The Falcons were coming off a 2-9 season the previous year, but Meyer injected enthusiasm, discipline, and a spread option offense he developed along with former Notre Dame graduate assistant and Bowling Green QB coach Dan Mullen. Meyer guided the Falcons to an 8-3 record in his first season and followed with a 9-3 mark before leaving for Utah.

Utah was 5-6 in the season prior to Meyer’s arrival, but Meyer posted a 22-2 record with two conference titles and led Utah to a No. 4 final ranking in the 2004 AP Poll before being lured to Florida. In his second year with the Gators, Meyer won his first national championship, and he followed with a second in 2008.

Health issues forced Meyer to resign after six years on the sidelines at Florida, in which he posted a 65-15 record. However, after just one season as a television analyst, he returned to coaching when the Ohio State job opened. All he’s done since taking over the Buckeyes is post a 61-6 overall record, including a 39-2 mark in Big Ten play, and win the 2014 College Football Playoff National Championship Game – beating the top coach on our list to get there.

As long as he stays healthy, Meyer is the perfect package for a college football head coach. He’s a great recruiter, and an innovative offensive mind that has elevated the play of every program he has touched.