College football’s 20 best coaches not named Nick Saban

Everyone knows Nick Saban is the best coach college football has to offer but which 20 coaches are the best of the rest?

Ahead of another college football season, the nation’s top teams are revealing themselves. Everyone knows Alabama will be there close to the top of the polls after beating Georgia in the national title to cap the 2017 season, but who will be up there with the Tide?

That debate will rage on well into the fall, but there’s another argument that’s begging to be had, and it’s regarding college football’s best head coaches.

The No. 1 coach in the land really isn’t even a question at this point. Nick Saban has earned the right to be dubbed the top coach in America, potentially at any level. He does nothing but win at Alabama and has won essentially everywhere he’s been at the college level. The real question is, who sits behind Saban in the coaching ranks?

It’s tough to judge one coach as better than the next, but it all depends on consistency, titles won, development and even recruiting prowess. Some coaches are better at developing two and three-star prospects but haven’t won any national titles. Other coaches are great at recruiting, but can’t seem to win anything of note.

When you think of the best coaches in college football, a number of names come to mind. There’s Ohio State’s Urban Meyer, Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney and even Washington’s Chris Petersen. But who rounds out the top 20, not named Nick Saban?

Though Urban Meyer is the best outside of Saban, he’s been placed on paid administrative leave by Ohio State after the recent Zach Smith controversy. He is the most accomplished coach not named Saban with three national titles, but he won’t be considered due to uncertainty surrounding his employment.

Take a look at the 20 best coaches in America who don’t reside in Tuscaloosa.