What are the best jobs in college football?

In light of USC firing Clay Helton, the conversation about what’s the best job in college football has become a topic of conversation and there’s no clear answer.

USC has a coaching vacancy after the long-overdue firing of Clay Helton. The Trojans’ job should be, can be and has been one of the three-five best jobs in college football. But is it today? It’s been more than a decade since Pete Carroll roamed the sidelines and even longer since Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush were winning Heisman Trophies and the USC dynasty was running college football.

Since Carroll left USC for the Seahawks after the 2009 season, the Trojans have an 84-47 record. 66-30 record in the Pac-12 and a 3-4 bowl record. USC has won four Pac-12 South division titles, one Rose Bowl and one Pac-12 championship, the latter two coming under Helton, and six seasons ended with the Trojans ranked in the Top 25, two in the top six.

They’ve cycled through coaches (Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian, Ed Orgeron as an interim and Helton with some great seasons but more average and disappointing seasons. USC can win national championships under the right coach but the right coach has eluded them.

With USC football looking for the right coach, again, where does it rank among the other programs when it comes to assessing the best jobs in college football?

A number of factors and variables go into answering this question, and each candidate will weigh them differently. Additionally, the best job may be a place where you never win a national championship but can have lifetime job security just because you win seven-eight games every year.

Northwestern isn’t a better job than Alabama, but it is for Pat Fitzgerald.

Factoring in current success, historical pedigree, willingness to spend, facilities, boosters, fans and fan expectations, recruiting footprint, athletic director and university administration serving as the primary factors that make a job attractive or not, these jobs are the best jobs in college football.

Best jobs in college football, ranked

1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Notre Dame
5. Clemson
6. LSU
7. Oklahoma
8. Texas
9. Texas A&M
10. Oregon
11. Michigan
12. Penn State
13. Florida
14. USC
15. Auburn
16. Miami
17. Florida State
18. Northwestern
19. North Carolina
20. UCF

There are drop-offs and tiers to the best jobs in college football just as there is in the AP Top 25. There can be a large gap between the No. 5 job and the No. 6 job just as there can be a huge gap between the No. 5 team and the No. 6 team.

There is a clear top-10 best college jobs and you can shuffle some of the teams however you want depending on which variables you weigh most. Most will have the same top 10 teams but the order may be slightly different.

Beyond the top 10, it gets interesting and a little complicated.

How much do you weigh past success when considering how attractive a job is today and for the next five years? Michigan, USC, Miami and Florida State are all historical programs with championships, Heisman winners, NFL players and legendary moments. Currently, they are not living their best life, though.

That group can get back into the bottom of the top-10 jobs when they start winning at that elite level but until then, they aren’t top jobs as fans would want to believe.

Undoubtedly, USC has the best chance of former great jobs being back in the mix with the likes of Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia and the elite. Outside of Florida, California has the greatest volume of recruits every year. They have a higher proportion of great quarterbacks too. They just have let them leave the state, notably Alabama’s Bryce Young and Clemson’s D.J. Uiagalaleli. When USC starts getting those quarterbacks again, the skill position players and offensive linemen will come to play with them. USC has inherent advantages that some of the better jobs at the moment don’t have.

15 years ago who would have thought Clemson would be one of the best jobs in college football? That’s why hiring Helton’s replacement is paramount. USC can’t swing and miss again and let another decade pass them by.

FOX broadcaster Joel Klatt reveals his 5 best college football jobs

If you don’t like my list of the best jobs in college football, then perhaps you’ll agree more with FOX college football broadcaster Joel Klatt and his top five?

SEC Network host Peter Burns listed his top five jobs and some honorable mentions.

SEC Network’s Peter Burns lists his 5 best jobs in college football

College football media got the memo that we’re supposed to talk and write about the best jobs so expect it to be a topic of conversation on Finebaum and wherever you consume your favorite college football podcasts and articles.

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