When we talk about the best head coaches in college football today, guys like Kirby Smart at Georgia, Dabo Swinney at Clemson and Ryan Day at Ohio State are easily among the very best. They coach at traditional powers, all of whom have won at least one College Football Playoff at their respective institution. There are others like Steve Sarkisian at Texas and Dan Lanning at Oregon that we adore.
But with that in mind, what about the other guys? I am not talking about head coaches who regularly have their days in the sun. Whether they have completely turned a long-downtrodden program around, or tend to get results in less-than-advantageous situations quite regularly, the five men I am about to touch on all have my respect. They are proof there is way more to this than winning titles.
For some folks out there, these guys I am about to mention are not really that underrated. I would just argue that from a national perspective, they often get glossed over by coaches who lead far more glamorous programs. I do not know if any of these coaches are top-10 in the sport in my estimation, but they are very much on that next tier. All are certainly in the top-25 for me, probably in the top-20.
Let's start with a head coach who wins everywhere he has been, which have been at trying programs.
5. Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold
Although the Kansas Jayhawks failed to make a bowl game a year ago, they finished strong down the stretch to at least make it interesting. This has everything to do with the program's best head coach since Mark Mangino in Lance Leipold. After having come over from Buffalo, Leipold has Kansas out of the Big 12 cellar and firmly in the mix with everything. He even has a great protege in Andy Kotelnicki.
For about 15 years there, Kansas was a truly awful football program. It was widely seen as the worst one in the Power Five. One coach after another fizzled out very quickly in the wake of Mangino's exodus. Shockingly, Leipold came running to Lawrence only a few years ago, and never looked back. While I wonder if he has KU operating at its ceiling, maybe he still has a Big 12 title bout up his sleeve?
For now, I have Kansas bouncing back in a big way this season, comfortably making a bowl game.
4. Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell
As is the case with Lance Leipold over at Kansas, I cannot say enough good things about Matt Campbell over at Iowa State. During my collegiate years and a little bit after that, there were no worse programs in the old Big 12 than Kansas and Iowa State. While traditionally both have been basketball schools, their respective head coaches have commanded the respect of their peers and the sport.
It may have been during a COVID season, but Campbell once had Iowa State winning the Fiesta Bowl. The Cyclones were back playing in the Big 12 Championship Game again. Although I do not have them making the College Football Playoff this season, the Cyclones have become a perennial top-25 team under Campbell's guidance. He is all business, no BS. This is what a program-changer looks like.
It remains to be seen how long he will stay in Ames because blue-bloods will want his special sauce.
3. Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin
Love him or hate him, Lane Kiffin is actually quite underrated as a head coach. Yes, he may have screwed around the first few jobs in his one-of-a-kind coaching career, but ever since he went to work for Nick Saban at Alabama, something clicked. This elite offensive play-caller helping briefly make Florida Atlantic nationally relevant, right before making Ole Miss as good as I can remember.
His quirky attitude, eccentricities and overall troll game on social media may prevent him from coaching at another traditional power like Tennessee or USC again. However, nobody regularly hits in the transfer portal quite like him. Furthermore, Kiffin has made Ole Miss more than just a cute story in the SEC the last few years. Nobody is thrilled to see the Rebels appear on their schedule any more.
If and when Kiffin takes Ole Miss to the playoff, he could become their 21st century Johnny Vaught.
2. Kansas State Wildcats head coach Chris Klieman
Sometimes I wonder what Chris Klieman could do if he were coaching at a traditional power. Yes, he may have come over from FCS powerhouse North Dakota State to replace the iconic Bill Snyder in the wake of his second retirement. However, Kansas State is not a program that is historically built to sustain. The Ron Prince era was a disaster in between Snyder's two stints making K-State a big deal!
What I like the most about Klieman is he puts the ball in the starting quarterback's hands to make big-time plays for him. Yes, these guys are asked to largely carry the offense, but when it clicks, the Wildcats are one of the toughest teams to beat in the Big 12. In case you forgot, Klieman was the head coach of K-State that handed TCU its first loss of the year during their incredible 2022 season.
I do not know what comes next, but what if he can replicate this at places like Michigan or Nebraska?
1. Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel
The most underrated head coach in college football is Josh Heupel. Unless you live in Rocky Top, nobody is going to view him as a top-10 head coach in the sport. Yes, his Air Raid offense is rather gimmicky, one that I think prevents Tennessee from achieving all it can as a program. That being said, do you remember how much of a joke the Volunteers were before he took over for ole Jeremy Pruitt?
Coming over from UCF with athletic director Danny White, Heupel has helped make Tennessee into something more than respectable. The Vols are back to being a 10-win program most years. While it could be challenging for them this season due to an unforeseen quarterback change, nobody is going to make Heupel wear it because they know his value as a coach. He is about to make a fortune!
If it does not work out for Brent Venables at Oklahoma, how much will Heupel make to come home?