Farrell's Three-Point Stance:
https://n.rivals.com/news/three-point-stance-top-coaches-pitt-penn-state-sec-drop-off
Last week I did my list of the top 5 head coaches in college football which, of course, freaked out a bunch of people. So I figured this week I’d list my top 10 head coaches by recruiting ability, something that is even more up my alley.
1. Urban Meyer, Ohio State – Meyer is the best recruiter as a head coach I have ever covered, hands down. He could sell ice cubes to an Eskimo.
2. Nick Saban, Alabama – No. 1 class after No. 1 class, it’s hard to put Saban No. 2 on this list. He’s a no-nonsense closer who always seems to get his prospect.
3. Dabo Swinney, Clemson – Swinney has elevated Clemson's recruiting from great to elite in his time and now the Tigers are a threat to land every five-star around it seems. His “aw shucks” attitude plays well with recruits and families.
4. Jimbo Fisher, Florida State – The talent level at Florida State has always been elite but under Fisher, the Seminoles have branched out a bit and are now pulling in top talent from a broader map. The guy can close them out.
5. Butch Jones, Tennessee – A great talent evaluator at his previous stops, Jones has proven he can recruit with the best of them on the national stage and win some huge battles, especially out of state.
6. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan – The eccentric ways of Harbaugh may not play well to some, but he gets the job done and is always coming up with creative ways to attract attention. It showed at Stanford, but now he’s taken it to a new level at his alma mater.
7. Brian Kelly, Notre Dame – With higher academic restrictions than most, Kelly has a tough job but does very well head-to-head for elite prospects all across the country. The days of Notre Dame being penciled in as a top five class before the cycle starts are over. He works hard to land his highly-ranked classes.
8. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma – This year has been a resurgence of sorts for Stoops, especially in the state of Texas, but he pulls kids from the west coast as well as any out-of-state program and his recruiting reach is broad.
9. David Shaw, Stanford – The highest academic restrictions in the country when it comes to Power Five programs, Shaw overcomes and continues to land elite talent all over the country. Based on restrictions alone, he should probably be higher on this list.
10. Charlie Strong, Texas – His work at Louisville was epic in South Florida and while it took him some time to adjust to the state of Texas, the way he closed last year showed he can bring in the top talent. Two highly-ranked recruiting classes at Texas might not impress many, but based on the results there in recent years, it should.
A few guys who just missed the cut? Will Muschamp at South Carolina, Les Miles at LSU and Mark Richt at Miami. Hugh Freeze would certainly be on this list as well were it not for the NCAA investigation.
If I was picking one first-year coach, it would be Kirby Smart. And one final note, Kevin Sumlin at Texas A&M, Jim Mora at UCLA, James Franklin at Penn State, Gus Malzahn at Auburn and Mark Stoops at Kentucky were all guys I had on my list as recently as two years ago.
https://n.rivals.com/news/three-point-stance-top-coaches-pitt-penn-state-sec-drop-off
Last week I did my list of the top 5 head coaches in college football which, of course, freaked out a bunch of people. So I figured this week I’d list my top 10 head coaches by recruiting ability, something that is even more up my alley.
1. Urban Meyer, Ohio State – Meyer is the best recruiter as a head coach I have ever covered, hands down. He could sell ice cubes to an Eskimo.
2. Nick Saban, Alabama – No. 1 class after No. 1 class, it’s hard to put Saban No. 2 on this list. He’s a no-nonsense closer who always seems to get his prospect.
3. Dabo Swinney, Clemson – Swinney has elevated Clemson's recruiting from great to elite in his time and now the Tigers are a threat to land every five-star around it seems. His “aw shucks” attitude plays well with recruits and families.
4. Jimbo Fisher, Florida State – The talent level at Florida State has always been elite but under Fisher, the Seminoles have branched out a bit and are now pulling in top talent from a broader map. The guy can close them out.
5. Butch Jones, Tennessee – A great talent evaluator at his previous stops, Jones has proven he can recruit with the best of them on the national stage and win some huge battles, especially out of state.
6. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan – The eccentric ways of Harbaugh may not play well to some, but he gets the job done and is always coming up with creative ways to attract attention. It showed at Stanford, but now he’s taken it to a new level at his alma mater.
7. Brian Kelly, Notre Dame – With higher academic restrictions than most, Kelly has a tough job but does very well head-to-head for elite prospects all across the country. The days of Notre Dame being penciled in as a top five class before the cycle starts are over. He works hard to land his highly-ranked classes.
8. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma – This year has been a resurgence of sorts for Stoops, especially in the state of Texas, but he pulls kids from the west coast as well as any out-of-state program and his recruiting reach is broad.
9. David Shaw, Stanford – The highest academic restrictions in the country when it comes to Power Five programs, Shaw overcomes and continues to land elite talent all over the country. Based on restrictions alone, he should probably be higher on this list.
10. Charlie Strong, Texas – His work at Louisville was epic in South Florida and while it took him some time to adjust to the state of Texas, the way he closed last year showed he can bring in the top talent. Two highly-ranked recruiting classes at Texas might not impress many, but based on the results there in recent years, it should.
A few guys who just missed the cut? Will Muschamp at South Carolina, Les Miles at LSU and Mark Richt at Miami. Hugh Freeze would certainly be on this list as well were it not for the NCAA investigation.
If I was picking one first-year coach, it would be Kirby Smart. And one final note, Kevin Sumlin at Texas A&M, Jim Mora at UCLA, James Franklin at Penn State, Gus Malzahn at Auburn and Mark Stoops at Kentucky were all guys I had on my list as recently as two years ago.
