CBS Sports ranks every ACC coach entering the 2026 season

CBS Sports ranked all Power Four coaches in college football and we’ve compiled their ACC coaching rankings from top to bottom! This is a quality group of guys on the sideline.

The coaches are ranked in order and their overall ranking throughout the Power Four is mentioned in parentheses. It should be noted Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame) is ranked No. 4 in the country, but we’re only mentioning it due to the Irish being ACC adjacent.

Anyway, here are the 17 ACC football coaches in all of their glory going into the 2026 season. We start with the best.

1. Mario Cristobal, Miami (7)

Cristobal comes in at the top of the ACC coaches rankings from CBS Sports. After leading Miami to the national championship game, Cristoabl firmly has his stamp on his alma mater.

Now, it’s about finishing the job in Coral Gables and new QB Darian Mensah should help matters. Cristobal is 35-19 at Miami since 2022 and 97-79 overall with FIU, Oregon and the Hurricanes.

2. Dabo Swinney, Clemson (11)

Yes, the Swinney respect is still here folks! The Clemson head coach hasn’t been at his best since competing regularly in the College Football Playoff.

But, they made it to the first round in 2024 signaling it’s not over yet! Despite a 7-6 season last year, Swinney and crew are good enough to turn it around for 2026 with more buy-in from the transfer portal and NIL. Don’t forget, this man is still near the top of the ACC and country sporting two national titles and a 187-53 career record.

3. James Franklin, Virginia Tech (13)

Franklin is new to the ACC but not coaching. Despite coming up short of delivering Penn State a national title, and getting fired after six games last year, he starts anew in Blacksburg.

Simply put, Franklin can win, it’s just a matter of getting over the hump. But Virginia Tech will certainly take nine to 10 wins a season, competing for the conference and CFP to start! Franklin is 104-45 with Vanderbilt and Penn State in his career.

4. Rhett Lashlee, SMU (15)

Lashlee has been very successful so far at SMU and hit the ground running in the team’s transition to the ACC. They made the conference title game during the 2024 season and the CFP.

That’s good enough for a top 15 spot overall, but it looks like he’ll need to do a little more to crack the top three in his conference above more established head coaches. Lashlee is 38-16 in four seasons with the Mustangs.

5. Jeff Brohm, Louisville (24)

Brohm was successful at Purdue, which included a big Ten championship appearance, before returning to his alma mater in the ACC. Louisville hasn’t broken through for a conference title or a CFP appearance yet, but there’s reason to believe. 

Brohm is 28-12 at Louisville, getting to the ACC title game in 2023. With Western Kentucky, Purdue and Louisville combined, Brohm is 94-56 as a head coach.

6. Brent Key, Georgia Tech (27)

Key goes into Year 5 at Georgia Tech and is in the upper tier among ACC head coaches. He’s also borderline Top 25 around the country with what he’s done, particularly over the last three seasons.

The team went 9-4 in 2025, making it to the acclaimed PopTarts Bowl and finished No. 24 in the country. A solid coach with a 27-20 record, Key is certainly on the rise.

7. Manny Diaz, Duke (30)

Diaz coaching in the ACC is nothing new, but he’s been a better head coach at Duke than he was at Miami a handful of years ago. He is 18-9 in two seasons and won the conference last season, but four losses kept them out of the CFP.

Still, he was able to turn things around quickly and make the Blue Devils relevant in football rather fast, picking up where Mike Elko (Texas A&M) left off. Diaz might need his best coaching job in 2026 to overcome the loss of QB Darian Mensah, who transferred within the ACC to Miami.

8. Dave Doeren, NC State (31)

Doeren has been well-respected and liked during his time at NC State, keeping him in the top half of ACC coaches. However, the Wolfpack head coach has yet to hit 10 wins in a season with NC State.

His 95-70 record speaks for itself: he’s very good. But is he great? That could be up for interpretation or he’ll be considered in a more elite tier if NC State can win the conference and get to the CFP.

9. Pat Narduzzi, Pitt (35)

Narduzzi is brash, but Pitt fans have to appreciate that. He’s right in the middle amongst ACC coaches, but he’s been at this for a long time.

Narduzzi is 80-61 at Pitt since 2015 and won the ACC back in 2021. If he can get a couple more of those 11+ win seasons, perhaps he’d skyrocket up this list.

10. Tony Elliott, Virginia (39)

It was rough for Elliott, especially through two seasons at Virginia. But he’s slowly climbing up the ACC and national coaching rankings following an 11-3 campaign last year, finishing as conference runner-ups.

Elliott is 22-26 in four seasons, which isn’t great on the surface, but he’s completely rebuilt the Cavaliers. At this point, it’s about sustaining that progress in 2026 and beyond.

ACC football coaches ranked by CBS Sports

11. Mike Norvell, Florida State (42)
12. Jake Dickert, Wake Forest (44)
13. Fran Brown, Syracuse (49)
14. Bill O’Brien, Boston College (61)
15. Bill Belichick, North Carolina (63)
16. Tosh Lupoi, Cal (67)
17. Tavita Pritchard, Stanford (68)