Ranking the Top 10 Coaches in College Football for 2021

Despite efforts from COVID-19, college football continued to thrive in 2020. We managed to make it through an entire season and crown another national champion. Now, we're working through the offseason so we can do it all over again -- hopefully without the COVID -- in the fall.

The 2020 season brought with it some key information on how some of college football's top coaches should be viewed. This year's list will more than likely look vastly different than it did at this time last year.

A successful coach is ultimately determined by how his team performs on the field, but in most cases, how coaches do on the recruiting trail directly impacts that on-field performance. Here's a look at my top 10 college football coaches for 2021. Debate away.

Honorable mention (alphabetical): Mack Brown, Pat Fitzgerald, James Franklin, Mark Stoops

10. Paul Chryst, Wisconsin

Paul Chryst continues to keep Wisconsin relevant every season, despite subpar recruiting results. For example, here are his class rankings since arriving in Madison:

Chryst's success on the field doesn't make any sense based off those classes listed above, but he has succeeded nonetheless. Four 10-win seasons, zero losing seasons and a 56-19 record (.747) with the Badgers. He's also 5-1 in bowl games with the program.

Yes, he's struggled to get over the top against teams such as Ohio State, but it's scary to think the recruiting is finally starting to catch up to the development/on-field performance. It's a physical style of football that continues to produce NFL talent, too.

9. Dan Mullen, Florida

We know Dan Mullen can coach. The man went 69-46 (.600) in nine years at Mississippi State and even had the Bulldogs ranked No. 1 at one point back in 2014. Since arriving in Gainesville in 2018, he's gone 29-9 with three top-10 finishes.

The problem with Mullen is that he can't recruit. He was never good at it in Starkville, and he's averaged the No. 11 class (No. 5 in the SEC) since arriving at Florida. That's not going to get the job done in the SEC. If he ever learns to attract top talent like a Georgia or Alabama, Florida might be unstoppable.

I'll be curious to see how the team performs this season without Kyle Trask, Kyle Pitts, Kadarius Toney and several of those other key offensive contributors. The transfer portal has treated the Gators well, but it's a "wait and see" approach to see how that translates.

8. Brian Kelly, Notre Dame

Brian Kelly is so frustrating to rank. Three 10-win seasons at Cincinnati landed him the gig in South Bend back in 2010, and he's turned that into another six 10-win seasons in 11 years. That includes a 43-8 record (.843) over the last four, and two College Football Playoff appearances.

And we haven't even mentioned the national title appearance in 2012.

Everyone understands why Kelly isn't higher on this list though. In those Playoff and title game appearances, the Fighting Irish have been outscored 103-31. They haven't been competitive in any of them, and that constant embarrassment has to keep Kelly closer to No. 10 than No. 5.

7. Ed Orgeron, LSU

As expected, things came crashing back down to earth for Ed Orgeron and LSU this past season. They had a historic year in 2019 with Joe Burrow, Joe Brady and a slew of other top-notch NFL talent, but then they had to try to replace that talent. The assistant coaches were pillaged as well.

The result was a 5-5 season.

Still, it's too soon to count Orgeron out just yet. Since taking over at LSU, he's earned 13 wins against top-10 opponents. Granted, seven of those came during that historic 2019 season, but the upset against Florida back in December proves he's capable of winning with less.

The recruiting efforts have become more consistent with three-straight top-5 classes, including a No. 3 finish in 2021, despite the poor record. That seems to point towards Orgeron's program being able to overcome a down year.

6. Ryan Day, Ohio State

Ryan Day has now been the head coach at Ohio State for 25 games. He's only lost two of those (.920), and he's had back-to-back Playoff appearances, including a national title appearance back in January.

Not only has Day kept the Buckeyes in the mix on the field, he's also done a great job of building sustainable success with the recruiting efforts off of it. He finished with the No. 2 class in 2021 and had a top-5 finish in 2020.

This ranking might seem a bit premature, but do we really feel like Ohio State is going anywhere?

Jim Harbaugh certainly isn't a threat at Michigan, and there's nothing standing in the way of this program being a perennial contender under Day. If you don't have him ranked in the top-6, it's only a matter of time. Sooner rather than later, too.

5. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M

We've seen 11 seasons of Jimbo Fisher as a head coach. In those 11 seasons, he's 109-33 (.768) with a national championship, a College Football Playoff appearance and, most recently, a top-4 finish in 2020. He's only had one losing season (5-6 in 2017), and he's 8-2 in bowl games.

Things didn't end great in Tallahassee, but Fisher is finally starting to turn the Aggies into a contender. Alabama still stands in the way of any SEC West, SEC or national titles, which obviously makes things more difficult in comparison to other coaches.

If you're going to build a competitive program in the SEC, you have to be able to recruit. Well, Fisher and his staff have done that with three-straight top-7 finishes. And it looks like there's a development side too, which is huge.

Seeing him finally find success in College Station has renewed my faith in Fisher as a top-5 coach.

4. Kirby Smart, Georgia

Kirby Smart has had a difficult time getting Georgia over the top and winning a national championship. After making the CFP in only his second year as a head coach, the team has been a borderline Playoff team in every year since. They haven't been back, but they've been close.

Since his 8-5 start in 2016, Smart's teams have been a combined 44-9 (.830) with a national title appearance, a SEC championship (three appearances) and only had three losses once (11-3 in 2018). His staff has recruited at a high level, and the team continues to stay in the title picture annually.

Yes, there are coaches with championships ranked lower than him, but his level of consistency keeping Georgia relevant is impressive. With high expectations for 2021, this upcoming season will be telling on how Smart should be viewed beyond this point.

3. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma

Four seasons as the head coach, four-consecutive Big 12 championships for Lincoln Riley. He took over a Bob Stoops program that was primed for success, but he's continued to keep the program in the College Football Playoff discussion each and every season.

There's a wide gap between Riley and the top two coaches on this list, mostly due to the lack of success (0-3 record) once the Sooners have reached the Playoff. The latest example of that was the 63-28 beatdown taken against LSU in the 2019 Peach Bowl.

At least those other two Playoff losses have been somewhat competitive.

The hope is that Steve Sarkisian's arrival at Texas makes the conference more competitive, but as long as Matt Campbell and Iowa State are the only thing even remotely standing in Oklahoma's way of a conference title, Riley will continue to be viewed favorably.

A few more lopsided losses on a stage could result in Riley getting the Kelly treatment, however.

2. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

Dabo Swinney and Nick Saban are in a tier of their own. It's nice to finally have another coach -- and program -- on the level of Saban and Alabama, though. Five-straight Playoff appearances (three national title appearances) and two national championships has been outstanding.

It took a little while, but the recruiting is finally catching up to the on-field success. That means the Tigers won't be slowing down anytime soon. Like Alabama, this program has transcended the "they'll have a down year due to player turnover" takes.

It should also be noted that Swinney is 2-2 against Saban, with both of those wins securing national championships. Plus, that 2018 group is the only team to embarrass an Alabama squad (44-16 final score) since the Crimson Tide's first national title in 2009.

1. Nick Saban, Alabama

If there was any doubt of who the top coach in college football should be, Saban put yet another nail in that coffin. After going two-straight seasons without a national championship (the horror), Alabama went undefeated for only the second time in the Saban era.

Oh, and they also signed the best recruiting class in college football history in February. In other words, this program isn't going away anytime soon either.

We could go over all the impressive stats, including records against top-10 teams, top-25 teams, non-ranked opponents, bowl record ... whatever. But I won't waste anymore of your time. Six national championships in 12 seasons. There isn't really an argument against him.

Follow Clint Lamb on Twitter @ClintRLamb.