Ranking coaches in any sport is no easy task, but ranking college football coaches might be the toughest of all.
College football has so many moving and evolving parts on a roster. There are far more players to coordinate in football than in any other sport. Coaches must navigate the new age of NIL, seamlessly uniting their recruits, transfers, and returnees. The complexity of play calling, roster turnover, and personnel that college football coaches juggle is unparalleled.
Nonetheless, On3’s Ari Wasserman took a stab at ranking his top 25 college football coaches.
NEW: Top 25 College Football Head Coaches via @AriWasserman👀
— On3 (@On3sports) February 4, 2025
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Coach Belichick came in at No. 21 in the rankings, and no other coach gave Wasserman more difficulty than Belichick. Wasserman broke down just how conflicted he was while placing Belichick.
“What is a person supposed to do with Belichick? Like, really, how impossible is he to rank. On one hand, he has zero college football experience and he has yet to do anything that moves the needle in his short time at North Carolina. On the other [hand], you could make the case he’s the greatest NFL coach in the history of that sport.”
Many would counter Wasserman by saying, Belichick has actually made the most of his short tenure at UNC. Belichick locked down his future quarterback in four-star Bryce Baker, who was seriously considering jumping ship after the Mack Brown firing. Not to mention, Belichick is constantly on the road, and it feels like he lands a new recruit or transfer seemingly every other day. The Belichick pull is very real.
With that being said, some of Tar Heel Nation might have liked to see coach Belichick land higher on this list. His legendary accolades and track record as head coach speak for themselves — deemed by many as the greatest NFL coach of all time.
On the other hand, some of Tar Heel Nation might be happily surprised and grateful to see coach Belichick ranked on this list at all. After all, he’s the only first-time college coach on this list, and that has everything to do with Belichick’s elite reputation.
Regardless of fans’ stances on Belichick’s ranking, everyone can agree that he’s sure to skyrocket up this list if he turns around the UNC football program, like we all believe he will.
North Carolina fans should be very excited for the Belichick era, and this ranking is just a glimpse of his future success to come.