Dan Lanning has Oregon positioned for long term success.
Photo: Ben Lonergan, USA TODAY Sports
Article by WestCoastCFB
1. Dan Lanning (Oregon)
Dan Lanning has quickly established Oregon as a perennial contender for the College Football Playoff. He's now 35-6 while leading the Ducks and all six losses have come to teams who won ten or more games. At just 38 years old, the Oregon Head Coach has not yet reached his ceiling and it feels like just a matter of time before he wins the first National Title in school history.
2. Kenny Dillingham (Arizona State)
You always got the feeling that Kenny Dillingham would win at Arizona State but no one thought it would happen so soon. The 34 year old coach inherited a program that had gone 3-9 in 2022 and was under a bowl ban in 2023. Despite these challenges, Dillingham quickly resurrected a long dormant program and led the Sun Devils to eleven wins in 2024 and nearly upset Texas in the College Football Playoff.
3. Kyle Whittingham (Utah)
A few years ago, Whittingham would have been at the top of this list after reaching back to back Rose Bowls. The past two years haven't been nearly as kind. Whittingham has gone just 13-12 in those two seasons and it could be that his best years are behind him. Retirement is definitely on the horizon for the legendary coach but it would be a nice send off to go out in style with another ten win season.
4. Lincoln Riley (USC)
Lincoln Riley is another coach who's star has dimmed in recent years. He was once seen as arguably the top young coach in the country when he was hired by the Trojans. Now he enters 2025 on the hot seat after winning just 13 games in the past two seasons. Riley's success this coming season will likely depend on if he can figure out the Quarterback position and if the defense can ascend to a top 25 unit in the country.
5. Kalani Sitake (BYU)
An 11-2 season in 2024 has cemented Sitake as one of the top coaches in the country. He has now won 10 or more games three times since 2020 and his teams have a reputation for always being a tough out regardless of their talent levels. The Cougars should be a contender for the Big 12 Title in 2025.
6. Deion Sanders (Colorado)
Love him or hate him, Sanders did get results in 2024. He has proven himself as a recruiter but now the next challenge is to see if he can win without his son at quarterback. Colorado's hire of Deion has been a massive success from the standpoint of media coverage, fan attendance and now a nine win season in 2024.
7. Jedd Fisch (Washington)
We have a hunch that Jedd Fisch could be at or near the top of this list in a couple of years. For the time being, he has just one season with a winning record and that was an impressive season in 2023 where he won ten games at Arizona. Expect the Huskies to win eight or nine games in 2025 and then to contend for the College Football Playoff in 2026. Fisch is looking to build the Huskies the right way from the ground up to establish a strong foundation that will lead to long term success and consistent ten win seasons.
8. Justin Wilcox (California)
Cal is an extremely tough place to win at but Wilcox has managed to consistently reach bowl games despite those challenges. He's likely a good but not great coach and there is nothing wrong with that. He has revamped his offensive staff for 2025 by bringing in Bryan Harsin and Nick Rolovich who have been known for high powered offenses in the past.
9. DeShaun Foster (UCLA)
DeShaun Foster faced a tough schedule in 2024 and managed to win five games and had the Bruins playing their best football at the end of the season. He will need to elevate the Bruins to a bowl bid in 2025 to stay in the good graces of UCLA fans. The Bruins have a nice transfer portal class that ranks 23rd Nationally but will that be enough to make the jump to six wins?
10. Troy Taylor (Stanford)
Taylor was phenomenal at Sacramento State where he went 12-1 in 2022 before landing the Stanford job. His tenure with Stanford has been far from phenomenal where he has just six wins over two seasons. The Cardinal have the 10th ranked recruiting class in the ACC for 2025 and have the 14th ranked transfer portal class. Stanford isn't a job that comes with a ton of pressure but you have to wonder how long they will put up with three win seasons.
11. Brent Brennan (Arizona)
Brent Brennan was a great hire by the Wildcats on paper as he retained most of the roster from 2023 and brought a ton of excitement to the fanbase. All that goodwill went up in smoke after a disastrous season that ended with just four wins when many thought Arizona would win the Big 12. Brennan has had a nice offseason with good hires at DC and OC and a lot of success in the transfer portal.
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