PFF ranks Dabo Swinney fourth among college football's top head coaches

PFF has Dabo Swinney behind Jim Harbaugh in its top coaches ranking.

by TigerNet Staff - Fri Apr 07 12:42:59 GMT-04:00 2023

Pro Football Focus assessed its top-rated coaches in the country and ranked Dabo Swinney fourth-best in that group.

The top-3 is Nick Saban (Alabama) then Kirby Smart (Georgia) and Jim Harbaugh (Michigan).

"Although the last two years haven’t been up to the Clemson standard, it’s important to contextualize how elite of a standard it is," said PFF's Max Chadwick said. "Clemson finished in the top 10 of the AP poll for seven-straight seasons until 2021. Before Swinney took over, the Tigers last did that in 1990. Clemson has won seven of the last eight ACC championships and a couple national titles under Swinney as well (2016 and 2018). With the best offensive coordinator in the country on his payroll in Garrett Riley and a quarterback with sky-high potential in Cade Klubnik, Swinney could get back to his elite ways this season."

PFF had Saban and Swinney in "a tier above" the rest of college football coaches last year, with Harbaugh in the "winning at every level" group and Smart in a group "taking over legacy programs."

What moved Harbaugh up?

"Harbaugh has led Michigan to back-to-back Big Ten championships and College Football Playoff appearances," said Chadwick. "Perhaps more importantly to Wolverines fans, they’ve also beaten arch-rival Ohio State twice in a row. Before that, the last time Michigan won the Big Ten was in 2004 and the last time the Wolverines beat the Buckeyes was in 2011.

"The next step for Harbaugh is to bring home a national championship to his alma mater. With one of the best rosters in the country next year, there’s a good chance he’ll do so."

Of the top-4 group, Saban, Smart and Swinney all have multiple national championships.

The next-best ACC coaches on the list are Wake Forest's Dave Clawson (22) and Florida State's Mike Norvell (23).

"Don’t look now, but Florida State might be back under Norvell," said Chadwick. "The Seminoles are coming off a 10-3 record and No. 11 finish in the AP poll in his third year as FSU’s head coach. It was the Seminoles’ first 10-win season since Fisher was in charge in 2016 and the first winning record in five years. With an ultra-talented roster returning, including a Heisman Trophy candidate under center in Jordan Travis, Florida State is poised to make a run at the College Football Playoff in 2023."

New Clemson OC hire Garrett Riley is rated the top offensive coordinator in the country by PFF.