2013 College Football Picks and Predictions: Top 5 Coaches – Nick Saban the Best

2013 College Football Picks and Predictions: Top 5 Coaches – Nick Saban the Best: Head coaches are essentially the faces of college football programs, and while players come and go, the coaches are left to rebuild and reload. To say that coaching has become a year-round job is an understatement. From bringing in the top-level talent in recruiting to making sure everyone associated with the program is abiding by NCAA rules, a coach’s job is tough enough even without the actual game managing aspect. For every strong college football program there is an even stronger head coach leading the way. With that in mind, here is a closer look at the top head coaches in the country heading into the 2013 college football season.

1.      Nick Saban, Alabama Crimson Tide

After leading to the Crimson Tide to back-to-back national titles and their third title in the last four seasons, Saban is in a class by himself. He has four championships overall, and his six BCS bowl wins are the most all-time. Alabama has posted a 68-13 record under Saban, including a 61-7 mark over the past five seasons. While some critics hate his attitude and demeanor, it’s tough to argue with his ability to recruit and develop talent and have his teams prepared on a weekly basis, especially for big games.

2.      Urban Meyer, Ohio State Buckeyes

Meyer didn’t exactly need a lot of time to get his coaching mojo back after taking a few years off. He guided the Buckeyes to an undefeated regular season, and if not for NCAA probation, Meyer and company would have played for the national title. As it stands, Meyer has two titles under his belt from his days at Florida to go along with a ridiculous 116-23 overall record. Meyer’s system completely overwhelmed the Big Ten last year, and as he continues to grab top-five recruiting classes, he has a chance to dominate the conference and build a dynasty at Ohio State.

3.      Chris Petersen, Boise State Broncos

Despite not playing in a power conference, Petersen deserves a ton of credit for what he has been able to do at Boise State. He has compiled an 84-8 record in seven years with the Broncos, winning at least 10 games in every season. His teams have reached a pair of BCS bowls during the stretch and have finished in the top 10 nationally four times. Not to mention the fact that Petersen’s best coaching job may have come last season when the Broncos finished with an 11-2 record in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year with a new quarterback.

4.      Bill Snyder, Kansas State Wildcats

It may have taken Snyder leaving the sidelines for a while for his impact to be truly realized, but the numbers speak for themselves. He inherited a joke of a program in 1989, but the Wildcats quickly became consistent factor in the Big 12 during his first tenure. When he retired in 2005, the program quickly became a laughing stock once again, but Snyder returned in 2009 to save the day yet again. Fresh off a season that saw the Wildcats reach No. 1 in the country and win the Big 12, it is time to give Snyder his due. He may not have the eye-popping recruiting classes, but his teams win a lot of games, and he wins at a school where no one else really has.

5.      Brian Kelly, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Despite getting annihilated in the national title game last year, Kelly’s numbers are pretty impressive if you step back and look at them. Prior to joining the Fighting Irish, he went 34-6 with a Cincinnati football program that was afterthought prior to his arrival and led the Bearcats to an undefeated regular season. He has since added another undefeated regular season in just his third year with a Notre Dame program that had been uncompetitive for the better part of two decades. Obviously, a national title would go a long way to cementing his status as an elite coach, but taking multiple teams to BCS bowls and to undefeated regular seasons is a nice first step.

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