CFB Analyst Sparks Debate - Ranks Kirby Smart Third Among College Football’s Coaches

A major college football analyst has sparked a debate by claiming that Kirby Smart is the third-best coach in college football.

At the heart of any successful college football team is an elite head coach who can recruit, develop, and make adjustments on the fly in order to provide his team with the best chance of winning. Which few have done so as well as Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart over the past decade.

Throughout his 10 seasons at the University of Georgia, Smart has led the Bulldogs to a pair of national titles, a quartet of SEC championships, numerous victories over top 10 opponents, and a plethora of first round picks in the NFL Draft.

But while Smart is tabbed by many as college football's best head coach, one major analyst appears to disagree with the sentiment. That analyst is Fox Sports' Joel Klatt, who ranked Smart as just the third-best active head coach in college football.

Joel Klatt Ranks Kirby Smart as College Football's Third-Best Head Coach

Jan 2, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Fox Sports broadcaster Joel Klatt emcees the Holiday Bowl trophy presentation at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Klatt explained his reasoning for Smart's, ranking stemmed from the fact that there had been head coaches to win national titles more recently than he. Klatt cited Ohio State's Ryan Day (ranked second) and Indiana's Curt Cignetti (ranked first) as the more recent title winners.

Both Day and Cignetti have won national championships within the past two seasons, while Smart's last victory in a College Football Playoff game came during the 2022 season. Despite this, the coach's third-place ranking has created some major debates within fans of the sport.

Although his ranking of Smart was not as high as some may have anticipated, the Fox Sports analyst had nothing but glowing reviews of the job Smart has done in Athens. Recounting the coach's impressive record in the SEC and the team's historic dominance within the SEC throughout one of the most difficult eras of college football.

"As long as Kirby is there, Georgia is not going anywhere," said Klatt. "They're still recruiting and developing at an elite level. This guy is 100% one of the best coaches in college football. He's number three on my list. And again, it's because the recency of these championships."

While Klatt's third place ranking for Smart is likely to rile up many Georgia fans. The Bulldogs' head coach is likely not concerned with his ranking and his more focused on bringing another national championship to Athens.