Where Should Marcus Freeman Rank Among College Football’s Top Coaches?

It's that time on the college football calendar: not a whole lot is going on so when one guy on a podcast releases their top coaches poll, then seemingly everyone and their mother follow with their own.

These are the kind of things that will always draw reaction, but I'm here just to look at Marcus Freeman compared to the rest of college football.

While there likely isn't a coach in the country that fits Notre Dame better than Freeman, how many other coaches would you take over Freeman as a whole?

The correct answer should be: very few.

Two Obvious Coaches Above Freeman

When evaluating Marcus Freeman, there are two coaches that no questions asked, have to be ranked ahead of him.

What Curt Cignetti has done in two years at Indiana can't be argued. He took Indiana - yes that Indiana - from Big Ten cellar dweller to national champions in two seasons. With the Hooisers appearing to have staying power as long as he's there, Cignetti gets the top spot in any of these rankings that should be taken at all seriously.

The other that has to be above Freeman is Ryan Day at Ohio State. Day has Ohio State in the national championship conversation every year, won the title two years ago, and is 3-0 head-to-head against Freeman and Notre Dame.

Other than that, does anyone have to be above Freeman?

Freeman Compared to Kirby Smart

Marcus Freeman and Molly McGrath after Notre Dame won the 2025 Sugar Bow — Jan 2, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman is announced to fans after defeating the Georgia Bulldogs after the game at Caesars Superdome. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

While you can't build these rankings based on one head-to-head matchup, what else to do we have with Marcus Freeman and Georgia's Kirby Smart to go off of right now?

Smart has two national championships with Georgia and has also won the last couple of SEC Championships. However, since winning the title in 2022, Georgia hasn't won a playoff game, which includes a Sugar Bowl loss to Notre Dame to cap its 2024 season.

These two are pretty much neck-and-neck, both having very good outlooks.

Does Freeman have Notre Dame in a position to win a national championship sooner than Georgia wins its next?

Although we can't base it all on history, Georgia is still a power, even with the hit the SEC has taken in recent years.

I put Smart a hair above Freeman - FOR NOW.

Marcus Freeman vs. Lane Kiffin, Dan Lanning, and the Rest

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman during a 2025 gam — Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman reacts against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second half in the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

After Smart at No. 3, Freeman can fit in any spot from roughly four to eight or nine and I wouldn't argue too hard.

Does Freeman's 2024 run in the postseason count for more than Dan Lanning and Oregon going 13-0 and winning the Big Ten that season, but getting clobbered by Ohio State in the Rose Bowl? Lanning also had Oregon back in the semifinal this year while Freeman's Fighting Irish squad missed the dance altogether. Either or is fine.

Lane Kiffin is a name I'm going to be real curious to examine a year from now. What he did at Ole Miss on an annual basis had never been done before with that program. Now can he replicate that success on the bigger stage that is LSU?

Kiffin, for now, remains a step behind in the conversation, but has the potential to be knocking on the door of No. 3 or so so on this list a year from now.

Kalen DeBoer at Alabama (formerly Washington), Steve Sarkisian at Texas, Mario Cristobal at Miami, and Mike Elko from Texas A&M are all in the conversation from there.

DeBoer would be seen as a God on 97% of college campuses if he did what he did at Alabama the last two years. However, Alabama isn't in that 97%.

Sarkisian is a media darling, and Texas is in that state where it's supposed to be the next great thing, but we've been waiting on that for a bit now.

Cristobal proved a lot with Miami as the Hurricanes were a force by season's end after an up-and-down start.

As for Elko, how does he build on the success in his first two seasons at Texas A&M? His third season in College Station will speak volumes to whether or not the Aggies are going to finally take that next step, or if they're going to be the same old Texas A&M.

Nick Shepkowski's Top 10 College Football Coaches Currently

10. Matt Campbell, Penn State

As we'll discuss at various points, doing more at a place that hasn't traditionally had great success is a big deal. Campbell did that at Iowa State although the shine wore off a little in the NIL world, he was a dynamite hire for Penn State this off-season.

9. Steve Sarkisian, Texas

Sarkisian hasn't gotten Texas over that final hurdle yet, but he clearly has raised the bar in Austin. The question is: can he win the big one with the Longhorns?

8. Kyle Whittingham, Michigan

He was also toward the top of these lists while at Utah so why wouldn't he be at a place with more resources like Michigan?

7. Mario Cristobal, Miami

A sign of a great coach is a team that gets better as the season goes on. Cristobal's clearly did that this past season as Miami gave Indiana all it wanted and more in the national title game. Now, how does he follow it up without Carson Beck?

6. Lane Kiffin, LSU

He brought previously unseen success to Ole Miss and now goes to an easier place to win historically at LSU. There is a chance Kiffin is knocking on the door of the top three here next year.

5. Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame

All Freeman has done at Notre Dame is elevate the program from where Brian Kelly left it. Now the pressure will be on for him to take another step this fall.

4. Dan Lanning, Oregon

Lanning and Oregon have lost three games over the last two seasons: all to the eventual national champion from both years.

3. Kirby Smart, Georgia

The two national championships have to count (this isn't Dabo Swinney we're talking about)

2. Ryan Day, Ohio State

The last coach not named Cignetti to win a national championship and who is better set up to compete for a national title annually than Ohio State each year right now? There is a case for No. 1 from day, but...

1. Curt Cignetti, Indiana

Indiana just went 16-0 and won a national championship in his second year. I rest my case.