Two Clemson coaches make ESPN top-100 coaches ranking

Swinney is 51 and is already on the hunt for a third national title.

Brandon Rink - Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer - Friday, August 13 2021

Two Clemson coaches made the top-40 of a 100-best coaches ranking of the last 50 seasons by ESPN on Friday ($).

That, of course, is led by two-time national championship coach Dabo Swinney at No. 7 overall, just ahead of Kansas State's Bill Snyder and just behind USC's John McKay.

Alabama's duo of Nick Saban and Bear Bryant top the list, with the top-5 filled out by FSU's Bobby Bowden, Nebraska's Tom Osborne and Urban Meyer, who won national titles with Florida and Ohio State.

"The best coach to have briefly retired to sell real estate, Swinney surprised many by landing the Clemson job, then surprised even more by building a Tiger warship," ESPN's Bill Connelly said. "In the past six seasons, Clemson has gone 79-7 and won its second and third national titles. And he's only 51."

Just inside the top-40 (39) is Clemson's first national-title-winning coach, Danny Ford.

"The 1980s' most underrated coach, Ford took the Clemson reins at age 30, led the Tigers to their first national title three years later, then worked through NCAA sanctions and won three straight ACC titles. He also won Arkansas its first SEC West title," said Connelly.

Clemson opens with No. 93 on the list Sept. 4 with Georgia's Kirby Smart.