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2018 ACC Coaching Rankings

Apr 22, 2018, 12:23 PM

So, I've done this every year for the last few years and with the Spring Game done and us sort of in a dead period, I present you... the coaches in the ACC ranked, 1-14.

1. Dabo Swinney, Clemson: They've made the playoffs every single year for the last three years. There's no justification for anyone else to be ranked in the #1 position. Period.

2. Mark Richt, Miami: Did a very underrated job at Georgia. Then came back to his alma mater where he had them in their first ACCCG in year 2. Fisher's departure secures Richt in this spot right now as well IMO. I don't think you can really argue with anyone else deserving to be in this spot.

3. Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech: 2017 was probably an even better coaching job than the 2016's resurgence season due to personnel losses. Recruiting has been improving and the future for the Hokies is bright.

4. Willie Taggart, Florida State: I'm not as sold on this hire as many are. I don't think he's a bad coach, but he sure does have a reputation for jumping around and I don't think we've gotten to see his long term building potential.

5. Bobby Petrino, Louisville: As I said last year, he may be a horrible person, but he is a solid coach. But the Cards missed an opportunity to cash in with Lamar Jackson.

6. David Cutcliffe, Duke: I simply had him too low last year. He simply continues to take DUKE to bowl games. And now, even recruiting is actually formidable.

7. Bronco Mendenhall, Virginia: He's quirky as heck, but he's a good football coach. That UVA team had no business getting to 6-6 in the regular season. Yet, they made a bowl. This year is going to be a real test though with their personnel losses.

8. Dave Clawson, Wake Forest: He has made a big jump in my rankings this year. Wake has recovered and is a legitimate football program again. He might not take Wake to an ACC title like his predecessor did, but Clawson's accomplishments at Wake might be more impressive given the improved ACC Atlantic.

9. Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech: Home for the holidays in two of the last three years doesn't sit well in Atlanta. Frankly, if not for the Orange Bowl bid in 2014, he might have been out this season. Another failed bid for a bowl and this might be his last. The extension he received this offseason wasn't exactly a huge vote of confidence.

10. Steve Addazio, Boston College: BORING.... but he's another coach who has made a big jump. Boston College is a pretty tough job and yet the Eagles have bowled 4 of the last 5 years. And Addazio inherited a mess when he first arrived in Chestnut Hill.

11. Dave Doeren, NC State: They've had a couple solid seasons in a row. But will the Wolfies ever make a bigger jump under him? 2018 is going to be a pivotal season for his tenure IMO, though I doubt he gets outright fired thanks to his new deal.

12. Pat Narduzzi, Pitt: The Panthers have gotten worse each season under the Narddog, though they did have some reason for hope at the end of the year with a loss by a yard in Blacksburg and the win over the Canes in the season finale.

13. Larry Fedora, UNC: Well, this program certainly met a cliff. Similar to the cliff Southern Miss met when he departed there. The Heels should be a bit better this year. But I don't think anyone expected last year's nose dive either... at least not to the extent that they did.

14. Dino Babers, Syracuse: I don't think he's necessarily a bad coach. I'm just not sure I see him gaining any traction in a very tough situation at Cuse. They may continue to be good for an upset per season though.

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I won't rank them because I think that's pointless and ever-shifting but I will say that I think the ACC is extremely well-coached at the moment.

When some lists have guys like Steve Addazio - who's got BC competing again, and has them tough as nails at the LOS to boot even if they don't have a ton of team speed - and Dave Doeren (who just went 9-4) at or near the bottom, you have an extremely well-coached conference. (Keep in mind Doeren also got Northern Illinois to 12-1 and the Orange Bowl a few years back.)

When you've got Dino Babers at dead-last, stuff really is tough sledding. Babers is good and if he can get any kind of talent he'll have 'Cuse competing. That offense of his - which he got from Art Briles, who could coach some offense even if he was a poster boy of #MeToo atrocities against the female gender - is no joke.

Taggart's the big X factor. Everybody knows he can recruit. Everybody knows he's one cool cat and is also a very good players' coach. But can he call plays? And his defensive staff is suspect as well. We'll see. The ACC caught and almost buried Jimbo and it surely does look like Mark Richt is locking down South Florida again. Getting back up the mountain is not guaranteed for him.

Oh, and Bronco Mendenhall. The film junkies I know love him. They say he's one of the best pure football brains in the game.

The Saban clones are taking over the SEC - mostly, it seems, because they cheat like crazy (I wish I was kidding) - but other than Dan Mullen (who is an Urban Meyer disciple, not a Saban guy) they're reverting back to three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust on O at a wondrous rate and as far as offensive minds go, they're pretty much nonexistent in that conference.

The ACC, on the other hand....this honestly might be the best collection of offensive brains I've seen in one conference at one time in awhile...and no two of them really do it the same way. (Safe to say the ACC is by a bunch the most varied of any conference in terms of the number of different offensive schemes and philosophies out there.) Add in the ACC can actually play defense - unlike the Big 12 or Pac-12 - and I think there could be 4-5 teams vying for the title this year (though I think Clemson is ahead of all of them) - and another 4-5 that can really, really play.

It's a challenge. I'm frankly glad Clemson is as established as we are...because this conference is just way more challenging than it was even a few years ago.

2018 ACC Coaching Rankings

Re: 2018 ACC Coaching Rankings

This is a very good take on it

Re: 2018 ACC Coaching Rankings

Re: 2018 ACC Coaching Rankings

Re: 2018 ACC Coaching Rankings

Doeren #4? Lol***

Re: Doeren #4? Lol***

True and true on both of those statements regarding NCST...

Taggart last is kind of ridiculous

Re: Taggart last is kind of ridiculous

Richt lol***

Good list, I like it.

agree.Have to agree with almost all of this.Good work friend***

VATECH fan, how big is the opener at FSU for VT?

I think it's CRUCIAL to FSU

Re: I think it's CRUCIAL to FSU

Well, he started as a freshman and left

Re: 2018 ACC Coaching Rankings

Re: Babers should be higher; Pawwwwl Johnson last

The Coaching

Re: 2018 ACC Coaching Rankings

You have Clawson way too low. What he has done at WF is

I agree that he has done a fantastic job at Wake

Interesting List VT

Small world, I grew up in Hampton too

Re: 2018 ACC Coaching Rankings

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