Ranking the ACC's Football Coaching Jobs in 2015 (Expert Poll)

Is it easier to win at Florida State or Clemson? How about North Carolina or Miami?

 

Which program provides the most support? Which program has access to the best players? Which program has proven it can succeed at a high level over time? Which program has the most pressure to win?

 

These are all the questions head coaches must ask themselves when deciding to accept a job or not.

 

So Athlon Sports asked some respected ACC minds one question: Where would you want to coach if the slates (rosters, sanctions, etc.) were wiped clean and all 14 jobs were available?

 

The Voting Panel:

 

Wes Durham, FOX Sports/ACC Network

Mark Packer, SiriusXM College Sports Nation

Tony Barnhart, AJC/SEC Network

Chris Low, ESPN.com

Bob Ferrante, TheOsceola.com

Ralph Russo, AP

Bud Elliott, TomahawkNation.com

Joe Lanza, TheKeyPlay.com

Paul Myerberg, USA Today

Mark Ennis, ESPN 680-Louisville

David Glenn, The David Glenn Show

David Hood, Tigernet.com

Jerry DiPaola, Pitt Trib Review

Nate Mink, Syracuse.com

Steven Lassan, Athlon Sports

Braden Gall, Athlon Sports/SiriusXM

The Results:

 

Voting: A first-place vote was worth one point and a last-place vote was worth 14 points. The points are a great indicator of what tier your program is in within the conference.

 

Rk	Job	Votes (1st)
1.		17 (15)
Ever since joining the ACC, Florida State has been the league's most dominant program. The Noles have a great recruiting base, rich history of elite success, a powerful national brand and one of the better gameday atmospheres in the league. The facilities are getting better and the only drawback is slight financial instability in the athletic department. There are very few cons in Tallahassee and it's why FSU got 15 of the possible 16 first-place votes.
2.		37
The more you study Clemson the more you wonder how it went 20 years without a conference crown. Death Valley is the best place to play (or live) in the ACC and the support from both administration and fans is second-to-none in the league. It's also centrally located between the fertile recruiting grounds of Florida, Georgia, Virginia and North Carolina. The Tigers got 14 of the possible 16 second-place votes.
3.		66
Frank Beamer has slowly but surely elevated this program from regional afterthought to ACC powerhouse by way of the Big East. The facilities are great and Lane Stadium is a sight to behold on Saturdays. The campus is gorgeous but isolated and Virginia is stocked with talent but is over-recruited by both the ACC and SEC. The Hokies were ranked third, fourth or fifth by all but one voter. It's not an elite job but it's stable and safe.
4.		70 (1)
Miami is an interesting case study in pros and cons. On the positive side, the Hurricanes offer as much upside as any program in the nation, winning national titles in three different decades and have the easiest access to elite prospects of any program in the nation. But fan and administrative support is inferior to any nationally elite programs and the home-field advantage is non-existent. This is why The U was the only other team to get a first-place vote — and was voted ninth twice.
5.		78
One of the quicker risers in college football (due in large part to the accomplishments of Tom Jurich) checks in as a top-five ACC job after just one season. Facilities continue to surge upwards towards big-time college football but are not on an elite level quite yet. The same could be said about the recruiting base — it's solid, but Louisville must look outside the region to build a roster. There is a lot to like about the Cardinals' post but it still has some work to do to be a nationally revered gig.
6.		94
Now that Clemson has reestablished itself as an ACC power, the mantle of underachiever falls to Chapel Hill. As far as location, recruiting base, stadium, facilities and brand power, UNC is on par with most conference foes. However, the fans can be fickle (and obsessed with the round ball) and there is little track record of high-level success. This is a program that should be winning 8-9 games every season with the many advantages it boasts. Yet, it hasn't won an ACC crown since 1980. This job has more to offer than, say, Louisville, but hasn't been able to prove it on the field.
7.		115
There are certain obstacles one must clear to win at Tech. First, the city of Atlanta is a poor sports town and produces less talent than one might assume in a market dominated by its SEC brethren from Athens. Academic standards can also hinder success. But this program has consistently been competitive despite some more interesting hires.
8.		129
Boasting the most underrated gameday atmosphere in the ACC, NC State is one of the better second-tier programs in the league. The recruiting base is rich and the facilities are among the league's best. But this program seems mired in the middle of the league, last winning a title in 1979 and posting just six winning seasons in ACC play since 1990. The Wolfpack were voted as high as sixth (three times) and as low as 11th.
9.		139
Since Florida State joined, no program has watched its stock slip more than Virginia. The once-proud program has a fertile recruiting base to cull, a gorgeous campus and stadium with passionate fans. But this program has struggled to deliver, as it's won just two ACC titles in its 57-year league history. The strict academic standards likely have kept this program from vaulting into regionally elite status.
10.		153
The last of the quality jobs in the ACC, Pitt offers some unique points to this discussion. The Panthers play in a posh building in a football-crazy town but will always be second fiddle to the Black and Gold. The Keystone State was once extremely productive when it comes to football talent but has seen population trends shift South, West and East. It is the lone rust-belt program geographically, so while there are unique advantages there are also unique disadvantages as well. Moving up to the ACC is a big positive but the glory days of Dan Marino, Hugh Green and Tony Dorsett are long gone.
11.		178
Don't let the job David Cutcliffe has done fool you, winning at Duke is nearly impossible. At best, it's the third-best job in the state in an area that is focused on hoops and has academic restraints. The fan support and overall interest just isn't there — from fans or boosters. How else could a team win a division title and only average 26,000 fans?
12.		184
There are many hurdles to clear to win at BC. There isn't enough talent in the Northeast to keep BC competitive with the Florida State's of the world and luring players North from down South is easier said than done. Facilities and fan support aren't among the league's best either. However, there is something to be said about the consistency this program has experienced in the past — which is why three voters had the Eagles at ninth.
13.		198
Just 15 years ago, this ranking would be absurd. This once-proud program was a national power with elite facilities, fan support and brand recognition. Yet, as population trends continue to move away from the Northeast and Cuse's once state-of-the-art stadium becomes more outdated, winning has gotten more difficult. And the fans aren't coming out like they used too. It's impossible to recruit to upstate New York and the move to the ACC hasn't opened up a Southern pipeline like anticipated. Finally, Syracuse administration clearly are more committed to basketball.
14.		220
There just is nothing that sets Wake Forest apart from anyone else in the ACC. It's not the top program in the state — it's third at best. It's not the best academic school in the ACC. The facilities are solid but uninspiring. Fan support is extremely questionable on most Saturdays. Winston-Salem is a nice play to live, but otherwise there is little upside here. The Demon Deacons have posted three winning seasons in a row only once (2006-08) since the early 1950s and have won just one ACC title since 1970.

 

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