Ranking the College Football Coaching Jobs: 120-51

We have ranked every college football program in the country, based on the attractiveness of the position from a coaching perspective. We considered many factors — tradition, facilities, location, money  — but in the end, we simply asked ourselves the following question: Where would we want to coach? Check back tomorrow for rankings 50-1.

(Note: Current or impending NCAA sanctions were not a factor in these rankings.)

51. Kentucky
The Cats have outstanding facilities and a solid fanbase, but basketball is king.

52. Maryland
Good coaches have been able to win here. 

53. Mississippi State
Facilities are good, but competition is brutal.

54. Purdue
Joe Tiller had the Boilers rolling for a while.

55. Minnesota
New stadium makes this job more attractive, but the Gophers will always struggle against Big Ten’s elite.

56. Kansas
Solid athletic department but no tradition.

57. UCF
Prime location makes it No. 1 in C-USA.

58. Houston
A good coach won’t have problem getting players at UH.

59. Oregon State
More desirable now than at any other time.

60. Syracuse
Tradition can only take you so far.

61. Boston College
Location hurts, but BC finds a way to win.

62. Connecticut
Top-notch facilities; weak recruiting base.

63. Kansas State
Bill Snyder is the only coach who has figured it out at K-State.

64. Fresno State
Prime location makes it No. 1 in the WAC.

65. Northwestern
Cats have found their niche in the Big Ten.

66. Baylor
Struggled to be a factor since the SWC broke up.

67. Cincinnati
Not every coach is as good as Brian Kelly.

68. Washington State
It’s an uphill battle, but far from impossible.

69. Iowa State
Tough job but school has good fan support.

70. Wake Forest
Duke is the only tougher job in the ACC.

71. Vanderbilt
Glamour of the SEC, but so many hurdles.

72. Duke
Basketball is king; program is No. 4 in the state.

73. Indiana
Support is weak; recruiting base is poor.

74. Southern Miss
You can always get talent at USM.

75. San Diego State
Sleeping giant is showing signs of life.

76. SMU
Solid tradition (yes, we know about the cheating) and a great recruiting base.

77. East Carolina
Solid program: support, recruiting, tradition.

78. Colorado State
Job has potential to be among MWC’s best.

79. Air Force
It’s the best job of the military schools.

80. UNLV
Getting players isn’t the issue. Winning is.

81. Hawaii
Tougher to recruit to UH than most think.

82. Marshall
It’s only the fourth best job in C-USA East.

83. Navy
Middies have found their best option.

84. Northern Illinois
Recruiting base makes it top job in the MAC.

85. New Mexico
Great location — unless you have to recruit.

86. Wyoming
Pokes have few built-in advantages.

87. Memphis
SEC recruiting base with C-USA support.

88. UTEP
Still in Texas, but it’s not close to anything.

89. Nevada
A solid opportunity in a weak conference.

90. Tulsa
Third best job in a decent state for talent.

91. Louisiana Tech
Great talent base, but miscast in the WAC.

92. Troy
Easily the top gig in the Sun Belt.

93. Army
Kids would rather play for Air Force, Navy.

94. Central Michigan
Good coaches can win big at CMU.

95. Miami (Ohio)
The cradle of coaches is never down for long.

96. Toledo
Nice tradition and a very strong recruiting base.

97. North Texas
Good for its league, but No. 9 in the state.

98. FAU
Great location. No tradition.

99. FIU
Great location. No tradition.

100. Middle Tennessee
Decent locale, but fan support is low.

101. San Jose State
Great location — if you are a realtor.

102. UAB
No tradition. No support.

103. Bowling Green
Urban Meyer isn’t walking through the door.

104. Western Michigan
It’s No. 4 in the state and No. 4 in MAC West.

105. Rice
It’s the toughest job in the best state for talent.

106. Tulane
Tommy Bowden proved you could win at Tulane, but support for the program continues to shrink.

107. Ohio
OU hasn’t won consistently since the ‘30s.

108. Temple
Big-city location gives it some appeal.

109. Akron
Zips have one league title in school history.

110. Kent State
Only one winning season since ’87.

111. Buffalo
Turner Gill proved there is a pulse at UB.

112. Utah State
Aggies are a distant third in their own state.

113. Idaho
Boise’s emergence has to irk Vandal fans.

114. Ball State
Cardinals are 53–88 over the last 12 years.

115. Arkansas State
Hasn’t had a winning season in FBS ranks.

116. Western Kentucky
This fledgling FBS program has potential, but right now it’s tough to rank the Toppers much higher.

117. Louisiana-Lafayette
It’s a better job than Louisiana-Monroe.

118. Louisiana-Monroe
Warhawks can’t break through in the Belt.

119. New Mexico State
Hasn’t won a bowl game since 1960.

120. Eastern Michigan
Support is bad and tradition is non-existent. 

Other Program Ranking Content:

Ranking the Jobs in the ACC
Ranking the Jobs in the Big East
Ranking the Jobs in the Big Ten
Ranking the Jobs in the Big 12
Ranking the Jobs in the Pac-12
Ranking the Jobs in the SEC