As a die-hard Georgia Bulldog fan, here’s my take on that USA Today coaches rankings list — with some serious Dawg pride injected.
Look, I’ll admit it: seeing Curt Cignetti slotted at No. 1 stings a little. The guy just won a national title with Indiana after turning around James Madison. Fair play — that’s an incredible run, 27-2 in two years at IU with a dominant playoff run. He’s playing Nick Saban realness right now.
NCAA Top 25 Head Coaches
But let’s be real: Kirby Smart built what he has over years at a blue-blood program, not jumping ship for flashier gigs. Cignetti earned the top spot this offseason, but we’ll see how long that lasts when the real games start.
Our guy Kirby Smart comes in at No. 2 (down from 1), and honestly, that’s still elite company. The article nails it: he doesn’t “rule with the same authority” as a few years ago, but he’s still head and shoulders above almost everyone. Three of the last four SEC titles? Check. Elite recruiting, player development, and retention even in the wild west of the transfer portal? Check. Georgia remains a perennial contender built to last. That’s not luck — that’s Smart’s program. We’ve got the talent, the scheme, and the culture to compete for it all again this year. No. 2? We’ll take it as motivation. Kirby’s got that Dawg in him.0
The rest of the list has some head-scratchers, but from Athens, a few stand out:
- Ryan Day at No. 3 (Ohio State): Solid, but we know how that rivalry goes. He finally got over some humps, but we’ll see him in the SEC/Big Ten crossover soon enough.
- Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame), Dan Lanning (Oregon), etc.: Young guns on the rise. Respect, but none have Kirby’s sustained excellence at this level.
- Lane Kiffin at No. 6 (now at LSU): Always entertaining, master recruiter and QB whisperer. Good luck in Baton Rouge — we’ll enjoy facing that chaos in the SEC.
- Lower down: Sark, DeBoer, Dabo — all talented, but Georgia’s been stacking SEC hardware while some of them chase consistency.
Overall, the list reflects a sport in flux with portal madness, coaching carousel drama, and new conference alignments. But for us Georgia fans? This just fires us up more. Kirby Smart is the gold standard — two-time national champ, SEC powerhouse architect, and the guy who keeps delivering. Cignetti had his moment, but the Dawgs are loaded and hungry for more rings.
Go Dawgs — 2026 is going to be fun. Sic ’em!