With Steve Sarkisian and James Franklin leading the pack, who is likely to be the next coach to win their first national title?

After operating like one of the nation’s top teams throughout the season and then playing some of its best football during the most important moments with a difficult run through the College Football Playoff, Ohio State coach Ryan Day celebrated the program’s ninth national championship over the weekend. Although the Buckeyes are a deserving winner to represent the entire season and the first 12-team format, it was also a significant confirmation for Day that he is currently among the best coaches in the sport.

Day, who already had one of the most gaudy winning percentages, was becoming increasingly disengaged from the conversations surrounding his work performance and his record, which was now 70-10 overall and 46-5 against Big Ten opponents. Ohio State wants to defeat Michigan, take home Big Ten titles, and contend for national titles. The pressure was on for the playoff run because of a losing streak against the Wolverines that lasted four games in November. Our best rivals prove themselves in times of difficulty, and Day’s efforts to prepare the Buckeyes for a postseason comeback win silenced those skeptics.

When we rank or debate the best college football coaches, winning your first national championship is more important than ever because there are so few active coaches with such titles. Day, who faced the “handicap” of overseeing a program with more talent and resources than the majority of the nation, had the on-paper credentials that deserved more respect than he most likely received.”. In Ohio, he is now a made man after the title run.

It was uncommon for the coach who won the national championship to win it for the first time for a while. Between 2008 and 2020, there were only four first-time winners due to the success of Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, and Dabo Swinney: Gene Chizik, Jimbo Fisher, Dabo Swinney, and Ed Orgeron. A run of three first-time winners in four years began with Kirby Smart’s 2021 title, with Smart’s 2022 back-to-back victory serving as the lone recurrence. It is now more likely that there will be more first-time winners in the future because so many ring-holding coaches are no longer involved.

Like Ryan Day, there are a number of coaches at different phases of their careers who have a solid reputation but lack the game’s greatest award to further establish themselves as one of the sport’s most recognizable figures. Here are five coaches we’ve highlighted as the next to win their first championship, keeping an eye on the future for 2025 and beyond while also honoring the work that has already been done.

Texas native Steve Sarkisian.

Texas had advanced to the College Football Playoff semifinals for the second consecutive year. The Longhorns have been on the verge of a game-winning or game-tying score in the closing seconds of each of those games. We don’t even play the games about Texas being “back” because, with Sarkisian’s leadership, the program achieved its goal of yearly championship competition. He bolstered the team’s roster in order to get them ready for the SEC transition, and they demonstrated their preparedness by playing in the SEC Championship Game in Year 1. It’s unlikely that Texas will be outside of the elite group of teams vying for the league title anytime soon, especially considering the recruiting success.

Then there’s Texas football’s clear, immediate future and the potential outcomes of the Arch Manning era. We have witnessed glimpses of his athleticism and ability to make plays over the past two years, but he has hardly ever been given the full offensive load. The biggest star of 2025 will be Manning, a former five-star prospect who is expected to play in the NFL like his relatives. Texas will also be a contender for a national championship. This has been a healthy build with a steady trajectory, as can be seen when you zoom out and look at Sarkisian’s time in Austin. Every season has seen an improvement in the win total, and the team has not deviated from this new benchmark even when injuries and NFL Draft exits have put their depth to the test. Sarkisian started the team from scratch, and now a great quarterback is supported by that strong base. Sarkisian is expected to win a ring soon, even though Texas may not win it all in 2025.

Penn State’s James Franklin.

A few plays separated Franklin from a chance to win the national championship, and one of the most reliable coaches without a College Football Playoff appearance finally made a breakthrough. It hurts to lose to Notre Dame 27–24 in the semifinals, but it has inspired a dedication to 2025 that puts the Nittany Lions in the same position as they have been since Franklin joined before 2014. Following a breakout season, quarterback Drew Allar, the outstanding running back tandem of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, and numerous other important players who contributed to 2024’s success have pledged to return to Happy Valley and are eager to move forward.

Though Day’s seemingly exceptional winning percentage is more impressive than Franklin’s on-paper record at Penn State, Franklin is unquestionably one of the most reliable coaches of this generation. The 2020 season, which was cut short due to COVID, was one of only two seasons at Penn State since the beginning of 2016 that did not feature nine or more regular-season victories. That nine-year run has included four seasons with 11 or more wins, five top-10 finishes in the AP Top 25 poll, a Big Ten championship in 2016, and a 2024 Big Ten runner-up. Franklin argues that he has been persistently vying for a national championship for ten years and will bring back pieces from a team that came closer than any other to winning it all in 2025, if you want to make the case that Sarkisian has Texas vying for the title because of the previous two years.

Freeman, Marcus, Notre Dame.

The No. 1 is recruiting and player acquisition in general. One essential component for a national champion; no champion in the contemporary era has ascended to the summit with consistent success on the recruiting trail year after year. Furthermore, even though we believe that elite talent makes all the difference, winning a national championship today demands a level of competitive depth never seen before. In order to prevent injuries from derailing a season’s hopes of winning the championship, coaches must be able to rotate players throughout the regular season and have enough faith in the reserves.

In terms of recruiting, development, and evaluation, Marcus Freeman and his team’s efforts enabled Notre Dame to withstand waves of injuries that seemed to end the season during the 2024 campaign and still advance to the national championship game. The way those players performed (and improved) throughout the season demonstrated a strong operation on the sidelines and behind the scenes, and within the cliché of the “next man up” mentality was a genuine trust and belief in the young players forced into action due to injuries. Although Freeman’s body of work is small, his 33-10 overall record and three top-20 finishes in three years indicate that he is in a position to knock on doors every year. His recruiting impact was initially evident when he was hired as a defensive coordinator and has continued as a head coach.

What comes next for Notre Dame? The Irish must improve through the air following their loss at the CFP National Championship.

Richard Johnson.

Again, in a very small sample size, Freeman has proven to be one of the best at managing and preparing his team for ups and downs and playoff football at the collegiate level. With Notre Dame’s returning talent for 2025 and the outlook for the future, the Fighting Irish will be expected to be in playoff contention every year once they get there.

Oregon’s Dan Lanning.

Ohio State celebrated its national championship over the weekend, but the 2024 Big Ten champions are working hard to put the pieces in place so they can continue to be the best in the sport for years to come. Lanning is beginning to resemble Ryan Day in that he has an impressive record (35-6 overall, 24-3 against conference opponents), immense talent, and no truly “bad” losses. However, as each season comes to an end, Eugene’s desire for a national championship will only grow stronger. All six of Lanning’s losses were to ranked teams, and four of them were to a team that would later compete for or win the national championship.

For a program that had narrowly missed winning the Pac-12 in their last two years in the league, the Big Ten championship victory over Penn State represents a significant advancement. Lanning needs to build on his achievements from this year and refuel for a 2025 run. Oregon will begin each season as a contender for the College Football Playoffs as long as they can build a talent pool that can compete with the nation’s top programs. Like Day, Lanning’s next goal is to lead his team to victory in the postseason and a championship, which would solidify his place among the nation’s best coaches.

Moore, Michigan, Sherrone.

Moore has Michigan much closer to returning to the top than some may realize, but there are dozens of coaches with more head coaching experience who have come closer to winning a national championship as head coaches. A significant increase in recruiting success has been observed as schools and programs update their operations for the NIL era. These traditional powers have long had the capacity to spend money, but they haven’t always used it specifically for player acquisition. The headline about LSU losing five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood will likely fuel optimism into 2025, but I believe the team’s final-season roster quality demonstrates that they were a respectable offense just one win away from winning the Big Ten championship.

Despite losing some of its defensive standouts, Michigan ended the season with victories over Ohio State and Alabama, crushing the hearts of the Buckeyes in Columbus and then stifling Jalen Milroe and the Crimson Tide in the championship game. The Wolverines’ defense managed to keep five of their final six opponents under 21 points, including those 13-10 and 19-13 victories against Ohio State and Alabama, respectively, despite losing 13 NFL Draft selections from the team that won the championship the previous year and struggling with injuries all season long.

In other words, there is reason to think that this roster’s foundation is still strong, and the addition of a quarterback with program-changing potential could help address the need for an offensive spark. That is a team that should not be disregarded for a postseason run in the upcoming years, and the coach has a good chance of winning his first championship—at least as head coach—even before some more seasoned coaches.

Brian Kelly, LSU.

During our conversation on the Cover 3 Podcast, Bud Elliott suggested that Kelly might have simply witnessed a title window pass. The quarterback’s 2022 SEC Championship Game appearance and his 2023 Heisman Trophy run were two highlights of Jayden Daniels’ two years in Baton Rouge. With a highly regarded quarterback, Garrett Nussmeier, taking over and an offensive line bookended by two NFL Draft tackles, it appeared that everything was set up for a run this season. The Tigers were well-positioned to win the SEC championship and the College Football Playoffs by late October after defeating Ole Miss and South Carolina. Those championship hopes were then dashed by a three-game losing streak, and LSU must now rebuild on the offensive line and a few other critical skill positions in hopes of winning back the title in 2025. Kelly’s best chance to win a championship may have been against some of the top teams, such as those that included every NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist. Additionally, losing Bryce Underwood to Michigan undoubtedly alters the conversation about LSU’s future.

I then recalled that LSU has won three national titles in the twenty-first century under three different coaches. This is not to suggest that anyone can win in Baton Rouge, but there is undoubtedly enough institutional momentum to ensure that the person in charge has everything they need to succeed. Kelly has already appeared in the College Football Playoffs and the BCS National Championship Games. Although he hasn’t done so at LSU, it’s likely that his team will have enough talent to qualify for the CFP most years.

Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer.

DeBoer has already coached in the national championship game once, and he demonstrated that he can make the right decisions with a contender by leading the team during Washington’s historic 2023 run. He also enjoys the benefits of being at Alabama, which is why there was a lot of hope before the season began as one of the best coaches in the world takes over a program that has more resources than any other place he has ever worked. Despite some significant setbacks at the end of the season, such as losing to Michigan in the bowl game and missing out on the College Football Playoff, this was still a No. 1 Crimson Tide team. 7 a.m. in the country on November 1. 23 with a chance to make it to the SEC Championship Game. The coach and team have a lot of worries about the Crimson Tide’s failure to complete the task, but overall, everything is in place for Alabama to consistently field a postseason contender.

Whether DeBoer can maintain the fine line between leaving his mark on Alabama football and preserving the elements that made it great under Nick Saban will be crucial. For ten years prior to Saban, Alabama football had only one SEC title (1999) and numerous SEC middle-of-the-pack finishes. Though it has existed, it is difficult for the contemporary mind to imagine a world in which Alabama’s football program is not among the most significant and prosperous in the nation. Fortunately for DeBoer, it was before the majority of today’s players were born, so he might not have any trouble selling success when recruiting. DeBoer is capable of leading a team to a deep playoff run as long as he maintains the level of talent acquisition set by his predecessor.