In the last 15 years, only two conferences have produced multiple national champions — the SEC and the ACC. Clemson and Florida State have been national powers over the last five seasons, and the league overall is emerging as a major threat to the SEC.
The coaching depth in the conference took a hit when Jimbo Fisher left FSU for Texas A&M. However, there are several promising young coaches in the league. Dabo Swinney also happens to have a better resume than any coach not named Nick Saban or Urban Meyer.
Swinney has a chance to add a second national title to his resume this fall with a loaded Clemson team. Additionally, there are plenty of other coaches in the ACC who have the talent to make some noise on the national stage.
Here are our rankings of the coaches in the ACC. If you missed our first installment in the SEC, check it out and let us know what you think.
Group 1: Solid, but Stagnant
- Steve Addazio, Boston College
Boston College isn’t exactly the easiest place to win, and Addazio has kept the program afloat during his five seasons. However, at some point going 7-6 every year isn’t going to cut it. Addazio has four 7-6 seasons under his belt with an ugly 3-9 campaign sandwiched in between. Addazio’s teams are anemic offensively, but he’ll probably keep his job as long as he keeps taking the Eagles to bowl games.
- Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh
The upcoming season is a big one for Narduzzi and the Panthers. Was 2017 an anomaly or a sign of things to come? Pitt finished 5-7 a season ago after back-to-back 8-5 campaigns, but they did end the year with a shocking upset win over Miami. Narduzzi is a great defensive mind, but this season might be another challenging one unless his team can find some offense.
- Dave Doeren, NC State
Doeren earned a five-year contract extension after leading the Wolfpack to a 9-4 record last year. The Wolfpack have had four straight winning seasons under Doeren. But NC State was perhaps the most frustrating team in all of college football a season ago. The Wolfpack had plenty of talent, yet they underachieved. Star defensive end Bradley Chubb was taken fifth overall in the NFL Draft. Every player on the NC State’s defensive line was drafted in the first four rounds. Doeren has done a great job recruiting at a school where it isn’t easy to win.
Colleges with the most players selected in the 2018 #NFLDraft! pic.twitter.com/99DNs2p8WK
— NFL Draft (@NFLDraft) April 29, 2018
Having that much talent — especially one of the best defensive lines in college football — makes the 2017 season feel like a wasted opportunity for Doeren. There’s no shame losing at Notre Dame or to Clemson, but Doeren was outcoached in losses to South Carolina and Wake Forest. NC State should have a good team again in 2018, but Doeren might have already missed his chance to have a truly special season.
Group 2: Building a Foundation
- Dino Babers, Syracuse
Consecutive 4-8 seasons aren’t necessarily inspiring, and the Orange finished 2017 on a five-game losing streak. However, there are positive signs surrounding the program. Syracuse has pulled off a major upset in each of the last two seasons under Babers (Virginia Tech in 2016, Clemson in 2017). The talent level isn’t great, and they’re in the tougher division in the ACC. The 2018 version of the Orange should be much more competitive, and the next step for Babers needs to be a bowl berth.
- Willie Taggart, Florida State
Taggart is the only newcomer to the ACC this season, and he takes over his dream job after only season at Oregon. After stops at Western Kentucky, South Florida and Oregon, Taggart inherits a Florida State team immediately ready to compete. Taggart’s first three head coaching gigs were rebuilding jobs, and there was gradual progress each season under his watch.
“Recruiting became a lot easier with this logo on your chest.” -FSU coach Willie Taggart, who lifted the Noles’ 2019 recruiting class from 78th to 11th in the country in February.
— Safid Deen 💯💯💯💯 (@Safid_Deen) May 4, 2018
Oregon finished 7-5 in Taggart’s lone season in Eugene, but the loss of quarterback Justin Herbert spoiled what could have been an impressive bounce back year for the Ducks. Taggart, a Jim Harbaugh disciple, is different than Jimbo Fisher in just about every way. Taggart’s teams have been under the radar in the past, but that won’t be the case at FSU. Taggart might be much higher on this list this time next year.
- Dave Clawson, Wake Forest
Wake Forest is on the short list of toughest jobs in the ACC, and Clawson has done a very impressive job in turning around the program. The Demon Deacons had five straight losing seasons before Clawson took over, and he had back-to-back 3-9 seasons in his first two years.
The last two seasons have been a different story. They broke through and earned a bowl bid in 2016, and they capped the season off with a bowl win as underdogs against Temple. The 2017 season was even better as Wake finished 8-5 and knocked off Texas A&M in the Belk Bowl. Clawson was also responsible for resurrecting Bowling Green, and he has the trajectory of the Demon Deacons pointing upwards entering his fifth season.
- Bronco Mendenhall, Virginia
Mendenhall raised quite a few eyebrows when he left BYU for Virginia, and he’s gradually returning the Cavaliers back to respectability. During Mendenhall’s second season, the Hoos improved their win total by four games. Virginia doesn’t have much talent, but Mendenhall can get them back in a bowl game this season. Mendenhall had consistent winners every year at BYU, though life was much easier as an independent. Virginia isn’t winning a championship in football anytime soon, but bowls berths are more than enough to appease fans for now. Mendenhall always has his teams well prepared, and they’re usually tough to beat.
Group 3: Just Forget About 2017
- Larry Fedora, North Carolina
Fedora gets a pass for last season’s abysmal 3-9 record. The Tar Heels lost a plethora of starters after winning 21 games in two years, and the rapid decline wasn’t too surprising. Nevertheless, Fedora needs to get North Carolina back on track quickly before things get out of hand. Fedora bought himself some time after winning the Coastal division in 2015, but he needs to avoid another losing season.
- Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech
Archaic. That’s the one word that best describes the Paul Johnson era at Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are the only Power 5 team that runs the triple option. They’re also the only Power 5 school that has an apparel deal with Russell Athletic — though the school signed a deal with Adidas for the 2018 season and beyond.
Two of the last three seasons haven’t been great for Johnson, but for the most part his system works. They’re often near the bottom of recruiting rankings each season, but Johnson wins anyway. He won an ACC championship in 2009. Johnson also led the Yellow Jackets to the conference title game four different times from 2008 to 2014. Georgia Tech is usually good when they’re not expected to be, so don’t be surprised if Johnson gets them back on track this season.
Group 4: Oozing Optimism
- Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech
Fuente’s rebuilding effort at Memphis was one of the best turnarounds in recent college football history. The Tigers are still among the best of the Group of 5 schools thanks to Fuente, and he’s off to an excellent start in Blacksburg. He led the Hokies to the ACC title game in his first season, and he followed that up with a solid 9-4 campaign in 2017.
The situation Fuente inherited at Virginia Tech almost perfect for a new coach. Frank Beamer established an impressive culture, and Fuente won’t have to worry about the defensive side of the ball as long as Bud Foster is calling plays. Beamer’s teams didn’t play at a championship level near the end of his career. The next step for Fuente is elevating the Hokies back into annual national relevancy.
- David Cutcliffe, Duke
Coaches with losing records at their current jobs typically don’t appear near the top of lists. Cutcliffe is a rare exception. He’s 59-67 in 10 seasons at Duke, but this is the most difficult job in the conference and his accomplishments in Durham are remarkable. Cutcliffe led the Blue Devils to the ACC title game and a 10-win season in 2013. The Blue Devils have also posted a winning record in the four of the last five seasons. Duke has made five bowl games on his watch. For context, the last time Duke made a bowl game before Cutcliffe was in 1995.
Cutcliffe has probably maxed out at Duke, but at 63 he’ll almost certainly finish his career with the Blue Devils. His ability to regularly take the program to bowl games should be cherished by Duke fans.
- Bobby Petrino, Louisville
Petrino has enough baggage to fill up an airplane by himself, but the man can flat out coach. He’s won at every stop during his collegiate coaching career. His second stint at Louisville hasn’t delivered a double-digit win season yet. However, that’s probably coming sooner rather than later if Petrino can stay out of trouble off the field.
The season opener against Alabama won’t be a fun matchup for the Cardinals, and Louisville fans might have to wait until 2019 before they see a team capable of winning an ACC championship.
- Mark Richt, Miami
A rejuvenated Mark Richt has The U right on the cusp of being “back.” The Hurricanes made the ACC title game for the first time since joining the league in 2004, and Richt has been far more appreciated in Miami than he was at Georgia. Ironically, Richt received a contract extension and a raise at the same time as new Georgia coach Kirby Smart.
On the same day Mark Richt got a pay raise it's likely Kirby Smart will get a serious bump as well.
— Kevin Faigle (@kevinfaiglewrdw) May 3, 2018
Richt brought in a top 10 recruiting class, and he’ll look to lead the Hurricanes to back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time since 2002-03.
Group 5: Surprisingly Elite
- Dabo Swinney, Clemson
Calling Swinney “surprisingly elite” sounds like a slight to him, but it’s actually a compliment. Dabo Swinney wasn’t supposed to be one of the three best coaches in college football. It was surprising when he was named the interim head coach after the school fired Tommy Bowden in 2008; it was shocking when he was handed the reigns to the program full time following a 4-3 stint as the interim coach.
Despite being 19-15 after 2.5 seasons, Clemson decided to stick with Swinney. Since 2011, Swinney is a remarkable 82-15 with a national title and three straight appearances in the College Football Playoffs. Amazingly, the Tigers haven’t won less than 10 games since 2010. They’re one of the few programs who is a legitimate national power.
https://twitter.com/JimMWeber/status/991342757603049472
Guess what? They aren’t going anywhere. Clemson is the favorite to win the ACC again. There’s also a good chance they’ll be back in the playoffs with an opportunity to win another title. Swinney is an incredible recruiter and motivator, and he’s surrounded himself with an elite coaching staff. Many believe Swinney will take over for Nick Saban at Alabama whenever Saban retires. But if he continues winning and competing for championships at Clemson, it’s easy to see him finishing his career with the Tigers.
