Pat Forde Ranks Curt Cignetti No. 1 on 2026 List of 25 Intriguing Coaches
Updated
Updated · Sports Illustrated · Aug 6
Pat Forde Ranks Curt Cignetti No. 1 on 2026 List of 25 Intriguing Coaches
3 articles · Updated · Sports Illustrated · Aug 6
Summary
Curt Cignetti topped Pat Forde’s 2026 list after leading Indiana to a 16-0 season, the first new FBS national champion since Florida in 1996.
Lane Kiffin ranked No. 2 as he begins at LSU after leaving Ole Miss during a playoff run, setting up a Sept. 19 return that Forde called potentially historic in bitterness.
Kyle Whittingham at Michigan, Matt Campbell at Penn State and Pete Golding at Ole Miss rounded out the top five, reflecting how coaching turnover is reshaping major programs.
Bill Belichick at North Carolina came in at No. 8 after a 4-8 debut, while Lincoln Riley at USC and Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame were framed as coaches under title-level pressure.
The annual ranking leans on recent upheaval, playoff expectations and high-profile rebuilds to define the sport’s biggest coaching storylines entering the 2026 season.