Mountain West Analysis

Mountain West coach rankings

The Mountain West

1. 1 Jason Eck 86

   New Mexico Lobos · FBS rank 23rd of 220

2. 2 Tim Polasek 86

   North Dakota State Bison · FBS rank 27th of 220

3. 3 Dan Mullen 79

   UNLV Rebels · FBS rank 72nd of 220

4. 4 Troy Calhoun 70

   Air Force Falcons · FBS rank 138th of 220

5. 5 Timmy Chang 68

   Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors · FBS rank 155th of 220

6. 6 Ken Niumatalolo 66

   San José State Spartans · FBS rank 167th of 220

7. 7 Jay Sawvel 62

   Wyoming Cowboys · FBS rank 185th of 220

8. 8 Jeff Choate 59

   Nevada Wolf Pack · FBS rank 201st of 220

9. 9 Scotty Walden 56

   UTEP Miners · FBS rank 213th of 220

10. 10 Rob Harley 55

    Northern Illinois Huskies · FBS rank 216th of 220

Where they rank in FBS

All 220 FBS head coaches by overall rating. The 10 Mountain West coaches are highlighted.

1. 1 Curt Cignetti Indiana Hoosiers 93
2. 2 Kirby Smart Georgia Bulldogs 93
3. 3 Dan Lanning Oregon Ducks 93
4. 4 Carmen Cozza Yale Bulldogs 91
5. 5 Kalani Sitake BYU Cougars 91
6. 6 Marcus Freeman Notre Dame Fighting Irish 90
7. 7 Steve Sarkisian Texas Longhorns 90
8. 8 Joey McGuire Texas Tech Red Raiders 90
9. 9 Jack Meagher Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks 90
10. 10 Kalen DeBoer Alabama Crimson Tide 89
11. 11 Mario Cristobal Miami Hurricanes 89
12. 12 Jake Dickert Wake Forest Demon Deacons 88
13. 13 Ryan Day Ohio State Buckeyes 87
14. 14 Lane Kiffin LSU Tigers 87
15. 15 Morgan Scalley Utah Utes 87
16. 16 Charley Moran Centre Colonels 87
17. 17 Bob Chesney UCLA Bruins 87
18. 18 Dick Sheridan Furman Paladins 87
19. 19 Charles Huff Memphis Tigers 87
20. 20 Billy Napier James Madison Dukes 87
21. 21 James Franklin Virginia Tech Hokies 86
22. 22 Collin Klein Kansas State Wildcats 86
23. 23 Jason Eck New Mexico Lobos Mountain West 86
24. 24 Aldo Donelli Duquesne Dukes 86
25. 25 Hank Foldberg Wichita State Shockers 86
26. 26 Rey Dempsey Southern Illinois Salukis 86
27. 27 Tim Polasek North Dakota State Bison Mountain West 86
28. 28 Jock Sutherland Lafayette Leopards 85
29. 29 Kirk Ferentz Iowa Hawkeyes 85
30. 30 George Brooke Swarthmore Garnet Tide 85
31. 31 Rhett Lashlee SMU Mustangs 85
32. 32 Len Casanova Santa Clara Broncos 85
33. 33 Joe Kuharich San Francisco Dons 85
34. 34 Rex Enright Georgia Pre-Flight Skycrackers 85
35. 35 Willie Fritz Houston Cougars 85
36. 36 Matt Entz Fresno State Bulldogs 85
37. 37 Josh Heupel Tennessee Volunteers 84
38. 38 Jon Sumrall Florida Gators 84
39. 39 Eric Morris Oklahoma State Cowboys 84
40. 40 Manny Diaz Duke Blue Devils 84
41. 41 Mike Jacobs Toledo Rockets 84
42. 42 Spencer Danielson Boise State Broncos 84
43. 43 P.J. Fleck Minnesota Golden Gophers 83
44. 44 Lincoln Riley USC Trojans 83
45. 45 Jimmy Crowley Fordham Rams 83
46. 46 Bill Oliver Chattanooga Mocs 83
47. 47 Brian Hartline South Florida Bulls 83
48. 48 Eli Drinkwitz Missouri Tigers 82
49. 49 Kenny Dillingham Arizona State Sun Devils 82
50. 50 Blake Harrell East Carolina Pirates 82
51. 51 Sonny Dykes TCU Horned Frogs 81
52. 52 George Barclay Washington and Lee Generals 81
53. 53 Will Stein Kentucky Wildcats 81
54. 54 JaMarcus Shephard Oregon State Beavers 81
55. 55 Gus Dorais Gonzaga Bulldogs 81
56. 56 Matt Campbell Penn State Nittany Lions 80
57. 57 Jordan Olivar Loyola Marymount Lions 80
58. 58 Paul Brown Great Lakes Navy Bluejackets 80
59. 59 Jeff Brohm Louisville Cardinals 80
60. 60 Jack Curtice California-Santa Barbara Gauchos 80
61. 61 Jeff Monken Army Black Knights 79
62. 62 Brian Newberry Navy Midshipmen 79
63. 63 Jimmy Rogers Iowa State Cyclones 79
64. 64 Clark Lea Vanderbilt Commodores 79
65. 65 Mike Elko Texas A&M Aggies 79
66. 66 Brent Venables Oklahoma Sooners 79
67. 67 Pete Golding Ole Miss Rebels 79
68. 68 J.R. Richards Colorado College Tigers 79
69. 69 Carl Snavely Bucknell Bison 79
70. 70 Homer Norton Centenary (LA) Gents 79
71. 71 Lance Taylor Western Michigan Broncos 79
72. 72 Dan Mullen UNLV Rebels Mountain West 79
73. 73 Charles Kelly Jacksonville State Gamecocks 79
74. 74 Bret Bielema Illinois Fighting Illini 78
75. 75 Tony Elliott Virginia Cavaliers 78
76. 76 Dabo Swinney Clemson Tigers 78
77. 77 Alex Golesh Auburn Tigers 78
78. 78 John Bender Haskell Indians 78
79. 79 Jim Miller Detroit Mercy Titans 78
80. 80 Chick Meehan Manhattan Jaspers 78
81. 81 Michael Desormeaux Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns 78
82. 82 Scott Frost UCF Knights 78
83. 83 Jeff Traylor UTSA Roadrunners 78
84. 84 Kyle Whittingham Michigan Wolverines 77
85. 85 James Baldwin Lehigh Mountain Hawks 77
86. 86 Matt Rhule Nebraska Cornhuskers 77
87. 87 Richard Colman Princeton Tigers 77
88. 88 Eddie Cochems Saint Louis Billikens 77
89. 89 Paul Davis Dickinson Red Devils 76
90. 90 Dave Doeren NC State Wolfpack 76
91. 91 Pat Narduzzi Pittsburgh Panthers 76
92. 92 Jedd Fisch Washington Huskies 76
93. 93 Mike Sheppard Long Beach State 49ers 76
94. 94 Neil Wheelwright Colgate Raiders 75
95. 95 Ott Romney Montana State Bobcats 75
96. 96 Art Baker The Citadel Bulldogs 75
97. 97 Neal Brown North Texas Mean Green 75
98. 98 Jason Candle UConn Huskies 75
99. 99 Parke Davis Amherst Mammoths 74
100. 100 Joseph Yukica Dartmouth Big Green 74
101. 101 Dave Aranda Baylor Bears 74
102. 102 Charles Noble Mississippi College Choctaws 74
103. 103 Brent Brennan Arizona Wildcats 74
104. 104 William Elias George Washington Colonials 74
105. 105 John Hauser Ohio Bobcats 74
106. 106 Butch Jones Arkansas State Red Wolves 74
107. 107 Sonny Cumbie Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 74
108. 108 Willie Simmons Florida International Panthers 74
109. 109 Ricky Rahne Old Dominion Monarchs 74
110. 110 Clay Helton Georgia Southern Eagles 74
111. 111 Rich Rodriguez West Virginia Mountaineers 73
112. 112 James Phelan Saint Mary's (CA) Gaels 73
113. 113 Edward Doherty Xavier Musketeers 73
114. 114 Gerad Parker Troy Trojans 73
115. 115 G.J. Kinne Texas State Bobcats 73
116. 116 Joseph Restic Harvard Crimson 72
117. 117 Harrison Weeks Beloit Buccaneers 72
118. 118 Chuck Martin Miami (OH) RedHawks 72
119. 119 Major Applewhite South Alabama Jaguars 72
120. 120 Jerry Mack Kennesaw State Owls 72
121. 121 Ryan Carty Delaware Blue Hens 72
122. 122 David Braun Northwestern Wildcats 71
123. 123 Jim Mora Colorado State Rams 71
124. 124 Brent Key Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 71
125. 125 Will Hall Tulane Green Wave 71
126. 126 Jack Hagerty Georgetown Hoyas 71
127. 127 Homer Smith Davidson Wildcats 71
128. 128 Tosh Lupoi California Golden Bears 71
129. 129 Red Drew Birmingham-Southern Panthers 71
130. 130 Warren Woodson Hardin Simmons Cowboys 71
131. 131 Pete Lembo Buffalo Bulls 71
132. 132 Matt Drinkall Central Michigan Chippewas 71
133. 133 Luke Fickell Wisconsin Badgers 70
134. 134 John Anderson Brown Bears 70
135. 135 Fran Brown Syracuse Orange 70
136. 136 Paul Petrino Idaho Vandals 70
137. 137 J.W. Hancock Northern Colorado Bears 70
138. 138 Troy Calhoun Air Force Falcons Mountain West 70
139. 139 Dowell Loggains App State Mountaineers 70
140. 140 Zach Kittley Florida Atlantic Owls 70
141. 141 Tyson Helton Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 70
142. 142 Tre Lamb Tulsa Golden Hurricane 69
143. 143 Pat Fitzgerald Michigan State Spartans 69
144. 144 Marchy Schwartz Creighton Bluejays 69
145. 145 Tony Gibson Marshall Thundering Herd 69
146. 146 Sean Lewis San Diego State Aztecs 69
147. 147 Jamey Chadwell Liberty Flames 69
148. 148 Bob Blackman Cornell Big Red 68
149. 149 Jeff Lebby Mississippi State Bulldogs 68
150. 150 Shane Beamer South Carolina Gamecocks 68
151. 151 Andrew Kerr Washington & Jefferson Presidents 68
152. 152 K.C. Keeler Temple Owls 68
153. 153 Rudy Lavik Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 68
154. 154 Scott Satterfield Cincinnati Bearcats 68
155. 155 Timmy Chang Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors Mountain West 68
156. 156 Alex Mortensen UAB Blazers 68
157. 157 Lance Leipold Kansas Jayhawks 67
158. 158 Neil Wheelwright Holy Cross Crusaders 67
159. 159 Ryan Silverfield Arkansas Razorbacks 67
160. 160 Walter Johnson Presbyterian Blue Hose 67
161. 161 Walter Steffen Carnegie Mellon Tartans 67
162. 162 Bill Yung West Texas Buffaloes 67
163. 163 Bill Belichick North Carolina Tar Heels 66
164. 164 Bob Higgins Washington St. Louis Bears 66
165. 165 Chuck Shelton Pacific Tigers 66
166. 166 Mike Norvell Florida State Seminoles 66
167. 167 Ken Niumatalolo San José State Spartans Mountain West 66
168. 168 Mark Carney Kent State Golden Flashes 66
169. 169 Ryan Beard Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 66
170. 170 Deion Sanders Colorado Buffaloes 65
171. 171 Casey Woods Missouri State Bears 65
172. 172 Bronco Mendenhall Utah State Aggies 64
173. 173 Tavita Pritchard Stanford Cardinal 64
174. 174 John Maulbetsch Phillips Haymakers 64
175. 175 Lou Holtz William & Mary Tribe 64
176. 176 Ted Shipkey Montana Grizzlies 64
177. 177 Chris Creighton Eastern Michigan Eagles 64
178. 178 Joe Moorhead Akron Zips 64
179. 179 Bill O'Brien Boston College Eagles 63
180. 180 Chuck Shelton Drake Bulldogs 63
181. 181 Kirby Moore Washington State Cougars 63
182. 182 Aldo Donelli Boston University Terriers 63
183. 183 Greg Schiano Rutgers Scarlet Knights 62
184. 184 Ernest Bearg Washburn Ichabods 62
185. 185 Jay Sawvel Wyoming Cowboys Mountain West 62
186. 186 Mal Elward Grinnell Pioneers 62
187. 187 Charles Bernier Hampden Sydney Tigers 62
188. 188 Tony Sanchez New Mexico State Aggies 62
189. 189 Tom Harp Indiana State Sycamores 62
190. 190 Derek Mason Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 62
191. 191 Amos Alonzo Stagg Springfield Pride 61
192. 192 Choc Kelly Carlisle Indians 61
193. 193 Frank Murray Marquette Golden Eagles 61
194. 194 Frank Kimbrough North Carolina Pre-Flight Cloudbusters 61
195. 195 Mike Uremovich Ball State Cardinals 61
196. 196 Alonzo Carter Sacramento State Hornets 61
197. 197 Scott Abell Rice Owls 60
198. 198 John McKenna VMI Keydets 60
199. 199 Joe Harasymiak Massachusetts Minutemen 59
200. 200 Mike Locksley Maryland Terrapins 59
201. 201 Jeff Choate Nevada Wolf Pack Mountain West 59
202. 202 Eddie George Bowling Green Falcons 59
203. 203 Blake Anderson Southern Miss Golden Eagles 59
204. 204 Dell McGee Georgia State Panthers 59
205. 205 Ralph Glaze Colorado School of Mines Orediggers 58
206. 206 Jim Weaver Villanova Wildcats 58
207. 207 Aldo Donelli Columbia Lions 57
208. 208 John Roning Denver Pioneers 57
209. 209 Edwin Merrick Richmond Spiders 57
210. 210 Gene Murphy Cal State Fullerton Titans 57
211. 211 Phil Longo Sam Houston Bearkats 57
212. 212 Barry Odom Purdue Boilermakers 56
213. 213 Scotty Walden UTEP Miners Mountain West 56
214. 214 John Van Liew Western Colorado Mountaineers 55
215. 215 Hugh Devore New York University Violets 55
216. 216 Rob Harley Northern Illinois Huskies Mountain West 55
217. 217 Bryant Vincent UL Monroe Warhawks 55
218. 218 Clark Shaughnessy Chicago Maroons 54
219. 219 Jerry Berndt Pennsylvania Quakers 54
220. 220 Tim Albin Charlotte 49ers 53

How these rankings work

Each coach's overall rating is built from weekly, stats-based coaching grades, recalculated through the season, and is the same number shown on every coach profile. It is a read on results and in-game management, not a career-legacy ranking. For the team-by-team picture, see the Mountain West power rankings and the live conference standings.

The 10 Mountain West head coaches ranked by overall rating, and where each of them sits among all 220 FBS head coaches. Refreshed weekly through the 2026 season.

About the author and reviewer

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More Mountain West analysis

• Power rankingsAll 10 programs, ranked from the data.Read more
• QB rankingsThe Mountain West starting quarterbacks, ranked.Read more
• Mountain West standingsThe live conference table.Read more
• Mountain West teamsAll 10 team hubs.Read more