With Nick Saban sadly retiring, it got me thinking. Who are the best head coach recruiters I’ve covered since the late 1990s. Here ya go.
1. Urban Meyer
— So Meyer gets the nod over Nick Saban and all his national recruiting titles? Yes, he does, because he did a better job recruiting nationally than Saban had over the years and was better in living rooms. He only finished first overall in my rankings once in his career and that was in 2007, but he’s finished twice numerous times and has pulled some of the most amazing recruiting upsets I’ve seen over the years. The job he did in 2010 was simply amazing when he retired and changed his mind and still reeled in a slew of five-stars down the stretch. However, the job he did at Ohio State recruiting nationally and the Southeast is what makes him No. 1 here.
2. Nick Saban
— How many recruiting titles do you need to win to be No. 1? Saban had won 10 of them and is clearly an elite recruiter. So, how does he finish No. 2? Meyer was just the more dynamic personality in living rooms and has recruited better nationally, especially at Ohio State. However, Saban is essentially 1B here instead of No. 2, and he does an amazing job. Had Meyer stayed in the SEC this would be an even more interesting discussion.
3. Kirby Smart
— Kirby jumps up to No. 3 with his recent recruiting run, as he’s won the outright title four of the last five years in my rankings. Did he learn it all under Saban? Maybe, but recruiting isn’t learned. It’s in your blood, and Kirby has it, and more national titles are coming.
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4. Pete Carroll
— Another legend possibly stepping down for good. Carroll’s run wasn’t as long as Meyer’s or Saban’s, but it was beyond impressive. He was one of the best national recruiters I’ve ever seen, and his 2004 class was especially amazing as he pulled the top players in the country from California, Florida, Ohio, New Jersey, and Colorado, as well as the top JUCO prospect in the world. Carroll rivals Meyer when it comes to being as prepared and slick as possible in living rooms. At USC, he won recruiting titles in 2004, 2005, and 2006.
5. Mack Brown
— Brown didn’t have to recruit out of state as much as the others on this list, but he sure did lock down the state of Texas for years and years, and he’s done a really good job at UNC in his most recent stint. He finished with a recruiting title in 2002 thanks to Vince Young and some others and was consistently in the top 10 nationally for Texas. In fact, for years and years, Texas was always No. 1 to start each class because Brown was so good at getting early commitments, and they would slide backward a bit as others closed. Brown was great with kids, always took an interest in recruiting from the beginning and his junior days are still legendary when it comes to commitments. Stealing Drake Maye from Alabama is just a more recent example of how good he can be.
6. Bobby Bowden
— Bowden was essentially the anti-Mack Brown, as he always closed strong and finished his classes late. However, that doesn’t take away from his recruiting ability, as he was one of the best closers I’ve seen in the recruiting game. FSU was always in the national top 5 or 10 under Bowden, and he was excellent in living rooms as well. The closest he came to winning a recruiting title was in 2005, when he finished second to Pete Carroll’sUSC’s class. That class was hit or miss, but on paper, it was pretty amazing, led by Fred Rouse, Callahan Bright, and Antone Smith. Bowden’s folksy approach was a big hit with parents, especially.
7. Dabo Swinney
— You might be surprised at Swinney being on this list, but the job he has done at Clemson is beyond impressive to me. A few examples? How about when he went into Alabama and took Justyn Ross from Saban and went into Ohio and took Jackson Carman away from Meyer. His family approach is amazing and really pulls in kids who otherwise might not be as interested in Clemson. He provides one of the best unofficial and official visit atmospheres in the country. He’s made the Top 10 numerous times and usually only falls outside the top 10 when he has a smaller class. Two national titles is no surprise.
8. Bob Stoops
— When you talk about recruiting consistency, you have to talk about Stoops. For years, he had Oklahoma in the national top 10 despite having a geographical disadvantage and without a lot of elite players in state. He obviously did a great job recruiting Texas, and his work in California – landing stars like Kenny Stills and Joe Mixon — can’t be underestimated. From 2002 to 2006, he had Oklahoma in the national top 10 and put together one of his best classes in 2017 – led by CeeDee Lamb and some others – before stepping down. He was as consistent as anyone.
9. Jimbo Fisher
— Don’t sleep on Fisher as a recruiter because of his failure at Texas A&M. He finished second in the nation two different times in recruiting and No. 1 overall with that 2022 class. He did a great job recruiting in-state but was also able to pull talent like Jameis Winston away from Alabama and others. He could recruit in any state and is underrated in this respect as a national recruiter. And no, NIL wasn’t the driving factor in 2022, Jimbo could just recruit.
10. Mark Richt
— People like to slam Richt because he underachieved at UGA on the field, but in recruiting, he was very consistent, for the most part. Georgia was a staple in the national top 10 for years and years under Richt, and his high character and religious approach went over well. He has also did a nice job at Miami, especially in his last recruiting cycle where he had the ‘Canes back in the top 10.
