CFB's Most Underappreciated Coaches

These guys just keep on winning in silence

Author:
Mike Farrell
Publish date:
Dec 18, 2022

These guys just keep on winning in silence

1, Jonathan Smith, Oregon State

This man deserves every penny he's getting from his recent extension. People forget just how bad a shape this program was in at the end of the Gary Andersen era and he's managed to get the Beavers on the precipice of double-digit wins for the first time in a decade. And it's not a fluke - he's not grabbing a ton of kids out of the portal à la Mel Tucker and hoping it all works out.

Oct 8, 2022; Stanford, California, USA; Oregon State Beavers head coach Jonathan Smith walks on the field before a game against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. — © Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

2. Willie Fritz, Tulane

Tulane football hadn't been relevant since Shaun King was taking snaps for the Green Wave back in the 1990's, and Fritz has them playing in a New Year's Six game after winning a very difficult AAC. The former Georgia Southern coach has also proven that old dogs can still learn new tricks, as he's adapted the old-school triple option attack he used in Statesboro and completely revamped it into one of the truly unique offenses in the game.

Dec 3, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Tulane Green Wave head coach Willy Fritz reacts to a fan with a fist bump against the UCF Knights during the first half at Yulman Stadium.
© Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

3. Chip Kelly, UCLA

I still don't quite understand why so many people in the national media are down on Kelly as a coach. He guided Dorian Thompson-Robinson to breaking nearly every single record Bruins passing record in the books, had the team ranked in the top 10 for a good while this season and has them in a great position on the recruiting trail. I'm not sure what there isn't to love about how things have gone so far in Westwood for him.

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4. PJ Fleck, Minnesota

All he does is keep on winning. So even if they didn't win a division that was right there for the taking this year, this man can flat-out coach. He's done a great job of turning a Gophers team that was seemingly eternally mediocre and made them competitive year-in and year-out.

Sep 24, 2022; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach PJ Fleck waves to fans at Spartan Stadium before playing MSU.
© Dale Young-USA TODAY Sports

5. Joey McGuire, Texas Tech

I love this guy. He's such a perfect fit in Lubbock, and the results are there even earlier than expected. The Red Raiders finished fourth in the conference, beat Texas in an epic game, and are moving 100% in the right direction. McGuire is a coach's coach, and I've been saying all along just how strong his ties are to the Texas high school football coaching community and how that is going to pay dividends down the line. Well, turns out, it already is.