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College Football Recruiting, Opinion, and Analysis

G5 Head Coach Rankings: Sun Belt Conference

While some have established themselves as consistent winners, others are new to their roles or are working to elevate their programs

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Sep 21
Sep 21

By Mike Huesmann

This is article three in a series of six where I go through every G5 conference and rank head coaches. At the conclusion, I’ll do an overall G5 head coach ranking. We started out West with the MWC, then moved to the AAC.

Today we hit on the Sun Belt, a conference that is rapidly rising in all sports and is arguably the strongest G5 conference top to bottom. This conference has been the most difficult to rank so far for a multitude of reasons. Not many guys here stand out as proven top-level coaches, unlike the AAC and MWC. We have more competitive teams here with few perennially poor programs. And the parity throughout the SBC is quite good. That makes for difficulty – and fun – in ranking these guys. We also have two divisions with minimal crossover and games against the other side. I truly believe there are four coaches here who have an argument for the top spot and another three who could be Top 5. That’s over half the conference who can make a case for leading the pack. You won’t see that anywhere else. Note: As with other rankings, only Division 1 coaching records are accounted for.

14. Dowell Loggains, Appalachian State

Record: 0-0, First season here and as head coach

I had no problems with the Loggains hire, but we simply don’t know. There is no sample size or track record to put him ahead of coaches who we’ve seen in charge of FBS teams before. His two years at South Carolina as OC are his only experience in college. Prior to that, he had 15 years in the NFL.

13. Tony Gibson, Marshall

Record: 0-0, First season here and as head coach

Similar to Loggains we just don’t know, and you can’t rationalize putting him higher. I’m a Marshall guy and he’s generated considerable buzz. His ties to the state and experience in college give him the one-up on Loggains, but those ties to the state aren’t always for the best reasons. He will have one of the most turned-over rosters in America in 2025, I believe he handles it.

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12. Gerad Parker, Troy

Record: 4-14 (4-8 at Troy), entering season 2 here (Half of 2016 as interim at Purdue)

Parker seemed an odd fit when hired by Troy to replace Jon Sumrall, who recently was the top coach in the AAC. Year 1 was not great for the Trojans. I am not counting his interim role at Purdue against him. The Hazell tenure was terrible, and no one was winning those games. His roster entering 2025 does not inspire me, either.

11. Tim Beck, Coastal Carolina

Record: 14-12, entering season 3 here

Beck took over one of the best G5 teams and situations when Jamey Chadwell left Coastal. He did the thing I always look for in guys in this situation. That is, he had a solid Year 1 and regressed in his second. That is a red flag to me. Multiple transfer QBs will battle for the job here. If he can put his own imprint on his team and forge a new identity he can succeed, but that hasn’t happened yet.

10. Dell McGee, Georgia State

Record: 3-9, entering season 2 here

McGee won two national titles as RB coach at Georgia, so he was a logical hire here when Shawn Elliott left late in the Spring of 2024. His Year 1 was so expedited that I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. The Panthers had lost many significant contributors before he took over. I definitely think he can recruit in Atlanta and get back to winning here, but if they don’t do anything in 2025 my tune might change.

9. Ricky Rahne, Old Dominion

Record: 20-30, entering season 5 here

Rahne has been remarkably average at best in his time at ODU. He took over in 2020 and ODU was one of the few FBS teams who didn’t play ball that year. Since then, he has yet to post a winning record but has made two bowl games. This team will have some skill talent on offense this year, but the Sun Belt East will be ultra-competitive. I think this is a place where a head coach can win, but if Rahne doesn’t make a bowl game this year that might be curtains for his tenure here.

8. Major Applewhite, South Alabama

Record: 22-17 (7-6 at USA), entering season 2 here (2 seasons at Houston)

To Applewhite’s credit, he did better than I expected in Year 1 by winning a bowl game. That being said, I still need to see more. He has taken over two solid situations, Houston from Tom Herman and now from Kane Wommack. He’s performed above .500 every season as a head coach, albeit not by a ton. To his credit, his teams have not dropped off significantly. This season will be critical for him in replacing Gio Lopez and Fluff Bothwell.

7. Bryan Vincent, ULM

Record: 12-13 (5-7 at ULM), entering season 2 here (1 season at UAB)

I will eat crow when necessary, and this is one of those times. I did not like the Bryan Vincent hire for ULM and I was wrong. This program is one of the toughest to win at in the FBS. Terry Bowden struggled, Matt Viator struggled, Todd Berry struggled, etc. But coming in and winning five games in Year 1 was impressive for Vincent. This program hasn’t had a winning season since 2012 and that may change soon. Wherever Vincent has been his teams have run the ball a ton and had some of the slowest pace of play in America, that will help them compete in games quicker than expected. Losing Ahmad Hardy will hurt, but this team will still keep it on the ground.

6. G.J. Kinne, Texas State

Record: 28-12 (16-10 at Tx St.), entering season 3 here (1 season at Incarnate Word)

Few people have praised Kinne as much as I have since he took over here. I believe he is destined to be a P4 head coach and win a lot of games. That being said, in 2024 the Bobcats disappointed. On the surface 8-5 was a decent season, but we expected them to win the West division and double-digit games. They didn’t come particularly close to either of those. I expect a bounce back year and for them to compete to win the division in 2025.

5. Michael Desmoreaux, Louisiana

Record: 23-18, entering season 4 here

Speaking of the coach who did win the West last year. I was ready to write off Desmoreaux after 2023, but then he came out and had a great season last year. He took over a great situation from Billy Napier and put together 6-7 seasons in 2022 and 2023, only to win 10 last year. A trip to the conference title game last year is what his program needed. The Cajuns should be competitive again in the West in 2025.

4. Butch Jones, Arkansas State

Record: 103-85 (19-31 at Ark St.), entering season 5 here (5 seasons at Tennessee, 3 at Cincinnati, 3 at Central Michigan)

I didn’t expect to have Butch this high on the list going into it, but in doing my homework his record is quite impressive. Good at CMC and Cincinnati and did have a winning record at Tennessee. He had back-to-back nine-win seasons with the Vols before a poor 2017. He took over a rough situation from Blake Anderson here, as there were many outside-of-football contributing factors that hurt the program. Things got bad, but they have steadily improved the last two seasons and last year the Wolves won eight and a bowl game. If Jaylen Raynor can continue to grow, they could keep that train going in the right direction. 

3. Clay Helton, Georgia Southern

Record:66-43 (20-19 at GSU), Entering season 4 here (6+ seasons at Southern California)

Helton did something extraordinary and doesn’t get the credit he deserves for it. He inherited a wishbone, triple option team, and turned that personnel into a spread offense who made a bowl game in Year 1. I don’t think many people realize how difficult that is. He has made a bowl game in each of his three years with the Eagles and 2025 looks to be no different. He was also better than most people remember at USC. He had back-to-back double-digit win seasons before dropping off in 2018, his only losing season in Los Angeles. In the COVID-shortened year of 2020 he went 5-1. In 2021 he was fired extremely early after a 1-1 start. Georgia Southern might have a good chance to keep him for a while and that stability would be great for a G5 school in the NIL era. 

2. Charles Huff, Southern Miss

Record: 32-20, entering first season here, (4 seasons at Marshall)

And now the man who won the conference in 2024, albeit at a different school. I may draw the ire of my fellow Marshall people, but we may rue the day Huff and our (since fired) athletic director had irreconcilable differences. Huff made a bowl game every year at Marshall, brought them the first Sun Belt title, and sent several players to the NFL. I still can’t grasp why so many people were happy to see him go. Losing him was a massive blow to Marshall, along with his assistant coaches and much of the roster. The former Nick Saban assistant is another guy who may garner P4 coaching interest in the near future. 

1. Bob Chesney, James Madison

Record: 53-25 (9-4 at JMU), entering season 2 here (6 seasons at FCS Holy Cross)

The Dukes are probably my preseason favorite to win the East and Chesney is a big reason why. He has been a winner at the Division III, II, and FCS levels before coming here. That doesn’t happen by mistake. His teams are fundamentally sound, tough and won’t beat themselves. He took over a good situation from Curt Cignetti and has kept it going. He is a guy who is electric, dynamic and is a program builder. Chesney will garner P4 interest in the future, I believe.

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