Head coaches can either be extremely important to you in College Football 26 or a minor footnote throughout your entire time with the game. If you play Dynasty mode with your own created coach, then you won’t need to know much about the existing head coaches. However, if you don’t want to create your own coach and instead simply want to use one that’s already in the game, you’ll have to know the best coaches to pick.
There are a few different factors that go into picking the most optimal head coach in Dynasty mode. The biggest factor is what you want your coach’s Archetype to be and the level that they start a playthrough at, as this determines their overall effectiveness in CFB 26. If you don’t want to sift through all of the head coaches yourself to find out which are the best ones, you can check out our guide below. We’ve ranked the top 10 head coaches to pick in CFB 26 based on how strong they are in Dynasty mode.
10. Josh Heupel – Tennessee
Kicking off the list is a relatively underrated head coach in CFB 26 compared to other giants on this list. Josh Heupel is the head coach for the Tennessee Volunteers and comes into Dynasty mode with a level of 59 and an “A” in Coach Prestige. Heupel’s starting Archetype is Elite Recruiter, which is something you don’t see for many of the top coaches in the game.
So, if you want to recruit players fast and efficiently and have some room to grow with your head coach, Heupel is your guy. Starting at level 59 means you can rank up the coach on your own, which isn’t as possible with some of the other coaches on the list since they already start at a high level.
9. Kalen DeBoer – Alabama
If you’re an Alabama fan, you might cringe at seeing your head coach on this list. While Kalen DeBoer didn’t have the best start in his first season as Nick Saban’s replacement, he’s still one of the better head coaches in CFB 26. DeBoer starts at level 62 and has an “A+” in Coach Prestige, making him a solid choice for players who want room to progress but also have a coach that recruits want to play for.
DeBoer’s Archetype is Talent Developer, meaning you’ll get the most out of all your recruits and existing players as they continue playing at the college level. This is one of the more common Archetypes you’ll see among the top coaches in the game, though.
8. Brian Kelly – LSU
Brian Kelly is one of the longest-standing college football head coaches, so it’s no surprise to see him on a list of the top 10 coaches in CFB 26. While Kelly hasn’t seen top-level success since arriving at LSU, he’s still widely regarded as one of the best decision-makers in the game. Kelly comes into Dynasty mode with a level of 62 and an “A+” in Coach Prestige, which is the same as Kalen DeBoer.
The difference with Kelly is that you start with the Program Builder Archetype. This can be a deal-breaker for many players, depending on how they want to start their Dynasty playthrough. Talent Developer might look better in the short term, but Program Builder will set you up for the long term.
7. Marcus Freeman – Notre Dame
Marcus Freeman has cemented himself as one of the best coaches in college football following a storybook year with Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish miraculously made it all the way to the national championship game before getting dismantled by an unstoppable Ohio State team. Still, Freeman’s leadership and intangibles on the sideline make him an attractive head coach choice for your CFB 26 Dynasty team.
Freeman has a level of 63, an “A+” in Coach Prestige, and comes with the Program Builder Archetype.
6. James Franklin – Penn State
Now, we have another coach who made it far in the 2024 College Football Playoff but fell just short of the national championship game. James Franklin turned in another great season at Penn State, proving he’s still a top coach after a couple of lackluster years. Franklin and Freeman are very similar coach selections in CFB 26, but Franklin does have the edge in level, as he’s rated at level 64.
Franklin also has an “A+” in Coach Prestige with the Program Builder Archetype. Between these two coaches, you can pick Franklin if you want a slight head start in level, or pick Freeman if you want the “up-and-comer” storyline.
5. Steve Sarkisian – Texas
Is Texas all the way back? While that remains to be seen in 2025, Steve Sarkisian has been the man to do what no other coach in the past decade plus has done with the Longhorns: make a deep postseason run. Sarkisian’s innovative offensive strategy and strong decision-making have seen him ascend the head coach rankings, and he starts CFB 26 with a strong level of 68.
Like almost every other coach on the list, Sarkisian has an “A+” in Coach Prestige with the Program Builder Archetype.
4. Dan Lanning – Oregon
Dan Lanning is in a weird spot in CFB 26. He’s the poster-coach for the Recruiter Archetype when you create your own coach in Dynasty, but he has the Program Builder Archetype if you use him in the mode. Regardless of that, Lanning is one of the best recruiting coaches in the game, as his Oregon squad always attracts top-level prospects from around the country. He’s also one of the better motivators you can pick.
Lanning has a level of 66 and an “A+” in Coach Prestige, so he’s rated slightly lower than Sarkisian. However, Lanning has far more potential in Dynasty mode thanks to his intangibles.
3. Ryan Day – Ohio State
It feels strange to have the reigning national championship head coach third on the list, but Ryan Day simply hasn’t had the sustained success of the top two coaches on the list. Day’s Ohio State squad was notorious for choking during the biggest moments before 2024, but that all changed with a dominant run in the College Football Playoff. Day’s masterful recruiting and NIL navigation landed the Buckeyes with one of the best teams in the country, and that looks to be the same case in 2025.
Day has a level of 72 in Dynasty mode, an “A+” in Coach Prestige, and has the unique “CEO” Archetype. This Archetype puts the entire team on your back, so only pick it if you truly want that responsibility.
2. Dabo Swinney – Clemson
Despite a few down years at Clemson, Dabo Swinney has remained one of the best coaches in college football. Swinney’s recruiting, especially, has always been consistent, and Clemson seems to have a team that can compete for a championship in 2025. Swinney also comes with the “CEO” Archetype, just like Ryan Day.
Swinney comes with a level of 80 and, naturally, an “A+” in Coach Prestige.
1. Kirby Smart – Georgia
The top coach in CFB 26 is, of course, Kirby Smart. Smart has been the most consistent head coach in college football over the past several seasons, with his Georgia Bulldogs always in the mix for the national championship. It’s always a shock if UGA isn’t in the top five of the rankings every week, and that’s a testament to Smart’s leadership and dominant recruiting.
Like the two coaches before him, Smart has the CEO Archetype, giving you full control over your team. He also has a level of 80 with an “A+” in Coach Prestige. Between him and Swinney, just pick whichever coach you like more, as they’re both quite similar.
That wraps it up for our top 10 coaches to use in College Football 26. Do you agree with the list? Let us know down in the comments.
