While most folks were still busy trying to debate Lincoln Riley‘s hot seat or Longhorns’ chance of winning the natty, PFF dropped a little bombshell that made the CFB timeline spiral. Their annual Top 10 Coaches list for the 2025 season came with the usual blue-blood suspects up top—but also dropped one wild Big 12 twist that left fans scratching heads and some throwing fits. Let’s just say, not everyone agrees with who made the cut… or who got snubbed.
No shocker at the top—Kirby Smart’s still running the block. Back-to-back natties, eight straight AP Top 10 finishes? That’s not just dominance, that’s dynasty-type consistency. Georgia is NFL’s favorite factory, and Kirby Smart is the active winningiest head coach in college football.
Right behind him? Ryan Day. Say what you want, but the Buckeyes HC finally got the monkey off his back and brought a natty back to Columbus last year. His win percentage is diabolical, and the man’s allergic to missing the AP Top 10. Dabo Swinney’s still in that VIP section too. Clemson may have stumbled a bit, but two titles and six CFP appearances? Respect stays on his name.
Top 10 Head Coaches in College Football pic.twitter.com/PQqnaQygTg
— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 8, 2025
But here’s where things got juicy—Dan Lanning made a serious leap. Lanning didn’t just tiptoe into the Big Ten; he kicked the door down. Winning the Big Ten in Oregon’s first season in the conference and grabbing the No. 1 CFP seed? That’s not a warm welcome, that’s Nike’s hostile takeover. Marcus Freeman also made a splash. His Notre Dame squad shocked Georgia and Penn State, punching a ticket to the natty game. That’s a résumé builder right there. And Steve Sarkisian? He finally shook the “Texas is back” meme and put together back-to-back playoff runs.
Then there’s Kalen DeBoer. Big shoes to fill stepping in for Saban at Alabama, and while the Tide didn’t roar in Year 1 (9-4), his resume from Washington keeps him in the convo. James Franklin got over the Penn State playoff hump too. First-ever CFP trip? That’s history.
Then comes a bit controversial lane. Brian Kelly. While LSU hasn’t hit the CFP in the past 3 years, Kelly’s kept them flirting with the big dogs. 2025 is the last ride for Brian Kelly. The PFF Top 10 wraps with Curt Cignetti. 11-2. Indiana’s new miracle worker. First year. First playoff. But the real noise? That came from who wasn’t there.
But the real surprise on the list? That’d be Big 12 coaches, especially Kenny Dillingham at Arizona State. After going 3–9 in 2023, Dillingham flipped the script with an 11–3 breakout in 2024, bagging the Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff berth. That kind of glow-up in just his second year? Rare air. It also put a huge spotlight on the Big 12’s coaching rise.
Matt Campbell led Iowa State to its best season ever. Kalani Sitake bounced back big with 11 wins at BYU. Joey McGuire stacked three straight winners at Texas Tech (not very ideal candidate here). But none matched Kenny D’s total takeover. So the real question now—Did Kenny Dillingham get snubbed in favor of Curt Cignetti or others?
Did Kenny Dillingham deserve a spot over Curt Cignetti in the top 10 coaches list?
Arizona State didn’t just win games—they ran through the Big 12 like a backyard barbecue. Projected to finish at the bottom in pre-season ranking, to taking Texas to overtime in the playoff—Kenny Dillingham’s come a long way. And don’t forget, this was with a redshirt sophomore QB, a reworked WR room, and half the country writing them off before Week 1. That 32.9 PPG offense wasn’t just high-octane—it was surgical. And their defense? Gave up just 22.6 per, down nearly 10 points from the year before.
Look, Cignetti deserves his flowers. Taking Indiana to the playoff in his first year is like turning water into Gatorade. But the path? It wasn’t as rough as ASU’s. Indiana didn’t make the Big Ten title game. They beat up on mid-tier teams and got smacked by heavyweights like Notre Dame and Ohio State. ASU, meanwhile, beat Iowa State in the Big 12 title game, handed Ls to BYU and Texas Tech, and pushed Texas to OT in the Peach Bowl. Their resume was straight-up tougher.
Kenny Dillingham didn’t just rebuild—he rebranded. Arizona State went from basement-dweller to conference kings in one cycle. That’s not normal. And with a tougher SOS (No. 39 vs Indiana’s 55), more quality wins, and a conference ring? Yeah, the case for Dillingham over Cignetti is loud.
Plus, the eyeball test? ASU played with juice. High-tempo offense. Physical defense. And buy-in everywhere. The type of energy that doesn’t come from a veteran roster—it comes from belief. From coaching. That Peach Bowl OT loss to Texas? Arguably the most fun game of the postseason. And had WR1 Jordyn Tyson been healthy? Who knows? They might’ve won.
Cignetti deserves love. What he did in Bloomington was wild. Great results, but who raised the ceiling more? Who flipped perception harder? When you factor in context—the roster flip, the tougher schedule, the conference title, and the fact Dillingham’s system is built for the long haul—you gotta wonder: did they really pick the right guy for that tenth spot? Some folks could also argue that Kenny deserved a spot over Brian Kelly or even Kalen DeBoer—solely based on last season.
The answer might not be unanimous, but it’s clear Kenny Dillingham isn’t just knocking on the door—he’s kicking it open. With another strong season, he might be sitting Top 5 real soon.
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