The college football season is over after The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 34-23 for the National Championship on Monday. This year brought us many great players, teams, moments, and especially head coaches.
2024 was an insane year for CFP, so let’s look at the top five coaches that dominated the season.
Georgia has been one of the best teams in college football lately, and Kirby Smart is a big reason for that. They had championship expectations coming into this season, but one challenge that they faced was their schedule. Despite having the number one strength of schedule, Georgia finished with an 11-3 record, an SEC championship, and the two seed in the playoffs.
Smart and Co. had key wins over Texas twice, Clemson, and Tennessee. Their three losses came at the hands of Alabama, Ole Miss, and Notre Dame, all teams with 9+ wins. Kirby led multiple significant comeback attempts, such as trailing the Crimson Tide 28-0 nothing and trailing Georgia Tech by 14 with under four minutes left to play.
The Bulldogs also had to navigate between a down year from their star quarterback, injuries, and leading the country in most dropped passes with 31. Despite adversity, the two-time national champion head coach helped Georgia reach the college football playoff quarterfinals.
2024-25 Team Stats: 12th in offense, 14th in defense, 51st in special teams, and finished 6th in the AP Poll
In his first season as the head coach for Indiana, Curt Cignetti turned a 3-9 team into an 11-2 team. On top of that, the Hoosiers finished third in the Big Ten and reached the playoffs for the first time. They were ranked as high as five in the AP Poll, the highest since 1967.
Cignetti and his squad had key wins over Michigan, Nebraska, and Washington. Their two losses came to both teams in the championship game, the Buckeyes and the Irish. They were one of the most dominant teams when they won, finishing with a +334 point differential, second most in the Big Ten.
After being projected to finish in the basement of the Big Ten and to finish around 5.5 wins, Cignetti turned Indiana into a football school. With all their success, Cignetti earned AP Coach of the Year, receiving 30 out of 45 votes.
2024-25 Team Stats: 4th in offense, 20th in defense, 105 in special teams, and finished 10th in the AP Poll
After a rocky start to the season, barely beating Idaho and Boise State, Dan Lanning and his crew went from potential frauds to championship favorites. Oregon finished with a 13-1 record and a Big Ten championship in their first year in the conference. They earned the number one overall seed in the college football playoffs.
The Ducks had key wins over Boise State, Ohio State, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Penn State. Their only loss came to the Buckeyes in the second round of the playoffs.
Lanning is already building something special in Eugene through recruiting, transfer portal, or developing from within. He has improved the team’s record each year and is 2-1 in bowl games. Whether it is purposely taking a 12-man on-the-field penalty, kicking a surprise onside kick, or going for it in risky situations, Lanning has brought excitement and creativity to Autzen Stadium.
2024-25 Team Stats: 3rd in offense, 21st in defense, 52nd in special teams, and finished 3rd in the AP Poll
Another young head coach who is already making a name for himself. In his fourth season as the leader for Notre Dame, Marcus Freeman has already taken the Irish to a championship game. He also coached them to a 14-2 record, the most wins in school history, three playoff wins, and was ranked as high as third in the regular season.
Freeman’s best wins come against Texas A&M, Navy, Army, Indiana, Georgia, and Penn State. Their two losses came at the hands of Northern Illinois and OSU in the National Title game. Ranking third behind Ohio State and Indiana, Notre Dame finished with the third-best point differential with an average of +20.6 per game.
Freeman is known for his defensive mind and never-give-up mentality. He showed that many times this season. After an embarrassing loss to NIU, the Irish pummeled Purdue the next week 66-7. Freeman’s halftime adjustments proved to be the difference in the Orange Bowl. He also rallied his team back in the title game from down 28-7, making it a one-possession game with a few minutes left.
2024-25 Team Stats: 9th in offense, 2nd in defense, 60th in special teams, and finished 2nd in the AP Poll
The biggest Cinderella team this season came from Arizona State. Expected to finish dead last in the Big 12 and win around 4.5 games, the Sun Devils shocked the country, winning the conference. Head Coach Kenny Dillingham and his team finished with an 11-3 record, ran the table to win their conference, and earned the fourth seed in the playoffs.
The 34-year-old coach had big wins over BYU and Iowa State. Their three losses were against Texas Tech, Cincinnati, and Texas. Despite losing in the second round of the playoffs, ASU rallied back from 14 down to the Longhorns and took them to double overtime.
Coach Dillingham finished second in the AP Coach of the Year Award, receiving eight out of 45 votes. He coaches with much heart and love for his team, which is evident in some of the biggest games and moments. The Sun Devils joined Oregon as a team that won their conference in their first year of joining it.
2024 Team Stats: 6th in offense, 30th in defense, 93rd in special teams, and finished 7th in the AP Poll.
There were a lot of surprising teams that overachieved, such as Indiana and Arizona State. Many young head coaches are already successful, as three people on this list are under 40. Just because you aren’t a big football school doesn’t mean you can’t make a run.
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