Pac-12 football head coaches rankings for 2026

1. Spencer Danielson, Boise State

bOise State football has won three consecutive Mountain West titles under the leadership of Spencer Danielson.

The Broncos also made the 2024 College Football Playoffs in his first full year as head coach.

Daniels was named Mountain West Coach of the Year that season and was a finalist for many national honors.

He has been successful from the jump, winning 20 of his first 25 contests.

After starting as a graduate assistant with the Broncos in 2017, he revitalized the program during a state of transition, turning around an Andy Avalos team that had gone 5-5 and winning a conference championship.

2. Bronco Mendenhall, Utah State

bRonco Mendenhall is one of the most tenured coaches on this list, with more than thirty years of experience as a coach and 19 as a leader.

He ranks fourth among active FBS coaches with 142 wins and a career winning percentage of .606. He has taken 17 different teams to bowl games and has won seven of these matchups.

Mendenhall’s NFL connections are another facet of his resume, as 138 of his former players have signed a professional contract.

In his first season at Utah State, he led the Aggies to a 6-7 record and a bid for the famed Idaho Potato Bowl.

The Aggies featured one of the top scoring offenses in the Mountain West, scoring 30.9 points per game.

Seven players from their 2025 roster will have a chance in the NFL. The team also posted the highest GPA in program history.

3. Matt Entz, Fresno State

METROAtt Entz flies under the radar because he made a name for himself in the state of North Dakota.

But Entz found instant success with Fresno State when the program felt unstable.

The Bulldogs finished with a 9-4 record last season, which was the second-most wins for a first-year coach in the Valley.

His team also won the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl, marking only the second time a first-year coach has dubbed in the bowl.

Prior to Fresno, he spent a year at USC, where he was assistant defensive head coach and linebackers coach.

At the FCS level, Entz won two national championships with the Bison and was named National Coach of the Year in 2019 and 2021, while posting a 60-11 record at NDSU.

4. Jim Mora, Colorado State

TO Many experts would probably have Jim Mora in their top three, maybe even number one.

Mora has the most experience on this list, due to his pedigree in the NFL, where he was the head coach of two different franchises. He also has extensive experience at the collegiate level.

But outside of UConn, he has never won at a consistently high rate.

However, he was incredible for the Huskies, leading them to a 10-2 record and an appearance in the Fenway Bowl.

It also recorded UConn’s first consecutive nine-win seasons in program history. But his 46-30 career record at UCLA left a little to be desired. As is his 3-3 career bowl record.

However, his experience alone could prove vital at this conference.

5. GJ Kinne, Texas State

GRAMJ Kinne might be the most unknown coach in the Pac-12. In fact, it seems like guys who have never coached an FBS game get more attention than Kinne.

The Bobcats have won since he became head coach at Texas State. Last season TXST finished 7-6, with a victory in the Armed Forces Bowl.

The previous two years, the Cats went 8-5 with two dubs in the First Responder Bowl.

The eight wins were a program high for a team that had only had one winning season before his arrival.

Their “Take Back Texas” approach features a high-octane offense that has proven successful at multiple stops.

Texas State finished with the 12th-highest scoring offense in the country last year. Prior to San Marcos, he led FCS Verbo Incarnado to a 12-2 record and the FCS Semifinals.

6. Sean Lewis, San Diego State

Yesean Lewis is another guy most analysts would probably have in their top five. Lewis quickly turned around San Diego State’s program after a rocky start.

In the first year, the Aztecs finished 3-9, but the following season they responded with a nine-win campaign. Lewis is known for his offense, but it was the defense that carried SDSU in 2025.

San Diego State’s defense ranked sixth nationally in points allowed per game. If their “Aztec Fast” offense comes to fruition, SDSU could be a tough out.

The “O” showed flashes, scoring more than 40 points on three occasions, but lacked consistency.

Prior to SDSU, Lewis was the head coach at Kent State, where he breathed life into a struggling program.

The Golden Flashes made two bowl appearances during his tenure, including a victory in the 2019 Frisco Bowl.

7. Kirby Moore, Washington State

kIrby Moore is one of two Pac-12 coaches who have never been a leader at the FBS level. Moore had this opportunity for two reasons.

The first is due to his work as Offensive Coordinator in Missouri. He helped lead the Tigers to the 44th scoring offense last season.

But more importantly, for the development of your player.

Running back Ahmad Hardy shined under his tutelage, leading the country in rushing yards per game.

Moore did the same with former quarterback Brady Cook, who led Mizzou to a 21-5 record as a starter.

The other reason Moore landed in Pullman is his familiarity with the region.

His father is a high school coaching legend in Eastern Washington and found success as a standout receiver at Prosser High School, less than 170 miles from WSU’s campus.

8. JaMarcus Shephard, Oregon State

jaMarcus Shephard is last on this list by default.

While he has notable titles such as assistant head coach and co-offensive coordinator at Alabama, he never actually led his own unit at the collegiate level.

His highest individual title was wide receivers coach at Alabama. Regardless, he still feels like a good fit for Oregon State.

Prior to Tuscaloosa, he was the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at Washington during the 2023 season.

The Huskies went 14-1 and clinched the National Championship, powered by arguably the best passing attack in West Coast history.

This, combined with their exuberant passion, could turn the Beavers into contenders in no time.