Joel Klatt Names the Best Coach in College Football

With Nick Saban no longer gracing the Alabama sidelines, who has taken over as the best coach in college football?

There wasn't much to the discussion during the latter part of Saban's run in Tuscaloosa. 17 seasons yielded a mind-boggling nine SEC championships and six national titles, including three in the College Football Playoff era.

But Saban's exit leaves a void at the top of the sport, and that position is not easily taken over. The honor should go to the leader that has not only built success within a program, but is also maintaining the standard on a yearly basis.

Saban is the most recent example. Another former Alabama head coach, Bear Bryant, should also garner a mention at the very least. Bobby Bowden's run at Florida State and Joe Paterno's success at Penn State should always be noted at the top of the conversation, too.

But that takes us back to the question of who is taking on the mantel in 2024?

Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt gave a straight forward answer when previewing the Week 5 slate.

"I consider Kirby Smart to be the best coach in college football right now," he said on "The Joel Klatt Show." "(You) can't argue with his record. His record speaks for itself – two national championships (with) two of them coming in the last three years."

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has lost two games since the latter part of the 2020 season. UGA won back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022. The Bulldogs are 49-2 over the last two seasons with both losses coming at the hands of Saban's Crimson Tide in the postseason. The Bulldogs were undefeated with a chance at a three-peat before a three-point loss to Alabama in the 2023 SEC Championship Game spoiled the expedition.

With Saban no longer serving as Smart and the Bulldogs' kryptonite, the question remains if anyone can stop the train rolling in Athens. Interestingly enough, first-year Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer is up to bat this weekend in Tuscaloosa as the Tide prepare to welcome UGA for a matchup between top five teams.

No. 2 Georgia at No. 4 Alabama will take center stage on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC). The Bulldogs are 2.5-point favorites, per ESPN Bet.

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