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Power 5 Head Coaching Tiers: Where Does Vols Head Coach Butch Jones Fall?

By Zach Ragan

Sep 24, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Butch Jones during the second half against the Florida Gators at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won 38-28. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 24, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Butch Jones during the second half against the Florida Gators at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won 38-28. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 29, 2016; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Jimbo Fisher talks with Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney before the game at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2016; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Jimbo Fisher talks with Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney before the game at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports /

Tier 2 — Semi-Elite

These coaches aren’t quite future legends, but they’re as close as you can get to elite without being named Saban or Meyer

  • Dabo Swinney — Clemson (89-28)
  • Jimbo Fisher — Florida State (78-17)
  • Jim Harbaugh — Michigan (78-33)
  • Bob Stoops — Oklahoma (190-48)
  • Chris Petersen — Washington (119-26)
  • David Shaw — Stanford (64-17)

This is the tier where storied programs should strive to be. These coaches have their schools competing for their respective conference championships on a yearly basis, and they’re typically in the national championship conversation.

Three of these coaches (Fisher, Stoops and Swinney) have won a national championship, while the others have come reasonably close.

In my opinion, these coaches are elite. But the presence of Saban and Meyer keeps them from being college football royalty.

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