Chip Kelly tops CFB coaches-in-waiting all-time ranking — SkimNews
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- Morgan Scalley debuted at No. 5 after Utah named him coach-in-waiting in 2024 and promoted him to head coach in 2026; the Utes are 7-0 with six wins by at least two touchdowns under his watch.
- Chip Kelly tops the ranking for his four-year Oregon run: a 46-7 record, three Pac-12 titles, and a national championship game appearance.
- Jimbo Fisher ranks No. 2, going 39-3 from 2012-14 with a 2013 national title behind Heisman winner Jameis Winston, plus six 10-win seasons and four AP Top 10 finishes at Florida State.
- Bret Bielema lands at No. 3 after going 12-1 in his first season replacing Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin in 2006, with three additional 10-win seasons and three Rose Bowl appearances before leaving for Arkansas.
- James Franklin, named coach-in-waiting at Maryland in 2008, left for Vanderbilt and has built a 133-62 career record with a Big Ten title and CFP appearance; Maryland has not recorded a nine-win season since his departure.
- The article frames the coach-in-waiting role as a 'relic' of modern college football, noting that most named successors underperformed or left — including Will Muschamp (Texas, who bolted for Florida) and Joker Phillips (Kentucky, 13-24).
- Houston (No. 14) visits Utah this week in what the article calls the Utes' first big test, with Big 12 and College Football Playoff implications on the line.
Why it matters: Utah's 2024 decision to name Scalley produced a 7-0 debut and a top-10 ranking after his 2026 promotion — a rare seamless handoff in a role the article calls a 'relic,' with most such arrangements ending in flameouts (Phillips, Hope) or defections (Muschamp, Franklin).
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