Making Cases for College Football's 2023 Coach of the Year

Races for conference championships are taking center stage in the closing weeks before the 2023 postseason, and the Heisman Trophy battle is a close second.

But another key award is at stake down the stretch.

Heading into regular-season finales, AP Coach of the Year has no fewer than a dozen logical candidates. The list includes some familiar names—Nick Saban and Kirby Smart, among others—along with several coaches on the rise, such as Eli Drinkwitz, Jedd Fisch and more.

While the choices are subjective, historical factors help determine the group. Team success is the award's key consideration, especially relative to a program's recent history.

Jamey Chadwell, Liberty: In his first season, Chadwell—who in 2020 won AP Coach of the Year at Coastal Carolina—has Liberty in position for a New Year's Six bowl. Hugh Freeze left the program in a decent spot, but Chadwell has elevated the Flames from an eight-win mark to 11-0 and a possible conference crown in their Conference USA debut.

Jerry Kill, New Mexico State: NMSU, which just stunned Auburn, is also headed to the C-USA Championship Game. If you like redemption stories, the 62-year-old coach is easy to support. In 2015, Kill retired from Minnesota because of health issues, and NMSU is his first full-time opportunity as a head coach since then. The team finished 2-10 before his arrival in 2021, but the Aggies finished 7-5 last season and are 9-3 so far.

Barry Odom, UNLV: Another new coach in 2023, the former Missouri boss has sparked an immediate rise. UNLV posted a combined 7-23 record in the past three seasons but is 9-2 and a win over San Jose State away from making the program's first-ever Mountain West Championship Game appearance.

Nick Saban, Alabama: After an early loss to Texas, the Crimson Tide have put themselves on the brink of the College Football Playoff. Saban is only a high-end candidate if that happens, but victories over Auburn and Georgia (in the SEC Championship Game) would bolster his resume.

Mike Norvell, Florida State: Within two years, Norvell has ascended from a warming seat to a potential CFP trip. Florida State utilized the transfer portal to much success and jumped from a 10-3 campaign to 11-0 with a straightforward path to the CFP. All the 'Noles need to do is beat Florida and Louisville.

Kirby Smart, Georgia: Excellence must not be discounted, as easy as that may be. Georgia has once again reloaded after winning a national title and carries an 11-0 record into a clash with Georgia Tech. Win there, and only Alabama stands in the way of UGA defending its two national titles.

David Braun, Northwestern: When a hazing scandal led to the departure of longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald, Braun stepped into the interim role. While he probably won't win the award, Braun has overseen a rise from 1-11 to 6-5. Making a bowl is a legitimate achievement for a program that was in disarray—and it's helped Braun earn the permanent job.

Steve Sarkisian, Texas: Losing to rival Oklahoma is a blemish, but that's the only setback to date for Texas. Should the Longhorns beat Texas Tech and then secure a Big 12 title, they'll be a top contender to make the CFP. But they might need help to make it happen.

Last season, Arizona finished 5-7 and yielded 36.5 points per game—the sixth-worst mark out of the nation's 131 teams.

This year, on the other hand, the Wildcats are 8-3 and have ascended to a stunning 34th at 20.6 allowed per game. That one-year defensive turnaround is nothing short of sensational.

But that's simply the beginning of the appeal for Jedd Fisch.

Arizona has overcome an early injury to quarterback Jayden de Laura, winning five straight games with freshman Noah Fifita at the controls. The streak includes upsets of then-No. 19 Washington State, No. 11 Oregon State, No. 20 UCLA and No. 16 Utah.

Even if Arizona doesn't make the Pac-12 Championship Game, the fact that the 'Cats are in the hunt entering the regular-season finale is incredible. This is a program that trudged to a combined 1-16 mark in 2020 and 2021.

Scott Satterfield left for Cincinnati after the 2022 season, and in his place Louisville brought home Jeff Brohm.

Good choice, I'd say.

Louisville notched an 8-5 record last year, but the program hasn't ever threatened what's it doing in 2023. Not only are the Cardinals locked into a first-ever ACC Championship Game appearance, they're 10-1 heading into the finale against rival Kentucky.

The wildest part? There's a legitimate path for Louisville to sneak into the College Football Playoff.

Yes, that particular scenario is improbable. Still, the Cards rank 17th nationally in points allowed per game, have picked up a pair of Top 25 victories and could be surprise ACC champions. His resume only gets stronger if Louisville wins the league.

Missouri meandered to 5-5, 6-7 and 6-7 records in the first three seasons of Eli Drinkwitz's tenure.

Year 4 has been a spectacular one.

Highlighted by three Top 25 wins—including a rout of then-No. 14 Tennessee—the Tigers are 9-2 and positioned to make a New Year's Six bowl. They'll lock in a major bowl invite with a victory over Arkansas.

Drinkwitz has secured the program's first nine-win season since 2014, and Missouri hadn't been in the AP poll since 2019.

Among top contenders for the award, Drinkwitz is the only one without a shot at a league title. Considering that SEC media projected the Tigers to finish sixth in the SEC East, though, the team's vast outperformance of expectations is worth strong consideration.

If you believe Dan Lanning is currently the Coach of the Year front-runner, I would not argue. And if Oregon wins the Pac-12 title, the trophy is probably headed to Eugene.

Led by Heisman Trophy contender Bo Nix, Oregon has stood out a strong case as the most prolific and consistent team in the country. The offense ranks second in points per game—scoring no less than 33 in every week—and 10th in points allowed per game.

The lone blemish on Lanning's resume is a loss to Washington, and that's a meaningful factor right now.

Save for that outing, however, eight of the Ducks' 10 victories have included a margin of 14-plus points. Simply put, they've been a dominant team throughout the 2023 campaign.

Knocking off Oregon State and defeating Washington in the Pac-12 Championship Game would be key to Lanning's candidacy.

As if Kalen DeBoer's debut at Washington wasn't impressive enough, the Huskies have taken a step forward in 2023.

Last season, he oversaw an ascent from 4-8 to 11-2. This year, the Dawgs have rattled off 11 straight wins behind a high-powered offense. They've notched four Top 25 victories, most notably the win over Oregon.

Washington has clinched a spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game for the first (and final) time since 2018.

Provided the Huskies beat rival Washington State in the finale, they'll have a chance to take down Oregon for the second time. Do that, and DeBoer will remain a Coach of the Year front-runner—and it likely wouldn't hurt the Heisman resume for Michael Penix Jr., either.