Staff Selections: Most Underrated Power Five Football Coaches in CBS Sports Rankings in 2021

All University Football Power Five coaches are listed, from numbers 1 to 65. This week, we detailed how each coach ranked in their own conference. There were a lot of votes in the room at CBS Sports and 247Sports when compiling a list of this magnitude, and while there were consistent beliefs (i.e. Nick Saba’s No. 1), the large crowd meant a lot of disagreement between them.

So now is the time to break the consensus. When our coaches ranked in the rearview mirror, our university football staff made their selection list for an undervalued coach. As you can read below, this was typically a coach whose one of us ranked higher in our position than our other colleagues.

Who was underestimated – perhaps criminally – in the minds of staff writers? Our answers are below.

Complete Power Five Coach Ranking:1-25 | 26-65

Dave Clawson, Wake Forest

I didn’t have much of a problem with Clawson’s ranking among the ACC coaches, but I was higher nationally than my colleagues. I had Wake Coach No. 16 in my rankings, but he finished 28th among us with guys like Bryan Hars (Auburn), Herm Edwards (Arizona) and Jim Harbaugh (Michigan). Sorry? Prior to last year, Wake Forest enjoyed four straight winning seasons. And I don’t put so much weight last year because you understand why.

In addition to consistently winning ACC’s most difficult jobs, Clawson has done an excellent job developing talent – looking specifically for avatar-wide receivers from which he can develop into All-ACC caliber players. Clawfense is usually one of the better passing offenses in the ACC, and if nothing else, this is almost always an enjoyable, well-coached team to watch. When paired with his success at Bowling Green and FCS with Fordham and Richmond, how can we agree that Clawson is the top 20 coach in college football today? – Ben Kercheval

Paul Chryst, Wisconsin

When we filled our tickets to Power Five coach ratings earlier this offseason, this was one of the most notable places I broke away from the consensus. Not the most significant – it would be Geoff Collins, who had about 30 seats before his unanimous ranking because I’m good at branding and a quick turnaround in recruitment – but Chryst’s overall ranking was No. 18 when I have him among the top coaches in Game No. 10.

Chryst is 56-19 in six seasons in Wisconsin with three division titles and three New Year’s performances, and I think his success is ignored because there is an assumption that it is a turnkey operation. As a native and former Dachshund player in Wisconsin, Chryst has advantages that will certainly help him, but not enough to be the only reason he is one of the most selected coaches of the College Football Playoff season. – Siru Patterson

Dave Doeren, North Carolina

Honestly, I’m not sure how many casual college football fans even know that Dave Doeren exists, let alone what he’s done as a coach. Hell, there are probably a lot of fans who consider themselves mortal unaware of his existence. Doeren’s head coaching career began in Northern Illinois in 2011, where he went 23-4 over two years and led the Huskies to the Orange Bowl appearance. Yes, that’s true – Dave Doeren led the Northern Illinois Orange Bowl. Some critics dismissed it a little too easily, saying that Doeren just took over the program on which Jerry Kill built the foundation. Fine, make that argument if you want to, but it’s not hard to see how Northern Illinois has performed since Doeren left it for NC state work.

In NC, Doeren has only made a life-adding program that had come to a halt during the administration of Chuck Amato and Tom O’Brien. Since the start of the first season 3-9, Doeren’s NC State teams have gone a total of 52-37 and ACC 28-30. While these records may not seem good, keep in mind that NC State plays in the same division as Clemson, Florida State and Louisville. And if we’re honest with ourselves, Doeren NC State has been the division’s second-best program ahead of the state of Florida and Louisville in recent years. Still, if you ask most ACC fans to rate the best coaches in a conference, they may not place him at the top of the conference. – Tom Fornelli

Jimmy Lake, Washington

Lake came in 51st in a row in the 65th place in the Power Five Conference (plus Notre Dame) coaching rankings this offseason, but I’m not buying that there is a 35 coach gap between him and Mario Cristobal of Oregon. came in 16th. Sure, Lake is only 3-1 as head coach. But after eight seasons under Chris Petersen in Boise State and Washington, the reason is that he was immediately anointed to succeed Petersen.

Washington’s defensive action was fierce when Lake was the defensive coordinator, and the return of natural offensive players Cade Otton at the tight end and the Jaxson Kirkland offensive events suggests that there is a buy-in to offensive coordinator John Donovan’s system and Lake’s culture. I see Lake following Pac-12 North coach David Shaw in plastic at Stanford, who has been successful since he was promoted to coordinator.

Another example could be Mark Stoops in Kentucky. Although Stoops was not advertised from the inside like Shaw or Lake, the program he built in the tight division is a solid indication that as the head coaches of the defense chiefs, there is still a place in today’s offensive game. Lake may be a more trendy version of Stoops at work, much more conducive to victory. That’s why I placed him 21 places higher on the ballot than where he ended up in this year’s rankings. – David Cobb

Neal Brown, West Virginia

Take Brown’s 11-11 record in two years in West Virginia and throw it out the window. No, actually light it on fire and then throw it out the window. The reason for Brown’s gig in Morgantown is due to his stellar 35-16 record at Troy, which included three straight double-digit winning seasons to close his career there.

Jarret Doege was solid in the middle last year and returns along with eight other starters injured to build a Liberty Bowl victory out of the military. More importantly, however, the defense handed only 400 or more yards once last season, which has set the tone for a stable season with eight starters returning. Brown is building something big … just give it some time, given the mess he inherited. – Barrett Sallee