15 Best College Football Offensive Coordinators In 2024

College teams can run their offenses in a variety of ways. Some head coaches serve in both capacities. Some people establish a system and train a protégé to take over its management. While some allow their coordinators total freedom to install and run the assistant’s system, some co-coordinators split the duties among themselves.

There is only one proper method—the one that works best for each staff member.

The finest offensive coordinators are those who can regularly produce a ton of yards and, more crucially, a ton of points. They are also those who can recruit to their system and, when required, adapt it to the talent at hand.

For years, college football has shifted from being defensively focused to being more offensively focused.

The most effective offensive coordinators are those who can consistently produce a ton of yards, but more importantly, a ton of points. They can recruit to their system, adapt it to the talent they have on hand when necessary, and consistently produce lots and lots of yards.

Who Is An Offensive Coordinator In College Football?

An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff who is in charge of the team’s offense for an American football or Canadian football team. This coach often sits above the defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator in the coaching hierarchy, following the head coach.

What Does An Offensive Coordinator Do?

Although some offensive-minded head coaches also manage play-calling, the offensive coordinator is in charge of the team’s offensive game plan and often calls offensive plays throughout the game. Under the offensive coordinator, there are several position coaches.

Many offensive coordinators need to possess specific skills to carry out their duties. We were able to focus on the most typical competencies for someone in this position by looking through resumes. We found that many resumes stated commitment, interpersonal abilities, and communication skills.

How Can You Become An Offensive Coordinator In College Football?

All college football coaches should be knowledgeable about the sport, have a track record of success, and be formally educated.

A Bachelor of Science in a field like athletic coaching, sports medicine, kinesiology, or physical education will increase a prospective college offensive coordinator coach’s chances of landing a job.

According to our research, offensive coordinators hold bachelor’s degrees in 70.7% of cases. We discovered that 18.7% of offensive coordinators have master’s degrees, which is higher education.

Even though a college degree is typically required for the position, one can nonetheless become an offensive coordinator with just a high school diploma or GED.

Who Are The Best College Football Offensive Coordinators?

The most distinctive coaching position is that of offensive coordinator in NCAA football. This prompts us to list some of the best college football offensive coordinators.

1. Lincoln Riley, USC

Salary: $10 million

The first on our list of best college football offensive coordinators is Lincoln Riley his seven years as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator and head coach, his Sooners quarterbacks threw 269 touchdown passes (38.4 per season), two Heisman Trophies (Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray), one Heisman Trophy finalist (Jalen Hurts), and two No. 1 overall NFL draft.

Now, in Year 1 at USC, he has OU transfer QB Caleb Williams playing in a loaded offense.

Twitter: @LincolnRiley
Instagram: @lincolnriley

2. Ryan Day, Ohio State

Twitter @ryandaytime

Salary: $9.5 million

Ryan day is next on our list of the Best College Football Offensive Coordinators.

Ryan Day quarterbacks have thrown 198 touchdown passes since he returned to collegiate football in 2017. That works out to 39.6 touchdowns each season, and that includes the COVID season of 2020, which was cut short since Ohio State only played six regular-season games.

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3. Bill O’Brien, Alabama

Twitter @BiIlOBrien

Salary: $1.1 million

Next on our list of the Best College Football Offensive Coordinators is Bill O’Brien.

William James O’Brien is an American football coach as well as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks trainer at the University of Alabama right now. O’Brien formerly held the head coach of the Pennsylvania State University from 2012 to 2013 and the Houston Texans of the National Football League from 2014 to 2020.

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We are aware of O’Brien’s collaboration with Tom Brady in the NFL and his role in revitalizing the Penn State program.

His work with starting QB Bryce Young in his first season last year was also quite good. Young became the first Alabama quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy in his first season as the starter.

4. Josh Heupel, Tennessee

Twitter @coachjoshheupel

Salary: $4 million

Next on our list of the Best College Football Offensive Coordinators is Josh Heupel, who transferred to Missouri and oversaw Drew Lock’s record-breaking season before his offense reached a new height at UCF.

He may have found it advantageous to be fired by Oklahoma. It is noteworthy that Heupel’s career may have ended there.

But His offense established numerous school records in just one year at Tennessee.

5. Mike Leach, Mississippi State

Twitter: @Coach_Leach

Salary: $5.5 million

We also have Mike Leach on our list of the Best College Football Offensive Coordinators.

Mike Leach was the Head coach at Mississippi State University and American college football.

He has won two national coaching awards, and three conference coaching awards and is the architect of the “Air Raid” offense, which set NCAA records.

No matter the quarterback, no matter the team or conference, they are all productive and put up impressive statistics.

6. Steve Sarkisian, Texas

Twitter @CoachSark

Salary: $6.2 million

Steve Sarkisian is next on our list of the Best College Football Offensive Coordinators. Steve Sarkisian is an American football coach and ex-player.

Since January 2024, he has served as the University of Texas at Austin’s head football coach.

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His tenure as a coordinator, QBs coach, and play-caller all date back to his time working as Pete Carroll’s assistant at USC. The Texas offense will be formidable if he can help QB Quinn Ewers grow in the same way he helped Mac Jones at Alabama.

7. Jeff Lebby, Oklahoma

Instagram: @coachlebby

Salary: $1.2 million

Next on our list of the Best College Football Offensive Coordinators is the former player and current offensive coordinator for the University of Oklahoma’s quarterbacks, Jeff Lebby and who is an expert in American football.

Before this, he worked as an assistant coach at the University of Central Florida, Baylor University, and the University of Mississippi.

At UCF, where he held his first position as an FBS OC, he helped McKenzie Milton and Dillon Gabriel become excellent quarterbacks. He accomplished the same thing with Matt Corral at Ole Miss the previous two years, and he will have another opportunity with Gabriel this fall.

8. Dana Holgorsen, Houston

Twitter: @Holgorsendana

Salary: $4.3 million

Dana Carl Holgorsen, the head football coach of the University of Houston, was born on June 21, 1971, and married to Candice Holgorsen.

He served as West Virginia University’s head coach. He has worked with coaches like Hal Mumme, Mike Leach, Kevin Sumlin, and Mike Gundy during his coaching career.

Holgorsen, a descendant of Mike Leach’s coaching tree, is a brilliant offensive thinker with distinctive play-calling chutzpah.

He also ranks on our list of the Best College Football Offensive Coordinators in 2024.

9. Warren Ruggiero, Wake Forest

Twitter: @CoachR_Wake

Salary: Unknown

The American football coach Warren Ruggiero serves as Wake Forest’s offensive coordinator at the moment. Although he grew up in Glen Rock, New Jersey, and attended Glen Rock High School he is one of the Best College Football Offensive Coordinators in 2024.

Although Ruggiero is not the loudest or most animated guy in the meeting room or on the sidelines, he doesn’t have many colleagues who can draw it out and identify defense holes.

Under his leadership, Wake Forest has placed second, third, fifth, fifth, and second in scoring in the ACC. That is five straight top-five finishes, which Clemson cannot match.

Ruggiero was given birth on April 2, 1966, at Glen Rock, New Jersey, United States.

10. Phil Longo, North Carolina

Twitter: @CoachPhilLongo

Salary: $825,000

Next on our list of the Best College Football Offensive Coordinators is Phil Longo.

Phil Longo is the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Coach Phil Longo, is an American football coach born on April 17, 1968. He is a practitioner of the air raid offense, he was previously the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Ole Miss

He was a coaching gem in the NCAA lower levels until getting a shot at the FBS level at Ole Miss in 2017. Since then, both at Ole Miss and North Carolina, his offenses have been humming along.

11. Josh Gattis, Miami

Instagram: @coach_gattisum

Salary: $2 million

Josh Gattis is an American football coach and former player who is currently the offensive coordinator at the University of Miami. He also ranks on our list of the Best College Football Offensive Coordinators.

Gattis, who won the Broyles Award in 2024 as the best assistant coach in the nation, turned the Michigan offense and quarterback Cade McNamara’s weakness into a strength during the playoff run.

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Josh Gattis was born on 15 January 1984 and married to Tesa Gattis.

12. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M

Twitter @JiveJimboFisher

Salary: $7.5 million

We also have Jimbo Fisher on our list of the Best College Football Offensive Coordinators, 2024.

John James “Jimbo” Fisher Jr. is an American college football coach and former player. He is the Texas A&M Aggies head coach. Before this, Fisher led Florida State to the 2014 BCS National Championship Game as its head coach.

He worked so well as an assistant at Auburn, LSU, and FSU, and as head coach at FSU, when he had the right quarterback. He might have one again this season with LSU transfer Max Johnson.

Jimbo Fisher married Courtney Harrison Fisher in 2020. He has two children.

13. Chip Kelly, UCLA

Instagram @_chipkelly_

Salary: $5.6 million

Chip Kelly also ranks on our list of the Best College Football Offensive Coordinators in the year 2024.

Charles Edward Kelly born on November 25, 1963, is the head coach of the UCLA Bruins.

Chip Kelly was the head coach of the Oregon Ducks From 2009 to 2012, and he helped to four consecutive BCS bowl games appearances, including the 2011 BCS National Championship Game. This is when he first gained notoriety.

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It’s not that the rest of college football caught up to his style; rather, it was because the offensive line and quarterback weren’t the perfect fit. He currently does so with quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and in 2024 UCLA averaged 37 points per game while winning 5 of its last 7 games.

14. Jeff Brohm, Purdue

Twitter: @JeffBrohm

Salary: $5.1 million

The next on our list of the Best College Football Offensive Coordinators is Jeffrey Scott Brohm. Jeffrey Scott Brohm, a former quarterback and current head football coach for the Purdue Boilermakers, was born on April 24, 1971, in the United States.

His tenure as an assistant and as a head coach (WKU, Purdue) has focused on quarterback development and point production. Watch how well it plays out this season with Aidan O’Connell as the quarterback since it’s more remarkable with an experienced QB.

He married Jennifer L. Hawkins in 2003 and has two children.

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15. Hugh Freeze, Liberty

Twitter @CoachHughFreeze

Salary: $4 million

Also on our list of the Best College Football Offensive Coordinators is coach Danny Hugh Freeze Jr. Born on 27 September 1969, he is from the United States. He is Liberty University’s current head football coach. Freeze led Michael Oher and Greg Hardy to prominence as high school football players at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis, Tennessee.

His work with quarterbacks Bo Wallace and Chad Kelly at Ole Miss was noteworthy. He performed an amazing job with Malik Willis, an Auburn reject.

He married Jill Freeze in 1992 and has three daughters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the youngest offensive coordinator in college football?

The youngest offensive coordinator in college football is Florida Atlantic’s Charlie Weis Jr., who is 24 years old.

Who is the most successful coach in college football?

John Gagliardi holds the record for the most victories in their career with 489 wins, the majority of which came at the NCAA Division III level.

Who is the youngest college football coach of all time?

Sean Lewis, Kent State: At 31 years old, Lewis became the FBS’s youngest head coach after being hired in December.

Who is the highest-paid position coach in college football?

The highest earner among position coaches in college football is Lincoln Riley.

What are the duties of an offensive coordinator?

In football, the coach in charge of the offensive unit is known as the offensive coordinator. Leading the offense during drills, creating plays and strategies, and calling offensive plays during football games are all duties of the offensive coordinator. Head coaches receive reports from offensive coordinators.

Conclusion

The most distinctive coaching position is that of offensive coordinator in NCAA football not only because some head coaches simply can’t let go of what first propelled them to the big chair.

Aside from the high salary, it propels many to become head coaches in the nearest future.

Reference

www.ssec-football ranking the top-25-offensive-coordinators in college football in 2024
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/. Offensive Coordinators

15 Best College Football Offensive Coordinators In 2024

Who Is An Offensive Coordinator In College Football?

What Does An Offensive Coordinator Do?

How Can You Become An Offensive Coordinator In College Football?