Head coaches in sports usually get all the publicity and criticism but as the game grows, coordinators grow in notoriety.
It is crucial for teams at the college and pro levels to have very good coordinators.
With football moving towards more offense, the offensive coordinator position has never been as valued as it is today.
There was plenty of movement at the offensive coordinator position this offseason as some big names left for new jobs.
Below, we give our expert pick on the top 10 offensive coordinators in College Football ahead of the 2023 season.
Top 10 Offensive Coordinators In College Football 2023
Running an offense in football has never been as important as it is today.
College Football and the NFL are geared toward the offense more than ever.
Having a very good offensive coordinator is crucial to a team’s success.
Sean Lewis will kick off the top 10 list of offensive coordinators ahead of the 2023 College Football season.
10. Sean Lewis, Colorado Buffaloes
Sean Lewis was not expected to be on the list of top 10 offensive coordinators in College Football ahead of the 2023 season.
However, Lewis unexpectedly decided to leave for Colorado and become Deion Sanders’ offensive coordinator.
This decision makes Lewis among the top offensive coordinators in College Football.
Lewis is a former Dino Babers assistant who has done a good job of mixing the run and pass to achieve success against teams who typically have more talent.
He must have viewed Colorado as a quicker step to becoming a Power Five head coach than remaining at Kent State.
Lewis is among the top 10 offensive coordinators in College Football.
9. Warren Ruggiero, Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Warren Ruggiero is entering his 10th season as Wake Forest’s offensive coordinator and he has done a good job lately.
His slow-mesh, RPO-based offense has finished in the top 20 in expected points added (EPA) per play each season since 2020.
In 2021, Ruggiero was a finalist for the Broyles Award after the Deacons finished fourth in the Power Five in EPA per pass.
It is unclear who will be the QB for Wake Forest in 2023 but whoever wins the job, Ruggiero will be an excellent mentor for them.
Ruggiero will keep the offense rolling whoever is under center for the Deacons in 2023.
Ruggiero will do a good job as offensive coordinator and be among the top 10 in College Football in 2023.
8. Alex Atkins, Florida State Seminoles
Alex Atkins was promoted to offensive coordinator this last season and he was a major reason for Florida State’s turnaround.
In 2021, Florida State was 71st in the country in EPA per play.
The following year, they were 10th.
Quarterback Jordan Travis was the highest-graded QB in the Power Five (91.7).
Travis is a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender in 2023.
Atkins was a semifinalist for the Broyles Award in 2022 and is one of the fastest-rising stars.
Atkins was another name who was involved in some head coaching searches this past off-season.
He ended up remaining in Tallahassee, probably not for much longer.
Atkins is among the top offensive coordinators in 2023.
7. Jeff Lebby, Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma’s offense was not as good as we have come to expect in Lebby’s first year as offensive coordinator.
The offense ranked 25th in the Power Five in EPA per play, the Sooners’ worst since 2014.
However, Oklahoma was going through a major transition after losing head coach Lincoln Riley and two starting QBs in Caleb Williams and Spencer Rattler.
In Lebby’s three years as OC before 2022, he produced two top-10 offenses in EPA per play.
His proven track record suggests he will turn it around at Oklahoma sooner than later.
Lebby’s teams have been a good mix of run and pass on the field.
He will most certainly become a head coach in the coming years.
Jeff Lebby will have a strong 2023 season as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator and be among the best in College Football.
6. Jeff Grimes, Baylor Bears
After three seasons as the offensive coordinator at BYU, Jeff Grimes was hired by Dave Aranda to lead Baylor’s offense in 2021.
In Grimes’ first year in Waco, they won 12 games and a Big XII title, with Gerry Bohanen and Blake Shapen starting at QB.
There was some regression in 2022 due to even more instability at QB.
Sawyer Robertson will start under center in 2023 and provide more stability at the position.
Grimes was a finalist for the Broyles Award in 2020, his final season as BYU’s offensive coordinator.
That year, the Cougars finished third in EPA per play.
Grimes was named a Broyles Award finalist again in 2021.
The Bears finished the 2021 campaign with the sixth-highest-graded offense in the Power Five (92.0) and a top-15 ranking in positive EPA rate (47.6%).
Despite losing many key players from 2021, the Bears still finished 21st in the P5 in EPA per play.
With more stability under center, Grimes will have a strong 2023 campaign as the offensive coordinator for the Baylor Bears.
Top 5 Offensive Coordinators in College Football 2023
Now, we get to the top five offensive coordinators in College Football.
Mike Denbrock kicks off the top-five list.
5. Mike Denbrock, LSU Tigers
Mike Denbrock worked with Luke Fickell in Cincinnati from 2018 to 2021.
In his final year with the Bearcats, they ranked fifth in the nation in positive EPA rate (49.6%) on their way to the Grout of Five’s first-ever College Football playoff appearance.
Denbrock rejoined Brian Kelly at LSU this last season.
The Tigers won the SEC West on the back of his highly efficient offense that generated positive expected points added on 50.9% of its plays, the eighth-best in the country.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels had his best year as a passer, leading the nation’s quarterbacks in turnover-worthy play rate (0.9%).
Expectations are high going into 2023 for LSU, and that shouldn’t phase Denbrock and Kelly.
Denbrock will once again lead a very efficient offense and be among the top offensive coordinators in 2023.
4. Phil Longo, Wisconsin Badgers
Phil Longo did a great job as OC at Sam Houston St., Ole Miss, and North Carolina.
Under Longo, the Tar Heels ranked top-20 in EPA per play in each of the last three seasons and notably finished fourth in 2020.
Longo runs a version of the air raid offense that is designed to be either pass or run-oriented, depending on the matchup.
It is a scheme that star Badgers running back Braelon Allen is excited to play in next season.
Longo helped mold Drake Maye into a future #1 NFL draft pick.
Getting Longo to Wisconsin was a huge move by Luke Fickell and one that will move them past the same offense they have had for 30 years.
Longo will also help recruit elite-level QBs for the Badgers.
Expect Wisconsin to have an excellent offense in 2023.
Longo will be among the top offensive coordinators in College Football.
3. Andy Ludwig, Utah Utes
Andy Ludwig has led the Utes to have a top-20 offense in EPA per play in three of his four years as offensive coordinator.
In the last two years, Utah’s offense has placed in the top 10.
Last season, Ludwig’s offense finished fifth in the country in terms of positive EPA percentage (51.7%).
Before he was hired at Utah, Ludwig led Vanderbilt’s offense to a top-30 finish in EPA per play in 2018.
Vanderbilt’s best finish in the four years since is 97th, which came last this past season.
Ludwig’s mix of run and pass has led to versatile players on the line and at RB and TE.
Ludwig will once again have a strong offense and be one of the best offensive coordinators in College in 2023.
2. Ryan Grubb, Washington Huskies
Ryan Grubb received heavy interest from Alabama and Texas A&M this offseason.
However, he opted to stay with the Washington Huskies.
Washington recently made Grubb one of the highest-paid assistants in the country at $2 million per year.
In his first year with the team, Washington led the Power Five in scoring drive percentage (58.7%).
They finished third in EPA per play trailing only USC and Tennessee after finishing 112th in 2021.
Quarterback Michael Penix Jr had a resurgence, leading the Power Five in passing yards (4,641).
Penix Jr had an 88.1 passing grade which was nearly a 20-point improvement from 2021.
Penix is a candidate to win the Heisman Trophy and Washington is a dark horse to make the College Football Playoffs.
Grubb will be a big reason for Washington’s success and will be one of the best offensive coordinators in 2023.
1. Garrett Riley, Clemson Tigers
Garrett Riley will be a head coach sooner than later.
In his two seasons at SMU as offensive coordinator in 2020 and 2021, he led them to two consecutive top-25 finishes in EPA per play.
This last season, which was his first as TCU’s OC, he won the Broyles Award for the top assistant coach in college football.
He elevated a Horned Frogs squad that ranked 41st in the country in EPA per play to a 15th-place finish in 2022.
His QB, Max Duggan, was named runner-up for the Heisman Trophy.
This offseason, he was brought in by Dabo Swinney to get Clemson’s offense back on track.
The Tigers finished just 47th in EPA per play in 2022.
With Riley as OC, Clemson will be much improved on offense in 2023.
Garrett Riley will be the best offensive coordinator in 2023 and lead a much improved Tigers offense.
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