A top-tier college football program has so many elements in order for it to attain success — a head coach, the ability to recruit, campus and athletic facilities, etc. But what sometimes gets overshadowed by head coaches' accomplishments is the coaching staffs that they put together that collectively make all the wins and championships achieved possible. The folks at Athlon Sports recently ranked the best coaching staffs in the country. Athlon asked a plethora of household college football names to rank them, including media members and former players and coaches like Butch Davis, Greg McElroy and Lou Holtz.
Unsurprisingly, Alabama comes in at No. 1, even after Nick Saban had to say goodbye to his longtime defensive coordinator Kirby Smart, who's now in Athens. Michigan State, who lost its defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi to Pitt last offseason also checks into the Top 10, as does LSU who lost John Chavis to Texas A&M. Check out the full Top 10 below, courtesy of Athlon.
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Clemson
4. Oklahoma
5. Michigan
6. Stanford
7. Michigan State
8. TCU
9. Notre Dame
10. LSU
You can find the full list here.