The Sun Belt has experienced its share of turnover in the coaching ranks in recent seasons. Only four of the league’s coaches have worked at the current school for longer than two seasons. With that turnover in mind, along with the roster volatility in the Group of 5 conferences due to the transfer portal, ranking the Sun Belt’s coaches for 2025 is a tough assignment. Texas State’s GJ Kinne, Southern Miss’ Charles Huff, and James Madison’s Bob Chesney headline this list, but Arkansas State’s Butch Jones, Georgia Southern’s Clay Helton, and South Alabama’s Major Applewhite have a chance to move up this ranking in the fall.
Marshall’s Tony Gibson and Appalachian State’s Dowell Loggains headline the first-time coaches in the league for ’25, while Georgia State’s Dell McGee, Troy’s Gerad Parker, and ULM’s Bryant Vincent aim to take a step forward in their second year in the conference.
How did we compile the rankings for coaches by conference? For starters, it’s an impossible task. However, we tried to weigh every possible factor. This is not simply a list of coaches ranked by accomplishment or wins. While those aspects are important, it doesn’t provide a complete picture of how successful coaches are. Also, every program has a different amount of resources available. Hierarchy in college football also plays a vital role in how successful programs are. It’s always easier for programs with more built-in advantages to contend for a national title on a more consistent basis.
The above factors, along with career biography/resume, success in developing talent and landing prospects on the recruiting trail factored into the ranking. Additionally, how well programs value staff (is the head coach better as a CEO or hands-on approach) and the facilities or program resources matter into forming an outlook of how coaches have performed at different stops throughout their career.
Again, wins and the career biography to this point are important. But our rankings also take into account a blank slate and subjectivity. If you start a program from scratch, which coach would you hire knowing what they accomplished so far and their career trajectory? Remember, you don’t get the assistants – only the head coach. And head-to-head wins do not matter for this ranking.
Here are the results for Sun Belt:
Ranking the Sun Belt’s College Football Coaches for 2025
1. GJ Kinne, Texas State
Texas State has emerged as one of the top teams in the Sun Belt in Kinne’s first two years at the helm. The Bobcats have posted back-to-back 8-5 campaigns and finished 9-7 in Sun Belt play. Kinne also guided Texas State to its first bowl appearance at the FBS level in ‘23 and is 2-0 in postseason appearances after a victory against North Texas in the First Responder Bowl last year. Counting a 12-2 mark at Incarnate Word in ‘22, Kinne is 28-12 overall as a head coach.
2. Bob Chesney, James Madison
With a track record of winning at every head-coaching stop (Salve Regina, Assumption, and Holy Cross) in his career, Chesney was regarded as one of the top Group of 5 hires last season. The Pennsylvania native had a successful debut in Harrisonburg, guiding the team to an upset at North Carolina (70-50) in early September and an overall 9-4 record. The Dukes should be one of the Sun Belt’s top teams again in ‘25.
3. Charles Huff, Southern Miss
Huff delivered the best season of his four-year tenure at Marshall in ‘24. The Thundering Herd went 10-3 and won the Sun Belt title in blowout fashion over Louisiana (31-3). Huff went 32-20 overall at Marshall and guided the program to postseason bids in all four years in charge. After Marshall and Huff were unable to agree on a contract extension, the Maryland native opted to depart for Southern Miss after the ‘24 season. The Golden Eagles are facing a significant rebuild after a 1-11 record in ‘24. However, Huff landed a standout transfer portal haul to help Southern Miss show marked improvement this year.
4. Butch Jones, Arkansas State
Arkansas State has increased its win total every year in Jones’ tenure after a 2-10 debut in ‘21. After three wins in ‘22, the Red Wolves finished 6-7 the following year and went 8-5 last season. Included in the eight victories in ‘24 was the program’s first bowl win since ‘19. Counting previous stints at Central Michigan, Cincinnati, and Tennessee, Jones is 103-85 overall as a head coach at the FBS level.
5. Clay Helton, Georgia Southern
Georgia Southern is coming off its best season in Helton’s three-year run atop the program. The Eagles went 8-5 last year and fell just short of a trip to the Sun Belt title game with a 6-2 mark in conference play. Helton is 20-19 overall in Statesboro and has guided Georgia Southern to postseason appearances in all three years in charge.
6. Major Applewhite, South Alabama
Close calls were the biggest storyline of Applewhite’s first season in charge. The Jaguars finished 7-6 after beating Western Michigan in the Salute to Veterans Bowl but lost four of their games by one score. The promotion from offensive coordinator to head coach after Kane Wommack left for Alabama was relatively seamless for Applewhite. And with a solid foundation returning in ‘25, the Jaguars can contend for the Sun Belt title. Counting a previous stint at Houston, Applewhite is 22-17 as a head coach at the FBS level.
7. Michael Desormeaux, Louisiana
With extensive ties to the state of Louisiana, along with a playing career with the Ragin’ Cajuns, no coach is better suited to lead this program than Desormeaux. The former Louisiana quarterback was promoted to the top spot following Billy Napier’s departure to Florida at the end of the ‘21 season. Desormeaux posted back-to-back 6-7 records in his first two years in charge. However, the program returned to the top tier of the Sun Belt last fall with a 10-4 record and an appearance in the conference title game. Desormeaux is 23-18 overall at his alma mater.
8. Ricky Rahne, Old Dominion
Rahne has yet to post a winning season in four years at Old Dominion, but the ‘24 campaign showed signs of promise. The Monarchs feature a rising star at quarterback in Colton Joseph and six of the team’s seven losses came by one score. Rahne is 20-30 overall at Old Dominion but has guided the program to two bowl trips. The ‘25 season looms large for the overall direction of Rahne’s tenure in Norfolk.
9. Bryant Vincent, ULM
ULM is one of the Sun Belt’s toughest jobs, but this program made considerable progress in Vincent’s debut last season. The Warhawks were one of college football’s best storylines in the first half with a 5-1 record that included an upset of James Madison. ULM slipped in the second half of ‘24 with six consecutive defeats but still finished the year with considerable improvement on the stat sheet. Counting a previous stint at UAB (7-6 in 2022), Vincent is 12-13 as a head coach at the FBS level.
10. Tim Beck, Coastal Carolina
Beck enters a crucial third season in charge looking to get Coastal Carolina back on track. After an 8-5 debut with a win in the Hawaii Bowl in 2023, the Chanticleers took a step back last year with a 6-7 record. Additionally, the offense (Beck’s specialty) ranked ninth in the Sun Belt (conference-only games) by averaging 5.8 yards per play.
11. Dell McGee, Georgia State
McGee got a late start for his 2024 debut at Georgia State following his hire in late February. Despite the late transition into this role, McGee delivered some highlights in his first year. The Panthers upset Vanderbilt (36-32) in early September and later defeated Texas State (52-44) for their only Sun Belt win of ‘24. McGee – a Georgia native and long-time assistant in the state – has Georgia State trending in the right direction entering the ‘25 season.
12. Gerad Parker, Troy
Parker inherited a Troy roster with major holes to fill after a successful two-year run under former coach Jon Sumrall. The Trojans started 1-7 with its only win coming against Florida A&M in that stretch, but Parker’s team played better in November. Troy won three out of its last four games, including a 28-20 upset of Georgia Southern and a 52-20 blowout of Southern Miss to finish 4-8 overall.
13. Tony Gibson, Marshall
Gibson – a West Virginia native and a long-time assistant coach – finally gets his chance to run his own program in ‘25. In addition to stops within the state as an assistant at West Virginia Tech, Glenville State, and West Virginia, Gibson also has stints on his resume at Michigan, Arizona, and spent the last five years as the defensive coordinator at NC State. The Thundering Herd won the Sun Belt last season but are facing a massive roster overhaul for Gibson’s debut with over 60 new players joining the team.
14. Dowell Loggains, Appalachian State
After four different stints in the NFL as an offensive coordinator, Loggains joined the collegiate ranks as an assistant at Arkansas in ‘21 and later became the play-caller at South Carolina in ‘23. The Gamecocks averaged only 5.6 yards a snap in Loggains’ debut but improved on that total last season. Under Loggains’ watch, quarterback LaNorris Sellers developed into a star and South Carolina’s offense averaged 30.5 points a game. The Arkansas native is a first-time head coach and steps into a job with high expectations.
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