Reaching the College Football Playoff -- even in the current 12-team era -- is extremely difficult. So it's no surprise that the coaching quality among this year's CFP contenders is top-notch, and that the chase for the national championship will feature some of the sport's biggest names going head-to-head on the game's largest stages.

From a big-picture standpoint, the coaching field in the 2025-26 CFP is notable not just for its strength but also for the variety of backgrounds and profiles involved. The group includes coaches with CFP and national championship experience, as well as rising stars coaching their final games before departing for new opportunities. There are the journeyman paths of Curt Cignetti and Kalen DeBoer, who were high-level winners at multiple stops before th

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