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The roster of MAC coaches for the 2025 college football season features an intriguing mix of proven veterans and newcomers. At the top of the conference, Chuck Martin from Miami (Ohio) and Toledo's Jason Candle are locked into a tight battle for the top spot in the coach rankings.
While Martin and Candle are clearly at the top, the rest of the conference features plenty of debate with six newcomers for '25. Ohio's Brian Smith steps into the best situation of the first-year coaches, but Central Michigan's Matt Drinkall was a big-time winner in the lower levels of college football. Also, while Akron's Joe Moorhead and Western Michigan's Lance Taylor both have losing records, their experience (and to some extent winning at a hard place) in the conference deserves consideration in the rankings.
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 the MAC:
Miami (Ohio) coach Chuck MartinCarter Skaggs-USA TODAY NETWORK
When it comes to MAC play, no coach is better at pushing the right buttons than Martin. The RedHawks are 14-2 over the last two seasons in conference games and won the ’23 MAC Championship. Miami (Ohio) is 65-67 overall under Martin but is 51-32 in conference action and hasn’t had a losing mark in league games since ’15. Counting a successful stint at Grand Valley State (2004-09), Martin’s record as a head coach sits at 139-74 overall entering ’25.
Candle is one of the nation’s top Group of 5 coaches, guiding Toledo to a 73-40 mark since he took over at the end of the ’15 season. The Rockets have two MAC titles under Candle’s watch and have yet to post a losing record. Also, the program posted two seasons of 11 victories (2017 and ’23) - the highest win total for the program since 1995 (11). With another successful season in ’25, Candle should be on the radar for openings at the power conference level.
Buffalo head coach Pete Lembo Courtesy of Buffalo Athletics
The Bulls showed marked improvement in Lembo’s first season in ’24. After going 3-9 in ’23, Buffalo went 9-4 and just missed a trip to the MAC title game with a 6-2 record in conference play. The New York native’s return to the head-coaching ranks at Buffalo came after Lembo worked as a special teams coordinator at Maryland (2016-17), Rice (2018), Memphis (2019-20), and South Carolina (2021-23). But prior to that run as a FBS assistant, Lembo thrived as a head coach at difficult jobs. He went 44-14 at Lehigh (2001-05), 35-22 at Elon (2006-10), and 33-29 at Ball State (2011-15).
Eastern Michigan is one of college football’s toughest jobs, yet Creighton continues to build competitive teams to transform this program into a consistent bowl contender. After last year’s 5-7 mark, the Eagles are 57-75 under Creighton’s direction. However, he’s guided Eastern Michigan to six of the program's seven all-time bowl trips. A nine-win season in ’22 represented the program’s best mark since eight victories in 1977. Winning at hard jobs is nothing new to Creighton. He posted a 44-22 mark at Drake (2008-13), went 63-15 at Wabash (2001-07) and 32-9 at Ottawa (1997-00). Expect the Eagles to return to the bowl scene thanks to Creighton’s leadership in ’25.
Hammock is 32-38 in charge at his alma mater (2019-24) and has guided the program to three bowls over the last four seasons. After a 5-13 start to his tenure, Hammock is 27-25 since ’21. Additionally, Northern Illinois pulled off one of the biggest upsets in ’24 with a victory at Notre Dame in Week 2. The Huskies are facing a major rebuild in ’25, but Hammock’s track record suggests the program won’t take too far of a step back in the MAC.
Akron head coach Joe Moorhead© Phil Masturzo/ Beacon Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
Moorhead is regarded as one of the top offensive minds in college football, but he’s struggled to find success at Akron. The Zips are 8-28 under Moorhead, but after winning four games from 2022-23, the program posted a 4-8 mark last year. Although Akron has showed some progress, retaining talent and developing the roster in the NIL era is a challenge for this program. Additionally, due to a low APR, the Zips are ineligible for a bowl in ’25. Prior to Akron, Moorhead went 14-12 as the head coach at Mississippi State (2018-19) and 38-13 at Fordham (2012-15). With several new coaches joining the MAC this year, Moorhead's track record helps elevate him just a bit among the league.
The Broncos took a step forward in Taylor’s second season with a 6-7 record and the program’s first bowl mark since '21. Additionally, Western Michigan finished 5-3 in MAC play - the first winning conference record since '19. The Alabama native worked as an assistant at a handful of stops prior to taking over in Kalamazoo, including Stanford, Notre Dame, Louisville, and in the NFL with the Jets and Panthers. Taylor is 10-15 overall with the Broncos entering the '25 season.
Could Drinkall be the next star coach to emerge out of the MAC? The Iowa native arrives in Mount Pleasant after working for the last six years as an assistant at Army. But prior to that stint in West Point, Drinkall went 42-17 and developed some of the nation’s top offenses at the NAIA level from 2014-18 at Kansas Wesleyan. With a solid foundation of personnel in place this fall, Drinkall could bring instant improvement to a Chippewas’ team that went 4-8 last year.
UMass has struggled to find its footing at the FBS level, but the program should benefit from a move to the MAC in ’25. Additionally, Harasymiak’s hire will help get this program on track in its new conference. The New Jersey native went 20-15 as Maine’s head coach from 2016-18, including a 10-win campaign in ’18. Harasymiak arrives in Amherst after working as a defensive assistant at Minnesota (2019-21) and as the defensive coordinator at Rutgers (2022-24).
Tennessee State Tigers head coach Eddie GeorgeMatt Cashore-Imagn Images
George - the 1995 Heisman Trophy winner at Ohio State and former NFL star running back with the Tennessee Titans - is a late arrival to the FBS for 2025. After Scot Loeffler left to take a job with the Eagles in late February, Bowling Green hired George from the FCS ranks to guide its program. The Pennsylvania native went 24-22 at Tennessee State from 2021-24, including a 9-4 mark with a trip to the FCS Playoffs last season. With big-time name recognition and a successful FCS tenure, George is a standout hire for the Falcons.
The Bobcats opted for continuity by selecting Smith to replace Tim Albin following his departure to Charlotte after winning the MAC title in ’24. Smith has been a key cog in Ohio’s success, working as an offensive assistant for the last three years, including the ’24 campaign as play-caller. The California native guided Ohio to a bowl win over Jacksonville State in his first game atop the program to finish ’24. Although Smith has never been a head coach for a full season, he’s garnered a wealth of experience from stints at Washington State, Hawaii, and Portland State.
Uremovich is no stranger to life in the MAC after a stint on the staff at Northern Illinois in 2012 and again from ’16-18. The Indiana native takes over in Muncie after the Cardinals went 7-17 over the last two years. Uremovich has had success as a head coach at two tough jobs already going 33-45 at St. Francis from 2005-11 and 23-11 at Butler from 2022-24.
Carney steps into a tough situation as the interim coach following Kenni Burns’ dismissal in mid-April. The Ohio native joined the program in ’23 and worked as the play-caller last season. Prior to Kent State, Carney worked as an assistant at Charlotte, Richmond, Bowling Green, and Baldwin Wallace. He has no experience as a head coach.
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While Martin and Candle are clearly at the top, the rest of the conference features plenty of debate with six newcomers for '25. Ohio's Brian Smith steps into the best situation of the first-year coaches, but Central Michigan's Matt Drinkall was a big-time winner in the lower levels of college football. Also, while Akron's Joe Moorhead and Western Michigan's Lance Taylor both have losing records, their experience (and to some extent winning at a hard place) in the conference deserves consideration in the rankings.
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 the MAC:
Ranking the MAC's College Football Coaches for 2025
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Miami (Ohio) coach Chuck MartinCarter Skaggs-USA TODAY NETWORK
1. Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio)
When it comes to MAC play, no coach is better at pushing the right buttons than Martin. The RedHawks are 14-2 over the last two seasons in conference games and won the ’23 MAC Championship. Miami (Ohio) is 65-67 overall under Martin but is 51-32 in conference action and hasn’t had a losing mark in league games since ’15. Counting a successful stint at Grand Valley State (2004-09), Martin’s record as a head coach sits at 139-74 overall entering ’25.
2. Jason Candle, Toledo
Candle is one of the nation’s top Group of 5 coaches, guiding Toledo to a 73-40 mark since he took over at the end of the ’15 season. The Rockets have two MAC titles under Candle’s watch and have yet to post a losing record. Also, the program posted two seasons of 11 victories (2017 and ’23) - the highest win total for the program since 1995 (11). With another successful season in ’25, Candle should be on the radar for openings at the power conference level.
3. Pete Lembo, Buffalo
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Buffalo head coach Pete Lembo Courtesy of Buffalo Athletics
The Bulls showed marked improvement in Lembo’s first season in ’24. After going 3-9 in ’23, Buffalo went 9-4 and just missed a trip to the MAC title game with a 6-2 record in conference play. The New York native’s return to the head-coaching ranks at Buffalo came after Lembo worked as a special teams coordinator at Maryland (2016-17), Rice (2018), Memphis (2019-20), and South Carolina (2021-23). But prior to that run as a FBS assistant, Lembo thrived as a head coach at difficult jobs. He went 44-14 at Lehigh (2001-05), 35-22 at Elon (2006-10), and 33-29 at Ball State (2011-15).
4. Chris Creighton, Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan is one of college football’s toughest jobs, yet Creighton continues to build competitive teams to transform this program into a consistent bowl contender. After last year’s 5-7 mark, the Eagles are 57-75 under Creighton’s direction. However, he’s guided Eastern Michigan to six of the program's seven all-time bowl trips. A nine-win season in ’22 represented the program’s best mark since eight victories in 1977. Winning at hard jobs is nothing new to Creighton. He posted a 44-22 mark at Drake (2008-13), went 63-15 at Wabash (2001-07) and 32-9 at Ottawa (1997-00). Expect the Eagles to return to the bowl scene thanks to Creighton’s leadership in ’25.
5. Thomas Hammock, Northern Illinois
Hammock is 32-38 in charge at his alma mater (2019-24) and has guided the program to three bowls over the last four seasons. After a 5-13 start to his tenure, Hammock is 27-25 since ’21. Additionally, Northern Illinois pulled off one of the biggest upsets in ’24 with a victory at Notre Dame in Week 2. The Huskies are facing a major rebuild in ’25, but Hammock’s track record suggests the program won’t take too far of a step back in the MAC.
6. Joe Moorhead, Akron
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Akron head coach Joe Moorhead© Phil Masturzo/ Beacon Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
Moorhead is regarded as one of the top offensive minds in college football, but he’s struggled to find success at Akron. The Zips are 8-28 under Moorhead, but after winning four games from 2022-23, the program posted a 4-8 mark last year. Although Akron has showed some progress, retaining talent and developing the roster in the NIL era is a challenge for this program. Additionally, due to a low APR, the Zips are ineligible for a bowl in ’25. Prior to Akron, Moorhead went 14-12 as the head coach at Mississippi State (2018-19) and 38-13 at Fordham (2012-15). With several new coaches joining the MAC this year, Moorhead's track record helps elevate him just a bit among the league.
7. Lance Taylor, Western Michigan
The Broncos took a step forward in Taylor’s second season with a 6-7 record and the program’s first bowl mark since '21. Additionally, Western Michigan finished 5-3 in MAC play - the first winning conference record since '19. The Alabama native worked as an assistant at a handful of stops prior to taking over in Kalamazoo, including Stanford, Notre Dame, Louisville, and in the NFL with the Jets and Panthers. Taylor is 10-15 overall with the Broncos entering the '25 season.
8. Matt Drinkall, Central Michigan
Could Drinkall be the next star coach to emerge out of the MAC? The Iowa native arrives in Mount Pleasant after working for the last six years as an assistant at Army. But prior to that stint in West Point, Drinkall went 42-17 and developed some of the nation’s top offenses at the NAIA level from 2014-18 at Kansas Wesleyan. With a solid foundation of personnel in place this fall, Drinkall could bring instant improvement to a Chippewas’ team that went 4-8 last year.
9. Joe Harasymiak, UMass
UMass has struggled to find its footing at the FBS level, but the program should benefit from a move to the MAC in ’25. Additionally, Harasymiak’s hire will help get this program on track in its new conference. The New Jersey native went 20-15 as Maine’s head coach from 2016-18, including a 10-win campaign in ’18. Harasymiak arrives in Amherst after working as a defensive assistant at Minnesota (2019-21) and as the defensive coordinator at Rutgers (2022-24).
10. Eddie George, Bowling Green
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Tennessee State Tigers head coach Eddie GeorgeMatt Cashore-Imagn Images
George - the 1995 Heisman Trophy winner at Ohio State and former NFL star running back with the Tennessee Titans - is a late arrival to the FBS for 2025. After Scot Loeffler left to take a job with the Eagles in late February, Bowling Green hired George from the FCS ranks to guide its program. The Pennsylvania native went 24-22 at Tennessee State from 2021-24, including a 9-4 mark with a trip to the FCS Playoffs last season. With big-time name recognition and a successful FCS tenure, George is a standout hire for the Falcons.
11. Brian Smith, Ohio
The Bobcats opted for continuity by selecting Smith to replace Tim Albin following his departure to Charlotte after winning the MAC title in ’24. Smith has been a key cog in Ohio’s success, working as an offensive assistant for the last three years, including the ’24 campaign as play-caller. The California native guided Ohio to a bowl win over Jacksonville State in his first game atop the program to finish ’24. Although Smith has never been a head coach for a full season, he’s garnered a wealth of experience from stints at Washington State, Hawaii, and Portland State.
12. Mike Uremovich, Ball State
Uremovich is no stranger to life in the MAC after a stint on the staff at Northern Illinois in 2012 and again from ’16-18. The Indiana native takes over in Muncie after the Cardinals went 7-17 over the last two years. Uremovich has had success as a head coach at two tough jobs already going 33-45 at St. Francis from 2005-11 and 23-11 at Butler from 2022-24.
13. Mark Carney, Kent State
Carney steps into a tough situation as the interim coach following Kenni Burns’ dismissal in mid-April. The Ohio native joined the program in ’23 and worked as the play-caller last season. Prior to Kent State, Carney worked as an assistant at Charlotte, Richmond, Bowling Green, and Baldwin Wallace. He has no experience as a head coach.
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