Being a head coach in College Football is an incessant tryst with chasing success that cannot be quantified. Since success for a collegiate head coach is in the development of his players, just as much as the hardware in their trophy cabinet, its intangible nature makes it difficult to assess. That said, certain coaches do manage to stand out. Some through their antics, others through their acumen. We at EssentiallySports did an exclusive interview with revered analyst and former All-American tight end Adam Breneman and asked him to name the most underappreciated coaches in the sport. A straightforward-sounding premise that opens an entire can of worms once divulged. Well, Breneman obliged. His alma mater, Penn State’s James Franklin, made the cut, and so did South Carolina’s Shane Beamer among others.

James Franklin is as polarizing a coach as any across the landscape. Both his proponents and his cynics have merited arguments. No surprises that Adam Breneman falls in the former camp, but don’t fall for the notion that it’s bias. Scratch beneath the surface of Coach Franklin’s infamous record in the bigger games, and you’d realize just how much of a net positive his time in State College has been. “Fans love to critique him, but he’s turned PSU into a perennial power,” said Breneman to EssentiallySports in an exclusive interview. After coming over from Vanderbilt in 2014, James Franklin had delivered a Big 10 Championship by 2016. Only the elite coaches can so quickly reciprocate the onus placed on their shoulders. As Breneman alluded to, he has made Penn State a perennial contender. They’re constantly tussling in the upper echelons, and it culminated in a CFP semi-final last year. 

Conceded, James Franklin’s got an Achilles Heel: He falters a little too often against his contemporary “powers.” During his tenure, the Nittany Lions were 3-20 vs AP’s top 10 ranked teams. 1-15 against the Top 5, including 12 losses on the bounce. Not very king of the jungle-esque. But there has to be a cognizance of the stability he has brought to the program. Being in and around double-digit wins year in and year out. Alas, Coach Franklin probably does need to get the monkey off his back and start correcting that horrid record against the top teams. Only then can he gain unanimous approval and appreciation. Moving on to the other coaches, Adam Breneman shouted out, Shane Beamer is a fascinating inclusion.

SCal has often been ancillary to their fellow conference members, almost an afterthought. But credit where credit is due- Coach Beamer has made the masses take notice of the program. That SEC COTY honor was more than warranted. To take a team projected to vanquish around the bottom of the hierarchy right on the precipice of the playoffs is commendable. Shane Beamer has been steadily gaining traction since he arrived in Columbia. Creeping up the pecking order in the southeast. Barring a blip in ‘23, there’s been tangible progress season after season. Adam Breneman concurred with this sentiment, saying, “ Players love [Shane Beamer], and he’s building something sustainable.” You’ve gotta think it’s only a matter of when, not if, that this program breaches the glass ceiling looming over them. 

With LaNorris Sellers at quarterback, 2025 is likely the year Shane Beamer and Co. make the CFP. That has to be the mandate being preached around the team, because this is likely Sellers’ last year. You’ve got lightning in a bottle, and it has to count for something. Aside from these 2 deserved coaches, Adam Breneman also named as many as 4 others during his exclusive EssentiallySports interview. Some relatively well-known, some sleepers.

Adam Breneman shouts out CFB head coaches that deserve mainstream plaudits

The service academies need some love and recognition, too. It’s a unique challenge separate from the rest of the CFB paradigm, and one person has gained notoriety doing it. “Wins in the toughest environment in football. Guy deserves way more shine,” said Adam Brenman for the Army Black Knights’ Jeff Monken. To win the AAC and be a legitimate contender for a playoff spot was pay off for everything Coach Monken has worked towards during his decade-long stint. Elsewhere, Adam Breneman also brought up Jedd Fisch during his exclusive interview with EssentiallySports. “Was incredible at Arizona, now has a shot to win big in the Big Ten,” he said about Coach Fisch. Succeeding Kalen DeBoer after he took Washington to the Natty is a tall task. It’s a real barometer of just how good a coach he really is. 

A more understated name, Adam Breneman, brought to the forefront was Kansas’ Lance Leipold. He even said it himself. “Still not talked about enough. [Leipold has] built a winner out of nothing,” remarked Breneman. The Jayhawks’ football program often gets overshadowed by their eminence on the gridiron. So, for Leipold to make noise in the Big 12 at a school where football is secondary is a testament to his coaching prowess. Lastly, and certainly not the least, Breneman named Louisville HC Jeff Brohm. A “master program builder” is what he labelled him. Something he achieved at Purdue and is now attempting to replicate with Louisville, brick by brick. 

With hundreds of coaches vying against each other, attention inadvertently gets concentrated on a select few. But if there’s somebody out there who has come across a fresh name worth more admiration through Adam Breneman and this EssentiallySports exclusive interview, it’s a value add to the football community. It sure will be intriguing to keep tabs on these 6 coaches and how their skyward trajectories pan out in 2025 and beyond. James Franklin and Shane Beamer have 2 of the hottest programs in the country under their custodianship, and they’ll naturally garner the most discourse, both positive and negative. Heavy is the head that wears the crown, even if you conjured that crown for yourself. Elsewhere, we also asked Breneman about his favorite freshmen worth looking out for heading into the ’25 season.