The Sun Belt Conference features an interesting mix of coaches entering the 2026 season. James Madison’s Billy Napier, Arkansas State’s Butch Jones, and Georgia Southern’s Clay Helton headline a trio of veteran coaches looking for stability and a chance to rebound after previous opportunities at a power conference job didn’t work out. Additionally, the conference has experienced its share of coaching turnover in recent seasons and brought a handful of names looking to emerge as rising stars. That list includes Troy’s Gerad Parker, Coastal Carolina’s Ryan Beard, and ULM’s Bryant Vincent. Among the Group of 6 conferences, the Sun Belt's 14 coaches were the toughest to rank entering '26.
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. Career biography/resume, success in developing talent and landing prospects on the recruiting trail factored into the ranking. Additionally, Athlon's annual coach 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 Sun Belt Conference:
As a Georgia native, along with a history of working at a couple of jobs in the state as an assistant, McGee seemed like a home-run hire for Georgia State in ‘24. However, the Panthers are only 4-20 overall and just 1-15 in Sun Belt play under his watch. The ‘26 campaign is a make-or-break year for McGee.
Loggains’ tenure in Boone started with back-to-back wins over Charlotte and Lindenwood, but the team went 3-8 over its next 11 contests and only qualified for a postseason spot after a handful of teams passed on the spot in the Birmingham Bowl. The offense (Loggains’ speciality) averaged only 24.2 points a game and just 5.2 yards a snap in Sun Belt games. After an uneven debut, Loggains has a lot to prove at Appalachian State in ‘26 and beyond.
Despite a major roster overhaul and new faces all over the starting lineup, Gibson guided Marshall to a 5-7 mark and just missed a bowl with four losses by one score. A late-season slide (1-4 in the last five games) was a setback, but Gibson’s first season showed promise the program can quickly reload and factor into the Sun Belt title mix again in ‘26. Prior to taking over at Marshall, Gibson worked as a defensive coordinator or assistant at several high-profile programs, including Pitt, Michigan, Arizona, West Virginia, and NC State.
Even with a couple of high-profile transfer departures last offseason, South Alabama seemed poised to contend for the Sun Belt West Division title in ‘25. Instead, the Jaguars took a step back in Applewhite’s second year in charge. After a 7-6 debut in ‘24, South Alabama finished a disappointing 4-8 last season. Applewhite is 11-14 overall in Mobile and enters ‘26 with plenty of pressure to turn things around this fall.
After nearly making a bowl in Vincent’s debut in ‘24, ULM took a step back in Vincent’s second year with a 3-9 mark in ‘25. The Warhawks defeated Arkansas State on Sept. 27 for their only win in Sun Belt play last season but eight of the team’s nine defeats came by 12 points or more. Vincent is 8-16 in two years in Monroe.
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Cumbie entered ‘25 on the hot seat but delivered his best season in Ruston. The Bulldogs finished 8-5 in their final trip through Conference USA and capped the year by beating Coastal Carolina in the Independence Bowl. Cumbie’s overall mark entering ‘26 is 19-31, but the program is 13-13 over the last two seasons after a 6-18 start to his tenure.
Consistency is the best way to sum up Desormeaux’s tenure. The Ragin’ Cajuns have finished 6-7 in three out of Desormeaux’s four seasons in charge. The other year? A 10-4 mark with a Sun Belt West Division title. The former Louisiana quarterback is 29-25 overall and 19-13 in Sun Belt play.
Beard takes over at Coastal Carolina following a successful tenure at Missouri State. The Bears went 4-7 in Beard’s debut in ‘23 but proceeded to go 15-9 over the next two years. Missouri State successfully transitioned to the FBS level in ‘25, with Beard guiding the program to seven wins in the regular season and the program’s first bowl appearance.
Parker’s stock is on the rise after guiding Troy to an 8-6 record and a Sun Belt West Division title last season. The Trojans finished 4-8 in Parker’s debut in ‘24 but took a major step forward last year. With most of the teams in the West Division in transition this fall, Parker’s team could be the preseason favorite to play in the Sun Belt title game once again.
Georgia Southern has been a consistent winner under Helton. Since taking over in ‘22, the Eagles have posted four consecutive bowl appearances and went 27-25 in that span. The ‘24 campaign marked Helton’s best season, as the program finished 8-5 overall and just missed a trip to the Sun Belt title game with a 6-2 mark in league play. Although Georgia Southern has yet to miss out on a bowl under Helton’s watch, this program is only 16-16 in Sun Belt play over the last four years. Can Helton take this program to another level in ‘26 and beyond?
Jones’ tenure at Arkansas State got off to a shaky start with a 5-19 record through his first two years in charge (2021-22). However, the Red Wolves have turned a corner over the last three seasons. During that span, the program is 21-18 and has played in three consecutive bowl games. Jones previously went 34-27 at Tennessee (2013-17), 23-14 at Cincinnati (2010-12), and 27-13 at Central Michigan (2007-09).
Anderson was promoted to head coach at Southern Miss following Charles Huff’s departure to Memphis in the 2025 season. The Golden Eagles lost to Western Kentucky in Anderson’s first game in charge, and the roster is facing a major overhaul this spring. Anderson previously went 51-37 at Arkansas State from 2014-20 and finished 23-17 at Utah State (2021-23). However, that stint in Logan ended after an investigation by the school indicated he did not comply with the school’s Title IX policies. Anderson has just three losing seasons over 10 years as a FBS head coach.
The Monarchs are coming off their best season under Rahne’s watch after a 10-3 record and a victory over South Florida in the Cure Bowl. Since taking over in ‘20, Rahne has guided Old Dominion to a 30-33 overall mark and three bowl appearances. The Monarchs are also trending up in Sun Belt play with a 15-9 record in conference play over the last three years. Rahne suffered some key turnover on his staff and roster this offseason. However, it’s safe to assume he will push the right buttons once again to keep Old Dominion near the top of the Sun Belt’s East Division.
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Napier is back in the Sun Belt after a four-year stint at Florida. That tenure in Gainesville didn’t go according to plan for Napier, as he was dismissed after a 22-23 record and just one winning record (8-5 in ‘24). However, a return to the Sun Belt at one of the conference’s top jobs should suit Napier’s strengths as a coach. He previously went 40-12 at Louisiana (2018-21) and won a Sun Belt title in ‘21. Despite a massive roster overhaul, along with the transition to Napier’s staff, James Madison could still be the team to beat in the Sun Belt this fall.
