Top 5 defensive coordinators in college football in 2024 ft. Glenn Schumann, Jesse Minter, Jim Knowles and more

The 2023 college football season is officially over, with the Michigan Wolverines claiming their first national title in the College Football Playoff era. There are plenty of questions as to whether or not they will retain head coach Jim Harbaugh and whether or not the punishment from an ongoing NCAA investigation will include the title being stripped.

Despite this, the Wolverines were one of several teams who benefited from having a great defensive coordinator on their staff this season. Take a look at the five best defensive coordinators in college football below.

Top 5 defensive coordinators in college football

#1: Glenn Schumann

Glenn Schumann was expected to be a hot commodity among teams looking for a new head coach. However, he will remain with the Georgia Bulldogs for at least another season. While the Bulldogs ranked fifth in scoring defense and ninth in yards allowed in 2023, they are the only program to rank in the top five in scoring defense and the top ten in yards allowed in each of the past three seasons. By virtue of sustained success, Schumann remains atop the rankings of college football's top defensive coordinators.

#2: Jesse Minter

While Glenn Schumann has the benefit of sustained success, Jesse Minter led college football's top-ranked defense in 2023. The Michigan Wolverines finished first in both scoring defense and yards allowed. Minter has not had the longevity of Schumann, however, he has shown that he is among the elite defensive coordinators in college football.

#3: Jim Knowles

Jim Knowles led what was likely college football's second-best defense in 2023 as the Ohio State Buckeyes finished second in scoring defense and third in yards allowed. They ranked just 45th in scoring offense, which was, by far, their lowest finish since 2011. It will be interesting to see what Knowles can do if the Buckeyes offense can bounce back.

#4: Phil Parker

Despite having a scoring offense that ranked just 132nd out of 133 teams, the Iowa Hawkeyes were able to finish with a 10-4 record. That is, in large part, thanks to the work of Phil Parker, who led a defensive unit that ranked fourth in scoring defense and seventh in yards allowed.

#5: Al Golden

Al Golden led a Notre Dame Fighting Irish defense that ranked seventh in scoring defense and fifth in yards allowed. While Golden had an up-and-down stint as the head coach of the Temple Owls and Miami Hurricanes, he has shown that he is among the best defensive coordinators in college football.