OPINION

By Tom Dienhart

updated 10:17 p.m. ET March 31, 2008

Tom Dienhart

Any discussion about top Pac-10 coaches has to begin with the considerable talents of USC's Pete Carroll and Arizona State's Dennis Erickson. Each has won national championships, and each has been a head coach in the NFL.

The next tier of coaches lacks that glitz, but it's formidable. Most schools would love to have Oregon's Mike Bellotti, Oregon State's Mike Riley or Cal's Jeff Tedford running their ship.

I am excited to see what the dynamic Rick Neuheisel does at UCLA, and Jim Harbaugh is impossible to ignore at Stanford.

Ranking the Pac-10 coaches

1. Pete Carroll, USC. He only has built the premier program in America, that's all. And don't tell me he's in a cushy job that is set up for success. Remember Paul Hackett? Larry Smith? Yes, Carroll has advantages, but with an energy and mojo unseen in any other coach, he has built a talent-laden power.

2. Dennis Erickson, Arizona State. It's not easy to find a better coach. Erickson proved his mettle again with a one-season turnaround that had the Sun Devils in the national championship hunt well into last season. Erickson has few peers when it comes to game planning, but even more valuable is his ability to get players to buy into what he's selling.

3. Mike Bellotti, Oregon. Year after year, he keeps winning, building on the foundation laid by Rich Brooks. Bellotti, who has had two league titles and just one losing season in 13 years in Eugene, has excelled by being a relentless recruiter and surrounding himself with a sharp staff, including standout defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti.

4. Mike Riley, Oregon State. Let's call him Mr. Nice Guy. But don't be fooled — Riley is a killer coach, the best you rarely hear about. Riley, who played for Bear Bryant and has coached in the NFL and CFL, has won 19 games the past two years and is 4-0 in bowl games with the Beavers.

5. Jeff Tedford, Cal. Part of a rich coaching tree with roots at Oregon, Tedford thinks about offense with the complexity of an NFL coach. And he is starting to see the big picture. Witness his willingness to relinquish play-calling duties to new coordinator Frank Cignetti, one of the bright young minds in the game.

6. Rick Neuheisel, UCLA. I get the feeling that a more mature Neuheisel is going to excel now that he is back home. It's hard to top his package of enthusiasm and smarts. Even better: Neuheisel has assembled a blue-ribbon staff headed by offensive coordinator Norm Chow and defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker. This is gonna be fun.

MORE FROM COLLEGE FOOTBALL

College football Section Front

Get ready for mass exodus Trash Talk: SEC not all it’s cracked up to be Predictions 101: Ohio State to roll, N.D. to win squeaker Opinion: 10 bowl matchups that would be a treat Bowl Projections: Big Ten blows BCS spot CFT: ‘By the numbers’ — McCoy goes for record From Big 12 snub to possible BCS for TCU SEC's season one of contenders and complaints   Vote: Which is the best conference? Iowa-Ohio St. in-depth video preview, analysis College football Section Front   Add College football headlines to your news reader: