Photo Credit: American Conference
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The 2026 American Conference enters the season with plenty of coaching intrigue. Five programs enter the year with new head coaches. Meanwhile, several established coaches remain among the league’s best. That makes ranking the conference coaches especially difficult. Experience matters, but so does recent success. Program building, player development, recruiting, and expectations also matter. Here is my ranking of all 14 American Conference head coaches entering the 2026 season.
- Alex Mortensen — UAB
Mortensen enters his first full season as UAB’s head coach. He previously served as the Blazers’ offensive coordinator. He also handled the interim role for the final six games last season. UAB went 2-4 during Mortensen’s interim stretch. Still, he owns plenty of offensive experience. His biggest challenge involves establishing himself as a head coach.
- Tre Lamb— Tulsa
Lamb enters his second season leading Tulsa. He previously built East Tennessee State into a competitive FCS program. Tulsa needs more consistency in 2026. Lamb has emphasized continuity during an era dominated by roster movement. That approach could help the Golden Hurricane take another step.
- Scott Abell — Rice
Abell brings an intriguing offensive background to Rice. He previously built Davidson into a successful program. Rice continues developing its unique offensive identity. Abell has already shown creativity with his system. However, he still needs more FBS success before moving higher.
- Will Hall — Tulane
Hall represents one of the most fascinating coaching stories in the conference. He knows Tulane after working there under Willie Fritz and Jon Sumrall. However, this job comes with enormous expectations. Tulane reached four straight conference championship games. The Green Wave also reached the College Football Playoff last season. Hall understands the program’s culture. Now, he must prove he can maintain its championship standard.
- Zach Kittley — Florida Atlantic
Kittley brings an aggressive offensive philosophy to Florida Atlantic. His previous work as Texas Tech’s offensive coordinator created plenty of excitement. FAU’s offense can create explosive plays. However, turnovers remain a concern. Kittley needs to build a more complete team in 2026.
- Brian Hartline — South Florida
Hartline might eventually climb much higher on this list. He brings tremendous recruiting and receiver-development experience from Ohio State. Still, 2026 represents his first season as a college head coach. USF also lost Alex Golesh and quarterback Byrum Brown. That creates a difficult transition. Hartline did help USF land the American’s top transfer portal class. Therefore, expectations remain high around Tampa.
- Blake Harrell — East Carolina
Harrell has already demonstrated that he can stabilize East Carolina. He took over as interim coach before earning the permanent position. Now, however, he faces significant roster turnover. ECU returns no offensive-line starters and needs a new quarterback. That makes 2026 a major test for Harrell.
- Tim Albin — Charlotte
Albin owns one of the strongest recent resumes among the conference’s newer coaches. He led Ohio to the 2024 MAC championship. He also brings extensive experience from Ohio’s coaching staff. Albin understands how to build sustainable programs. Charlotte could benefit from that experience.
- Neal Brown — North Texas
Brown brings considerable head-coaching experience to Denton. He previously led Troy to a Sun Belt championship. North Texas reached the American championship game last season. However, the program lost Eric Morris to Oklahoma State. Brown now inherits a major rebuilding challenge. Still, his previous Group of 5 success gives him a strong foundation.
- Charles Huff — Memphis
Huff might become one of the American’s biggest coaching upgrades. He produced a 32-20 record at Marshall from 2021 through 2024. That run included four bowl appearances and a Sun Belt championship. He also helped Southern Miss make a major improvement last season. Memphis gives Huff another strong Group of 5 opportunity. He should have the resources to compete immediately.
- K.C. Keeler — Temple
Keeler brings decades of winning experience to Temple. He owns a 276-119-1 career record and two FCS national championships. He also went 97-39 during his 11 seasons at Sam Houston. Temple improved to 5-7 during his first season. Two of those losses came by one point. Keeler knows how to build programs. More importantly, Temple has the chance to become a serious conference contender.
- Jeff Traylor — UTSA
Traylor remains one of the American’s safest choices. He transformed UTSA into one of the conference’s premier programs. His teams consistently compete near the top of the league. He also brings six seasons of experience at UTSA. Stability matters greatly in today’s college football landscape. Traylor provides plenty of it.
- Jeff Monken — Army
Monken has built Army into a legitimate national program. His long tenure gives him an enormous advantage over most conference coaches. Army also enters 2026 with plenty of program continuity. Monken understands the academy’s unique challenges better than almost anyone. His track record makes him one of the American’s elite coaches.
- Brian Newberry — Navy
Newberry earns the top spot after two outstanding seasons. Navy went 21-5 across 2024 and 2025. The Midshipmen also won consecutive bowl games against Power Four opponents. Navy finished No. 23 nationally after going 11-2 last season. Newberry has also dominated American play recently. Navy owns a 13-3 conference record since 2024. The Midshipmen also enter 2026 with an impressive returning core. There are questions after losing stars Eli Heidenreich and Landon Robinson. However, Newberry has built enough momentum to deserve the top ranking.
Final Rankings
Brian Newberry — Navy
Jeff Monken — Army
Jeff Traylor — UTSA
K.C. Keeler — Temple
Charles Huff — Memphis
Neal Brown — North Texas
Tim Albin — Charlotte
Blake Harrell — East Carolina
Brian Hartline — South Florida
Zach Kittley — Florida Atlantic
Will Hall — Tulane
Scott Abell — Rice
Tre Lamb — Tulsa
Alex Mortensen — UAB
The biggest takeaway involves the conference’s incredible coaching turnover. Only three coaches entered 2026 with at least three seasons at their current schools. That creates plenty of opportunities for movement throughout the rankings. Hartline, Hall, and Huff could climb quickly with strong debut seasons. Brown could also restore North Texas to championship contention. For now, though, Newberry owns the strongest combination of recent results and stability. The Navy coach deserves the top spot entering the 2026 American Conference season.
Author Profile
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Bradley Walker (VP) and Head of our Florida operations for NGSC Sports, bringing extensive experience across collegiate, professional, and amateur athletics. His coverage spans USF Athletics, including football, baseball, lacrosse, and softball, as well as University of Tampa baseball.
Bradley also provides coverage of minor league baseball with the Clearwater Threshers and Major League Baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays. On the national stage, he covers college football bowl games and conference championship matchups, along with premier golf events across the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and LPGA Tour.
In addition to his reporting work, Bradley is the play-by-play announcer for Pinellas Park High School Patriots football, lending his voice and insight to Friday night lights.
He is also an active podcast host and contributor, serving as a host on The Walker Report, where he delivers in-depth sports analysis, interviews, and coverage across multiple levels of competition.
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