ESPN ACC Blog

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

	Brian A. Westerholt/Getty Images
	Wake Forest's Jim Grobe has the ability to do more with less

1. Jim Grobe, Wake Forest -- His ability to do more with less, along with his ability to outscheme opponents is only part of the reason Grobe led the program to the 2006 ACC championship. His loyalty and genuine concern for his staff, their families and his players are why they work so hard for him on every down. And all of his incoming freshmen are eligible to play tomorrow if they had to. With that said, he is still winless against Virginia Tech and has winning records against just four ACC programs (Boston College, Duke, North Carolina and NC State).

2. Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech -- The stability Beamer has achieved on his staff is a major factor in the Hokies' ability to be a consistent contender. Virginia Tech has a 143-45 record over the past 15 seasons and has won two ACC titles in four seasons. Beamer also has a winning record against every other school in the conference except Florida State.

3. Bobby Bowden, Florida State -- Some of his decisions in recent years have been questioned, and he has been criticized for his lack of discipline at times, but Bowden is still the winningest coach in college football. His .772 winning percentage is still the best in the league. He's also put the future of the program in more than capable hands, and was selfless in doing so. Had this list been compiled during the 1990s, when he won .891 percent of his games, no doubt Bowden would top list.

4. David Cutcliffe, Duke -- While he has yet to prove anything in the ACC, Cutcliffe's experience in the SEC speaks for itself. He led Ole Miss to four bowl games in six seasons and finished with a .603 winning percentage there. Cutcliffe also built an impressive resume during his time at Tennessee.

5. Butch Davis, North Carolina -- His business-like approach and NFL experience quickly earned the respect of his players, and Davis wasted no time in selling the program to recruits capable of making a difference in the program. Davis also knows what it takes to win at the college level, as he was defensive line coach at Miami from 1984-'88 under Jimmy Johnson.

6. Tom O'Brien, North Carolina State -- The fact O'Brien coaxed a four-game winning streak out of his 2007 Wolfpack team after a 1-5 start and a plethora of injuries is a testament to his ability as a coach. He won more games in a decade than any coach in Boston College history and had some of the nation's highest graduation rates there. The Eagles have been to eight straight bowl games and O'Brien won six of them.

7. Tommy Bowden, Clemson -- Say what you will about Clemson losing games it should win, but Bowden has won 62 percent of his games. He has also brought one impressive recruiting class in after another. His losing records against four ACC programs though -- Boston College (0-3), Florida State (4-5), Georgia Tech (4-5) and Virginia Tech (0-4) -- are what have him in the lower half of the rankings.

8. Ralph Friedgen, Maryland -- He earned a reputation as an offensive guru but hasn't recruited a quarterback yet who can prove it. Maryland has had just one winning season in the past four and the staff has struggled at times to keep the top in-state talent at home. Still, Friedgen deserves credit for a 56-31 record and five bowl appearances during his seven seasons in College Park.

9. Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech -- Georgia Tech wouldn't have hired Johnson if it didn't have faith in him or his offense. He turned around a Navy program that was 1-20 when he arrived and took the Midshipmen to five straight bowl games and beat Notre Dame for the first time since 1963.

10. Al Groh, Virginia -- He's never going to win the People's Choice award, but you don't win football games with smiles and handshakes, either. Somehow, Groh winds up winning games he's supposed to lose, and 2007 was the perfect example. This year should be no different, but he'll get a little help from his defense.

11. Jeff Jagodzinski, Boston College -- This year will be more telling as to how Jagodzinski stacks up against his colleagues in the league, because it's the first season he's got so many new faces -- including his own recruits -- to work with. Still, Jagodzinski -- with a little help from Matt Ryan -- won 75 percent of his games last year.

12. Randy Shannon, Miami -- Because Shannon is only entering his second season as a head coach, there's little to go by other than last year's 5-7 record and the embarrassing loss in the Orange Bowl. His .417 winning percentage is deceiving because he inherited a mess and should be given margin for error. Shannon is still figuring out his role as a head coach, but clearly he knows how to lure talent to Coral Gables.