"Wink not being on this list is a crime": CFB fans debate over latest defensive coordinator rankings heading into 2025

On3's Andy Staples ranked the top 10 defensive coordinators in college football. The list, which was released on Thursday, said that Iowa Hawkeyes' Phil Parker is the No. 1.

Here is what fans on social media thought about this list. Several believed that Michigan Wolverines' defensive coordinator Wink Martindale should be on the list.

"Wink not being on this list is a crime," a fan tweeted.

"Martindale is better than at least half of these people but whatever... On3 missing per usual," another fan commented.

"Wink Martindale held OSU and Bama to 23 combined points," one fan wrote.

Others gave their opinions on Parker being No. 1 in the rankings.

"Hell yes! He has been one of the most consistent DCs for a decade. Year in and year out he has one of the top defenses. Should have won more awards," a fan commented.

"Phil Parker is terrible Iowa gets smoked by teams with a pulse," another fan said.

Meanwhile, some fans also mentioned the lack of the Auburn Tigers' DJ Durkin in this list.

"DJ Durkin is missing off the list!!!" a fan wrote.

"This is just click bait. You have Bama's DC in the top 10 of all of College Football? While at the same top leaving out Durkin?!" another fan said.

Why some may think Phil Parker is the best defensive coordinator

Phil Parker has been the defensive coordinator of the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2013. During that time, the Hawkeyes won three Big Ten west titles, giving them a spot in the conference championship game, where they were defeated every time.

However, despite not being able to take the program to the upper echelons of college football, Parker has been able to turn Iowa into a defensive powerhouse. When facing programs of a similar calibre to them, the Hawkeyes are by far one of the best defenses in the country, rarely conceding many points.

However, Iowa has been struggling to score points as well in recent years, as there have been numerous Iowa games that are low-scoring affairs.

This strong defense, weak offense approach does not help them when having to face some of the Big Ten's major programs, where they tend to get easily beaten.

About the author

Ben Tredinnick is a journalist who covers college football and college basketball at Sportskeeda who is currently studying for a masters in Data Science. His degree in Psychology has helped him gain an in-depth understanding of the minds of coaches.

Ben has been involved in sports writing since 2022 and covered the NFL previously. His strengths include providing in-depth profiles of athletes and coaches, with a particular focus on development, and looking at which teams could be in the hunt for today's college stars.

Ben enjoys following college sports more than the NBA or NFL because there is more variation in terms of playstyles. The tournaments are often more competitive than the major leagues, and due to the constant turnover of players, there are rarely any "superteams" in college sports.

He prioritizes research, looks at multiple sources and publications to make sure he gets the full picture of the story before writing. He tries not to write from a one-sided perspective to allow the reader to be able to make their mind up on their own.

A Texas Longhorns fan, as well as a massive New York Giants fan, some of his favorite college players of all time are Arch Manning, Tim Tebow and Reggie Bush.

When he is not working, Ben enjoys watching films (especially Godzilla) and spending time with his cat.

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Edited by Kim Daniel Rubinos