Jim Harbaugh is the latest topless coach but is he the best topless coach? (@JTalty)

Last week, as he's done so many times since returning to Michigan, Jim Harbaugh set the internet on fire. He didn't say anything crazy to do so, nor did he get in any trouble. All he did was take his shirt off in front of a bunch of people with cameras.

And then Harbaugh came closer to breaking the internet than Kim Kardashian ever could have, even without a champagne glass.

Of course, for all the attention that a shirtless Jim Harbaugh received, it's not like he was the first college football coach to take his shirt off. To be honest, it's been quite an epidemic amongst coaches in recent years, so there was only one logical question that entered my mind as I stared at Harbaugh's pasty chest.

Are these the greatest topless coach photos of all time? 

I then took the weekend to think about it, because this isn't the kind of topic you want to just jump to conclusions about. You need a minimum of 48 hours to really think about it. So while sports fans around the country spent their weekends watching the Stanley Cup, NBA Finals, Belmont Stakes and the French Open, I thought of nothing but topless coaches and what it takes to make a topless coach the greatest topless coach of all time.

I found my answer. The answer. Now I shall share with you the definitive Topless Head Coach Power Rankings.

10. Gus Malzahn, Auburn

While Gus is known for having one of the most innovative minds in college football when it comes to putting together an offense, it's pretty clear he spends more time reading than lifting. He's not in bad shape, but there's just not a lot of definition here. Do you even lift, bro?

9. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan

You may be the latest, but you ain't the greatest, Harbaugh. It's obvious that Harbaugh spends some time lifting, but as happens to us all, time is going to win the war eventually. Still, that's not what kept Harbaugh from being ranked higher than this. It's the severe lack of a tan. Though I suppose that's what happens when you move from northern California to Michigan in the middle of winter.

8. Mark Richt, Georgia

Not bad, but the picture just doesn't really give us enough detail with which to judge properly. Still better than Malzahn and Harbaugh, though.

7. Les Miles, LSU


I was expecting Les to be in a bit better shape considering he's grass-fed, but then I remembered what grass-fed cows typically look like and realized that Les is definitely in good shape compared to them. Also, while they're fading with time, you can still make out the remnants of a torso that made Les an excellent offensive lineman at Michigan.

6. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa

Can I be honest with you? I remember when this photo first emerged, I saw a tweet about a topless Kirk Ferentz photo. Obviously I had to click the link, but I distinctly remember that after I saw the photo my initial thought was, "Well, that's a lot better than what I was expecting. Kudos, Kirk." It's still true today. I'm pretty sure Kirk could wreck the kid whose hand he is shaking in that photo (edit. note: turns out the kid is Iowa wrestling coach Tom Brands, but we still think Kirk would provide a challenge). Assuming he doesn't punt before throwing the knockout blow, anyway.

5. Dan Mullen, Mississippi State

You can clearly see that Dan Mullen is sucking the gut in a bit in this picture, and while some of you might dock him for it, I actually respect him for it. We all do it, so it makes Mullen more of an Every Man topless coach. Plus, he's still in pretty good shape either way, and he's in a chill pose, and that's worth extra, too.

T-3. Larry Fedora, North Carolina

I'm not going to say that Larry Fedora isn't in the running for best abs in the college coaching fraternity, but look at all the work he has to put in to get them. That's just not worth it, man. I'll stick with my two hours of pilates a week, thanks. Just enough to allow for that pizza.

T-3. Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech

Fedora's only real competition for the Ab Champion of the World is Kliff. I wasn't going to actually try to figure out which six pack should be ranked ahead of the other, so I took the easy way out and went with the tie. 

2. Steve Spurrier, South Carolina

The hardest part of ranking Spurrier was choosing the photo for this post. There are just so many to choose from, as he's definitely the coach who is topless the most often. Whether at practice, at the gym, on the golf course, in church or while at the grocery store to get milk, the man seldom has a shirt on.

And if you were in the kind of shape he's in at his age, you'd be doing the same damn thing. The man puts the work in.

1. Bret Bielema, Arkansas

Who else could be No. 1 in these rankings? Look at that photo. Look at it. 

Bret Bielema may be in the worst shape of any coach on this list, but you know what? He doesn't care. He's going to take his shirt off, and he's just gonna let that gut hang out there for you to look at it. It doesn't bother him what you think about him or his belly.

That's confidence right there. That's just not giving a damn what anybody thinks. That is what we should all strive for.

Thank you for being a role model, Bret. Somebody we can all aspire to be with a body we could all have just by maintaining a simple diet of pizza and beer. You're a hero.

All non-credited photos via Busted Coverage