Big Ten Fall Preview: Ranking Every Big Ten Football Coach
Big Ten Media Days is coming up in a few days. The two-day event is held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Wednesday and Thursday. Michigan's Jim Harbaugh and players will be present and speak on Thursday -- there will be plenty of coverage following the event.
Once media days hit, it starts to feel like football season. So I'm going to shift some focus on the Big Ten coaches. There are some really good coaches in the Big Ten -- others have some hills to climb.
Here's how I see the Big Ten coaches ranked from 14-to-1.
14. Northwestern - David Braun (interim)
The Wildcats are going through an.. interesting time. Longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired after a hazing scandal inside the football team came out. Now Northwestern is going with defensive coordinator, David Braun, as its acting head coach. It's going to be a rough season for the 'Cats.
13. Purdue - Ryan Walters
Ryan Walters enters year one as a head coach, so he will automatically fall toward the bottom of the conference. Walters did a fantastic job with Illinois as a defensive coordinator, but time will tell how he does as a head coach. He hopes to find magic this season with Purdue after the Boilermakers lost stars Aidan O'Connell and Charlie Jones.
12. Indiana - Tom Allen
Tom Allen was one of the most liked and transcending coaches after he took Indiana to a 6-2 record in 2020 -- while being ranked. But the last two years have been disastrous for Allen. He has gone 4-8 and 2-10 the past two seasons, and if things don't get better, Allen may be looking for a new job in 2024.
11. Rutgers - Greg Schiano
Since returning to Rutgers, Schiano's best record is 5-8 in 2021. We all knew the Scarlet Knights was a tough job to take on, especially in the Big Ten. But Schiano has really struggled in conference play and it's hard to imagine Rutgers becoming relevant anytime soon.
10. Michigan State - Mel Tucker
I was half tempted to switch Schiano and Mel Tucker, but Tucker did have one winning season in the last three years. The Spartans had one of the best years they've had in 2021 when MSU went 11-2. But the other two seasons under Tucker have resulted in 2-5 and 5-7. This 2023 season feels like a big one for Tucker and Michigan State.
9. Maryland - Mike Locksley
The first two years under Locksley were rough, rough seasons for Maryland. The Terps could barely get three wins, but Locksley has had back-to-back winning seasons. Maryland returns Taulia Tagovailoa at quarterback this season, and if the Terps can just stay consistent during Big Ten play, Maryland may shock some people this year.
8. Illinois - Bret Bielema
Bret Bielema was one of the best coaches in the college when he was with Wisconsin in the early-to-mid 2000s. He had four 10-plus win seasons with the Badgers, but once he went to Arkansas everything went downhill. He came back to the Big Ten to coach Illinois in 2021 and the first year was bad. But the Illini had an eight-win campaign last year, so Bielema is back on track -- with a tough ask of recruiting for Illinois.
7. Nebraska - Matt Rhule
Matt Rhule has been out of the college game since 2019. He went to the Carolina Panthers and it didn't work out. So Rhule is back and he's hoping to turn around the Cornhuskers. Rhule coached Temple to two 10-win seasons and he turned around Baylor before he left for the NFL. Coaching in the Big Ten presents more challenges, but if anyone can get Nebraska back to a perennial power -- he has a chance.
6. Minnesota - P.J. Fleck
I give Fleck a heads-up over Rhule since he's been around a little longer. Fleck is another young coach that has been good at turning around programs. He led Western Michigan to a 13-win season in 2016 before leaving for Minnesota. The Gophers were a down program when Fleck took over, but he has helped them win nine games two years in a row. Playing in the West, Fleck has a chance to get himself a divisional title.
5. Iowa - Kirk Ferentz
Kirk Ferentz has been coaching Iowa since 1999, so he's been around the block a time or two. The Hawkeyes are never really great under Ferentz -- he does have seven 10-wins or more years -- but they are never bad either. Iowa is a steady team that can upset anyone on any given day. The biggest knock on Ferentz is the fact he is still allowing his son to coach the offense.
4. Wisconsin - Luke Fickell
I was really tempted to put Fickell at No. 3, but I'm going to slot him in a No. 2 for now. Fickell was really good at Cincinnati, but now he's taking over a new beast in Wisconsin. The Badgers have been a ground-and-pound offense for years, so it will be interesting how he changes the offense to his liking. It shouldn't take Fickell much to get his recruits in Wisconsin.
3. Penn State - James Franklin
Penn State has as much hype on a yearly basis under James Franklin as anyone. Usually, things don't go as planned for the Nittany Lions, but once again, there is hype surrounding Penn State. Franklin has had four 11-win seasons with PSU, and he's coming off an 11-win year in 2022. Fans are excited about Drew Allar taking over as the quarterback, and there is a ton of optimism in the air for the Nittany Lions.
2. Ohio State - Ryan Day
Ryan Day is 45-6 since taking over as the head coach at Ohio State. He has won a ton of games, but he's lost to Michigan the past two seasons and that's not acceptable in Buckeye nation. Day has as much talent, if not more, this season at Ohio State. Can he beat Michigan in Ann Arbor?
1. Michigan - Jim Harbaugh
How times have changed? Michigan fans were ready to fire Harbaugh after 2020, but he has won the Big Ten, beat Ohio State, and made the College Football Playoff in consecutive years. With how much production returns to the Wolverines roster in 2023, Harbaugh has a chance to win a national championship and continue his winning streak against rival, Ohio State.
