Ranking every Big Ten football head coach heading into 2024

There are now 18 head coaches in the Big Ten conference. Here's how they stack up with one another.

Michigan offensive coordinator and acting head coach Sherrone Moore watches warmups before the Ohio State game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Big Ten will have four new teams when the 2024 football season begins this year. The conference added Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington from the Pac-12 Conference and college football will have a new feel to it come August. With that being said, I’m going to begin our Big Ten rankings for the upcoming season. 

In this article, I’m going to rank the Big Ten head coaches. Now that Jim Harbaugh is off to the NFL, a different head coach will take over as the top coach in the conference. For my rankings, it’s not just about wins and losses during their career. But I’m mainly looking at what they’ve done as Big Ten head coaches and also doing some projecting for the future as well. 

18. DeShaun Foster (UCLA)

Feb 13, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; DeShaun Foster laughs as he answers question from the media after he was introduced as the UCLA Bruins head football coach during a press conference at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

DeShaun Foster will enter his first season as the head coach at UCLA, but he’s not new to the Bruins. The former UCLA running back has spent the last 10 seasons coaching for UCLA and the past seven as the running back’s coach. Under Foster, UCLA led the Pac-12 in rushing for two straight seasons. Foster will take over in 2024 after Chip Kelly left to become the Ohio State offensive coordinator. It’s tough to rank Foster anywhere but 18th since he’s never been a head coach before, but it appears UCLA should be in good hands with Foster at the helm.

17. Ryan Walters (Purdue)

Oct. 14, 2023; Lafayette, In., USA; Purdue Boilermakers head coach Ryan Walters watches from the sideline during the first half of Saturday's NCAA Division I football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ross-Ade Stadium in Lafayette. / Barbara J. Perenic/The Columbus Dispatch

The former Illinois’ defensive coordinator is entering his second season as the Purdue head coach. Things didn’t go well for Walters in 2023 and the Boilermakers. Purdue went 4-8 under Walters in year one and after going to the Big Ten Championship game in 2022, it was quite the down year for the Boilermakers. Walters is hoping to right the ship in his second season with Purdue, but he will need to find some production after a few key players are now gone like receivers Deion Burks and TJ Sheffield, along with defensive standout Nic Scourton. 

16. Curt Cignetti (Indiana)

Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti during the Indiana football spring game at Memorial Stadium on Thursday, April 18, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY

Cignetti is an accomplished coach in his own right. He led James Madison to an 11-1 season last year and coached JMU since 2019. He is now heading to IU where he hopes to turn the Hoosiers back into a competitive Big Ten team. It’s hard to put Cignetti much higher than this without knowing how he might fare as a Big Ten head coach where he has to play contenders such as Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, and Penn State on a yearly basis. 

15. David Braun (Northwestern)

Dec 23, 2023; Las Vagas, NV, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach David Braun celebrates after the Wildcats defated the Utah Utes 14-7 to win the Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

In hindsight, no coach really did what David Braun was able to do in 2023. After the Wildcats let go of long-time head coach Pat Fitzgerald, Braun was thrust into the head coach spot as an interim. Northwestern was projected to win three games last season, but he led it to an 8-5 season. Now that Braun is the official head coach, it will be interesting to see what he can do in his second season. 

14. Bret Bielema (Illinois

Oct 6, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema talks with an official during the first half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports / Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Bielema was a well-rounded head coach for Wisconsin back in the day, but every since he left for Arkansas and then Illinois, he’s struggled. Bielema has had one good season for the Illini since he came back to the Big Ten three years ago. But he has a 18-19 record as the Illinois’ head coach. Bielema is going to have to do better if he wants his school to compete in the new-look Big Ten.

13. Jedd Fisch (Washington)

Dec 28, 2023; San Antonio, TX, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Jedd Fisch reacts at the end of the Alamo Bowl against the Oklahoma Sooners at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Jedd Fisch is one of those coaches who could really skyrocket up this ranking by the end of the season. He took Arizona on a ride last season and the Wildcats went 10-3. Now he takes on a Washington job that should be easier, but after losing to Michigan in the national title last year, the Huskies are in a full rebuild. Fisch was able to pluck 28 players out of the transfer portal and it’ll be interesting to see how his high-flying offense can do this season with the Huskies.

12. Mike Locksley (Maryland)

Dec 30, 2023; Nashville, TN, USA; Maryland Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley waits to take the field before the game against the Auburn Tigers at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports / Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

If you just look at his wins and losses at Maryland, Locksley doesn’t appear to be that great in five seasons. He has a 29-33 record at Maryland, but he has turned the Terps into a tough out. They have now won three bowl games under Locksley and what used to be an easy win has turned into a grind-out game for opponents. Both Michigan and Ohio State have had difficult times with the Terps in the past few seasons and it appears Locksley has Maryland heading in the right direction.

11. Greg Schiano (Rutgers)

Dec 28, 2023; Bronx, NY, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano celebrates a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Miami Hurricanes at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-USA TODAY Sports / Mark Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Greg Schiano was great with Rutgers back when it played in the Big East, but Schiano has had a different experience during his second stint with the Scarlet Knights. He is 19-28 in four seasons back with Rutgers and he is 1-1 in bowl games. Schiano is an accomplished coach but it’s never going to be easy to win at Rutgers or be able to out-recruit the upper echelon Big Ten teams.

10. Jonathan Smith (Michigan State)

Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith leaves the file after the Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA

Jonathan Smith comes over after coaching Oregon State since 2018. He coached the Beavers to three-straight winning records and is coming off his best two seasons as the Oregon State head coach. Smith coached the Beavers to a 10-3 and 8-4 record and reached as high as No. 10 in the rankings in ’23. He will now take over for a Michigan State team that has really struggled the past two seasons.

9. Matt Rhule (Nebraska)

Nebraska's head coach Matt Rhule looks on from the sideline during the second quarter in the game against Michigan State on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA

There is no doubt that Rhule can coach, but it might be a process at Nebraska. The Huskers went 5-7 in Rhule’s first season at the helm, but Nebraska was one of the most self-inflicted teams in college football. Turnovers killed the Huskers last season and things should get better in 2024. Rhule has turned around both Temple and Baylor when he was the head coach at those programs. 

8. Sherrone Moore (Michigan)

Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore watches warm up during the spring game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 20, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

This could be a tad high or too low depending on how you view Sherrone Moore and Michigan. Moore, who is now a first-year head coach, did some major things in 2023 for Michigan. Moore coached the Wolverines to a 4-0 record as the interim head coach and beat both Penn State and Ohio State in the process while Jim Harbaugh was serving a suspension. While he is a first-year head coach, Moore has some big-time wins and experience under his belt. 

7. P.J. Fleck (Minnesota)

Oct 7, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh and Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck shake hands after the game at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports / Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Fleck has already coached seven seasons at Minnesota and has fared quite well in the postseason. Under Fleck’s guidance, the Gophers are 5-0 in bowl games and Fleck has a 50-34 record while coaching Minnesota. Fleck is still looking to do something big in the Big Ten, but there is no doubt Minnesota has been better off since Fleck took the reins.

6. Luke Fickell (Wisconsin)

Nov 25, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell reacts during the second quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel-USA TODAY

Fickell has coached just one season with Wisconsin in which the Badgers went 8-6, but Fickell is an established coach. He led Cincinnati to the College Football Playoff in 2021 and the Bearcats were a force under Fickell. It feels like a matter of time until Wisconsin is back up toward the top of the conference. 

5. James Franklin (Penn State)

Apr 13, 2024; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin shakes the hands of fans following the conclusion of the Blue White spring game at Beaver Stadium. The White team defeated the Blue team 27-0. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports / Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

In 10 seasons, Penn State is 88-39 under James Franklin. The Nittany Lions are a winning team, but PSU struggles to win the big games under Franklin. Penn State is just 4-5 in the postseason and Franklin has one Big Ten title since he took over as the head coach. Franklin has struggled to beat both Ohio State and Michigan and until he can do so, it’s hard to rank him higher than this. 

4. Kirk Ferentz (Iowa)

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz cheers after the Hawkeyes scored a touchdown against Boston College on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017. / Bryon Houlgrave/The Register / USA TODAY

Kirk Ferentz has led Iowa for a whopping 25 seasons. The Hawkeyes are 196-119 under Ferentz and Iowa has 21 bowl victories since he took over. Iowa has a winning culture and although the Hawkeyes don’t ever have one of the higher-rated recruiting classes, their defense is tough and physical. Iowa currently just needs an average offense to go with its defense and Ferentz might get himself more than a nine or 10-win season. 

3. Lincoln Riley (USC)

USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams talks with USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley during the first half of the game against No. 6 Oregon Ducks on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Abigail Dollins/USA TODAY NETWORK / USA

Riley is entering his third season with USC and there is no denying that Riley is one of the most offensive-oriented coaches in the sport. Going back to Oklahoma and now USC, his offenses are explosive and can put up points. However, defense has been a major issue under Riley. It will be a new challenge for the Trojans when they enter the Big Ten. Defenses are better and if teams can slow down Riley’s offensive attack, his defense will need to step up their game. 

2. Dan Lanning (Oregon)

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field during the Oregon Ducks’ Spring Game Saturday, April 27. 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

Speaking of elite offenses, Dan Lanning has just that at Oregon. The Ducks are high-flying and Lanning has shown to have a better defensive strategy than Lincoln Riley has with USC – which is why Lanning is ranked second. He is 22-5 during his two seasons with the Ducks, and like USC, it will be interesting to see how Oregon does in the new conference. It’s hard to imagine Oregon not being in contention to win the Big Ten in year one.

1. Ryan Day (Ohio State)

Nov 25, 2023; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day leads his team in warm-ups prior to the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA

Last year, I had Day ranked second behind Jim Harbaugh, but even with another loss to the Wolverines, I now have Day in the one spot. Look, Ohio State wins under Ryan Day. The Buckeyes are 56-8 overall and 39-3 against Big Ten schools. The only issue Day has right now is beating his archrival. The Buckeyes have dropped the past three games to Michigan – the only three losses of Day’s career against in-conference foes – and that’s not acceptable in Ohio State country. While the Buckeyes win a ton of games, it’s expected to beat Michigan. Is the top-ranked coach on the hot seat this season if he loses another to Michigan?