Big Ten Football Head Coach Hot Seat Index After Week 12

Which Big Ten football head coaches are in the most danger of being fired with just a couple of weeks left?

Nov 16, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers head coach Ryan Walters during the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions. / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Welcome back to the Big Ten Head Coach Hot Seat Index.

Week 12 nearly had one of the biggest upsets of the entire season, but ended up being a week where not many unexpected outcomes happened. The Big Ten is still dominating the polls and has four of the top five spots in the latest AP Poll, but some of the conference’s coaches are struggling. Let's take the temperature of every head coach in the Big Ten after Week 12’s results.

Scorching: Ryan Walters (Purdue)

It is only a matter of time before Walters loses his job at Purdue. Reports say that if he loses this week to Michigan State, he might not be there to coach the last game of the regular season against Indiana. Things have gotten that dire for Purdue this season. They have no choice, but to move on.

Hot: Lincoln Riley (USC), Sherrone Moore (Michigan)

Riley’s Trojans picked up an important victory over Nebraska this past Saturday. They won in dramatic and controversial fashion, but any win at this point is important for USC. Riley’s decision to bench Miller Moss for Jayden Maiava paid off in a big way as he passed for three touchdowns and ran for another in the win. However, Riley still needs to win one more game to qualify for a bowl. 

Moore’s Wolverines were on a bye, but they have lost two games in a row. The defending national champions are 5–5, which is unacceptable for a program with standards as high as Michigan’s. If Moore can somehow defeat Ohio State in the regular season finale, opinions of him will shift dramatically. 

Warm: Mike Locksley (Maryland), DeShaun Foster (UCLA)

Locksley and Maryland lost a home game to Rutgers on Saturday. That loss made it very unlikely that the Terrapins will be able to reach a bowl game, considering they have to win their final two games, and one of them is against Penn State. Missing out on the postseason this deep into a coaching tenure is not a good sign for a program.

Foster and the Bruins saw their three-game winning streak end Friday with a 31–19 loss to Washington. Nevertheless, the Bruins have experienced a resurgence in the second half of the season and have cooled off the pressure that was on Foster a few weeks ago. If Foster can win his final two games of the season, that will help his situation even more.

Room temperature: Greg Schiano (Rutgers), P.J. Fleck (Minnesota), David Braun (Northwestern), Matt Rhule (Nebraska), Kirk Ferentz (Iowa), James Franklin (Penn State), Bret Bielema (Illinois)

Schiano and Rutgers have now won two games in a row, putting their record at 6-4. They finish the season with a tough game against Illinois and then a road matchup at Michigan State. Finishing the regular season 8-4 would be a nice result for a program that is not used to winning that many games per year. 

Fleck’s Golden Gophers were off Saturday, resulting in no movement for him on this list. Meanwhile, Braun and Northwestern were beaten soundly by Ohio State. After going up 7-0, the Wildcats allowed the Buckeyes to rattle off 31 unanswered points. Northwestern was not expected to be competitive in this game, so this comes as no surprise.

Rhule and the Huskers are reeling these last few weeks. After starting the season 5-1, they have lost four games in a row and are now in danger of missing a bowl game again. If Nebraska cannot win one of its remaining games, the temperature on Rhule will start to heat up in an uncomfortable way. However, the happiness of true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola is a top priority. Rhule is safe this year no matter what happens because of the program’s bright future with Raiola under center.

Ferentz's Hawkeyes were off this week. Meanwhile, Franklin and Bielema cruised to easy victories. Penn State and Franklin are in a terrific position to lock up an at-large playoff bid by finishing the season 11-1. However, questions about their ability to win a big game still remain. Bielema and Illinois destroyed Michigan State 38–16 and are now 7-3. It has been a surprisingly good season for the Fighting Illini.

Ice cold: Dan Lanning (Oregon), Curt Cignetti (Indiana), Ryan Day (Ohio State), Jonathan Smith (Michigan State), Luke Fickell (Wisconsin), Jedd Fisch (Washington)

These coaches occupy the most comfortable spot on this index.

Lanning, Day and Cignetti all lead playoff-contending teams that are also in a great position to compete for the Big Ten title. The Hoosiers will finally be tested this week when they travel to Columbus to face Ohio State. If Indiana is not competitive with the Buckeyes, their playoff hopes may be dead. However, after his recent contract extension, Cignetti is not going anywhere anytime soon. 

Smith and Michigan State were beaten soundly by Illinois, bringing their record to 4-6. Nevertheless, it is only Smith's first season, giving him some leeway to lose games while he builds the program.

Fickell and Wisconsin nearly pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season in a 16-13 loss to Oregon. However, they came up just short and then fired their offensive coordinator. All things considered, Fickell has been dealt a tough hand this season and has handled things in a respectable way. Meanwhile, Fisch and the Huskies improved to 6-5, earning a bowl appearance in what has been an up-and-down first season for Fisch.

The Big Ten Head Coach Hot Seat Index will continue to change as the season progresses. Some seats will get hotter, while some seats may cool down. Stay tuned for an update next week.

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