Big Ten Head Coach Hot Seat Index After Week 8

The conference is home to some of the best head coaches in the country, but are some of them in danger of losing their jobs?

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning celebrates amid a crowd of fans on the field as the No. 3 Oregon Ducks knock off the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes 32-31 Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Welcome to the Big Ten Head Coach Hot Seat Index.

Week 8 had some surprising results, along with some predictable ones. The Big Ten now boasts the No. 1 team in the country in Oregon and also some of the worst teams in the Power 4. Some of the conference’s head coaches are making a statement that they are among the best in the country, while others may be looking for a new job soon.

Here is a look at the Hot Seat Index for the Big Ten head coaches after Week 8.

Big Ten Head Coach Hot Seat Index - Week 8

Scorching: Ryan Walters (Purdue)

Walters’ first season as Purdue’s head coach did not go very well. He went 4–8 and had one of the worst defenses in the country. This year, there has been no improvement. Purdue is 1–6 on the season and 0–4 in the conference. They are coming off an embarrassing 35-0 home loss to Oregon. If Walters does not get things turned around, he may not make it to his third season in West Lafayette.

Hot: Lincoln Riley (USC), DeShaun Foster (UCLA, Sherrone Moore (Michigan)

Riley’s time at USC has been a roller coaster full of highs and lows. His first season saw the Trojans competing for a playoff spot and his quarterback Caleb Williams winning the Heisman Trophy. Then last season, he went 7–5 in one of the most disappointing seasons in USC history. This year, he opened the season with an upset win over LSU, a win that looks better every week. However, he has now lost three of his last four games, and the Trojans look to be on the brink of an epic collapse for the second straight year.

Foster’s seat is hot even though he is in his first season as UCLA's head coach. The Bruins are 2-5 and struggle seemingly every week. However, Foster did just pick up his first-ever win in the Big Ten as he narrowly defeated Rutgers. Nevertheless, he needs to start winning to avoid a warmer seat.

Michigan feels like a program that is at a crossroads. They are coming off a national championship, but the program is unrecognizable from last year's incredible team. Moore has always felt like a temporary solution for the Wolverines. With the rate he has been losing, Moore may not make it to year two if the Wolverines can find a better option elsewhere.

Warming up: Greg Schiano (Rutgers), Mike Locksley (Maryland)

Neither of these coaches feel like they're in much danger of losing their jobs. The expectations at Rutgers and Maryland are not as high as some of the other top programs in the conference. However, Schiano is in the middle of a three-game losing streak with Rutgers. Meanwhile, Locksley is struggling in conference play so far.

Both of these head coaches need to string together some victories if they want to move down the heat index to find cooler seats.

Room temperature: P.J. Fleck (Minnesota), David Braun (Northwestern), Matt Rhule (Nebraska), Kirk Ferentz (Iowa), Ryan Day (Ohio State)

None of these coaches are in real danger of being fired anytime soon. Fleck has been at Minnesota since 2017 and is 54-37. Results have been mixed lately, but Fleck is still the Golden Gophers’ guy. 

Braun is in his second season at Northwestern after a successful first season where he won eight games. The Wildcats are currently 3-4 and just 1-3 in the Big Ten, but Braun is still in a good spot with the program for now.

Rhule is in the middle of a rebuild at Nebraska. In his second year, he has the Huskers at 5-2 and on the brink of their first bowl game since 2016. The Huskers have lost their two most important games of the season to this point, to Illinois and Indiana, but Rhule is still building Nebraska the right way.

Ferentz has been at Iowa since 1999. Obviously, the Hawkeyes are not going to fire him. However, his seat is not as cold as it could be simply because of how rough it is to watch his teams play at times. Although, Iowa’s offense has been much improved this season after last season's disastrous numbers.

Day is the most successful coach ever to have his job security constantly doubted. He has accomplished so much at Ohio State, yet his inability to beat Michigan for the last three seasons has Buckeyes fans frustrated. His loss to Oregon further hammered home the point that he struggles mightily to win big games.

Ice cold: Dan Lanning (Oregon), Curt Cignetti (Indiana), James Franklin (Penn State), Bret Bielema (Illinois), Jonathan Smith (Michigan State), Luke Fickell (Wisconsin), Jedd Fisch (Washington)

None of these coaches are in any danger of being fired anytime soon.

Lanning, Franklin, and Cignetti all lead undefeated teams and are currently the toast of the town in the conference. Bielema has the Fighting Illini at 6-1, and Fickell has Wisconsin at 3-1 in the conference despite losing their starting quarterback for the season. Smith and Fisch are both off to decent starts in their first year at their respective programs. 

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

MORE: Doc’s Diagnosis: What Nebraska Will Be Seeing Saturday Against Ohio State

MORE: Doc’s Diagnosis: Nebraska Couldn’t Stop Indiana

MORE: Nebraska’s Playoff Outlook after Week 8 + Playoff Tiers by Conference

MORE: Nebraska Offers 2027 4-Star Running Back Noah Roberts

MORE: QB Grade: Dylan Raiola vs. Indiana

---

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.

---