Ranking of Big Ten football coaches in the new Big Ten

Why the ranking

Foster will have to work on the car while driving it as a new head coach with little experience. He takes over a team that still has a long way to go and the UCLA administration may have to be patient in giving him the opportunity to develop.

Why the ranking

I know Curt Cignetti comes to Bloomington with a good pedigree and that he has no shortage of confidence with his brash style, but coaching at Indiana is a long-term project and replicating what he did at James Madison would be hard enough at IU without factoring in the NIL and transfer portal era.

Why the ranking

Ryan Walters has a lot of energy, but that doesn’t always mean he wins on the field. Purdue has never been a program built on defense, and that’s exactly what the former Illini defensive coordinator is trying to do in West Lafayette. Considering what we saw last season, it’s going to be tough.

Why the ranking

David Braun showed he can handle the head coaching duties in a short amount of time with a surprising season at Northwestern last year. However, there is more to see and repeating that success in Evanston will not be easy. There is still a lot to learn here.

Why the ranking

Bret Bielema was a perfect fit at Wisconsin, but since moving on, he’s plummeted at Arkansas and despite a physically stronger brand at Illinois, not much has changed in recruiting and on-field performance after a slight decline in year two. We’ll have to see more.

Why the ranking

Jedd Fisch comes to Washington after his success in Arizona, but he will have to prove himself in the Pacific Northwest in a league with many high-caliber coaches and teams. In Seattle, he has the opportunity to recruit better players with more support, but it will be a wait-and-see situation.

Why the ranking

Mike Locksley has been good for the Maryland program, but it seems like everything is treading water. He hasn’t yet achieved the talent depth needed for the Terps to have consistent success once Big Ten play begins, and it’s time for that to happen.

Why the ranking

It’s hard to say where Smith ranks in these rankings. On one hand, he proved he could turn around Oregon State, a place with plenty of built-in challenges. On the other hand, it’s no guarantee the same can happen at Michigan State, where he has more resources at his disposal. The style of off-football Smith likes to employ should be a good fit in East Lansing, but last year was by no means great, so the clock is ticking.

Why the ranking

Rhule brings proven experience in both college and the NFL, but it’s a different thing coaching in college than it was when he was at Temple and Baylor. He has the confidence, now he needs to raise the talent level at a place where recruiting players is getting harder and harder. This year will be crucial to get some momentum moving forward at Nebraska.

Why the ranking

I don’t think PJ Fleck gets enough credit for his work in Minnesota. Last year, Fleck built the Gophers into a team that could compete in the West Division almost every year, even though the team was in a slump before he was hired. However, the gimmicky stuff has a limit, and he probably needs to coach a bigger program to further his career.

Why the ranking

Greg Schino built Rutgers into a top-ten program in his first tenure, struggled in the NFL with Tampa Bay, and is now slowly working his way back into Piscataway. Like Fleck, he probably doesn’t get enough credit, but the recruiting classes have gotten better, more wins have been made, and now it’s just a matter of keeping the momentum going with the big-picture approach he understands.

Why the ranking

Luke Fickell has come a long way since he was the Ohio State program’s coach for one season. He coached under Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer and has used that experience to show he’s a coach on the rise in Cincinnati. You get the feeling it’s only a matter of time before he gets Wisconsin back into the Big Ten, but we need to see signs of that this year, after a somewhat disappointing season in 2023.

Why the ranking

Iowa and Kirk Ferentz have been a unit for over two decades. He’s had some really good seasons, some pitfalls, but has been consistently solid. His performances wouldn’t impress at Ohio State or Michigan, but they work in Iowa City. His reluctance to change has probably held him back at times, but he clearly believes in what he does with a solid defense, running game, and relying on special teams. That goes for Iowa’s administration too, as he’s received multiple contract extensions for simply keeping the lights on at times.

Why the ranking

Before this season, Riley would likely have been higher in the rankings, but his inability to field a defense that is out of whack continues to be a real problem. He has tried to bring about changes to the coaching staff to address the problem, but until that happens, he is an offensive genius who undoubtedly deserves recognition. We’ll see what this year brings in Southern California.

Why the ranking

Sherrone Moore doesn’t have a lot of head coaching experience to fall back on, but we have to give him credit for what he did last season under less than ideal circumstances, aside from the current NCAA investigation. He made the decisions and tough calls while Jim Harbaugh was suspended, and now he’s faced with the task of showing he can do it with a much different roster and coaching staff.

Why the ranking

James Franklin is criticized for not being Ohio State or Michigan, but he has brought the program out of the shadows and won 10 games nearly every season. Yes, there is still a hurdle to overcome, but the recruiting is solid and the game management is better than most in the league. He and the program should benefit from the expanded College Football Playoff.

Why the ranking

Lanning is one of the most promising young prospects in college football and is a very, very good fit for Oregon’s program. He just needs to lead the Ducks to a conference championship and a College Football Playoff title to prove himself. The roster has the talent and at some point he will have to translate his full potential into championships, but in the new landscape of college football he will have every opportunity to do so.

Why the ranking

Yes, Ryan Day has lost to Michigan three years in a row, but other than that, no coach in the country wins as fast as Day. He’s made two College Football Playoff appearances, won two Big Ten titles, been to a CFP title game and recruits very quickly. If Michigan can turn things around this year and win a national title, the failings of the Maize and Blue will be forgiven in Columbus.

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