Ranking Big Ten football coaches heading into 2022
It’s hot outside, the sleet has subsided, and the allergies are kicking in. It’s beginning to feel like the college football season is just around the corner, and a quick look at the calendar says that we’re just a couple of months out from what we consider the best time of the year (sorry Christmas).
With the start of the college football season, you’re going to see a ton of lists and predictions, some of them better than others. We’re not immune to it either, so stay tuned if you like that sort of thing.
As we get ready to ramp up our coverage of the football season for Ohio State, we thought we’d take a look at the current head coaches in the Big Ten and rank them from worst to first. It’s not saying we don’t like the guys at the bottom of this list, but the combination of recruiting, records, championships, and off-the-field measures all speak for themselves for the most part.
Instead of getting too cute and trying to analyze this 3,000 different ways to sundown, we’re just lining them up and asking the question: “Who would you take in a lineup to coach your team?”
Here’s a look at our ranking of Big Ten football coaches as we head into the fall of 2022. Let the debate begin.
Scott Frost, Nebraska
Sep 28, 2019; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Scott Frost heads onto the field prior to the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
Reason for the Ranking
There’s no way around it. Scott Frost has significantly underachieved since becoming the head coach in Lincoln back in 2018. His teams have been close to turning the corner, but we’re guessing Nebraska’s brass expected much more than losing seasons each of his four years in the league.
Mike Locksley, Maryland
Oct 1, 2021; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins head coach Michael Locksley looks on during the second half of the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium. Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
Reason for the Ranking
Locksley is currently in the middle of his second stint at Maryland. The first time around didn’t go so well, yet the administrators decided to give it another go after he rode the coattails of Nick Saban at Alabama as an assistant. The Terps did make a bowl last year, but the lack of depth and toughness hasn’t been addressed enough to be competitive in the Big Ten.
Bret Bielema, Illinois
Sep 17, 2021; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema walks off the field after the loss against the Maryland Terrapins at Memorial Stadium. Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Reason for the Ranking
Bielema was a rising star when he was at Wisconsin, but the experiment in the SEC with Arkansas was a dumpster fire inside of a derailed train. His results in the Big Ten were enough for Illinois to give him another shot, but there’s a long way to go to make everyone forget the last nine years of losing football.
Tom Allen, Indiana
Indiana Hoosiers head coach Tom Allen walks along the sideline during the fourth quarter of an NCAA Division I football game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. Credit: USA TODAY Sports Network
Reason for the Ranking
It sure looked like Allen had the Hoosier program pointed in the right direction. After losing seasons in his first three years in Bloomington, he steered the program to back-to-back winning records in 2019 and 2020. Last year was a huge regression though for a team that seemed to have a lot of pieces to be a factor in the Big Ten. There’s still a lot to prove.
Greg Schiano, Rutgers
Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano walks on the field during pregame warmups before an NCAA Division I football game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey. Credit: USA TODAY Sports Network
Reason for the Ranking
Rutgers has shown signs of life from what we saw before Schiano arrived in Piscataway for his second stint there, but the game has changed a lot since he had Rutgers in the top ten. The team is tough and the culture has changed, but without a little more innovation, Rutgers will struggle to win games annually in the Big Ten.
Jeff Brohm, Purdue
Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. Credit: USA TODAY Sports Network
Reason for the Ranking
There’s no doubt Brohm has brought some explosive offenses to West Lafayette, but consistent winning and solid defense have yet to follow. To take the next leap, the program has to instill more toughness into the culture.
Mel Tucker, Michigan State
Michigan State’s new head football coach Mel Tucker is greeted by Sparty on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020, at the Capital Region International Airport in Lansing. Credit: USA TODAY Sports Network
Reason for the Ranking
Yes, last year was an unexpected and jubilant one for Mel Tucker’s second year as Michigan State head coach. However, we can’t ignore what occurred years prior. At Colorado, Tucker put two back-to-back 5-7 campaigns together, then an abbreviated 2-5 COVID-19 year in the Big Ten in 2020. We’re not ready to crown Tucker as one of the top coaches in the conference just yet.
P.J. Fleck, Minnesota
Nov 30, 2019; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck leads the Minnesota Golden Gophers onto the field before a game against the Wisconsin Badgers at TCF Bank Stadium. Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Reason for the Ranking
We may not be giving Fleck enough credit, to be honest. He’s taken a Minnesota program and made it a perennial bowl team, even flirting with a West Division title in 2019. He brings a lot of energy and seems genuine, but to crack the top few on this list, there’s a perceived ceiling that has to be raised.
Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
(Bryon Houlgrave / Des Moines Register – USA TODAY Network)
Reason for the Ranking
Entering his 24th year at Iowa, Ferentz is the Godfather of Big Ten football coaches. He does a lot with the talent that’s brought into Iowa City, but mediocrity has been around his neck almost every year. Ferentz’s teams will make a run at a Big Ten title every few years, but there’s nothing more than that. I’ve seen some pieces put Ferentz at the top of the league, and the numbers just don’t back that up. Longevity does not make someone a great coach.
Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
Sep 28, 2019; Madison, WI, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald shouts at an official during the second quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Reason for the Ranking
With all the academic standards and recruiting challenges at Northwestern, perhaps no coach does more with less than Fitzgerald. His teams are generally well-coached and play hard. There are even a couple of West division titles to boast about in the last four years. If there’s a knock, it’s that there are simply too many valleys to go with the peaks in Evanston.
Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Jim Harbaugh would owe Michigan a $1.5 million buyout if he were to leave this year.
Ohio State Buckeyes At Michigan Wolverines. Credit: USA TODAY Sports Network.
Reason for the Ranking
OK, stay with us here. Yes, Harbaugh finally got the Ohio State monkey off his khakis, winning the East division and finding his way into the College Football Playoff. But we can’t ignore the body of work. Harbaugh has largely underachieved at Michigan since his arrival in 2015. There’s just one win over Ohio State, one Big Ten title, and one bowl game victory during that time. Put aside the recency bias and wait until we see Michigan sustain some success.
James Franklin, Penn State
Oct 30, 2021; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin during the first quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Reason for the Ranking
If it weren’t for Ohio State, James Franklin would probably be thought of as one of the best coaches in the country. He recruits at a high level and has played the Buckeyes as close as any other team in the league on a consistent basis. The problem is that Penn State has underachieved the last couple of years, resulting in a perception that Franklin can’t squeeze enough juice out of the orange. And, there’s only one Big Ten title to speak of despite coming close numerous times.
Paul Chryst, Wisconsin
Jan. 1, 2020; Pasadena, California, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Paul Chryst looks on in the first half against the Oregon Ducks in the 106th Rose Bowl game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Reason for the Ranking
Paul Chryst seems to keep Wisconsin at or near the top of the Big Ten West on an almost yearly basis. During his seven seasons in Madison, the Badgers have three division titles, have won six bowls, and finished with a winning record every season, no less than third in the West. All that’s missing is a Big Ten title and College Football Playoff appearance.
Ryan Day, Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day watches during the spring football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on April 16, 2022. Credit: USA TODAY Sports Network
Reason for the Ranking
It’s absurd at this point to not have Ryan Day as the top coach in the league. He has the best winning percentage, most wins, most Big Ten titles, most College Football Playoff appearances, most College Football Playoff wins, a high APR score, recruits better than any other coach in the league, and has championed some great causes off-the-field. That all speaks for itself. The only thing holding him back is the lack of a national title. Here’s to hoping that comes this season.
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