Link: https://collegefootballnews.com/2018/07/ranking-the-big-ten-coaches-preview-2018
Ranking the Big Ten Football Coaches for 2018
by Pete Fiutak, CollegeFootballNews.com
Who do you want as your head coach for right now, and who are the best guys going at each program?
Of course, it’s easy to go by record, but it’s just as much about trends, where the teams are going, and where the buzz is at for each of the rulers of their respective worlds.
These aren’t Hot Seat Rankings – those are coming later. These are the rankings based loosely on what the head coaches have done, and mostly about what they’re about to do.
Think of it this way. If all things were equal in terms of program, talent, facilities, etc., and you were to hold a head coaching draft …
14. Tom Allen, Indiana
It's not that he's a bad head coach, but in his first season at the helm, his team went 5-7 despite having the defensive pieces to get to a bowl game. It might have been tough to replace Kevin Wilson, at least in terms of production, but Allen has to come up with a six-win season.
13. Chris Ash, Rutgers
Yeah, he's 6-18 in his first two seasons, but the recruiting hasn't been bad, and he's got a good enough team returning to make an honest push for a bowl game. This was going to be a teardown rehab job, and at least Rutgers looks like it's going in the right direction.
12. P.J. Fleck, Minnesota
It took three years for Fleck to turn Western Michigan from a total disaster to a MAC champion that went to the Cotton Bowl, but he got the team bowling in his second season in Kalamazoo. The first recruiting class was just okay, and this year, Minnesota has to start being better because of the coaching.
11. D.J. Durkin, Maryland
All he needs is a little bit of luck. He's done an amazing job of recruiting in his short time, but the ridiculous array of quarterback injuries cost his team after an amazing opening weekend win over Texas. The talent is improving and he has a bowl appearance. But no matter what, he needs a winning season.
10. Lovie Smith, Illinois
Of course he's a phenomenal head coach, but the college production has to come. At 5-19 in his first two seasons, he needs the youth movement of last season to start to pay off. Illinois is going through the pains of a rebuild, but if this goes according to plan, this cold be the year the Lovie era starts to work.
9. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
Do you want the consistent production or do you want the shot for the stars with a Brohm, Fleck or Frost? For the long haul, it's the latter, but Ferentz is only two years removed from coming within a defensive stop of the College Football Playoff. Even so, two straight eight-win seasons are fine, but has Iowa maxed out? Whatever -- Kirk Ferentz is the type of person and coach you want for your program.
8. Jeff Brohm, Purdue
And he's not the Tennessee or Florida State head coach right now, why? Four years as a college head coach, four winning seasons, four bowl wins, two conference championships. The offensive head coach won at Purdue with a great defense, but now he has to keep it all going.
7. Scott Frost, Nebraska
He might just fly up this list in a big, big hurry next year. He's the hot coach with the hot offense coming off the hot season, but there's a chance he caught lightning in a bottle at UCF. Can it translate to Nebraska? Yeah, but it should take a season or so. That's okay -- it took a year for it all to kick in for the Knights, too.
6. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Everyone can't stop crying and whining about how Harbaugh can't beat Ohio State, is struggling against Michigan State, and has yet to finish better than third in the Big Ten East. But it's easy to forget just how mediocre Michigan was before he got there -- going 28-11 with three big bowl appearances is hardly a bad run. But yeah, it's time for more.
5. Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
Gary Barnett and Randy Walker proved it was possible to win at Northwestern, but to do it as long as Fitzgerald has is amazing. The program is just now getting the facilities in place, but it'll never get the five-star talents. Even so, he has two ten-win seasons in the last three years. Now, going bowling and winning isn't seen as some sort of a desperate dream.
4. Paul Chryst, Wisconsin
He found his groove. Just okay at Pittsburgh, at least he came up with three straight bowl appearances to go along with the 19-19 record. But the former Badger quarterback has been brilliant so far in Madison with two straight Big Ten Championship appearances, three straight major bowl wins, and one late drive last year away from going to the College Football Playoff.
3. James Franklin, Penn State
The guy took Vanderbilt – freaking VANDERBILT – to three straight bowl appearances, and he doesn’t get enough credit for taking over a Penn State program hamstrung by NCAA issues and its past and turning it into a monster again. Yeah, the first two seasons were rough, but at least he went bowling. Two straight 11-win seasons, one Big Ten championship, and two New Year’s Six bowl games later, it’s all working.
2. Mark Dantonio, Michigan State
Six ten-win seasons in the last eight years, three Big Ten championships, a Rose Bowl win, and five bowl victories in the last six appearances. That one bowl loss? It was in the College Football Playoff. Oh yeah, and he's able to keep beating Michigan on a regular basis. And now, he might be coming into this season with his best Spartan team yet.
1. Urban Meyer, Ohio State
The only thing missing is that he’s doing all of this at the same time that Nick Saban is doing that in Alabama.
Meyer is an even better head coach than you think, with seven 12-plus win seasons in the last nine years, and one of the seasons he didn’t hit the mark was 2016 – but he went to the College Football Playoff. Two Big Ten titles, a 47-3 conference record, a national title, and four straight top six finishes – and remember, the pressure was on to do all this, and he’s actually exceeding the expectations.
No, really, how good is he? He’s now 6-for-6 in double-digit win seasons in Columbus. Yeah, new era, a few more games each year, but … Woody Hayes won ten games or more five times in 28 years at Ohio State.
Ranking the Big Ten Football Coaches for 2018
by Pete Fiutak, CollegeFootballNews.com
Who do you want as your head coach for right now, and who are the best guys going at each program?
Of course, it’s easy to go by record, but it’s just as much about trends, where the teams are going, and where the buzz is at for each of the rulers of their respective worlds.
These aren’t Hot Seat Rankings – those are coming later. These are the rankings based loosely on what the head coaches have done, and mostly about what they’re about to do.
Think of it this way. If all things were equal in terms of program, talent, facilities, etc., and you were to hold a head coaching draft …
14. Tom Allen, Indiana
It's not that he's a bad head coach, but in his first season at the helm, his team went 5-7 despite having the defensive pieces to get to a bowl game. It might have been tough to replace Kevin Wilson, at least in terms of production, but Allen has to come up with a six-win season.
13. Chris Ash, Rutgers
Yeah, he's 6-18 in his first two seasons, but the recruiting hasn't been bad, and he's got a good enough team returning to make an honest push for a bowl game. This was going to be a teardown rehab job, and at least Rutgers looks like it's going in the right direction.
12. P.J. Fleck, Minnesota
It took three years for Fleck to turn Western Michigan from a total disaster to a MAC champion that went to the Cotton Bowl, but he got the team bowling in his second season in Kalamazoo. The first recruiting class was just okay, and this year, Minnesota has to start being better because of the coaching.
11. D.J. Durkin, Maryland
All he needs is a little bit of luck. He's done an amazing job of recruiting in his short time, but the ridiculous array of quarterback injuries cost his team after an amazing opening weekend win over Texas. The talent is improving and he has a bowl appearance. But no matter what, he needs a winning season.
10. Lovie Smith, Illinois
Of course he's a phenomenal head coach, but the college production has to come. At 5-19 in his first two seasons, he needs the youth movement of last season to start to pay off. Illinois is going through the pains of a rebuild, but if this goes according to plan, this cold be the year the Lovie era starts to work.
9. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
Do you want the consistent production or do you want the shot for the stars with a Brohm, Fleck or Frost? For the long haul, it's the latter, but Ferentz is only two years removed from coming within a defensive stop of the College Football Playoff. Even so, two straight eight-win seasons are fine, but has Iowa maxed out? Whatever -- Kirk Ferentz is the type of person and coach you want for your program.
8. Jeff Brohm, Purdue
And he's not the Tennessee or Florida State head coach right now, why? Four years as a college head coach, four winning seasons, four bowl wins, two conference championships. The offensive head coach won at Purdue with a great defense, but now he has to keep it all going.
7. Scott Frost, Nebraska
He might just fly up this list in a big, big hurry next year. He's the hot coach with the hot offense coming off the hot season, but there's a chance he caught lightning in a bottle at UCF. Can it translate to Nebraska? Yeah, but it should take a season or so. That's okay -- it took a year for it all to kick in for the Knights, too.
6. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Everyone can't stop crying and whining about how Harbaugh can't beat Ohio State, is struggling against Michigan State, and has yet to finish better than third in the Big Ten East. But it's easy to forget just how mediocre Michigan was before he got there -- going 28-11 with three big bowl appearances is hardly a bad run. But yeah, it's time for more.
5. Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
Gary Barnett and Randy Walker proved it was possible to win at Northwestern, but to do it as long as Fitzgerald has is amazing. The program is just now getting the facilities in place, but it'll never get the five-star talents. Even so, he has two ten-win seasons in the last three years. Now, going bowling and winning isn't seen as some sort of a desperate dream.
4. Paul Chryst, Wisconsin
He found his groove. Just okay at Pittsburgh, at least he came up with three straight bowl appearances to go along with the 19-19 record. But the former Badger quarterback has been brilliant so far in Madison with two straight Big Ten Championship appearances, three straight major bowl wins, and one late drive last year away from going to the College Football Playoff.
3. James Franklin, Penn State
The guy took Vanderbilt – freaking VANDERBILT – to three straight bowl appearances, and he doesn’t get enough credit for taking over a Penn State program hamstrung by NCAA issues and its past and turning it into a monster again. Yeah, the first two seasons were rough, but at least he went bowling. Two straight 11-win seasons, one Big Ten championship, and two New Year’s Six bowl games later, it’s all working.
2. Mark Dantonio, Michigan State
Six ten-win seasons in the last eight years, three Big Ten championships, a Rose Bowl win, and five bowl victories in the last six appearances. That one bowl loss? It was in the College Football Playoff. Oh yeah, and he's able to keep beating Michigan on a regular basis. And now, he might be coming into this season with his best Spartan team yet.
1. Urban Meyer, Ohio State
The only thing missing is that he’s doing all of this at the same time that Nick Saban is doing that in Alabama.
Meyer is an even better head coach than you think, with seven 12-plus win seasons in the last nine years, and one of the seasons he didn’t hit the mark was 2016 – but he went to the College Football Playoff. Two Big Ten titles, a 47-3 conference record, a national title, and four straight top six finishes – and remember, the pressure was on to do all this, and he’s actually exceeding the expectations.
No, really, how good is he? He’s now 6-for-6 in double-digit win seasons in Columbus. Yeah, new era, a few more games each year, but … Woody Hayes won ten games or more five times in 28 years at Ohio State.
