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NFL Hot Seat – Who Will Be The Next Coach Fired?
Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury There are currently 5 head coaches in the NFL that have coached their current team more than 5 seasons. The NFL isn’t the place for job security. We’ll take a look at the status of all NFL head coaches — from the seat’s red hot to the coaches that have all the leverage. This is the 2022 NFL Hot Seat.
Check out potential replacements for NFL coaches fired this season — College Coaches That Could Jump To The NFL.
Updated 1/3/23
WIN NOW OR ELSE
Kliff Kingsbury – Arizona Cardinals
This seat is hot enough it’s almost a certainty at this point. ESPN reported that Kingsbury was “miserable” and is considering resigning. It seems unlikely that Kingsbury would walk away from his contract that pays him until 2027. It is likely that the Cardinals will show him the door following the season.Kevin Stefanski – Cleveland Browns
A disappointing 8-9 record last season. One more of those seasons and he moves up this list in a hurry.Lovie Smith – Houston Texans
If he can turn the Texans into a contender he should get a lifetime contract. Unfortunately, there may be nothing Smith can do to avoid the hot seat.Nathaniel Hackett – Denver Broncos
A first year head coach with a veteran quarterback should keep Hackett safe for a while.UPDATE: Hackett wasn’t given an opportunity to finish his first season and was fired December 26, 2022.
Frank Reich – Indianapolis Colts
Most organizations would love Reich’s 37-28 record, but things feel far from stable with the quarterback carousel in Indy.UPDATE: Reich was fired November 7, 2022, following a 26-3 loss to the New England Patriots.
Matt Rhule – Carolina Panthers
Rhule had found success in each of his previous stops until he met the NFL. It’s only been two seasons for Rhule in the NFL, but it doesn’t look good. His success this season will largely rely on the arm of Baker Mayfield. This may be a situation where the Panthers and Rhule mutually agree to go their separate ways. Rhule would be a hot commodity if he decided to go back to college football.UPDATE: Matt Rhule was fired by the Carolina Panthers on October 10, 2022, after a 1-4 start to the season.
THINGS ARE GETTING UNCOMFORTABLE
Mike McDaniel – Miami Dolphins
Owner patience will not be on McDaniel’s side with the offensive weapons they’ve invested in. Win quick or he’ll move to the top of this list.Ron Rivera – Washington Redskins
A solid coach that will have you in the playoff hunt. Because Rivera works for Dan Snyder, maybe he should permanently be in the “things are getting uncomfortable” category.Arthur Smith – Atlanta Falcons
A so-so first season at 7-10. A division title would help solidify his status, but Tom Brady stands in the way.Josh McDaniels – Las Vegas Raiders
He didn’t make it two full season in his first head coaching try with the Broncos. The Raiders, believe it or not, seem to be a stable organization with pieces in place for McDaniels to succeed.Robert Saleh – New York Jets
Can anyone win with the Jets? Saleh appears to be a good coach, but might run out of time before they make the playoffs again.UPDATE: A surprising 5-3 start had Saleh as a Coach of the Year candidate. Now losers of 5 straight, the Jets will again miss the playoffs. Progress has been made, but Saleh will likely have at most 2 more seasons to get the Jets to the playoffs.
COMFORTABLE, FOR NOW
Dan Campbell – Detroit Lions
It’s only been one season for Campbell, but only 3 wins will warm your seat. His teams seem to play hard which might be all this organization can ask from him.UPDATE: Campbell has the Lions one win away from ending a long-time playoff drought and has moved himself from the top of the hot seat list to Coach of the Year candidate.
Pete Carroll – Seattle Seahawks
An impressive run seems to be coming to an end for Carroll. Hard to see things improving with Drew Lock as your quarterback.UPDATE: Nobody anticipated Geno Smith possibly extending Carroll’s stay in Seattle.
Matt Eberflus – Chicago Bears
Definitely not a sexy hire, but neither was John Harbaugh. Develop a quarterback and Chicago will build you a statue.Zac Taylor – Cincinnati Bengals
What a difference a playoff run can make. From hot seat to contract extension. With Joe Burrow as his quarterback, Taylor may have a home in Cincinnati for quite some time.Matt LaFleur – Green Bay Packers
LaFleur may be the head coach, but he answers to Aaron Rodgers. With Rodgers at quarterback there should be plenty of wins. What happens when Rodgers moves on?Doug Pederson – Jacksonville Jaguars
Anyone would look good following Urban Meyer’s attempt at the NFL. Pederson has nowhere to go but up with the Jaguars.Kevin O’Connell – Minnesota Vikings
A first year head coach so he’ll have some room. The Vikings had average with Mike Zimmer, so O’Connell will need to be the one to knock the Packers from the top of the NFC North.Dennis Allen – New Orleans Saints
Following Sean Payton isn’t going to be easy. Allen has a lot riding on the shoulders of Jameis Winston.Brian Daboll – New York Giants
If Daboll can elevate Daniel Jones to a respectable quarterback, he’ll earn some serious job security. If he can’t, he’ll quickly be back to an assistant coach.Nick Sirianni – Philadelphia Eagles
A trip to the playoffs in Sirianni’s first year. He coaches in a town not known for patience, so those playoff appearances need to be a regular thing.Todd Bowles – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bruce Arians is a tough act to follow. Having Tom Brady at quarterback will certainly help that transition.Mike Vrabel – Tennessee Titans
An impressive 41-24 in 4 seasons as Titans head coach. A few more playoff wins (read: Super Bowl champion) and he moves to untouchable status.Mike McCarthy – Dallas Cowboys
The leash is always short with Jerry Jones looking over your shoulder. A decent second season (12-5) after what appeared would be a short stay in Dallas.Kyle Shanahan – San Francisco 49ers
The reality is Shanahan is 39-42 and only one season better than 3rd place in the division. Taking that next step won’t be easy with the Rams in the way.Brandon Staley – Los Angeles Chargers
Things should remain stable for Staley as long as Herbert remains quarterback. Competing in the AFC West is Staley’s biggest challenge.UPDATE: Underachieving with Justin Herbert as your quarterback will put the firing bullseye on your back.
NAME YOUR PRICE
John Harbaugh – Baltimore Ravens
If you’re looking for competitive consistency, this is your guy. He’s going nowhere, but if the Ravens did move on, Harbaugh wouldn’t be short on NFL head coaching options.Sean McDermott – Buffalo Bills
The Patriots were kings of the AFC East for years, but McDermott and the Bills have won the AFC East the last two years. The McDermott – Josh Allen could be a dangerous combo around for years.Andy Reid – Kansas City Chiefs
Some didn’t realize Reid was one of the best until after the Super Bowl victory. He’s been one of the best for a long time. If you are looking for a contender every year, Reid is the coach you want.Sean McVay – Los Angeles Rams
Young. Offensive minded. Super Bowl Champion. McVay has earned a very long leash.Bill Belichick – New England Patriots
The star is starting to fade, but 17 division championships will allow you to call the shots.Mike Tomlin – Pittsburgh Steelers
Tomlin works for the most loyal organization in the league. Life post-Roethlisberger could make things interesting.Andy Reid, Arizona Cardinals, Arthur Smith, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Bill Belichick, Brandon Staley, Brian Daboll, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Dan Campbell, Dennis Allen, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Doug Pederson, Green Bay Packers, hot seat, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, John Harbaugh, Josh McDaniels, Kansas City Chiefs, Kevin O’Connell, Kevin Stefanski, Kliff Kingsbury, Kyle Shanahan, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Lovie Smith, Matt Eberflus, Matt LaFleur, Miami Dolphins, Mike McCarthy, Mike McDaniel, Mike Tomlin, Mike Vrabel, Minnesota Vikings, Nathaniel Hackett, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Jets, NFL, Nick Sirianni, Pete Carroll, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Robert Saleh, Ron Rivera, San Francisco 49ers, Sean McDermott, Sean McVay, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Todd Bowles, Washington Commanders, Zac Taylor -
The Top 5 Oldest Coaches in College Football
Coaching in college football is becoming a young man’s game. Athletic director’s are looking for the next young offensive-minded genius to lead their programs. The rapid changes in college football — recruiting, transfers, NIL — are pushing older coaches out of the game.
Who are the top 5 oldest coaches in college football?
There have been some recent changes to this list. Frank Solich recently retired from Ohio. He lead the Bobcats since 1995. He previously topped this list at 77 years old. Other recent departures from this list over the past few seasons include, Butch Davis (Florida International, 70 years old), David Cutcliffe (Duke, 67 years old), and Les Miles (Kansas, 68 years old).
Here are the top 5 oldest coaches in college football heading into the 2022 season.
- Mack Brown, North Carolina – 71 years old
A surprise second stint at North Carolina (1988-1997, 2019-present) keeps chugging along. Brown has the Tar Heels in a better spot than he found it, but how long will it continue. It would be a surprise if his coaching career lasted another 3+ seasons. - Nick Saban, Alabama – 70 years old
Fans and coaches of SEC teams not named Alabama having been crossing their fingers for years that a Saban retirement was near. Disappointment continues for these folks as Saban recently agreed to an extension through the 2030 season. It’s unlikely he coaches for another 8 seasons. But, the only person that will decide when Nick Saban is done is Nick Saban. - Herm Edwards, Arizona State – 68 years old
An interesting hire 3 seasons ago has produced an even more interesting tenure at Arizona State. His record as Arizona State is decent, but off-the-field issues has landed Edwards on the hot seat. - Kirk Ferentz, Iowa – 68 years old
Ferentz is as steady as they come. Leading Iowa since 1999, you know what you are going to get with a Ferentz lead team — a team that may not have enough talent to compete for championships, but enough discipline to go toe-to-toe with talent superior teams. Ferentz also leads our list of longest tenured head coaches in college football. - Terry Bowden, Louisiana-Monroe – 66 years old
Terry Bowden, the son of coaching legend, Bobby Bowden (Florida State), found his way back into college football coaching after resigning from Auburn and a short stint in broadcasting. Since Auburn, Bowden had lead North Alabama, Akron and his current employment, Louisiana-Monroe.
- Mack Brown, North Carolina – 71 years old
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The Highest Paid College Football Coaches 2022
Who are the highest paid college football coaches heading into the 2022 season?
College football coaches salaries are going through the roof. And those increasing salaries won’t stop with some conferences bringing in billions for media rights.
Let’s take a look at the highest paid coaches in college football.
*by salary only, estimated
- Kirby Smart salary, Georgia – $11.25 million
- Lincoln Riley salary, USC – $10 million
- Nick Saban salary, Alabama – $9.7 million
- Brian Kelly salary, LSU – $9.5 million
- Mel Tucker salary, Michigan State – $9.5 million
- Ryan Day salary, Ohio State – $9.5 million
- David Shaw salary, Stanford – $8.925 million
- Dabo Swinney salary, Clemson – $8.37 million
- Mario Cristobal salary, Miami – $8 million
- Jimbo Fisher salary, Texas A&M – $7.5 million
- Lane Kiffin salary, Mississippi – $7.25 million
- Jim Harbaugh salary, Michigan – $7.05 million
- James Franklin salary, Penn State – $7 million
- Pat Fitzgerald salary, Northwestern – $5.75 million
- Chip Kelly salary, UCLA – $5.6 million
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Current College Football Coach With The Most Wins
Nick Saban will likely reach the top 5 of all-time wins in college football this season. Outside of Saban, and possibly Mack Brown (North Carolina), there will be little movement in the top 15 of all-time wins in college football. College football coaches just don’t have the lifespan of coaches in past decades, like Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden.
Can Mack Brown make one final push up the all-time coaching wins list? Let’s take a look at the list of all-time wins amongst active college football coaches heading into the 2022 season.
- Nick Saban, Alabama – 274 wins
- Mack Brown, North Carolina – 259 wins
- Kirk Ferentz, Iowa – 178 wins
- Brian Kelly, LSU – 166 wins
- Mike Leach, Mississippi State – 150 wins
- Dabo Swinney, Clemson – 150 wins
- Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State – 149 wins
- Kyle Whittingham, Utah – 144 wins
- Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M – 117 wins
- Troy Calhoun, Air Force – 111 wins
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College Football Hot Seat 2022
What is Scott Frost walking into this season? There are some big names and big time programs that may soon have coach openings. We’ll take a look at the hottest of seats heading into the 2022 college football season and some names that may surprise.
This is a look at the college football hot seat for all power 5 programs. We also have breakdowns for each coach by conference.
ACC Hot Seat
Big Ten Hot Seat
Big 12 Hot Seat
Pac 12 Hot Seat
SEC Hot SeatWIN NOW OR ELSE
1. Bryan Harsin – Auburn Tigers
We’re surprised he’s at the top of this list only because losing his job after last season seemed inevitable. It seemed like an odd fit from day one and, after one season, it doesn’t seem less odd.2. Scott Frost – Nebraska Cornhuskers
This one is no secret. His contract was restructured to include a lower buyout if things don’t improve quickly. He really needs a 3-0 start to the season or things could get ugly. Can Casey Thompson save Frost’s job?3. Steve Sarkisian – Texas Longhorns
It seemed Texas could’ve done better when they hired Sarkisian and it still does. The 2023 recruiting class is on fire, but Sarkisian may not get a chance to coach those recruits if things don’t turnaround quickly.4. Herm Edwards – Arizona State Sun Devils
Frankly, we are surprised he’s still here. This was an interesting hire that has gone worse than anticipated. The record at 25-18 is okay, but not enough to overcome the off the field issues.5. Mike Norvell – Florida State Seminoles
This will only be year 3 for Norvell, but the first two haven’t gone as expected. Things don’t get any easier with Florida State alum, Deion Sanders, doing well at Jackson State. Many Florida State boosters already have Sanders sitting in the head seat after this season.6. Geoff Collins – Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Collins is 9-25 at Georgia Tech. He’s found consistency, but unfortunately that’s with 3 wins in each of his 3 seasons. Their 2022 schedule doesn’t give Collins much of a chance to see another year.THE SEAT IS GETTING UNCOMFORTABLE
Dino Babers – Syracuse Orangemen
Scott Satterfield – Louisville Cardinals
Clark Lea – Vanderbilt Commodores
Eli Drinkwitz – Missouri Tigers
David Shaw – Stanford Cardinal
Chip Kelly – UCLA Bruins
Jeff Fisch – Arizona Wildcats
Neal Brown – West Virginia Mountaineers
Tom Allen – Indiana Hoosiers -
Longest Tenured Head Coaches in College Football
If you are looking for stability you might want to consider a different career path. It currently only requires 8 seasons as head coach to get into the top 20 of longest tenured head coaches. We’ll take a look at the top 10 coaches who have lead their team the longest.
- Kirk Ferentz, Iowa – 23 seasons
He’s at a school that prioritizes stability. His teams are competitive, but he lacks championships. - Kyle Whittingham, Utah – 17 seasons
He’s turned down bigger schools. It looks like he’ll retire a Ute. - Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State – 17 seasons
He’s looked elsewhere. Will the mullet remain at his alma mater? - Rick Stockstill, Middle Tennessee State – 16 seasons
Not the most recognizable name on the list, but Mr. Steady Eddy with a career record of 101-98 - Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern – 16 seasons
He must really love his alma mater. He’s turned down NFL offers to stay with the Wildcats. He might one day end at the top of the list of longest tenured head coaches. - Troy Calhoun, Air Force – 15 seasons
There’s a pattern with the long tenured coaches — leading their alma mater. - Nick Saban, Alabama – 15 seasons
Hey, a list he’s not number #1 on. He’s expected to retire at Alabama, but when? - Ken Niumatalolo, Navy – 14 seasons
We wouldn’t be surprised to see him finish his coaching career at Hawaii, his alma mater. - Dabo Swinney, Clemson – 14 seasons
Not many coaches that started as the interim coach last as long as Swinney has at Clemson. - David Shaw, Stanford – 11 seasons
Most coaches on this list will get to decide on their own when they leave. That might not be the case for Shaw.
- Kirk Ferentz, Iowa – 23 seasons
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College Coaches That Could Jump to the NFL
Which football coaches might leave the college ranks for a more stable environment in the NFL?
Could Luke Fickell leave college football for the NFL? College football coaching has recently become more of a challenge than it ever has been. There has always been university administration to deal with, boosters to amuse and alumni to keep happy. A lifeblood of college sports has been convincing teenagers to join your program. In addition to all of the duties that have been in place for decades, coaches now have to deal with transfers, NIL and conference realignment. At what point do the increasing demands outpace the increasing salaries?
We look at 10 head coaches that could make the leap from college football to the NFL.
Ryan Day, Ohio State
Day has kept Ohio State at a high level after taking over Urban Meyer’s program. If you look closely you may see some signs of things slipping from that difficult-to-maintain standard.Luke Fickell, Cincinnati
Fickell will have a shot to compete on a larger stage as they head to the Big 12. Fickell has turned down bigger programs. Is he waiting for a call from the NFL?
Lincoln Riley, USC
Riley surprised us last season jumping from Oklahoma to USC. Does he have one more surprise for us?
Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Expect the unexpected with Harbaugh. After last season, he had one foot out the door at Michigan and the other foot in the Minnesota Vikings’ offices. Don’t be surprised if he sniffs around the NFL again.
Lane Kiffin, Mississippi
He’s young and offensive minded. That alone puts you near the top of many NFL candidate lists.
Matt Campbell, Iowa State
The offers to lead more prestigious programs have been there for Campbell. With Oklahoma and Texas leaving a soon-to-be watered down Big 12, will Campbell look elsewhere?
PJ Fleck, Minnesota
Don’t shoot the messenger. It’s hard to see Fleck’s schtick working in the NFL.
Mel Tucker, Michigan State
Yes, he just signed a big contract extension with Michigan State after hearing from the NFL. Another year like last season and he might receive an NFL offer he can’t refuse.
Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
The Chicago Bears might be the only NFL job Fitzgerald would leave Northwestern for. The Chicago Bears just hired Matt Eberflus, so it might be a few years before the Fitz-to-Bears possibility resurfaces.
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
If Freeman lead Notre Dame to the College Football Playoff, it will happen. NFL teams will be calling.
We’ve reviewed the coaches that could leave by their choice. Check out the coaches that may not have that option in our College Football Hot Seat series:
ACC College Football Hot Seat
Big Ten College Football Hot Seat
SEC College Football Hot Seat
Pac 12 College Football Hot Seat
Big 12 College Football Hot Seat -
College Football Hot Seat: Pac 12 – Can Herm Edwards Make It Through The Season?
Herm Edwards clearly has the hottest seat. Who is next?
USC and UCLA are leaving. Other PAC 12 schools are looking for other conferences to join. If the schools are looking to the PAC 12, it’s reasonable to consider its top coaches are looking elsewhere too.
WIN NOW OR ELSE
Herm Edwards – Arizona State Sun Devils
Frankly, we are surprised he’s still here. This was an interesting hire that has gone worse than anticipated. The record at 25-18 is okay, but not enough to overcome the off the field issues.THINGS ARE GETTING UNCOMFORTABLE
David Shaw – Stanford Cardinal
Just a few seasons ago, Shaw could’ve had about anyone job he wanted. He even had calls from the NFL. Now, Shaw’s last 3 seasons include records of 4-8 and 3-9.Chip Kelly – UCLA Bruins
Last season’s 8-4 record may have cooled the seat some. But, even with some success in 2021, Kelly’s record at UCLA is 18-25Jeff Fisch – Arizona Wildcats
He’s only heading into year 2, but last season was rough at 1-11. Everyone understands this was a long-term fix but steady improvement will need to be shown.COMFORTABLE, FOR NOW
Justin Wilcox – California Golden Bears
It’s been an interesting ride for Wilcox. His first five seasons at Cal have resulted in two winning seasons and an overall record of 26-28. That would lead to a warm seat for most. Yet, he passed on an opportunity to take over at Oregon.Jonathan Smith – Oregon State Beavers
2022 will be Smith’s fifth season leading Oregon State. An overall record of 16-28 isn’t great, but last season’s 7-6 showed things may be heading in the right direction.Jake Dickert – Washington State Cougars
He’s heading into his first full season after leading the Cougars as the interim head coach. It won’t be easy to meet the standard set by Mike Leach.Karl Dorrell – Colorado Buffaloes
There isn’t much momentum at Colorado under Dorrell. That will need to change before his seat gets warmer.Kalen DeBoer – Washington Huskies
Things have slipped quickly at Washington. DeBoer should get 3-4 years to turn things back in the right direction.Dan Lanning – Oregon Ducks
Oregon had to go further down the list than expected and hired Lanning. The bar is high at Oregon. The offseason and recruiting are going well. Will Lanning be able to keep it going through the season?NAME YOUR PRICE
Lincoln Riley – USC Trojans
He already did name his price. Now he’ll have to earn that hefty contract on the field after a successful run at Oklahoma.Kyle Whittingham – Utah Utes
He’s turned down bigger programs and bigger paychecks. He seems to want to retire a Ute. Will changes in the conference cause him to look elsewhere? -
College Football Hot Seat: ACC — Is this Mike Norvell’s Last Stand
What can Mike Norvell do to keep his job at Florida State?
Will Florida State sack Mike Norvell? With the Big Ten and SEC in their current power grab, the ACC may be more concerned with losing quality coaches to other conferences than it is replacing coaches not getting the job done.
WIN NOW OR ELSE
Mike Norvell – Florida State Seminoles
This will only be year 3 for Norvell, but the first two haven’t gone as expected. Things don’t get any easier with Florida State alum, Deion Sanders, doing well at Jackson State. Many Florida State boosters already have Sanders sitting in the head seat after this season.Geoff Collins – Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Collins is 9-25 at Georgia Tech. He’s found consistency, but unfortunately that’s with 3 wins in each of his 3 seasons. Their 2022 schedule doesn’t give Collins much of a chance to see another year.THINGS ARE GETTING UNCOMFORTABLE
Dino Babers – Syracuse Orangemen
Babers passed on several opportunities outside of Syracuse after his 10-3 season in 2018. He hasn’t had a winning season since. Things may be heading in the right direction. Syracuse did go 5-7 in 2021 after only winning 1 game the previous season.Scott Satterfield – Louisville Cardinals
This seemed like a slam dunk hire for Louisville back in 2019. Things haven’t been bad, but they haven’t been great. It doesn’t seem like Satterfield can find the momentum to get over the hump.COMFORTABLE, FOR NOW
Pat Narduzzi – Pittsburgh Panthers
Narduzzi’s 10 wins in 2021 was his best in 7 seasons at Pitt. Pitt might fall back into the standard 5-7 win seasons after losing quarterback Kenny Pickett to the NFL and wide receiver Jordan Addison to USC.Jeff Hafley – Boston College Eagles
Hafley’s 12-11 record after two seasons leading Boston College isn’t exciting, but it appears Hafley has created a solid foundation for this program.Brent Pry – Virginia Tech Hokies
This is Pry’s first season at Virginia Tech. He likely has 3 seasons to return Virginia Tech to a Frank Beamer level before the heat gets turned up.Tony Elliott – Virginia Cavaliers
This is Elliot’s first head coaching job after leading Clemson’s offense for several years. He’ll have time to figure things out at Virginia, a place not known for coaching turnover.Mike Elko – Duke Blue Devils
One of four new head coaches in the ACC. He’s been a fantastic assistant. Always a tough spot to be a football coach at a basketball-first university.Dave Doeren – North Carolina State Wolfpack
Doeren is a case study for patience. 2022 will be his 10th season leading North Carolina State. Doeren has only had two losing seasons and things appear to be trending up.Mario Cristobal – Miami Hurricanes
Cristobal returns to his alma mater after a successful run at Oregon. The off-season has been a winner, let’s see if it translates on the field. Cristobal will have some big personalities to manage.Mack Brown – North Carolina Tar Heels
This was an interesting hire 3 years ago and remains interesting. A retirement for Brown is more likely than a firing.Dave Clawson – Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Clawson has been Wake Forest’s head man since 2014. 2021 ended at an impressive 11-3 and has parlayed into a decent 2023 recruiting class.NAME YOUR PRICE
Dabo Swinney – Clemson Tigers
Swinney has set the bar so high that some have Swinney’s seat warming after a 3 loss season. His two national championships have built enough goodwill to remain comfortable for a few more years. -
College Basketball Coach Power Rankings: Big Ten
Will Holtmann Be The Next King Of The Big Ten After Izzo Retires?
We start our College Basketball Head Coach Power Rankings series with the Big Ten. A competitive league with a much clearer hierarchy of head coaches than other leagues. There isn’t much to argue about with the top and bottom of this list. The middle? That’s up for debate.
14. Ben Johnson – Minnesota Gophers
Johnson reached only 4 conference wins in his first season as head coach of the Gophers. He has a roster short on talent to compete in the Big Ten. He’ll need to hit some jackpots in the transfer market to get this turned around.13. Fred Hoiberg – Nebraska Cornhuskers
There’s a decent argument to be made for Hoiberg as the worst coach in the Big Ten. He’s a pathetic 9-50 in the Big Ten. He gets a one spot bump on this list only because of his success at Iowa State (2010-2015)12. Micah Shrewsberry – Penn State Nittany Lions
He had a respectable year one leading Penn State at 14-17. His ranking is indicative of the quality of coaches in his conference, not his coaching acumen.11. Chris Collins – Northwestern Wildcats
Outside of an impressive 2016-17 season, it’s been the bottom of the conference for Collins and Northwestern. It’s not easy to coach at an academics first school.10. Mike Woodson – Indiana Hoosiers
Woodson had a talented team in year one at Indiana, but seemed to underachieve much of the season.9. Kevin Willard – Maryland Terrapins
Wouldn’t have been my choice to take over the Maryland program. However, it would be hard to underachieve more than Turgeon did.8. Juwan Howard – Michigan Wolverines
Michigan’s postseason run makes this a tough call. He won’t have a problem bringing in talent. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him back in the NBA soon.7. Matt Painter – Purdue Boilermakers
Painter can really put together some solid teams (read: endless 7-footers). In most other leagues he’d be near the top in head coach rankings.6. Greg Gard – Wisconsin Badgers
I get it. He was conference co-champion last season. You know what Wisconsin is going to be — a grinding team that doesn’t make much noise during March Madness.5. Steve Pikiell – Rutgers Scarlet Knights
His win-loss record won’t match up to the others at the top of this list. But, he doesn’t get the credit he deserves for turning Rutgers into a competitive squad.4. Fran McCaffery – Iowa Hawkeyes
For about 10 game stretches each season, McCaffery and Iowa might be number 1. His teams seem to hit a wall at the end of the season.3. Brad Underwood – Illinois Fighting Illini
Without a Sweet Sixteen appearance maybe Underwood shouldn’t be in the top 3 of Big Ten coaches. It seems his Illinois teams will be competing for league championships for the foreseeable future.2. Chris Holtmann – Ohio State Buckeyes
The argument here is no deep tournament runs with Ohio State. And it’s a valid argument. His programs will always be in the contender conversation.1. Tom Izzo – Michigan State Spartans
The undisputed king of Big Ten basketball. His last two squads have been below standards. Will the rapid changes in college athletics lead to an Izzo retirement?