Power ranking all 18 Big Ten head football coaches after 2024 season

Posted by author February 9, 2025 Football

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A Big Ten team hoisted the College Football Playoff national championship trophy for the second consecutive season in 2024.

That program wasn’t the Big Ten champion and consensus No. 2 team in the AP Poll in Oregon, nor a Penn State team that made a run to the College Football Playoff semifinal. It was Ohio State. Despite two regular-season losses, including one to then-6-5 Michigan, the Buckeyes found their form when it mattered most and went on a dominant run to the title.

The end of another college football season brings a necessary review of the Big Ten Conference landscape. We have already done so with final end-of-season power rankings as well as with forward-looking program power rankings.

Up next are the coaches.

As of Jan. 26, the Big Ten is set to enter 2025 with only one new head coach in place, Purdue’s Barry Odom. That is a significant departure from last offseason when Indiana, Michigan, Washington, Michigan State and UCLA all made coaching changes — Michigan, Washington UCLA needing to do so after the traditional coaching carousel had concluded. Jim Harbaugh going to the NFL, Kalen DeBoer leaving for Alabama and Chip Kelly taking the OC job at Ohio State created those respective unique situations.

This offseason, meanwhile, has been mostly headline-free to date.

The lack of significant movement adds clarity to the conference landscape. Several notable head coaches are on the rise after breakthrough seasons. One in Ryan Day just cemented his legacy at Ohio State. Others, meanwhile, may enter 2025 on the hot seat.

For more, here are our full Big Ten head football coach rankings after the 2024 season. The rankings are compared to where each coach stood after the 2023 campaign:

18. David Braun (Northwestern Wildcats)

Previous Rank: No. 15 (Down 3)

Head Coaching Record: 12-13 (Northwestern 2023-present)

Northwestern Program Rank: No. 17

Analysis: David Braun will enter 2025 with significant questions after Northwestern struggled to a 4-8 record in 2024. The program needs a coach that can make the most of its limited resources. Braun appeared to fit that mold after an 8-5 2023 campaign. This past season, however, cast some doubt on his long-term viability.

17. Barry Odom (Purdue Boilermakers)

Previous Rank: N/A (new hire)

Head Coaching Record: 45-33 (Missouri 2016-19, UNLV 2023-24)

Purdue Program Rank: No. 18

Analysis: Barry Odom takes over a challenging situation at Purdue. The team went just 5-19 in two seasons under Ryan Walters. It now moves into 2025 with one of the least-talented rosters in the conference. Odom takes over at the helm after a strong run at UNLV culminated in an 11-3 2024 campaign. He has a defensive background, which may trouble Purdue fans after the program’s results under Walters. Unlike Walters, however, he does bring head coaching experience, including in the SEC (Missouri, 2016-19).

16. Mike Locksley (Maryland Terrapins)

Previous Rank: No. 12 (Down 5)

Head Coaching Record: 35-67 (New Mexico 2009-11, Maryland 2015-present)

Maryland Program Rank: No. 15

Analysis: Locksley falls toward the bottom of our rankings after the Terrapins struggled to a 4-8 (1-8 Big Ten) finish to 2024. That record indicates a significant regression, one only heightened by top offensive players QB Billy Edwards Jr. (Wisconsin) and RB Roman Hemby (Indiana) transferring out after the season. The Maryland head coach has delivered consistent recruiting performance over the last half-decade. That output will need to turn into on-field wins in 2025, or the temperature of his seat could increase significantly.

15. Jonathan Smith (Michigan State Spartans)

Previous Rank: No. 8 (Down 7)

Head Coaching Record: 39-42 (Oregon State 2018-23, Michigan State 2024-present)

Michigan State Program Rank: No. 12

Analysis: Jonathan Smith’s stock plummeted as Michigan State struggled to a 5-7 record in 2024. While he’s known as a program builder and high-end results weren’t the immediate expectation, the team’s bowl-less season and adjacent poor recruiting output (No. 56 nationally in class of 2025) inform this standing. Smith’s team will need to take a big step forward in 2025, or else questions surrounding his hire will only grow.

Get more (Michigan State) news, analysis and opinions on Spartans Wire

14. DeShaun Foster (UCLA Bruins)

Previous Rank: No. 18 (Up 4)

Head Coaching Record: 5-7 (UCLA 2024-present)

UCLA Program Rank: No. 13

Analysis: Foster was dealt a tough situation taking over for Chip Kelly last February. He only got the spring transfer window to rebuild a roster that lost many of its top contributors during the winter window. Many expected the Bruins to fall toward the bottom of the Big Ten when the season began. Instead, Foster led the team to a 5-7 record against one of the toughest schedules in the sport. He built enough momentum that the team is a popular pick to breakout in 2025. If that occurs, Foster could rocket up this list.

Get more (UCLA) news, analysis and opinions on UCLA Wire

13. Greg Schiano (Rutgers Scarlet Knights)

Previous Rank: No. 14 (Up 1)

Head Coaching Record: 94-101 (Rutgers 2001-11, 2020-present)

Rutgers Program Rank: No. 16

Analysis: Schiano deserves credit for longevity, as well as for bringing Rutgers up to its unquestioned ceiling. The Scarlet Knights went 7-6 in both 2023 and 2024, their first string of consecutive bowl appearances since joining the Big Ten in 2014. Schiano would do extremely well to keep the program winning at that level, and would take a big step forward if that mark is improved upon in 2025.

12. Jedd Fisch (Washington Huskies)

Previous Rank: No. 11 (Down 1)

Head Coaching Record: 23-29 (UCLA 2017, Arizona 2021-23, Washington 2024-present)

Washington Program Rank: No. 8

Analysis: Fisch taking Arizona from 1-11 in 2021 to 10-3 in 2023 is carrying his spot on these rankings. Like with Foster at UCLA, it’s hard to judge him off his first season at Washington. He was dealt a tough hand in taking over the job in mid-January after Kalen DeBoer left for Alabama. He still led the Huskies to a 6-6 regular-season record and narrow bowl loss to Louisville. They are a popular breakout pick in 2025 with rising young QB Demond Williams Jr. and Fisch getting a full offseason to build the roster.

Get more (Washington) news, analysis and opinions on Huskies Wire

11. Luke Fickell (Wisconsin Badgers)

Previous Rank: No. 6 (Down 5)

Head Coaching Record: 76-38 (Ohio State 2011, Cincinnati 2017-22, Wisconsin 2023-present)

Wisconsin Program Rank: No. 9

Analysis: Not many coaches are trending worse than Fickell. Wisconsin missed a bowl game in 2024 for the first time in 23 years, which occurred as Fickell fired offensive coordinator Phil Longo after a November loss to Oregon. Longo’s hiring before the 2023 season was controversial at the time, given the departure from Wisconsin’s classic identity. The Badgers struggled mightily in his two years leading the offense, making a change a necessity.

Wisconsin now enters 2025 with a new OC (Jeff Grimes) and a new-look offensive roster. A resurgent performance on that side of the football is a necessity for Fickell to bring the program back to a bowl game. His team will need to show progress in 2025, or else questions surrounding his job status will only grow.

10. P.J. Fleck (Minnesota Golden Gophers)

Previous Rank: No. 13 (Up 3)

Head Coaching Record: 88-61 (Western Michigan 2013-16, Minnesota 2017-present)

Minnesota Program Rank: No. 10

Analysis: It’s challenging to discount the job Fleck has done at Minnesota. The team’s 8-5 2024 season doesn’t even fully portray its quality — three of the Gophers’ losses came by a total of six points. Fleck is now 58-39 in eight years at Minnesota, including a 6-0 record in bowl games. He’s on his way to becoming one of the better coaches in program history.

9. Lincoln Riley (USC Trojans)

Previous Rank: No. 4 (Down 5)

Head Coaching Record: 81-24 (Oklahoma 2017-21, USC 2022-present)

USC Program Rank: No. 7

Analysis: Lincoln Riley is trending in the wrong direction after a disappointing 2024 campaign. The Trojans are now just 15-11 in their last two seasons. That marks a steady decline after Riley’s string of CFP appearances at Oklahoma (2017-19). He is proven as a top-tier offensive mind and a great recruiter. He now needs to translate those skills to Big Ten wins.

Get more (USC) news, analysis and opinions on Trojans Wire

8. Matt Rhule (Nebraska Cornhuskers)

Previous Rank: No. 5 (Down 3)

Head Coaching Record: 59-56 (Temple 2013-16, Baylor 2017-19, Nebraska 2023-present)

Nebraska Program Rank: No. 6

Analysis: Rhule’s 2024 campaign (7-6) represented a significant step forward after a 5-7 debut season in 2023. It also broke Nebraska’s extended streak without a bowl appearance. The veteran head coach deserves credit for his turnarounds at both Temple and Baylor. 2025 will need to be a breakthrough year for his Nebraska program for him to keep this strong standing.

Get more (Nebraska) news, analysis and opinions on Cornhuskers Wire

7. Sherrone Moore (Michigan Wolverines)

Previous Rank: No. 10 (Up 3)

Head Coaching Record: 8-5 (Michigan 2024-present)

Michigan Program Rank: No. 3

Analysis: The consensus surrounding Sherrone Moore is a lot different today than it was on Nov. 10 after a loss to Indiana dropped the team to 5-5. Michigan closed the season with wins over Northwestern, Ohio State and Alabama. Moore then landed top 2025 QB Bryce Underwood. That momentum flipped the sentiment from ‘Can he coach?’ to ‘Lookout for Michigan in 2025.’

Get more (Michigan) news, analysis and opinions on Wolverines Wire

6. Curt Cignetti (Indiana Hoosiers)

Previous Rank: No. 17 (Up 11)

Head Coaching Record: 30-6 (James Madison 2022-23, Indiana 2024-present)

Indiana Program Rank: No. 14

Analysis: A lot has been written about Cignetti’s 2024 campaign at Indiana: 11-2 and a College Football Playoff appearance. 2025 will be an interesting look at whether the team’s form is sustainable. History tells us that Indiana isn’t a Big Ten power. Cignetti will continue to vault up these rankings if he proves history wrong.

5. Kirk Ferentz (Iowa Hawkeyes)

Previous Rank: No. 7 (Up 2)

Head Coaching Record: 204-124 (Iowa 1999-present)

Iowa Program Rank: No. 5

Analysis: Longevity matters for these rankings. So does consistently winning at the Big Ten level. Ferentz’s record embodies both of those measures. The team had an impressive 2024 season in the division-less conference, winning eight games despite major injuries to both the starting and backup quarterback. Just because Iowa won’t contend for national titles doesn’t mean Ferentz isn’t one of the best coaches in the sport.

Get more (Iowa) news, analysis and opinions on Hawkeyes Wire

4. Bret Bielema (Illinois Fighting Illini)

Previous Rank: No. 9 (Up 5)

Head Coaching Record: 125-80 (Wisconsin 2006-12, Arkansas 2013-17, Illinois 2021-present)

Illinois Program Rank: No. 11

Analysis: Bret Bielema reentered the conversation as one of the best coaches in the Big Ten in 2024. He led Illinois to a program-best 10-3 season, punctuated by a bowl win over South Carolina. Bielema has shown an ability to win at the Big Ten level at multiple stops. Bringing the Illini to the CFP in 2025 would cement his place in the top tier of these rankings.

3. James Franklin (Penn State Nittany Lions)

Previous Rank: No. 4 (Up 1)

Head Coaching Record: 125-57 (Vanderbilt 2011-13, Penn State 2014-present)

Penn State Program Rank: No. 4

Analysis: James Franklin finally broke through to the CFP in 2024. He and the Nittany Lions were a late-game drive away from an appearance in the national title game. The year should validate Franklin’s terrific run as Penn State’s head coach. 2025 could see a further breakthrough with most of the team’s contributors set to return.

Get more (Penn State) news, analysis and opinions on Nittany Lions Wire

2. Dan Lanning (Oregon Ducks)

Previous Rank: No. 1 (Down 1)

Head Coaching Record: 35-6 (Oregon 2022-present)

Oregon Program Rank: No. 2

Analysis: These top two slots are interchangeable, in my opinion. Lanning is down to No. 2 after his Ducks fell to Ohio State in the CFP quarterfinal. That result shouldn’t erase their fantastic Big Ten debut season: 13-0 and a conference championship. Lanning projects to have the Ducks competing at that championship level for the foreseeable future.

Get more (Oregon) news, analysis and opinions on Ducks Wire

1. Ryan Day (Ohio State Buckeyes)

Previous Rank: No. 2 (Up 1)

Head Coaching Record: 70-10 (Ohio State 2018-present)

Maryland Program Rank: No. 1

Analysis: Bringing a program to a national title will vault any coach into this No. 1 ranking. Ryan Day is still an odd case, as the Buckeyes have lost four straight to Michigan and haven’t won the Big Ten title since 2020. Still, there’s no taking away from what he and his team accomplished in 2024. He currently carries the title as the top coach in the sport.

Get more (Ohio State) news, analysis and opinions on Buckeyes Wire

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