Big Ten Preseason Hot Seat Coach Rankings 2021
14. Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
The guy took Northwestern to two Big Ten Championship appearances in the last three years. No matter how it looked and how it happened, that’s as strong a coaching job as it gets. Sometimes the formula doesn’t work – like in 2019 going 3-9 – but he could clunk for a few years and still be a made man.
Record With Team: 106-81
Big Ten Preseason Hot Seat Rankings
2020: 11, 2019: 9, 2018: 12
Northwestern Preview | Schedule
13. Greg Schiano, Rutgers
It’s Rutgers. Schiano’s 2020 team was ultra-competitive, beat Michigan State, pushed Michigan into overtime, and looked like a program that’s at least going to be a tough out going forward. There’s still SO much work to do, and he’ll get the time.
Record With Team: 3-6
Big Ten Preseason Hot Seat Rankings
2020: 13, 2019: NA, 2018: NA
Rutgers Preview | Schedule
– 2021 CFN Preseason Big Ten Rankings
12. Ryan Day, Ohio State
No regular season losses, two Big Ten championships, two College Football Playoffs, one national title game appearance. Day has been amazing in his first two years, but it’s Ohio State. He’s one 8-4 season away from getting everyone grumbling – but don’t count on that happening with his 2021 team.
Record With Team: 23-2
Big Ten Preseason Hot Seat Rankings
2020: 8, 2019: 2, 2018: NA
Ohio State Preview | Schedule
11. Paul Chryst, Wisconsin
Even with the team ripped apart with COVID-19 issues early on and with a slew of key injuries to the receiving corps, the Badgers still came up with a winning season and a bowl victory. However, this is a bit of a crossroads year – can the program get back to West championship form? Chryst is fine for the next few years no matter what.
Record With Team: 56-19
Big Ten Preseason Hot Seat Rankings
2020: 12, 2019: 9, 2018: 12
Wisconsin Preview | Schedule
10. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
The longest-tenured head coach with one program – guiding Iowa since 1999 – he’s in a rock-steady situation as long as the issues from a rocky 2020 offseason alleging problems with the culture of the program continue to be addressed. On the field, the machine should keep on rolling.
Record With Team: 168-106
Big Ten Preseason Hot Seat Rankings
2020: 14, 2019: 12, 2018: 14
Iowa Preview | Schedule
– 2021 CFN Preseason All-Big Ten Team
9. Tom Allen, Indiana
Come up with one great season at Indiana in football and you’re good for a while. It’ll be a must to keep it all going and prove that 2020 wasn’t big because the rest of the Big Ten East was down in the COVID-19 year. No matter what, the Hoosiers appear to be on the right track.
Record With Team: 24-22
Big Ten Preseason Hot Seat Rankings
2020: 5, 2019: 4, 2018: 3
Indiana Preview | Schedule
8. Bret Bielema, Illinois
Well this will be interesting. There’s no pressure whatsoever in his first year at the helm of an underwhelming program that’s struggled to find any sort of positive identity. He can’t totally bomb, but he’ll get a free pass for 2021 to remake the team.
Record With Team: 0-0
Big Ten Preseason Hot Seat Rankings
2020: NA, 2019: NA, 2018: NA
Illinois Preview | Schedule
7. PJ Fleck, Minnesota
Everything is still just fine as long as the program is competitive and shows a fight in the Big Ten West race. A hot prospect for other gigs, this year he needs a great run to show that 2019 wasn’t an aberration.
Record With Team: 26-19
Big Ten Preseason Hot Seat Rankings
2020: 10, 2019: 7, 2018: 6
Minnesota Preview | Schedule
6. Mel Tucker, Michigan State
Give him another year or so. Mark Dantonio always had several plates spinning at once to get the Spartans to succeed like they did, but that’s hard to replicate. Tucker should get time to revamp the program, but he needs to at least go bowling and show incremental success.
Record With Team: 2-5
Big Ten Preseason Hot Seat Rankings
2020: 7, 2019: NA, 2018: NA
MSU Preview | Schedule
5. James Franklin, Penn State
Don’t focus on the historically awful 0-5 start in 2020 and give all due credit for Franklin’s team fighting back to win the last four games – that’s coaching. Does that – along with his 42 wins in the previous four years – buy him enough credit at Penn State? Not if his Nittany Lions aren’t pushing for the Big Ten East title.
Record With Team: 60-28
Big Ten Preseason Hot Seat Rankings
2020: 9, 2019: 6, 2018: 9
Penn State Preview | Schedule
4. Jeff Brohm, Purdue
Remember, he almost certainly could’ve had the Louisville job a few years ago but he stuck around West Lafayette. He knows how to coach up an offense, but the program has gone a flat 7-15 over the last 22 games. While he’s almost certainly fine even with a bad year, a bowl game would take the heat off for 2022.
Record With Team: 19-25
Big Ten Preseason Hot Seat Rankings
2020: 6, 2019: 10, 2018: 11
Purdue Preview | Schedule
3. Mike Locksley, Maryland
He’s a great recruiter and Maryland came up with a few splashy moments over his first two seasons, but he’s still 8-43 all-time as a head coach and has yet to come up with a winning season either in College Park or at New Mexico. At the very least, it has to look like the Terps are on the verge of something large.
Record With Team: 6-17
Big Ten Preseason Hot Seat Rankings
2020: 3, 2019: 8, 2018: NA
Maryland Preview | Schedule
– 2021 CFN Big Ten Predictions For Every Game
2. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
The man has never received his just credit for making Michigan good at football again. The program’s problem was it couldn’t beat the elite of the elite teams – it always beat everyone else. That all changed last year. There really is no shame in losing to Ohio State, but Michigan can’t lose to Michigan State and Indiana again – ever.
Record With Team: 49-22
Big Ten Preseason Hot Seat Rankings
2020: 2, 2019: 6, 2018: 1
Michigan Preview | Schedule
1. Scott Frost, Nebraska
It’s been a strange disaster so far. It’s not just that the Huskers are 12-20 with three straight losing seasons, it’s that there doesn’t appear to be any big improvements. Of course, all it takes is one solid year to change everything around. At this point, he doesn’t need to win the Big Ten title, but Nebraska has to go bowling and show signs that big things are about to come.
Record With Team: 12-20
Big Ten Preseason Hot Seat Rankings
2020: 1, 2019: 13, 2018: 13
Nebraska Preview | Schedule
2021 Preseason Hot Seat Coach Rankings
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