Ranking the Big Ten's 18 football-basketball head coach duos from worst to best

USA Today

10-05-2025

Ranking the Big Ten's 18 football-basketball head coach duos from worst to best
The bridge between spring football practice and the summer recruiting season is often filled with way-too-early power rankings, game-by-game predictions and more. This week, it even included a compilation of the Big Ten's NCAA academic progress rate standings.
The month can serve as a reset before the college sports world embarks on the busy upcoming summer, fall and winter calendar.
One popular May comparison point is each conference's head coaches, whether football, men's basketball, or otherwise.
With our rankings of all 18 Big Ten football and men's basketball coaches already on the books, it's time for a look at how each school's football and men's basketball coaching duo compares to the rest of the conference. The calculation is simple. Each coach's position (No. 1 through 18) is added to his counterpart's for a 'net score.' That score is then compared to the rest of the listed duos, with the lower score reflecting the higher ranking.
18. Washington Huskies (Jedd Fisch, Danny Sprinkle)
Football Coach Big Ten Rank: Jedd Fisch -- No. 12
Basketball Coach Big Ten Rank: Danny Sprinkle -- No. 17
Net Score: 29
Fisch is likely to be a major riser by this time next year, as expectations are high entering his second season leading the Huskies. Sprinkle's No. 17 standing after a 13-18 debut season brings this overall ranking down. Most programs boast at least one coach in the conference's upper-echelon. That is not the case at Washington, at least until Fisch leads the Huskies to 9+ wins.
Get more (Washington) news, analysis and opinions on Huskies Wire
17. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (Greg Schiano, Steve Pikiell)
Football Coach Big Ten Rank: Greg Schiano -- No. 13
Basketball Coach Big Ten Rank: Steve Pikiell -- No. 15
Net Score: 28
Rutgers has been on the upswing as of late, with Schiano leading the football program to consecutive bowl games and Pikiell's team finishing with consecutive winning seasons from 2019-23. However, the latter underachieved greatly in 2024-25 with top NBA prospects Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey in the lineup. Expectations surrounding both programs are now measured entering 2025-26. Both coaches could drop further with down seasons.
16. Northwestern Wildcats (David Braun, Chris Collins)
Football Coach Big Ten Rank: David Braun -- No. 18
Basketball Coach Big Ten Rank: Chris Collins -- No. 10
Net Score: 28*
Northwestern is always a 'do more with less' athletic department, seen by Pat Fitzgerald's terrific success on the gridiron from 2006-22 and Collins' current run. Collins has the Northwestern basketball program operating at arguably its peak, with consecutive 22-win seasons and the program's first ever back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2022-23 and 2023-24. Braun has major questions entering his third season at the helm, however, after his team went 4-8 in 2024.
(Note: A tiebreaker goes to the school with the highest-ranked coach, in either sport. In this case, Collins bests Braun, Pikiell and Schiano)
15. Maryland Terrapins (Mike Locksley, Buzz Williams)
Football Coach Big Ten Rank: Mike Locksley -- No. 16
Basketball Coach Big Ten Rank: Buzz Williams -- No. 8
Net Score: 24
Locksley is a potential hot-seat candidate entering 2025 after a 4-8 finish to the 2024 season. A further slide, against what projects to be a manageable schedule, could lead to a change. Remember, Maryland is amid an athletic director search. New ADs often lead to quicker coaching moves, as the new hire works to put their fingerprints on the department. Buzz Williams should be safe after being hired just one month ago. He made the last three NCAA Tournaments at Texas A&M and went 69-36 during that time.
14. Minnesota Golden Gophers (P.J. Fleck, Niko Medved)
Football Coach Big Ten Rank: P.J. Fleck -- No. 10
Basketball Coach Big Ten Rank: Niko Medved -- No. 12
Net Score: 22
Fleck may be underrated at No. 10, with bowl appearances in the last six non-COVID seasons and a 58-39 overall record in eight years at the helm. A nine-win season in 2025 could move him closer toward the Bret Bielema, Kirk Ferentz tier of Big Ten football coaches. Medved, meanwhile, is a moderate unknown after seven years at Colorado State. He now takes over a Minnesota program that has proven to be a challenging place to win.
13. USC Trojans (Lincoln Riley, Eric Musselman)
Football Coach Big Ten Rank: Lincoln Riley -- No. 9
Basketball Coach Big Ten Rank: Eric Musselman -- No. 13
Net Score: 22
Hand up, Riley is likely better than the ninth-best coach in the Big Ten. However, USC is just 15-11 over the last two seasons, plus went 6-6 during the 2024 regular season before a bowl win over Texas A&M. There is a real question surrounding USC's fit in the conference, one which can only be answered by high-level winning. Musselman is in a similar position. He took Arkansas to two Elite Eights and a Sweet 16 from 2020-23. However, he went 16-17 in his final season with the Razorbacks and just 17-18 in his first season with the Trojans. Both coaches should take major jumps forward in 2025-26. However, it's worth noting that each has yet to prove an ability to succeed in the Big Ten.
Get more (USC) news, analysis and opinions onTrojans Wire
12. Nebraska Cornhuskers (Matt Rhule, Fred Hoiberg)
Football Coach Big Ten Rank: Matt Rhule -- No. 8
Basketball Coach Big Ten Rank: Fred Hoiberg -- No. 14
Net Score: 29
Hoiberg dropped three spots with Nebraska's late-season collapse. That significant slide halted red-hot momentum after the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance in a decade. Still, Hoiberg just led the Cornhuskers to their first stretch of back-to-back 20-win seasons since 1997-99. The context of the program's overall struggles matters when evaluating his tenure. The same can also be said for Rhule, who just broke Nebraska football's eight-year bowl drought. He will now be expected to lead a significant breakthrough in 2025. That season will be critical to the direction of his tenure.
Get more (Nebraska) news, analysis and opinions on Cornhuskers Wire
11. UCLA Bruins (DeShaun Foster, Mick Cronin)
Football Coach Big Ten Rank: DeShaun Foster -- No. 14
Basketball Coach Big Ten Rank: Mick Cronin -- No. 7
Net Score: 21
Foster impressed over the second half of the 2024 season. He took over the program in a tough situation after former coach Chip Kelly left for the Ohio State offensive coordinator job. While the Bruins went just 5-7, the team improved as the season continued and now has high expectations entering 2025. Cronin, meanwhile, is one of the best coaches in the conference. His Bruins had little trouble competing in their first year in the Big Ten, finishing 23-11 overall and 13-7 in conference play.
Get more (UCLA) news, analysis and opinions on UCLA Wire
10. Penn State Nittany Lions (James Franklin, Mike Rhoades)
Football Coach Big Ten Rank: James Franklin -- No. 3
Basketball Coach Big Ten Rank: Mike Rhoades -- No. 18
Net Score: 21
This is a classic combination of a top-end coach on one side and a bottom-ranked one on the other. Franklin has Penn State football operating as a perennial top-10 team nationally. He also just led the program's first College Football Playoff breakthrough. Rhoades, meanwhile, is just 32-32 in two years at Penn State. 2025-26 will be a critical year for his tenure.
Get more (Penn State) news, analysis and opinions on Nittany Lions Wire
9. Purdue Boilermakers (Barry Odom, Matt Painter)
Football Coach Big Ten Rank: Barry Odom -- No. 17
Basketball Coach Big Ten Rank: Matt Painter -- No. 2
Net Score: 19
File Purdue's coaching duo in the Penn State category. Odom takes over after a disastrous 1-11 final season under Ryan Walters. He's tasked with a top-down overhaul and should get several seasons to get it done. Painter, meanwhile, is either the first or second-best coach in the Big Ten, depending on the year. His Boilermakers are again a projected top team entering next season.
8. Indiana Hoosiers (Curt Cignetti, Darian DeVries)
Football Coach Big Ten Rank: Curt Cignetti -- No. 6
Basketball Coach Big Ten Rank: Darian DeVries -- No. 11
Net Score: 17
Indiana rocketed up this list after Curt Cignetti's breakthrough debut season, leading his team to an 11-1 regular season and a CFP berth. DeVries, meanwhile, takes over after one year at West Virginia. He previously led Drake on a terrific run from 2018-24. His biggest opponent at Indiana will be the almost unrealistic expectations that surround the program.
7. Ohio State Buckeyes (Ryan Day, Jake Diebler)
Football Coach Big Ten Rank: Ryan Day -- No. 1
Basketball Coach Big Ten Rank: Jake Diebler -- No. 16
Net Score: 17
Again, a combination of a top coach with one program and the opposite with the other. Day sits atop the Big Ten football coach rankings after leading the Buckeyes to a national title in 2024. Diebler is still in prove-it mode, as his team went just 17-15 in his first full season at the helm. A strong 2025-26 season for the basketball program could see this duo rise to the top of the list.
Get more (Ohio State) news, analysis and opinions on Buckeyes Wire
6. Michigan State Spartans (Jonathan Smith, Tom Izzo)
Football Coach Big Ten Rank: Jonathan Smith -- No. 15
Basketball Coach Big Ten Rank: Tom Izzo -- No. 1
Net Score: 16
Izzo is our No. 1 basketball coach after Michigan State's Big Ten title in 2024-25. Again, he and Painter are interchangeable at the top. Smith, meanwhile, enters a critical second year at the helm. The Spartans went just 5-7 in 2024, plus are struggling on the recruiting trail. He needs to start winning, and must do so fast.
Get more (Michigan State) news, analysis and opinions onSpartans Wire
5. Iowa Hawkeyes (Kirk Ferentz, Ben McCollum)
Football Coach Big Ten Rank: Kirk Ferentz -- No. 5
Basketball Coach Big Ten Rank: Ben McCollum -- No. 9
Net Score: 14
Ferentz's position should go without saying. He enters year 27 at Iowa in 2025. Yet again, the team is projected for eight or nine wins. McCollum is an interesting wildcard, taking over the Hawkeyes after the dismissal of Fran McCaffery. He won four Division II national titles at Northwest Missouri State before a breakthrough 2024-25 at Drake. This slot is somewhat speculative, but he appears a great fit for Iowa on paper.
Get more (Iowa) news, analysis and opinions on Hawkeyes Wire
4. Wisconsin Badgers (Luke Fickell, Greg Gard)
Football Coach Big Ten Rank: Luke Fickell -- No. 11
Basketball Coach Big Ten Rank: Greg Gard -- No. 3
Net Score: 14
Gard's latest program evolution is almost exactly what athletic director Chris McIntosh was looking for when he hired Fickell to lead the football program in 2023. Gard revamped the Badgers' offensive attack, with an assist from Kirk Penney, recruited well out of the transfer portal and reestablished the program as one of the Big Ten's best. That occurred as Wisconsin saw nearly opposite results on the gridiron. Fickell's team went 5-7 in 2024, missing a bowl game for the first time since 2001. He fired air raid offensive coordinator Phil Longo in November, an experienced assistant who was originally brought in to 'revolutionize' the program. 2025 is a critical year for Fickell. The Badgers face one of the nation's toughest schedules, but can't afford to go another season without a bowl trip.
3. Michigan Wolverines (Sherrone Moore, Dusty May)
Football Coach Big Ten Rank: Sherrone Moore -- No. 7
Basketball Coach Big Ten Rank: Dusty May -- No. 4
Net Score: 11
May was a home run hire in year one, leading Michigan to a 27-10 overall record, Big Ten tournament title and NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance. Remember, he took over a program that had just gone 8-24 in the final year under Juwan Howard. Moore, meanwhile, will get some runway after a terrific finish in 2024, with statement wins over Ohio State and Alabama. Top 2025 QB Bryce Underwood will be an important factor in the success of his tenure.
Get more (Michigan) news, analysis and opinions onWolverines Wire
2. Illinois Fighting Illini (Bret Bielema, Brad Underwood)
Football Coach Big Ten Rank: Bret Bielema -- No. 4
Basketball Coach Big Ten Rank: Brad Underwood -- No. 6
Net Score: 10
Bielema's stock is through the roof after Illinois' 10-3 2024 season. The team is now projected in the nation's top 10 entering 2024, as it returns most of its leading contributors and will face a manageable schedule. Underwood also shouldn't be overlooked. His Fighting Illini have been among the four best Big Ten programs over the last half-decade.
1. Oregon Ducks (Dan Lanning, Dana Altman)
Football Coach Big Ten Rank: Dan Lanning -- No. 2
Basketball Coach Big Ten Rank: Dana Altman -- No. 5
Net Score: 7
Oregon claims the top spot in this year's coaching duo power rankings. Lanning's position should be clear after the Ducks went 13-1 in their first season in the Big Ten, only falling to Ohio State in the CFP quarterfinal. Altman also factors into the conversation near the top of the Big Ten. He's 370-162 in 14 years leading the Ducks, with zero seasons under 20 wins.
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