2020 B1G Spring Rankings: Coaches

One Trick SBNation Doesn't Want You To Know

Thanks for continuing your Spring journey with us at OTE. Today, our B1G diversion takes us to the coaches of our conference. Truth be told, we have 14 of the best football coaches in football, but where's the fun in that?

Number 11 Will Blow You're Mind!

As with the position rankings, our staff ranked the head coaches, and the wheat certainly separated from the chaff. Presented below are the results, but in a fun clickbaity Good-Bad format. Enjoy!

7 Good Big Ten Coaches (and 7 who are terrible!)

Good

James Franklin, Penn State Nittany Lions

Overall Record: 80-38

Team Record: 56-23

2019 Record: 11-2

Estimated Salary: $5.65 million

Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Coach Franklin is one of those special types, the kind of person loved by literally everyone. In his sixth season at Penn State, he won his second NY6 bowl and secured a third top 10 finish in the last four years.

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Terrible!

Lovie Smith, Illinois Fighting Illini

Overall Record: 104-121

Team Record: 15-34

2019 Record: 6-7

Estimated Salary: $5 million

Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Lovie Smith's time at Illinois has had far more downs than ups, but the victory over Wisconsin just could be what catapults the team to the mediocre tier.

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Good

Ryan Day, Ohio State Buckeyes

Overall Record: 16-1

Team Record: 16-1

2019 Record: 13-1

Estimated Salary: $4.5 million

Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images

The Death Star keeps rolling along. Ohio State's on the way to another historic recruiting class, and they have to avoid Clemson one of these times.

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Terrible!

Mel Tucker, Michigan State Spartans

Overall Record: 7-10

Team Record: 0-0

2019 Record: 5-7

Estimated Salary: $5.5 million

Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images

A new face to the Big Ten, Coach Tucker comes to MSU from Colorado. While at Colorado, Mel lost to most of Pac-12, but he did defeat Nebraska, something the Spartans have done all too infrequently.

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Good

P.J. Fleck, Minnesota Golden Gophers

Overall Record: 53-37

Team Record: 23-15

2019 Record: 11-2

Estimated Salary: $4.6 million

Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images

PJ Fleck is not the flash in the pan so many B1G West fans were hoping for. In his third season, Fleck led the resurgent Gophers to 11 wins. The only two losses were the Axe and Iowa, a nut he has yet to crack.

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Terrible!

Scott Frost, Nebraska Cornhuskers

Overall Record: 28-22

Team Record: 9-15

2019 Record: 5-7

Estimated Salary: $5 million

Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images

If you ignore Frost's 0-6 start to his Huskers tenure, he's actually a merely bad 9-9. Nebraska fans, what does he need to do this year to stay off the hot seat?

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Good

Paul Chryst, Wisconsin Badgers

Overall Record: 71-35

Team Record: 52-16

2019 Record: 10-4

Estimated Salary: $3.75 million

Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Paul has yet to finish outside of 2nd in the West, even in 2018 when the Badgers had 4 conference losses. Chryst, that division sucks. Wisconsin is likely favored to be the B1G CCG sacrifice again this year.

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Terrible!

Greg Schiano, Rutger Scarlet Knights

Overall Record: 79-88

Team Record: 68-67 (2001-2011)

2019 Record: Faith & Family

Estimated Salary: $4 million

Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images

I can't be the only one excited for Schiano's B1G debut, can I? Greg Schiano previously led Rutger to their first bowl game in a generation, five total bowl wins, and their first 11 win season since the country's bicentennial.

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Good

Kirk Ferentz, Iowa Hawkeyes

Overall Record: 174-125

Team Record: 162-104

2019 Record: 10-3

Estimated Salary: $4.5 million

Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images

This year, Captain Kirk should pass Woody Hayes for most games as a Big Ten head coach. Ferentz already has the most losses in conference history. If he ever retires, Pat Fitzgerald could take that crown in a year or two, but we all know Kirk is never retiring.

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Terrible!

Mike Locksley, Maryland Terrapins

Overall Record: 6-40

Team Record: 4-14 (2015, 2019)

2019 Record: 3-9

Estimated Salary: $2.5 million

I'm sure Mike Locksley is a very nice person.

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Good

Jim Harbaugh, Michigan Wolverines

Overall Record:154-67-1

Team Record: 47-18

2019 Record: 9-4

Estimated Salary: $7.5 million

Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images

I have a ton of respect for Jim Harbaugh. He hasn't quite turned the corner to win the conference, but Michigan did win a share of the B1G East in 2018. He also got to the NFC Championship Game three years in a row, winning one, before wearing out his welcome in the NFL.

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Bad?

Jeff Brohm, Purdue Boilermakers

Overall Record: 47-31

Team Record: 17-21

2019 Record: 4-8

Estimated Salary: $5.25 million

Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images

Purdue is going in the wrong direction under Coach Brohm. Hopefully an offseason of rest and recuperation will bring the Boilermakers back strong. Otherwise, Jeff may not make it to the end of the year.

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Good?

Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern Wildcats

Overall Record: 99-79

Team Record: 99-79

2019 Record: 3-9

Estimated Salary: $3.3 million

Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images

Technically good? As of this writing, two points separate the mushy middle of Brohm, Fitz, and Allen, attorneys at law. Pat's been coaching at Northwestern since back when I had hair. He hates millenials, sure, but he loves his alma mater.

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Bad?

Tom Allen, Indiana Hoosiers

Overall Record: 18-20

Team Record: 18-20

2019 Record: 8-5

Estimated Salary: $3.9 million

I definitely think there should be a recount. Tom Allen got the Hoosiers this close to #9Windiana. The 2019 season featured eight wins, only the second time Indiana has accomplished the feat since the fall of the Berlin Wall. I believe in you, Tom. Show these haters Indiana is here!

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That does it. Share your coach ranking in the comments below, or state your argument for or against any of the rankings above.