Jim Harbaugh’s arrival at Michigan was a major storyline last season as he immediately helped turn things around for the Wolverines with a 10-3 overall record including a 6-2 mark in the Big Ten. There is no doubt about Harbaugh’s position next to Ohio State’s Urban Meyer and Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio as the most highly regarded coaches in the conference but the biggest question now is who is next in line? Here is a look at the best candidates to be the next star head coach in the Big Ten.
Lovie Smith, Illinois Fighting Illini
Head Coach
It was Illinois’ turn to announce a significant head coaching hire this summer when they brought in Lovie Smith with a six-year, $21 million deal. It will be Smith’s first head coaching job at the college level, but he has built an impressive resume at the NFL level over the years. The Fighting Illini are coming off 5-7 season in which they posted a 2-6 record in Big Ten play, but the consensus is that Smith’s arrival will go a long way towards turning things around. Remember, this is a program where the coaching position was a turnstile. Bill Cubit was the coach for 2015, Tim Beckman lasted from 2012-2014, and was fired a week before the start of the 2015 regular season. Vic Koenning was the interim coach to finish up the 2011 season, but that was after Ron Zook was can midway. Zook lasted from 2005-2011. Before Zook, it was Ron Turner, who lasted from 1997-2004. While Turner and Zook provided some stability at the position, they didn’t bring any quality. Neither coach produced a winning percentage higher than .321. No Illinois head coach has been over .500 since John Mackovic in 1988-1991. Smith is a brand name with Super Bowl experience. He’ll immediately give the program some credibility, stability and attract a number of quality recruits.
It might take some time for Illinois to become a program of national prominence, but there is no doubt that Smith is a star signing that has the potential to turn the program around.
Greg Schiano, Ohio State Buckeyes
Defensive Coordinator
Ohio State really shook things up with the addition of former NFL head coach Greg Schiano as defensive coordinator back in December. Schiano agreed to serve as the DC along with the team’s associate head coach and while he didn’t necessarily thrive as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers he did help rebuild the football program at Rutgers when he took them from one of the worst teams in the nation to a consistent winner from 2001 through 2011. The Scarlet Knights went 68-67 under Schiano and went to bowl games in six of his final seven games. Schiano was sought after by South Carolina for its head coaching job before they settled on Will Muschamp and the fact that he joins Meyer on an absolutely loaded staff is a testament to the power the Buckeyes have when it comes to attracting talent both in terms of players and head coaches.
Brian Ferentz, Iowa Hawkeyes
Offensive Line Coach
The offensive line coach at Iowa has been talked about a lot as one of the more impressive rising assistants in the Big Ten. The former offensive lineman at Iowa played just two professional seasons, but it didn’t take long for him to get a job as an assistant in the NFL. Ferentz joined Bill Belichick’s staff at New England where he spent four seasons including coaching the tight ends in 2011. He returned to Iowa as the offensive line coach working under his father and head coach Kirk Ferentz, and he has made a strong impact including helping to develop tackle Brandon Scherff into the No. 5 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. At just 33-years-old, Ferentz is a rising star among assistant coaches and could be the next star head coach in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes have been a steady, quality team for many years under Kirk Ferentz and one of the main reasons for it is the solid, blue collar line coached by Brian Ferentz.
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