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August 9, 2004

The Coaching Hot Seat: Part II - The Big 10

This will be a multi part series, showcasing the last 3 seasons of results of various major football conferences, and how secure certain coaches will be in retaining their jobs at the end of this season and beyond. Also, I've highlighted what schools, if any, are shifting conferences before the 2005 season. Remember that moving conferences typically means more money, which ratchets up the pressure cooker that college coaches find themselves in today.


Part II - The Big 10


Illinois
Head coach: Ron Turner (7th season: 32-49)

  • 2003 - 1-11
  • 2002 - 5-7
  • 2001 - 10-2

Indiana
Head coach: Gerry DiNardo (3rd year: 5-19)

  • 2003 - 2-10
  • 2002 - 3-9
  • 2001 - 5-6

Iowa
Head coach: Kirk Ferentz (6th year: 32-29)

  • 2003 - 10-3
  • 2002 - 11-2
  • 2001 - 7-5

Michigan
Head coach: Lloyd Carr (11th year: 86-26)

  • 2003 - 10-3
  • 2002 - 10-3
  • 2001 - 8-4

Michigan State
Head coach: John L. Smith (2nd year: 8-5)

  • 2003 - 8-5
  • 2002 - 4-8
  • 2001 - 7-5

Minnesota
Head coach: Glen Mason (8th year: 44-40)

  • 2003 - 10-3
  • 2002 - 8-5
  • 2001 - 4-7

Northwestern
Head coach: Randy Walker (6th season: 24-35)

  • 2003 - 6-7
  • 2002 - 3-9
  • 2001 - 4-7

Ohio State
Head coach: Jim Tressel (4th year: 32-7)

  • 2003 - 11-2
  • 2002 - 14-0
  • 2001 - 7-5

Penn State
Head coach: Joe Paterno (39th season: 339-109-3)

  • 2003 - 3-9
  • 2002 - 9-4
  • 2001 - 5-6

Purdue
Head coach: Joe Tiller (8th year: 55-32)

  • 2003 - 9-4
  • 2002 - 7-6
  • 2001 - 6-6

Wisconsin
Head coach: Barry Alvarez (15h year: 99-67-4)

  • 2003 - 7-6
  • 2002 - 8-6
  • 2001 - 5-7

A conference packed with long termers. Jim Tressel, Joe Tiller, Barry Alvarez, Lloyd Carr and Kirk Ferentz all have security most college coaches would love to enjoy.

Joe Paterno will seemingly coach Penn State for the rest of his life, much to the chagrin of his growing doubters. Randy Walker's six wins last season cuts him some slack from a program notorious for bottom dwelling. John L. Smith's success at Louisville, combined with the turnaround last season, means that although his team still has expectations, he has significant leeway to work with.

Finally we turn to Indiana's Gerry DiNardo and Illinois Ron Turner.
Turner's seen his program go from BCS bowl to Big 10 basement in a mere 3 seasons. Without Kurt Kittner, his team has regressed, and there is still no light at the end of the tunnel. The school did schedule two cream puffs early on, the the possibility to double last season's win total does exist. The Illinois AD has come out and stated that the team should be competitive this season. What that means is anyone's guess, but the clock is ticking, loudly, for Turner.

DiNardo is another case all together. The school is at a full 85 scholarships for the first time in 3 years. That should increase Indiana's usually low expectations for its football program. DiNardo will be entering his third year, and one would expect if his team continues to regress for a third straight season, the former XFL coach will be finding himself out of a job.

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Comments:

  1. Shaughn O'Neill said:

    posted on August 9, 2004 10:52 PM — 66.41.101.123 — link — abuse?



    What about Minnesota's Glen Mason? For taking over a program that had once been arguably the best in the nation from 1934-1944, to being one of the worst for the most part since 1962, to one that is starting to receive national attention, he should receive a lot of credit. However, the team has not gone over the hump and consistently beaten better teams (or in the case of Michigan, beaten them at all for the last 18 years) and get to a January 1 Bowl Game. Furthermore, it appears that the contract extension he was about to receive has dried up.

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