August 8, 2005

The 2005 Coaching Hot Seat - Part II - The Big Ten

After starting off with the ACC, it's time to move towards the Midwest, as we present Part Two of a lengthy look at the relative security of coaches around the land. Next up is the Big Ten.

This was a feature we started here for the first time last season, and with the start of the 2005 season around the corner, time to dust this off, shake out the cobwebs, re-evaluate some coaches and see whose job security is most perilous during the upcoming season.

We will be doing this as a multi part series, showcasing the last 4 seasons of results of all of the major football conferences. For some accountability, we'll also go over how we predicted last year's musical coaching chairs would end up.

Part II - The Big Ten

Illinois
Head coach: Ron Zook (1st year: 0-0)
-2004 - 3-8
-2003 - 1-11
-2002 - 5-7
-2001 - 10-2

Indiana
Head coach: Terry Hoeppner (1st year: 0-0)
-2004 - 3-8
-2003 - 2-10
-2002 - 3-9
-2001 - 5-6

Iowa
Head coach: Kirk Ferentz (7th year: 42-31)
-2004 - 10-2
-2003 - 10-3
-2002 - 11-2
-2001 - 7-5

Michigan
Head coach: Lloyd Carr (11th year: 95-29)
-2004 - 9-3
-2003 - 10-3
-2002 - 10-3
-2001 - 8-4

Michigan State
Head coach: John L. Smith (3rd year: 13-12)
-2004 - 5-7
-2003 - 8-5
-2002 - 4-8
-2001 - 7-5

Minnesota
Head coach: Glen Mason (9th year: 51-45)
-2004 - 7-5
-2003 - 10-3
-2002 - 8-5
-2001 - 4-7

Northwestern
Head coach: Randy Walker (7th season: 30-41)
-2004 - 6-6
-2003 - 6-7
-2002 - 3-9
-2001 - 4-7

Ohio State
Head coach: Jim Tressel (5th year: 40-11)
-2004 - 8-4
-2003 - 11-2
-2002 - 14-0
-2001 - 7-5

Penn State
Head coach: Joe Paterno (40th season: 343-116-3)
-2004 - 4-7
-2003 - 3-9
-2002 - 9-4
-2001 - 5-6

Purdue
Head coach: Joe Tiller (9th year: 62-37)
-2004 - 7-5
-2003 - 9-4
-2002 - 7-6
-2001 - 6-6

Wisconsin
Head coach: Barry Alvarez (16h year: 108-70-4)
-2004 - 9-3
-2003 - 7-6
-2002 - 8-6
-2001 - 5-7

2004 Look Back: We correctly predicted that both Gerry DiNardo and Ron Turner were on the chopping block, as both lost their jobs at the conclusion of the 2004 season.

The 2005 version of the Big Ten will be the Barry Alvarez farewell tour. Alverez, as the long time dean of the conference, as well as serving in his other job of Wisconsin AD, has named his defensive coordinator Bret Bielema to be his successor next season.
A smart move, as the announcement of Bielema as the next head coach ensures the Badgers will not suffer any transition issues with incoming recruits and current players. Bielema would surely have been considered one of the hot candidates for every major job this coming off-season. No doubt that Bielema will have an increased role in the team this season, in preparation for his future role.

The future ascension of Bielema at Wisconsin may be the only coaching change in the Big 10 this off season.

Joe Paterno will undoubtedly have some rumors flying about that his job is in jeopardy. Don't believe them. You don't get to the point where your school names the library after you without having to never worry about being employed there. Besides, Penn State had one of the nation's top D last season, proving that Paterno still has a little left in the tank. Perhaps his 40th season will be his last. But despite the cries, don't look for him to be shown the door, before he decides to walk thru it on his own.

The only other noteworthy person to watch this season would be that of Michigan Head Coach Lloyd Carr. Persistent rumors continue to pop up that Carr has had about enough of the NCAA and college football in general and is contemplating retirement. The UM job would be one of the top spots in the sport should it come open, but there is no telling when, or even if the job will come open any time in the near future.

Michigan State is lined up for a successful season, so John L. Smith can't quite been elevated to "hot seat" status, but another year like 2004 and Smith will be feeling the heat.

NCAA investigators have made a 2nd home in Columbus since Jim Tressel set foot on campus. Whether that's just a chance of circumstance, or a piece of a larger picture remains to be seen, but with a new AD in town things are likely to change. Even with a national championship in his pocket, Tressel's Buckeyes need to run the straight and narrow for a while to get out of the woods.

The remainder of the Big 10 contingent - Joe Tiller, Kirk Ferentz, Randy Walker, Glen Mason and the two members of the 2005 rookie class Ron Zook and Terry Hoeppner will all have little excitement or noise on the job security front.

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