Ranking all 18 B1G Head Football Coaches

[nitramnaed]

9. P.J. Fleck (Minnesota Golden Gophers)​

Head Coaching Record: 88-61 (Western Michigan 2013-16, Minnesota 2017-present)

Analysis: Fleck is established as one of the Big Ten's more consistent head coaches. He's led the Gophers to bowl appearances in six straight non-COVID seasons, including a strong 8-5 2024 campaign. While the program's ceiling isn't quite CFP-level, its consistent winning under Fleck is above its typical baseline. That leads to a strong ranking.

But wait! Matt Rhule at 59-56 is rated ahead of PJ?

8. Matt Rhule (Nebraska Cornhuskers)​

They just can't give up on Nebby. Nebraska is done. Let's move on.

Re-ranking all 18 Big Ten head football coaches entering 2025 season

Here is an updated look at the Big Ten head coach landscape entering the 2025 season

badgerswire.usatoday.com

 

[mcrow47]

There are a couple guys ahead of Fleck that I don't think should be there. Rhule, Ciganette, maybe even Riely. The thing with Fleck is a lot of people don't take him seriously because he's noted for being more of a Rah, Rah guy and not as much an X's and O's guy. I think that's a wrong thinking on him but I think people see all the Row The Boat stuff and how charged up he gets and they assume he's more of team manager than a Head Coach. I don't agree with that but I think that's what a lot of outsiders think.

 

[Mr. 131]

I honestly do think he's more of a team manager. That's ok by me, just means he needs solid coordinators that he can trust to make play calls. To his credit, he showed significant growth this last season in terms of offensive philosophy and he had a few games I thought he really managed well. I thought he had a great strategy against USC.

 

[mcrow47]

I honestly do think he's more of a team manager. That's ok by me, just means he needs solid coordinators that he can trust to make play calls. To his credit, he showed significant growth this last season in terms of offensive philosophy and he had a few games I thought he really managed well. I thought he had a great strategy against USC.

I think he leans more to team manager than tactician but I don't think it's as slanted as a lot of people think. Most college HC these days are more team managers than X's & O's guys.

 

[PMWinSTP]

I think the middle six are pretty interchangeable.

 

[mngg11]

There are a couple guys ahead of Fleck that I don't think should be there. Rhule, Ciganette, maybe even Riely. The thing with Fleck is a lot of people don't take him seriously because he's noted for being more of a Rah, Rah guy and not as much an X's and O's guy. I think that's a wrong thinking on him but I think people see all the Row The Boat stuff and how charged up he gets and they assume he's more of team manager than a Head Coach. I don't agree with that but I think that's what a lot of outsiders think.

Offensively he can take some flack (heh) for the occasionally weird decision making, conservatism, and poor clock management over the years, but the guy has always identified and carried a top notch defensive staff who he's been pretty much entirely hands off of. And his offensive preferences have made it so our defenses can be fresh and opportunistic for the majority of games, particularly against opponents we're evenly matched with or even slight dogs against. The only two years we've been trash defensively were his first year and 2023, and both were, imo, all due to the fact that our quarterback play was absolutely abysmal, couldn't sustain drives, and kept putting the defense back on the field.

Here's to hoping Drake can take the reins and Fleck trusts him to run the offense with a little more openness like last year. Harbaugh showed some good stuff when Fleck was hands off.