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scarletngray

Gold Pants
There has been a significant shift in the B1G coaching ranks with the addition of Maryland and Rutgers, along with Franklin (PSU), Rielly (Neb), Chryst (UW), and now Harbaugh (scUm), along with Hazel (Purdue), Kill (Minn) and Urban in recent years.

Interested in how would you rate the top five coaches in the B1G and how do they rate with coaches of other conferences?
 
There has been a significant shift in the B1G coaching ranks with the addition of Maryland and Rutgers, along with Franklin (PSU), Rielly (Neb), Chryst (UW), and now Harbaugh (scUm), along with Hazel (Purdue), Kill (Minn) and Urban in recent years.

Interested in how would you rate the top five coaches in the B1G and how do they rate with coaches of other conferences?
I'd say if you look at the top 3 coaches it's the best in all of CFB. Probably 3 top 10 coaches, arguably 3 top 5 coaches (Not sure if Dantonio is top 5 or not, but definitely top 10 IMO). Potentially 4 top 10 coaches, but that's with the jury still out on Franklin. That won't be known for another couple years or so.
 
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1. Urban...duh
2. Harbaugh...slight edge here over Dantonio
3. Dantonio
4. Kill....big, big fan of his
5. Fitzgerald....NW ain't an easy job in the least, highly regarded by all
6. Riley....underrated coach who harp on his record while ignoring he did that while in Corvalis or whatever crap hole that is
7. Edsall....guy seems like a douche but is a pretty decent coach
8. Ferentz...might be a little low but as time goes on he continues to drop
9. Franklin....meh is about as accurate as it gets
10. Flood - a guy who could easily move up with more experience, solid year
11. Chryst - not much to go off of. Got some young studs brought into Pitt though.
12. Hazell - if he is given time, he can produce a mid level B1G squad, which is a lot to ask of Purdue
13. Beckman - I really want to like this guy, a lot....but he makes it hard. Similar to Wilson.
14. Wilson - elite OC but injuries have hurt what promise they had. Still not a horrible HC in my opinion.
 
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The top five in the B1G I'd say are:
1. Meyer
2. Harbaugh
3. Dantonio
4. Franklin
5. I don't know - Kill?

I'm reluctant to put Harbaugh above Dantonio before he's even coached a game, but oh well. It's tough for me to put either Riley or Chryst on there given their underwhelming records at their previous stops.

I actually think that top 5 compares pretty favorably with the SEC, which I'd put:
1. Saban
2. Miles
3. Malzahn
4. Mullen
5. Pick between Spurrier/Richt/Freeze/Sumlin

The Pac 12 is kind of a pile of "meh" outside of Shaw and now Rich Rod I guess. That might be because most coaches are relatively new in that conference. 10 of the 12 coaches have been hired since 2012.

The Big 12 is interesting. There's some pretty successful, established guys (Stoops, Patterson, Snyder) as well as some who seem to be on the upswing (Strong, Briles).

ACC - don't really care. Dabo, Cutcliffe, Jimbo, and Paul Johnson are good. I think Narduzzi will be successful at Pitt as well.

With the addition of Harbaugh, the Big Ten certainly has the most star power on the sidelines.
 
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The top five in the B1G I'd say are:
1. Meyer
2. Harbaugh
3. Dantonio
4. Franklin
5. I don't know - Kill?

I'm reluctant to put Harbaugh above Dantonio before he's even coached a game, but oh well. It's tough for me to put either Riley or Chryst on there given their underwhelming records at their previous stops.

I actually think that top 5 compares pretty favorably with the SEC, which I'd put:
1. Saban
2. Miles
3. Malzahn
4. Mullen
5. Pick between Spurrier/Richt/Freeze/Sumlin

The Pac 12 is kind of a pile of "meh" outside of Shaw and now Rich Rod I guess. That might be because most coaches are relatively new in that conference. 10 of the 12 coaches have been hired since 2012.

The Big 12 is interesting. There's some pretty successful, established guys (Stoops, Patterson, Snyder) as well as some who seem to be on the upswing (Patterson, Strong, Briles).

ACC - don't really care. Dabo, Cutcliffe, Jimbo, and Paul Johnson are good. I think Narduzzi will be successful at Pitt as well.

With the addition of Harbaugh, the Big Ten certainly has the most star power on the sidelines.

I'd put Kill in front of Franklin.
 
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Addition of Harbaugh will be a major upgrade.
Not a lot of up-and-comers though. A lot of guys in the underwhelming category, including the 2 new guys in the West.
Ferentz, Fitz, Chryst, Riley
And then you've got guys like Hazell, Beckman, Wilson trying to perform a miracle.
I think Wilson could be good at a better school.
 
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A lot of the success comes not from the head coaches but the assistants.

When Auburn goes out and hires a defensive, borderline head coaching material, mind like Muschamp to pair with Malzahn and Alabama goes and gets a great coordinator like Kiffin to pair with Saban, that's where the success lies.

People at the top tend to surround themselves with good people, in any industry.
 
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I actually think that top 5 compares pretty favorably with the SEC, which I'd put:
1. Saban
2. Miles
3. Malzahn
4. Mullen
5. Pick between Spurrier/Richt/Freeze/Sumlin
I'd put Freeze and Mullen ahead of Miles, personally. Probably Spurrier next and Sumlin rounding out the top 5.

Miles would be 6th for me.

Biggest issue for the B1G is player talent rather than coaching talent, in any event. Harbaugh will help to remedy that ... unfortunately.
 
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Player talent is one part, but player development can go a long way. QB development in the B1G has been pretty bad lately. Even after a terrible season, Hackensack may still be the 3rd best starter.
Going by stats this year alone, the phenoms of Gary Nova and Wes Lunt would be 3 and 4.
 
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I wouldn't rank Hairball anywhere yet before he coaches his first FBS college football game.

I won't argue with that but I will simply explain why I ranked him second. I took into account his stint at Stanford. He notched a BCS win which already ties him for second among all current B1G coaches. Add that to what he did in San Francisco (2 CCG appearances and 1 Super Bowl appearance) and it's hard to put many ahead of him just based off the lack of success from the rest of the current B1G coaches.

Current B1G coaches BCS wins

Urban - 4 (2 national championships)
Dantonio - 1 (2013)
Ferentz - 1 (2010)
Harbaugh - 1 (2010)
The other 10 coaches - 0

Honestly, my ranking Harbaugh second isn't me saying as much about him as much as it is saying how lackluster the rest of the B1G coaches' resumes are.
 
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1. Urban...duh
2. Harbaugh...slight edge here over Dantonio
3. Dantonio
4. Kill....big, big fan of his
5. Fitzgerald....NW ain't an easy job in the least, highly regarded by all
6. Riley....underrated coach who harp on his record while ignoring he did that while in Corvalis or whatever crap hole that is
7. Edsall....guy seems like a douche but is a pretty decent coach
8. Ferentz...might be a little low but as time goes on he continues to drop
9. Franklin....meh is about as accurate as it gets
10. Flood - a guy who could easily move up with more experience, solid year
11. Chryst - not much to go off of. Got some young studs brought into Pitt though.
12. Hazell - if he is given time, he can produce a mid level B1G squad, which is a lot to ask of Purdue
13. Beckman - I really want to like this guy, a lot....but he makes it hard. Similar to Wilson.
14. Wilson - elite OC but injuries have hurt what promise they had. Still not a horrible HC in my opinion.

I'll never understand the love for Fitz. No, NW is not an easy job. But what has he done to elevate it? He's never finished higher than 4th in the conference, and he has them trending seriously downward. What's his signature win? The 2012 Gator Bowl against a mediocre Miss State? He's never beat Ohio State or scUM (he even lost to dickrod's 3-9 2008 team with Nick fricking Sheridan at QB). He hasn't done anything there that Gary Barnett or Randy Walker didn't do before him. Hell, both of those guys won at least a share of the conference title when the B1G wasn't regarded as a cesspool.
 
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I'll never understand the love for Fitz. No, NW is not an easy job. But what has he done to elevate it? He's never finished higher than 4th in the conference, and he has them trending seriously downward. What's his signature win? The 2012 Gator Bowl against a mediocre Miss State? He's never beat Ohio State or scUM (he even lost to dickrod's 3-9 2008 team with Nick fricking Sheridan at QB). He hasn't done anything there that Gary Barnett or Randy Walker didn't do before him. Hell, both of those guys won at least a share of the conference title when the B1G wasn't regarded as a cesspool.

Fair enough. Though I put Fitzgerald at #3, you make a good point. It is definitely making me reconsider his place on my list. I guess I'm just one of those blinded by the "omg! He does so much considering he's at Northwestern!" guys. The facts don't lie though. I could take Fitzgerald out but then it's a crapshoot at who to put at #5 after moving the rest up. I could try and put a few others there but I wouldn't have any solid reasons as to why they deserve to be there over some of the rest.
 
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