Hot Seat Power Rankings

Big Ten experienced a lot more coaching changes than most years last year with two firings and a job switch resulting in three new coaches.  With several teams in the middle of various rebuilding stages with mixed success, there is a strong likelihood the coaching situation will be fluid again this year.  Here is a look at the coaching hot seat rankings from coldest to hottest*

1. Urban Meyer, Ohio State – coming off a national title his seat is the safest in the entire nation
2. Mark Dantonio – String of double digit seasons has MSU playing their best football since Duffy Daugherty was stomping the sidelines
3. Jerry Kill – In addition to being more competitive he is doing something his predecessors failed to do: win trophy games
4. James Franklin – Only in his second year helps but having a team capable of winning 10 games this season is a great way to get in the fans’ good graces
5. Kyle Flood – Three seasons at Rutgers, three bowl games.  The investigation is a cause for concern but until everything unfolds, we can only base things on his record which is pretty good
6. Pat Fitzgerald – Any other school he would be on a super hot seat but he is coaching at his Alma Mater and NU is very patient because they know they have different struggles than the other Big Ten schools when it comes to getting recruits and being competitive year in year out
7. Randy Edsall – Mixed results in Maryland but does have a nice recruiting class coming in.  Odds are he gets to see the field in 2016 even if the wheels come off this year since UM won’t want to jeopardize the continuity with the solid incoming classes he has built
8. Kirk Ferentz – As documented, Iowa has a lot of other issues to sort out with the president and AD at the school but based on diminished returns since 2009 and dip in ticket sales clearly has the dean of Big Ten coaches on a warm chair
9. Darrell Hazell – He’s only had two years to try and turn things around but in this day and age it seems like three strikes and your out.  Purdue has to show improvement this year for him to get a crack at a fourth year
10. Kevin Wilson – Wilson has had four years to improve the Hoosiers and last year things started so well before injuries derailed the season.  Wise to keep him for 2015 but fans and the administration have to be getting a little anxious, especially if they fail to make a bowl again this year
11. Tim Beckman – Hottest seat in the nation.  Made a bowl game last year and did not receive an extension.  That’s bad.  Allegations of player abuse.  That’s worse.  A 4-20 league mark.  That’s inexcusable.  Barring an unfathomable turnaround, Beckman is almost a guarantee to get canned

* The three new coaches have been left out of this ranking