From Urban Meyer to Chris Ash: Ranking the 40 Big Ten football coaching hires since 1999

Little did the college football world know that so much of the sport’s ensuring two decades would be shaped in early December 1998. Oklahoma hired former Iowa team captain Bob Stoops as head coach on a Monday. The Hawkeyes hired Kirk Ferentz the next day, Dec. 2.

Stoops since has retired and Ferentz, 65, is the dean of college football coaches. He enters his 23rd season at Iowa and from the moment he was introduced through today, Big Ten schools have hired 40 head football coaches. Two coaches have won national titles. Others were known more for lake rides on jet skis or slapping themselves after losses. All have left their mark on the Big Ten, whether it was in head-shaking or eye-rolling fashion.

The coaches listed were permanent hires through the 2020 season, even short-timers Tracy Claeys and Bill Cubit. A one-year interim like Luke Fickell was not included. For Nebraska, Maryland and Rutgers, their coaching hires were rated after those programs joined the Big Ten. As for evaluations, a coach’s win-loss record matters, as does longevity, degree of difficulty, championships and final rankings.

1. Urban Meyer, Ohio State

Year: 2012

Record: 83-9 (55-4 Big Ten) in seven seasons

Best season: College Football Playoff championship in 2014

Program record previous three seasons: 29-10 (17-7 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Gene Smith

No Big Ten coach in the last 40 years has altered the league in more ways than Meyer. When he took over at Ohio State in 2012, he criticized the league’s recruiting tactics. He won no friends from fellow coaches, but Meyer ushered the old-school, crossed-legs-and-coffee league into the modern era. From an electrifying offense to collecting talent on an unprecedented scale, Meyer’s Buckeyes towered over the Big Ten with a 55-4 record and three titles in seven seasons. His crowning achievement came in 2014 when Ohio State beat Alabama and Oregon to claim the inaugural College Football Playoff. Neither the Big Ten — nor college football — has remained the same.

2. Jim Tressel, Ohio State

Year: 2001

Record: 106-22 (66-14 Big Ten) in 10 seasons (including games later vacated)

Best season: BCS Championship (Fiesta) in 2002

Program record previous three seasons: 24-10 (15-9 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Andy Geiger

Tressel stood in front of an Ohio State basketball crowd on Jan. 18, 2001 and told the Buckeye faithful they’d be proud of his team in numerous ways. Then he added “especially in 310 days in Ann Arbor, Mich.” Over his 10-year tenure, Tressel had flipped the rivalry and beat Michigan nine times. That’s an anecdote to the big picture but telling in importance for a coach who won seven Big Ten championships, competed in three BCS title games and won the BCS title in 2002. Tressel’s offenses adapted frequently to the personnel and his defenses stayed true to Ohio State’s powerful pedigree. The only blemish to an otherwise Hall of Fame resume was his resignation in 2011 amid an NCAA scandal and coverup.

3. Mark Dantonio, Michigan State

Year: 2007

Record: 114-57 (69-39 Big Ten) in 13 seasons

Best season: 13-1, Big Ten title, Rose Bowl victory, No. 3 final AP ranking in 2013

Program record previous three seasons: 14-21 (7-17 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Ron Mason

Before Dantonio, Michigan State would post one good season and follow it up with a pair of stinkers. Dantonio showed the Spartans could win consistently at a high level, throttle their in-state rivals and capture Big Ten titles. From 2010-15, Michigan State won or shared three Big Ten championships, claimed another divisional title and appeared in the 2015 College Football Playoff. In 2013, the Spartans finished 13-1 and beat every Big Ten foe by double figures. Michigan State captured the Rose Bowl against Stanford with the most fitting fourth-and-1 stop for a brash, defensive-minded program and coach.

4. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa

Year: 1999

Record: 168-106 (103-77 Big Ten) in 22 seasons

Best season: 11-2, Orange Bowl victory, No. 7 final AP ranking in 2009

Program record previous three seasons: 18-15 (12-12 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Bob Bowlsby

Ferentz’s work-heavy pivot from the Hayden Fry days seemed the right move at the right time. Ferentz took an 0-8 Big Ten squad in his rookie 1999 season to an 8-0 league title in 2002. He shared another Big Ten championship two years later. Only once in the last 20 years was Iowa not bowl-eligible. The Hawkeyes have seven top-15 finishes over his tenure — all with different starting quarterbacks. Neither Iowa’s offense or defense appears complicated but it’s as rugged as a 2×4. There’s nothing flashy to Ferentz, except for his remarkable consistency and fourth-place ranking all-time in Big Ten victories.

5. Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern

Year: 2006

Record: 106-81 (63-59 Big Ten) in 15 seasons

Best season: 7-2, West Division champions, Citrus Bowl win, No. 10 final AP ranking in 2020

Program record previous three seasons: 19-18 (14-10 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Mark Murphy

Some coaches have statues outside stadiums. Fitz deserves his likeness carved into a purple skyscraper for what he’s done in Evanston. Fitz has turned every possible disadvantage into a reason for success. The Wildcats have high admission standards, so they recruit the smartest athletes. Every time they’re counted out, they rebound with fury. One year after winning the West Division, Northwestern falls to 3-9. Fitzgerald revamps the offense, brings in a new quarterback and voila, another West Division title in 2020. Rival fans never refer to the program as “just Northwestern” anymore. That’s all because of Fitz.

6. James Franklin, Penn State

Year: 2014

Record: 60-28 (36-23 Big Ten) in seven seasons

Best season: 11-3, Big Ten title, No. 7 final AP ranking in 2016

Program record previous three seasons: 24-13 (16-8 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: David Joyner

For most of the last five seasons, Penn State has become a worthy East Division counterweight to Ohio State’s dominance and Franklin is a major reason why. In 2016, a blocked field goal against the Buckeyes propelled the Nittany Lions to a Big Ten championship. Two other times, Penn State has competed in New Year’s Six bowls. Franklin implemented an offensive scheme that applies significant pressure on defensive weak spots and has recruited the right players to make it work. A subpar 2020 has little bearing on the upward trajectory of Penn State football.

7. Paul Chryst, Wisconsin

Year: 2015

Record: 56-19 (37-13 Big Ten) in six seasons

Best season: 13-1, West Division title, No. 7 final AP ranking in 2016

Program record previous three seasons: 28-13 (17-7 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Barry Alvarez

Chryst perhaps doesn’t have infectious charisma that translates on video or wear a tag that reads “Genius.” But he’s quickly proving any label that doesn’t include “Winner” is irrelevant. In six seasons, Chryst has won three divisional titles, two New Year’s Six bowl games and notched a 13-1 season. In the process, he has kept the power football machine intact with only slight modifications and continued a successful 3-4 defense. Chryst presides over one of the nation’s most successful football development factories, and his oversight and guidance remain a reason why Wisconsin stays that way.

8. Ryan Day, Ohio State

Year: 2019

Record: 20-2 (14-0 Big Ten) in two seasons

Best season: 7-1, Big Ten title, College Football Playoff championship appearance, No. 2 final AP ranking in 2020

Program record previous three seasons: 36-5 (24-3 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Gene Smith

Two seasons, two College Football Playoff berths, two Big Ten titles, zero Big Ten losses. Day’s Ohio State debut is impressive any way you evaluate it. His first squad was a machine in shredding through the Big Ten with the best offense (46.9 points/529.9 yards per game) and defense (13.7 points/259.7 per game). In 2020, Day held the Buckeyes together through multiple COVID-19 interruptions and led them to the College Football Playoff title game. It might not take long before Day joins his Ohio State predecessors higher on this list.

9. Bret Bielema, Wisconsin

Year: 2006

Record: 68-24 (37-19 Big Ten) in seven seasons

Best season: 11-2, Big Ten co-champion, Rose Bowl appearance, No. 7 final AP ranking in 2010

Program record previous three seasons: 26-12 (15-9 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Barry Alvarez

Bielema served as an apprentice to Hall of Fame coach Barry Alvarez and promptly led the Badgers to a 12-1 season in his inaugural campaign. Then from 2010 through 2012, Bielema shared the league title in the final 11-team format and won the first two Big Ten championship games. He bolted for Arkansas before coaching in Wisconsin’s third consecutive Rose Bowl. Now, Bielema is back in the Big Ten with Illinois. His success with the Fighting Illini could either enhance — or detract from — his Big Ten legacy.

10. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan

Year: 2015

Record: 49-22 (34-16 Big Ten) in six seasons

Best season: 10-3, Orange Bowl appearance, No. 7 final AP ranking in 2016

Program record previous three seasons: 20-18 (12-12 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Jim Hackett

There’s no greatest disconnect between results and perception than with Harbaugh’s Michigan tenure. Harbaugh has won 69 percent of his games and finished in the top 20 four times. But the standards are different at Michigan, where coaches are judged on Big Ten championships and victories against Ohio State. Harbaugh has neither. Until Harbaugh takes a team to Indianapolis and beats the Buckeyes, that gap will widen between expectations and outcomes.

11. Bill O’Brien, Penn State

Year: 2012

Record: 15-9 (10-6) in two seasons

Best season: 8-4 in 2012

Program record previous three seasons: 27-12 (16-8)

AD who made the hire: David Joyner

No Big Ten coach ever has walked into a situation like O’Brien and perhaps no one would have fared better. He replaced a legend in Joe Paterno just months after the Jerry Sandusky scandal rocked every facet of central Pennsylvania. After taking over, O’Brien then learned of seismic NCAA sanctions, including a free transfer for every player, a four-year bowl ban and scholarship reductions. In the face of unprecedented departures, O’Brien and his committed holdovers pulled out an 8-4 season in 2012 that rivals the best single-year coaching jobs in league annals.

Bill O’Brien went 3-3 against ranked opponents in his two seasons at Penn State. (Abby Drey / Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

12. P.J. Fleck, Minnesota

Year: 2017

Record: 26-19 (15-19 Big Ten) in four seasons

Best season: 11-2, Outback Bowl win, No. 10 final AP ranking in 2019

Program record previous three seasons: 23-16 (12-13 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Mark Coyle

Fleck brought a new energy and discipline to the Gophers almost from his first news conference. He built the team with youth and employed the phrase “Row the Boat,” which his players have adopted. It took time but by the end of his second season, Minnesota had beaten Wisconsin for the first time in 14 years and set a program bowl record with a 24-point margin of victory. Then in 2019, Minnesota broke a 114-year-old school record with 11 wins and seven Big Ten victories. The Gophers finished No. 10 in both polls, the program’s best finish since 1967.

13. Tom Allen, Indiana

Year: 2016 (hired before Foster Farms Bowl)

Record: 24-22 (15-19 Big Ten) in four-plus seasons

Best season: 6-2, Outback Bowl appearance, No. 12 AP final ranking in 2020

Program record previous three seasons: 16-21 (7-18 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Fred Glass

Allen took over as head coach just as Indiana started to stabilize as a program capable of reaching a bowl game annually. After a pair of 5-7 seasons, Allen has elevated the Hoosiers to heights not attained in three decades. In 2019 and 2020, IU posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1990-91 and in Big Ten play for the first time since 1987-88. Indiana’s six Big Ten wins in 2020 tied for the most in school history. His “LEO — Love Each Other” motto has earned him a connection with his players few coaches enjoy.

14. Jerry Kill, Minnesota

Year: 2011

Record: 29-29 (14-21 Big Ten) in four-plus years

Best season: 8-5, Citrus Bowl appearance in 2014

Program record previous three seasons: 16-22 (8-16 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Joel Maturi

Throughout his career, Kill is known as a program builder. He often takes over weak programs, fixes them and moves on. Minnesota was a tough task but Kill placed it on firm ground after four years. In 2014, Minnesota earned its first New Year’s Day bowl appearance since 1967. A lifetime battle with epilepsy caused multiple health issues for Kill. It became too much for him to overcome in 2015 and he resigned at midseason.

15. Brady Hoke, Michigan

Year: 2011

Record: 31-20 (18-14 Big Ten) in four seasons

Best season: 11-2, Sugar Bowl win, No. 12 final AP ranking in 2011

Program record previous three seasons: 15-22 (6-18 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Dave Brandon

Hoke looked like a home-run hire in 2011 with an 11-2 record, a Sugar Bowl title, a win against Ohio State and Big Ten coaching honors. Afterward, his penchant for wearing short sleeves on the sidelines appeared more quirky than cool. In his final three seasons, Hoke was 20-18 overall and 12-12 in Big Ten play. The Wolverines never came close to their 2011 form and Hoke was out after a 5-7 season in 2014.

16. Gary Andersen, Wisconsin

Year: 2013

Record: 19-7 (13-3 Big Ten) in two seasons

Best season: 10-3, Big Ten West Division title in 2014 (did not coach in bowl game)

Program record previous three seasons: 30-11 (17-7 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Barry Alvarez

Andersen put his mark on the Badgers right away by changing from a traditional 4-3 defense to a 3-4, which they still implement. Andersen guided Wisconsin to the inaugural West Division title in 2014 but they were dismantled 59-0 by Ohio State. He chose to leave for Oregon State before the ensuing Outback Bowl, in part because of Wisconsin’s high academic entrance standards.

17. Randy Walker, Northwestern

Year: 1999

Record: 37-46 (24-32 Big Ten) in seven seasons

Best season: 8-4, Co-Big Ten title, Alamo Bowl appearance in 2000

Program record previous three seasons: 17-18 (10-14 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Rick Taylor

It was difficult for anyone to follow Gary Barnett at Northwestern, but Walker earned a share of the Big Ten title in his second season. He brought an up-tempo spread offense that forced bigger Big Ten defenses to cover more of the field. The Wildcats went to three bowls and were eligible in a fourth in his seven seasons. Tragically, Walker died of a heart attack at age 52 on June 29, 2006.

18. Greg Schiano, Rutgers

Year: 2020

Record: 3-6 (3-6 Big Ten) in one season

Best season: 3-6

Program record previous three seasons: 7-29 (3-24 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Patrick Hobbs

In one season, Schiano led the Scarlet Knights to as many Big Ten victories as the program claimed in the three previous years combined. The wins against Michigan State, Purdue and Maryland were hard-fought, and three other one-score defeats showed Rutgers no longer will be a pushover with Schiano back in charge. Schiano’s 68 wins at Rutgers from 2001-11 doesn’t officially count for this list, but it does validate what he did last year.

19. Ron Zook, Illinois

Year: 2005

Record: 34-51 (18-38 Big Ten) in seven seasons

Best season: 9-4, Rose Bowl appearance, No. 20 final AP ranking in 2007

Program record previous three seasons: 9-26 (5-19 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Ron Guenther

Zook collected talent like a magnetic wand in a bingo parlor, but only once did all the pieces line up in a row for him. The Illini put together one of the league’s top upsets of the last two decades in a 28-21 win against top-ranked Ohio State in 2007, which helped send Illinois to the Rose Bowl. The following year as a league favorite, Illinois tumbled to 5-7. Perhaps the most telling number about Zook’s era was what happened in 2011. Illinois won its first six games, then lost its final six. Zook was fired before a Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl game.

20. Tracy Claeys, Minnesota

Year: 2015

Record: 11-8 (6-8 Big Ten) in one-plus years

Best season: 9-4, Holiday Bowl win in 2016

Program record previous three seasons: 22-17 (11-13 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Beth Goetz (interim)

Claeys took over at midseason 2015 for Jerry Kill, who stepped down because of health concerns. Claeys became the Minnesota permanent head coach in 2016 and guided the Gophers to a respectable 8-4 record. But following the regular season, 10 Minnesota players were suspended for their roles in a sexual assault and the entire team threatened to boycott the bowl game. Claeys tweeted his support for the program — “Have never been more proud of our kids. I respect their rights & support their effort to make a better world!” The players agreed to play and they beat Washington State in the Holiday Bowl. One week later, Claeys was fired.

21. Kevin Wilson, Indiana

Year: 2011

Record: 26-47 (12-37 Big Ten) in six seasons

Best season: 6-7, Pinstripe Bowl appearance in 2015

Program record previous three seasons: 12-24 (3-21)

AD who made the hire: Fred Glass

Wilson sought to make Indiana an offensive powerhouse, a goal of which he achieved. The Hoosiers were the scariest 6-6 regular-season team in 2015, playing three top-15 Big Ten teams within a touchdown and hitting at least 31 points nine times. But allegations surfaced late in the 2016 season about Wilson’s mistreatment of players, and he was removed as head coach.

22. Jeff Brohm, Purdue

Year: 2017

Record: 19-25 (14-19 Big Ten) in four seasons

Best season: 7-6, Foster Farms Bowl victory in 2017

Program record previous three seasons: 8-28 (3-22 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Morgan Burke

There’s no question Brohm has elevated the Boilermakers’ program and produced some of the nation’s best offenses. A primetime upset against Ohio State in 2018 gave Purdue some cache. But aside from a few wins over bowl teams each year, there have been plenty of losses to average teams. Brohm signed a new contract in 2019 that pays him more than $5 million annually. If he can’t win two-thirds of his games each year, that number will draw significant scrutiny.

23. Rich Rodriguez, Michigan

Year: 2008

Record: 15-22 (6-18 Big Ten) in three seasons

Best season: 7-6, Gator Bowl appearance in 2010

Program record previous three seasons: 27-11 (18-6 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Bill Martin

Sometimes, fits are just bad. Such is the case of Rodriguez and Michigan. Rich Rod has a proven offensive system that has worked at most places and did at times with the Wolverines. But Michigan’s defense did not maintain any semblance of its dominant tradition. After missing bowl games in his first two seasons, Michigan qualified for the Gator Bowl in his final season. But a three-game, season-ending losing streak that featured 31 consecutive running plays by Wisconsin, a 30-point loss to Ohio State and a 52-14 pounding to Mississippi State was too much to absorb for Michigan’s brass.

24. Terry Hoeppner, Indiana

Year: 2005

Record: 9-14 (4-12 Big Ten) in two seasons

Best season: 5-7 in 2006

Program record previous three seasons: 8-27 (3-21 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Rick Greenspan

Hoeppner was on the cusp of building a quality Big Ten program before he was diagnosed with a brain tumor after his second season. He had just taken Miami (Ohio) to new heights and had built a dynamic offense with multiple NFL skill position players. But cancer stole the 59-year-old Hoeppner on June 19, 2007, shortly after he had taken a leave of absence. His Hoosiers played on the following year in his memory and earned a bowl bid with his widow, Jane, watching from the sideline.

25. Lovie Smith, Illinois

Year: 2016

Record: 17-39 (10-33 Big Ten) in five seasons

Best season: 6-7, Redbox Bowl appearance in 2019

Program record previous three seasons: 15-22 (6-18 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Josh Whitman

It really should have worked in Champaign for Smith. But Lovie’s problem with the Illini was the same issue he had during his tenure with the Chicago Bears. Illinois never could mount a consistent offense and constantly cycled through quarterbacks. Players transferred in and out so often few people could remember who was coming or going. It was the same with assistant coaches. It’s a shame because Smith was exactly the stabilizing presence Illinois needed.

26. Bill Cubit, Illinois

Year: 2015

Record: 5-7 (2-6 Big Ten) in one season

Best season: 5-7

Program record previous three seasons: 12-25 (4-20 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Mike Thomas

Cubit served as an interim coach for one season and shifted the Fighting Illini from an undisciplined mess into a competitive team with a fierce defense. He signed a two-year contract after the season and was fired on new AD Josh Whitman’s first day. There wasn’t much to evaluate, but his winning percentage at Illinois is higher than both his predecessor and successor.

27. Scott Frost, Nebraska

Year: 2018

Record: 12-20 (9-17 Big Ten) in three seasons

Best season: 5-7 in 2019

Program record previous three seasons: 19-19 (12-14 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Bill Moos

Frost so far is the prodigal son who has come home and doesn’t clean his room or pick up his clothes. Nebraska fans have a natural bond with their 1997 national championship-winning quarterback and want him to succeed so badly. Yet Frost’s coaching performance has yet to match the bravado. When Frost arrived in Lincoln, he quipped, “I’m hoping the Big Ten has to modify their system for us.” Instead, there have been missteps in program building, loads of attrition, finger-pointing. and a lack of identity.

28. Mike Riley, Nebraska

Year: 2015

Record: 19-19 (12-14 Big Ten) in three seasons

Best season: 9-4, Music City Bowl appearance in 2016

Program record previous three seasons: 28-12 (17-7 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Shawn Eichorst

Seven games into the 2016 season, Nebraska sat 7-0 and was ranked No. 7 nationally. Then the Cornhuskers lost 12 of their next 18 games, and Riley was out of a job. Nebraska gave up 166 points over the final three games of his tenure, and Riley tried to remove the Black Friday tradition from the Huskers’ annual schedule. As far as fit goes, few were worse than Riley in Nebraska.

29. Mike Locksley, Maryland

Year: 2019

Record: 5-12 (3-11 Big Ten) in two seasons

Best season: 2-3 in 2020

Program record previous three seasons: 15-22 (8-19 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Damon Evans

A rough rookie campaign for Locksley gave way to hope and positivity despite the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Wins against Minnesota and Penn State showed the potential for the Terrapins to become competitive in the rugged East Division. If anything, Locksley has earned the benefit of doubt after a quality four-game stretch in 2020.

30. Bill Lynch, Indiana

Year: 2007

Record: 19-30 (6-26 Big Ten) in four seasons

Best season: 7-6, Insight Bowl appearance in 2007

Program record previous three seasons: 12-22 (6-18)

AD who made the hire: Rick Greenspan

After serving two seasons as IU’s offensive coordinator, Lynch became interim head coach when Terry Hoeppner was stricken with a brain tumor. After Hoeppner’s death, Lynch and Hoosiers adopted Hoeppner’s “Play 13” motto and earned the program’s first bowl bid in 14 years. But over the next three seasons, Indiana went 3-21 in Big Ten play and Lynch was out in 2010.

31. Mel Tucker, Michigan State

Year: 2020

Record: 2-5 (2-5 Big Ten) in one season

Best season: 2-5 in 2020

Program record previous three seasons: 24-15 (16-11 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Bill Beekman

It’s too early to make any determination on Tucker’s tenure, but his debut was all over the place. Michigan State lost to Ohio State by 40, Iowa by 42 and fell to Rutgers in the season opener. But the Spartans also beat Michigan and upset top-10 Northwestern. Tucker’s encore should provide a clearer trajectory of his career.

Mel Tucker joined Nick Saban as the only Michigan State head coaches to beat Michigan in their first season. (Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

32. Bobby Williams, Michigan State

Year: 1999 (before bowl game)

Record: 16-17 (6-15 Big Ten) in two-plus seasons

Best season: 7-5, Silicon Valley Football Classic appearance in 2001

Program record previous three seasons: 22-12 (14-10 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Clarence Underwood Jr.

Williams replaced Nick Saban, who left Michigan State for LSU, and promptly beat Florida to win the Citrus Bowl. That was the highlight of a short run that featured inconsistent discipline involving star players off the field and underachievement on it. A four-game losing streak in 2002 that concluded with a 49-3 loss to Michigan was all it took for hockey-coach-turned-AD Ron Mason to make a change.

33. John L. Smith, Michigan State

Year: 2003

Record: 22-26 (12-20 Big Ten) in four seasons

Best season: 8-5, Alamo Bowl appearance in 2003

Program record previous three seasons: 15-19 (7-17 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Ron Mason

If nothing else, Smith’s tenure was entertaining. In his final season, the Spartans rallied from a 38-3 third-quarter deficit to beat Northwestern 41-38. But Smith wasn’t known for his victories or defeats; it was for his rhetoric. Walking off the field at halftime against Ohio State in 2005 he told ABC reporter Jack Arute, “The kids are playing their tail off but the coaches are screwing it up!” Mostly, Smith is remembered for slapping himself in the face in front of reporters after a 23-20 loss to Illinois in 2006.

34. Danny Hope, Purdue

Year: 2009

Record: 22-27 (13-19) in four seasons

Best season: 7-6, Little Caesars Bowl victory in 2011

Program record previous three seasons: 20-19 (10-14 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Morgan Burke

Hope’s predecessor, Joe Tiller, impacted the league for years as an offensive guru. Tiller was nudged out the door in 2008 by Burke, who then hired Hope as a one-year coach-in-waiting. Purdue drifted aimlessly over Hope’s tenure despite a decent collection of talent. After four years, it was no Hope, all change.

35. Tim Brewster, Minnesota

Year: 2007

Record: 15-30 (6-21 Big Ten) in three-plus years

Best season: 7-6, Insight Bowl appearance in 2008

Program record previous three seasons: 20-17 (10-14 in Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Joel Maturi

On the day he was hired, Brewster told the always-cynical Minnesota fan base, “We’re going to take the Gopher Nation to Pasadena.” Yet he never could put in a dent against the Gophers’ biggest rivals, going 0-7 against Wisconsin and Iowa, let alone take Minnesota to the Rose Bowl. He was fired at midseason in 2010 shortly after getting into a heated argument with Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema. The Badgers scored on a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter to lead 43-16. In the postgame news conference, Bielema responded, “that’s what the card says.”

36. Gerry DiNardo, Indiana

Year: 2002

Record: 8-27 (3-21 Big Ten) in three seasons

Best season: 3-8 in 2004

Program record previous three seasons: 12-21 (9-15 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Michael McNeely

DiNardo has found his calling as an outstanding college football analyst for BTN, but his Indiana coaching career was less than stellar. In each of his three seasons, the Hoosiers won only one Big Ten game and none of them were against in-state rival Purdue. In DiNardo’s IU finale, the Boilermakers rolled past IU 63-24, and DiNardo was sent packing a few days later.

37. D.J. Durkin, Maryland

Year: 2016

Record: 10-15 (5-13 in Big Ten) in two seasons

Best season: 6-7, Quick Lane Bowl appearance in 2016

Program record previous three seasons: 17-21 (8-16 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Kevin Anderson

In two seasons, Durkin presided over what was considered an abusive culture. In an offseason workout, 19-year-old Jordan McNair suffered a seizure and later died from heatstroke in which his body temperature registered 106 degrees. Those events led to Durkin’s termination and were much worse than his final record.

38. Darrell Hazell, Purdue

Year: 2013

Record: 9-33 (3-24) in three-plus seasons

Best season: 3-9 in 2014

Program record previous three seasons: 17-21 (9-15 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Morgan Burke

The sinkhole that formed in the Ross-Ade Stadium south end zone during the 2016 season seemed a perfect metaphor for Hazell’s era at Purdue. In Hazell’s final game — homecoming against Iowa — Purdue celebrated the 50th anniversary of its 1966 Rose Bowl squad. At halftime, the Boilermakers trailed 35-7. Seconds after the celebration, the stands emptied. The next day, Hazell was fired.

39. Tim Beckman, Illinois

Year: 2012

Record: 12-25 (4-20 Big Ten) in three seasons

Best season: 6-7, Zaxby’s Bowl appearance in 2014

Program record previous three seasons: 17-21 (8-16 Big Ten)

AD who made the hire: Mike Thomas

Beckman wished his mother a happy birthday to open Big Ten media days each of his first two years at Illinois. Nothing wrong with that, except he specifically said it was her birthday each time, and media day took place July 26 in 2012 and July 24 in 2013. From sending his staff to Penn State to recruit players during the Jerry Sandusky scandal to using smokeless tobacco on the sideline to getting fired on bullying allegations, nothing went right for Beckman — on or off the field.

40. Chris Ash, Rutgers

Year: 2016

Record: 8-32 (3-26 Big Ten) in three-plus seasons

Best season: 4-8 in 2017

Program record previous three seasons: 18-20 (4-12 Big Ten — 2 seasons)

AD who made the hire: Patrick Hobbs

Ash faced a difficult rebuilding job but the deeper he dug, the more the hole caved in around him. He lost his last 14 Big Ten games by a combined score of 461-113. In the 2019 season, Rutgers started Big Ten play with a 30-0 loss at Iowa and 52-0 to Michigan. The Wolverines outgained the Scarlet Knights 476-152, and Ash was fired the next day.

(Illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic; top photos from Wesley Hitt, Matthew Stockman, Leon Halip, John S. Peterson / Getty Images)