Land Grant Holy Land: Raking the Big Ten Coaches in 2023 (10. PJ Fleck; "it’s up to him to prove he can continue to succeed in the new landscape.")

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per LGHL:

10. P.J. Fleck - Minnesota​

Similar to Matt Rhule, P.J. Fleck is a winner. Fleck won eight games his second year at Western Michigan and led them to a 13-1 season in 2016 before taking the Minnesota job. Fleck made a bowl game in his second season at Minnesota and four out of six in total. He’s also 4-0 in those games.

You could make the case that Fleck should be higher on this list, but his teams consistently lose at least one game per year they shouldn’t, which is why he hasn’t made an appearance in a Big Ten Championship game and many of the coaches higher than him have won their conference or made the playoffs. Life will be much harder for Fleck without Mo Ibrahim. With college football changing, it’s up to him to prove he can continue to succeed in the new landscape.

www.landgrantholyland.com

B1G Thoughts: Ranking the B1G Coaches

In college football very little is more important than a dynamic head coach! With that in mind, Jordan ranks the Big Ten coaches entering the 2023 season.
www.landgrantholyland.com www.landgrantholyland.com

Go Gophers!!
 


This is the dumbest article I've read in a while.

PJ Fleck routinely out performs the Vegas odds and the comment is he loses one more game than he should. So, some where there is a 2-3 game delta between Vegas odds and this authors expectations.
 

Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0 said:
Luke Fickell is 3rd because.. Ohio State apparently?
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3rd because he is one of just a few coaches in the country who have made a playoff.

Really all the article tells me is how deep the conference is with good coaches. Pretty much everyone has a good coach except Indiana and Purdue is simply unknown.
Maryland coach I question but he has been decent lately
 

Dano564 said:
This is the dumbest article I've read in a while.

PJ Fleck routinely out performs the Vegas odds and the comment is he loses one more game than he should. So, some where there is a 2-3 game delta between Vegas odds and this authors expectations.
Click to expand...

Not to mention, is Fleck the only coach that this line applies to, or all coaches:

"it’s up to him to prove he can continue to succeed in the new landscape."

Go Gophers!!
 


BleedGopher said:
per LGHL:

10. P.J. Fleck - Minnesota​

Similar to Matt Rhule, P.J. Fleck is a winner. Fleck won eight games his second year at Western Michigan and led them to a 13-1 season in 2016 before taking the Minnesota job. Fleck made a bowl game in his second season at Minnesota and four out of six in total. He’s also 4-0 in those games.

You could make the case that Fleck should be higher on this list, but his teams consistently lose at least one game per year they shouldn’t, which is why he hasn’t made an appearance in a Big Ten Championship game and many of the coaches higher than him have won their conference or made the playoffs. Life will be much harder for Fleck without Mo Ibrahim. With college football changing, it’s up to him to prove he can continue to succeed in the new landscape.

www.landgrantholyland.com

B1G Thoughts: Ranking the B1G Coaches

In college football very little is more important than a dynamic head coach! With that in mind, Jordan ranks the Big Ten coaches entering the 2023 season.
www.landgrantholyland.com www.landgrantholyland.com

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...
This is the story of PJ Fleck. He somehow manages to lose one or two critical winnable games. IMHO, they could have at least one and maybe three Big Ten West Titles.

They are that close. It isn't going to get any easier with starting in 2024.
 

Well, this article is BS but let's see what Fleck does with the Greek Gopher under center this year. It's out of his comfort zone but he'll have to establish a plan to get the ball down field more. If he pulls that off with a respectable winning season (Not just bowl eligible) I'd put him easily in the top 5.
 

This is a 2023 ranking, but it has Lincoln Riley (USC) and Chip Kelly (UCLA) ranked above PJ. Probably accurate in 2024, but 2023? 🤷🏼‍♂️
 





Some guy said:
3rd because he is one of just a few coaches in the country who have made a playoff.

Really all the article tells me is how deep the conference is with good coaches. Pretty much everyone has a good coach except Indiana and Purdue is simply unknown.
Maryland coach I question but he has been decent lately
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Get back to me when he's actually done something in the B1G.
 

Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0 said:
Get back to me when he's actually done something in the B1G.
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Yeah I have no idea how good he actually is. Only guy to ever lose at OSU in the last forever, big step back at Cinci when he lost the multitude of stars that were there prior to his arrival. Honestly I’m interested to see what he does. I do think he’s a good coach, I just don’t know how good for sure yet
 




upnorthkid said:
I feel reasonably confident chatGPT wrote this article
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I asked ChatGPT "Rank the Big Ten Football Coaches"

Here's how it went. Somehow PJ and Harbaugh got left out when it stopped at 12 teams but Frostie made it!

As an AI language model, I can provide an objective analysis of the Big Ten football coaches based on their track records, accomplishments, and reputations up until my knowledge cutoff in September 2021. Please note that coaching rankings can be subjective, and individual opinions may vary. Here's a ranking of the Big Ten football coaches as of that time:

  1. Ryan Day (Ohio State): Ryan Day took over as the head coach at Ohio State in 2019 after serving as the offensive coordinator. He has led the Buckeyes to great success, including consecutive Big Ten championships and appearances in the College Football Playoff. Under his leadership, Ohio State has remained a dominant force in the conference.
  2. James Franklin (Penn State): James Franklin became the head coach at Penn State in 2014 and has since transformed the program. He guided the Nittany Lions to a Big Ten championship in 2016 and has consistently produced winning seasons. Franklin is highly regarded for his recruiting abilities and has helped rebuild Penn State's reputation after NCAA sanctions.
  3. Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern): Pat Fitzgerald has been the head coach at Northwestern since 2006, making him the longest-tenured coach in the conference. He has built a successful program at Northwestern, leading the Wildcats to multiple bowl game appearances and Big Ten West Division titles. Fitzgerald is known for his ability to develop players and his strong defensive coaching.
  4. Paul Chryst (Wisconsin): Paul Chryst took over as the head coach at Wisconsin in 2015 and has maintained the Badgers' tradition of success. He has led the team to multiple Big Ten West Division titles and has consistently produced strong rushing offenses. Chryst's teams are known for their physical style of play and disciplined approach.
  5. Kirk Ferentz (Iowa): Kirk Ferentz has been the head coach at Iowa since 1999, making him one of the most respected and longest-tenured coaches in college football. He has guided the Hawkeyes to numerous bowl game appearances and has won multiple Big Ten Coach of the Year awards. Ferentz is known for his emphasis on player development and disciplined football.
  6. Greg Schiano (Rutgers): Greg Schiano returned to Rutgers as head coach in 2020 after previously leading the program to success from 2001 to 2011. While his tenure at Rutgers in the early 2000s was impressive, his return has been more recent and limited. However, he has shown promise in revitalizing the Scarlet Knights and has a strong defensive background.
  7. Jeff Brohm (Purdue): Jeff Brohm became the head coach at Purdue in 2017 and has brought an exciting offensive style to the program. He has led the Boilermakers to some notable victories and bowl game appearances, but consistency has been a challenge. Brohm is known for his innovative offensive schemes and ability to develop quarterbacks.
  8. Mel Tucker (Michigan State): Mel Tucker took over as the head coach at Michigan State in 2020, so his tenure has been relatively short. He has previous experience as a defensive coordinator and has worked at various college and NFL programs. While it's too early to fully assess his impact at Michigan State, Tucker has shown promise in his initial season with the program.
  9. Tom Allen (Indiana): Tom Allen became the head coach at Indiana in 2016 and has brought a renewed energy and competitiveness to the program. He led the Hoosiers to a breakout season in 2020, including a top-10 ranking and an appearance in the Outback Bowl. Allen is known for his passionate coaching style and emphasis on building a strong team culture.
  10. Mike Locksley (Maryland): Mike Locksley took over as the head coach at Maryland in 2019 after serving as an offensive coordinator at various programs. While his tenure at Maryland has been challenging, Locksley has shown promise in recruiting and has experience working with high-powered offenses. However, his overall coaching record has been inconsistent.
  11. Scott Frost (Nebraska): Scott Frost returned to Nebraska, his alma mater, as head coach in 2018 after achieving success at the University of Central Florida. However, his tenure at Nebraska has been marked by inconsistency and struggles. Despite high expectations, Frost has faced challenges in rebuilding the program to its former glory.
  12. Bret Bielema (Illinois): Bret Bielema became the head coach at Illinois in 2021, so his impact on the program is yet to be fully evaluated. He has previous head coaching experience at Wisconsin and Arkansas, achieving success at the former. Bielema's approach emphasizes a physical running game and strong defense, but it remains to be seen how he will fare at Illinois.
 


Some guy said:
I agree with that but people shouldn’t be offended by this ranking.
Anything above 12 is a good coach
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My reaction from reading the headline was 10th? He's better than THAT! But when I look at the list it is hard to make an argument based on winning titles he should be much higher? I'd put him at 9 ahead of Nebraska but we do have to win the opener.
There are good coaches on the list.
 

60's Guy said:
My reaction from reading the headline was 10th? He's better than THAT! But when I look at the list it is hard to make an argument based on winning titles he should be much higher? I'd put him at 9 ahead of Nebraska but we do have to win the opener.
There are good coaches on the list.
Click to expand...
Agree

Purdue guy is complete unknown
Indiana guy is a clown
Maryland guy is a clown that seems to be doing okay.
Other than that, everyone is a really good coach
 

I get him being lower on the list behind some of the other coaches. Obviously he's going to be behind the likes of Day, Harbaugh, and he hasn't defeated Ferentz yet. However, I think that the article gets a few things wrong.

It states that "many of the other coaches ahead of him have won their conference." So has Fleck, winning a MAC title. He also has a winning record in bowl games, so it's clear he's been solid in the post season.

Secondly, it says "it’s up to him to prove he can continue to succeed in the new landscape," as if Rhule and Fickell don't have to do the same. They both have good resumes, but the Big Ten is a different ball game.

Fleck has at least proved that he can put a good team on the field in the league, while Rhule and Fickell are untested. I think it's arguable that he should be ahead of at least Rhule.
 

List as I think it should be:

1. Jim Harbaugh - wins wherever he goes, except for the Coronado U6 soccer league. Where I have a 1-0 record against Jim!
2. James Franklin - He runs into walls twice a year and hangs tough.
3. Bret Bielema - The Fat man knows how to coach in this league.
4. Kirk Ferentz - Despite his own nepotism he still gets his team to maximize their prospects.
5. PJ Fleck - look at his Gooher record then look at the previous Gopher 50 years and realize what he has accomplished!
6. Ryan Day - Football’s Dean Smith, what would he do with an average roster? He hasn’t made it far enough with his abundance of riches.
7. Luke Fickell - We shall see what he can do in a real conference. I suspect it will be less than the pundits predict.
8. Matt Rhule - he’s done it elsewhere, but man has Nebby stunk in the B1G.
9. Fitz
10. Schianio
11. Mike Locksley
12. Ryan Walters - he has to be better than the rest of these guys!
13. Mel Tucker -wasn’t he the mastermind that destroyed Colorado?
14. Tom Allen

USC and UCLA are not members yet! Lincoln Riley will vault to number 2. Chip will be in the 8-9 range.

Feel like there is a massive drop off after Fitz and that Day would be below that cliff if anywhere other than OSU.
 

Fleck above Ryan Day? Sure, a guy who has not won a division title versus a guy who took national champ Georgia to the mat. Part of being a good coach is recruiting and assembling a good team of ass’t coaches. Day has shown that he is willing to bring in quality assistants when his coaches were deficient. Has Franklin ever beaten Day? BS rankings.
 

Laker said:
Fleck above Ryan Day? Sure, a guy who has not won a division title versus a guy who took national champ Georgia to the mat. Part of being a good coach is recruiting and assembling a good team of ass’t coaches. Day has shown that he is willing to bring in quality assistants when his coaches were deficient. Has Franklin ever beaten Day? BS rankings.
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Here is my list of big ten coaches (in no order) that I think would win a big ten title if they were given 5 years at Ohio state.

Harbaugh
Day
Franklin
Ferentz
Beilema
Fitzgerald
Rhule
Schiano
Fleck


Here is my list of unknowns or I don’t think they could:
Tucker - haven’t decided
Maryland guy - haven’t decided
Fickell - was head coach one year and had the worst year post 2000 of the school…so unsure
Purdue guy - I don’t know anything about him
Allen - clown


Harbaugh put it best. Day born on third base and thinks he hit a triple.
But I think day could hit a double or a triple if he wasn’t born on third base.
 

For those with short memories, don’t forget that Fickell was named interim coach for that year after Tressell was fired. OSU banned from postseason and maybe some scholarships taken away. Meyer was named next head coach before the season was out. Part of being a head coach is putting a staff together who can recruit. Fickell still has victories over top 10 teams and the only appearance by a non power 5 team in the CFB playoff. Things that Fleck has not done or any other coach on that list short of Day and Harbaugh. Fickell may fail with the Badgers but he had success which resulted in his hiring. I thought the Gophers should have made a run at him and stated so in posts at that time. A gamble for sure, but who thinks Fleck’s teams will get into thee top 3 in the BIG. It should be interesting the next few years to see how it falls out.
 

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