Iowa is the 29th Best place to coach in 2019

[Franisdaman]

Ranking All 130 College Football Coaching Jobs for 2019

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By Athlon Sports, 5/6/19, 9:30 AM EDT

Debating the best job among all 130 college football teams or within any conference is always an ongoing discussion. The debate doesn’t start with a small sample size but should take into account more of a long-term (both past and future) in order to get a better snapshot of the program. Every college football program is unique and has its own set of challenges. But some programs are clearly better than others.

What exactly determines the best job in a conference or in college football? Each person’s criteria will be different, but some programs already have inherent advantages in terms of location, money and tradition. Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State and Texas are some of the nation’s best jobs, largely due to some of the factors mentioned previously. Do they have their drawbacks? Absolutely. But it’s easier to win a national title at Texas than it is at Oklahoma State. On the flipside, jobs like New Mexico State, UMass and Eastern Michigan have a different set of challenges. Recruiting to remote locations or conference affiliation plays a role in just how tough a job is at the FBS level.

Ranking all 130 college football jobs is no easy task. After all, the rankings are subjective based upon numerous factors, but we have ranked every college football program in the country, based on the attractiveness of the position from a coaching perspective. We considered many factors — tradition, facilities, location, money, ability to recruit talent — but in the end, we simply asked ourselves the following question: Where would we want to coach?


29. Iowa

Iowa has been remarkably consistent for a program that does not have fertile recruiting in its backyard. That is the only significant mark against this job. The tradition is strong, the facilities are good and the fan base is outstanding. And with apologies to Iowa State, the Hawkeyes are the top program in the state.

LINK: https://athlonsports.com/college-football/ranking-all-130-college-football-coaching-jobs-2019

 

[Franisdaman]

Ranking the Big Ten Coaching Jobs


14. Rutgers

Rutgers has one key ingredient needed to win in a Power 5 conference — a strong recruiting base. But that’s about all the program has going for it. And even if you can get things rolling a bit, is it realistic to believe Rutgers can ever be better than Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State?


13. Indiana

There are plenty of schools that have been able to succeed in both basketball and football. Indiana is not one of them. The last IU coach to string together at three straight winning seasons? Clyde Smith from 1944-47.


12. Minnesota

There are no doubt some positives — new football facilities, relatively new stadium, the only FBS program in the state — but Minnesota is a tough job. The recruiting base is small, and it’s difficult to lure kids from the South to play in the Twin Cities.


11. Northwestern

This was historically one of the worst Power 5 programs in the nation, but the Wildcats have found their niche over the last 25 years. The stadium is old, but the new football facilities — right on Lake Michigan — are as good as it gets. Like the other private schools in P5 conferences, Northwestern is a good job for the right guy.


10. Illinois

Illinois’ shocking lack of success — the school has won only three Big Ten titles (two outright) since the early 1960s — is one of the big mysteries in college. Access to players surely isn’t the problem. This isn’t to suggest that the program should be on par with the likes of Ohio State and Michigan, but there’s no reason it should be irrelevant in the Big Ten.


9. Purdue

Purdue recently received a badly needed financial commitment from the school to upgrade the program’s facilities. History suggests is difficult to sustain success in West Lafayette, but this is a job with some potential. The fan base is underrated, and the location gives the coach access to players throughout the Midwest and down into the mid-South.


8. Maryland

The move from the ACC to the brutal Big Ten East hasn’t been ideal, but Maryland has always been regarded as program that has underachieved. The reason? The recruiting base is outstanding. Good coaches (Ralph Friedgen, Bobby Ross, Jerry Claiborne) have been able to win in College Park.


7. Iowa

Iowa has been remarkably consistent for a program that does not have fertile recruiting in its backyard. That is the only significant mark against this job. The tradition is strong, the facilities are good and the fan base is outstanding. And with apologies to Iowa State, the Hawkeyes are the top program in the state.


6. Michigan State

Michigan State has everything in place to be a major player both in the Big Ten and on the national scene. It had the reputation as an underachiever until the past decade — a reputation that is no longer merited after Mark Dantonio has guided the Spartans to at least a share of four Big Ten East titles in the past nine seasons. There are two things that hurt this program: It will always be No. 2 in its own state (yes, we know about the head-to-head record with Michigan of late), and the Big Ten East is the far more difficult of the two divisions.


5. Wisconsin

Barry Alvarez transformed Wisconsin form a Big Ten afterthought into a significant player in college football. While the Badgers have yet to flirt with a national title, they have had 17 straight winning seasons and have been ranked in the final AP poll 12 times in the past 15 seasons. Madison is a great place to live, and Camp Randall Stadium is an outstanding venue.


4. Nebraska

Nebraska is a unique coaching position. You have everything in place to win big — except a local recruiting base. How big is that hurdle? Significant but not insurmountable. This is no longer a top-10 job but still a desirable place to coach.


3. Penn State

Penn State checks almost every box. Great tradition. Passionate fans. Tremendous gameday atmosphere. Solid recruiting base. Really, the only strike against it — other than the fact that it’s not located in Florida, Georgia or Texas — is that it’s in the same division as Ohio State and Michigan.


2. Michigan

Michigan has as much tradition as any school in the country. The program’s success and the school’s academic reputation allow the Wolverines to be a major player in recruiting both in the Midwest and nationally. Plus, Ann Arbor is a great place to live. There is a lot to like about coaching at Michigan.


1. Ohio State

There are eight FBS schools in Ohio, but there is only one named The Ohio State University. The Buckeyes have been a consistent force on the field and in recruiting since Woody Hayes took over in the 1950s. Few programs can make the following claim: It’s harder not to win at Ohio State than it is to win.

 

[mrF6n6]

I got Iowa ranked #1 best place to coach in 2019
my ranking is the most accurate

 

[hawkfeever]

Ranking the Big Ten Coaching Jobs


14. Rutgers

Rutgers has one key ingredient needed to win in a Power 5 conference — a strong recruiting base. But that’s about all the program has going for it. And even if you can get things rolling a bit, is it realistic to believe Rutgers can ever be better than Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State?


13. Indiana

There are plenty of schools that have been able to succeed in both basketball and football. Indiana is not one of them. The last IU coach to string together at three straight winning seasons? Clyde Smith from 1944-47.


12. Minnesota

There are no doubt some positives — new football facilities, relatively new stadium, the only FBS program in the state — but Minnesota is a tough job. The recruiting base is small, and it’s difficult to lure kids from the South to play in the Twin Cities.


11. Northwestern

This was historically one of the worst Power 5 programs in the nation, but the Wildcats have found their niche over the last 25 years. The stadium is old, but the new football facilities — right on Lake Michigan — are as good as it gets. Like the other private schools in P5 conferences, Northwestern is a good job for the right guy.


10. Illinois

Illinois’ shocking lack of success — the school has won only three Big Ten titles (two outright) since the early 1960s — is one of the big mysteries in college. Access to players surely isn’t the problem. This isn’t to suggest that the program should be on par with the likes of Ohio State and Michigan, but there’s no reason it should be irrelevant in the Big Ten.


9. Purdue

Purdue recently received a badly needed financial commitment from the school to upgrade the program’s facilities. History suggests is difficult to sustain success in West Lafayette, but this is a job with some potential. The fan base is underrated, and the location gives the coach access to players throughout the Midwest and down into the mid-South.


8. Maryland

The move from the ACC to the brutal Big Ten East hasn’t been ideal, but Maryland has always been regarded as program that has underachieved. The reason? The recruiting base is outstanding. Good coaches (Ralph Friedgen, Bobby Ross, Jerry Claiborne) have been able to win in College Park.


7. Iowa

Iowa has been remarkably consistent for a program that does not have fertile recruiting in its backyard. That is the only significant mark against this job. The tradition is strong, the facilities are good and the fan base is outstanding. And with apologies to Iowa State, the Hawkeyes are the top program in the state.


6. Michigan State

Michigan State has everything in place to be a major player both in the Big Ten and on the national scene. It had the reputation as an underachiever until the past decade — a reputation that is no longer merited after Mark Dantonio has guided the Spartans to at least a share of four Big Ten East titles in the past nine seasons. There are two things that hurt this program: It will always be No. 2 in its own state (yes, we know about the head-to-head record with Michigan of late), and the Big Ten East is the far more difficult of the two divisions.


5. Wisconsin

Barry Alvarez transformed Wisconsin form a Big Ten afterthought into a significant player in college football. While the Badgers have yet to flirt with a national title, they have had 17 straight winning seasons and have been ranked in the final AP poll 12 times in the past 15 seasons. Madison is a great place to live, and Camp Randall Stadium is an outstanding venue.


4. Nebraska

Nebraska is a unique coaching position. You have everything in place to win big — except a local recruiting base. How big is that hurdle? Significant but not insurmountable. This is no longer a top-10 job but still a desirable place to coach.


3. Penn State

Penn State checks almost every box. Great tradition. Passionate fans. Tremendous gameday atmosphere. Solid recruiting base. Really, the only strike against it — other than the fact that it’s not located in Florida, Georgia or Texas — is that it’s in the same division as Ohio State and Michigan.


2. Michigan

Michigan has as much tradition as any school in the country. The program’s success and the school’s academic reputation allow the Wolverines to be a major player in recruiting both in the Midwest and nationally. Plus, Ann Arbor is a great place to live. There is a lot to like about coaching at Michigan.


1. Ohio State

There are eight FBS schools in Ohio, but there is only one named The Ohio State University. The Buckeyes have been a consistent force on the field and in recruiting since Woody Hayes took over in the 1950s. Few programs can make the following claim: It’s harder not to win at Ohio State than it is to win.

If the delusional Nebraska fan base ever wanes they are back in the back.

 

[MeetTheFerentz]

These sportswriters have too much time on their hands during the off-season......very little critical thought was put into this “list.” Gee, who knew, coaching good teams at strong programs is more desirable than coaching in the Sun Belt. Thanks for the insight.

 

[baddog25]

107. Hawaii
I'd suffer through it.

 

[grayhair81]

"And with apologies to Iowa State, the Hawkeyes are the top program in the state."

This will surely bring the trolls from their Sukup caves to protest.

 

[hoffmkr]

I can see agree with almost everything in the Big 10 Except Nebraska:
1) They have a worse recruiting base than Iowa
2) Their recent history is zero high quality bowls or division top finishes. When was last time Nebraska was in top 10?
3) The fan base is overly involved cause firing of 10 win coaches. Iowa may suffer through mediocrity at times, but better than pitchforks causing excess turnover.

 

[hawkfeever]

Give me any of the top 50 and a 10 year employment contract.

 

[BIG10MANIAC]

I disagree with Nebraska’s ranking. The way they keep firing coaches every 3 to 4 years would not make it a very desirable place to me. They fired Solich after a 10 win season and Pelini after several 9 win seasons in a row. I understand thier massive desire to win national championships but like Dan Gable said, “Go for the next best thing.”

Nebraska refuses to do just that. They want to run before they can walk and I don’t see how that is possible

 

[NevadaHawk]

These rankings are purely subjective and do not mean much. Apparently, some of the sportswriters out there are trying to fill the time before fall camp starts. We all know we have a great university, solid football program and don't have to take a back seat to anybody.

 

[Eternal Return]

"And with apologies to Iowa State, the Hawkeyes are the top program in the state."

This will surely bring the trolls from their Sukup caves to protest.

Why in the hell would an apology be needed? May as well apologize to UNI while he's at it. Seriously, one year of good football makes them equal to Iowa?

 

[Lone Clone]

"And with apologies to Iowa State, the Hawkeyes are the top program in the state."

This will surely bring the trolls from their Sukup caves to protest.

I think it's obvious that by the criteria most people use, Iowa has a better program than ISU at this point, although less so than historically has been the case.
I would think the fans most likely to be offended by the writer's implication that there is some doubt about it would be Iowa fans.

 

[BirdistheWord]

I think it's obvious that by the criteria most people use, Iowa has a better program than ISU at this point, although less so than historically has been the case.
I would think the fans most likely to be offended by the writer's implication that there is some doubt about it would be Iowa fans.

Yes, good catch. If anything, the writer is probably looking through a very recent lens. ISU is definitely moving up and headed in the right direction. Iowa is trending about flat, maybe slightly up with a nice bowl win vs. SEC favored opponent, but we could certainly use a double digit win season to shake the relevant tree again.

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

I think it's obvious that by the criteria most people use, Iowa has a better program than ISU at this point, although less so than historically has been the case.
I would think the fans most likely to be offended by the writer's implication that there is some doubt about it would be Iowa fans.

Did you really use the word historically in description of ISU? Well, historically, ISU is one of the absolute bottom schools in the Power 5. Maybe THE bottom school. They’ve literally done nothing. Ever.

 

[KuwaitHawk]

Apologies to isu for what? Iowa IS the Top program in the state. NO APOLOGIES ARE NEEDED.

 

[Franisdaman]

Apologies to isu for what? Iowa IS the Top program in the state. NO APOLOGIES ARE NEEDED.

i think it was partly tongue in cheek and partly because he figured some ignorant ISwho fans might object

 

[LaQuintaHawkeye]

The tradition is strong, the facilities are good and the fan base is outstanding.

With all the $$ that's been poured into them the past 7-10 years, I'd hope for better than just "good".

 

[Sinomatic]

I disagree with Nebraska’s ranking. The way they keep firing coaches every 3 to 4 years would not make it a very desirable place to me. They fired Solich after a 10 win season and Pelini after several 9 win seasons in a row. I understand thier massive desire to win national championships but like Dan Gable said, “Go for the next best thing.”

Nebraska refuses to do just that. They want to run before they can walk and I don’t see how that is possible

No.

Nebraska fired Pelini after he said the fans can kiss my "@" as I walk out the door... And he had four 9 win seasons, and three 10 win seasons at Nebraska. Moral of the story: Don't be a donkey.


Pelini had 7 years Solich had 6. My goodness. Callahan had 4 and Riley had 3. Sheesh. You're 50% right. Congrats that's not losing, but its not winning either.

You are definately the embodiment of Iowa football. Smile. Be proud.

 

[Sinomatic]

....and for the record if I were to coach, and it wasn't Hawai'i...I'd want to coach at Iowa.

You can make a metric tonne of money there being just above avg.

 

[Walleye70]

Should be in top ten if you are a coach- you don’t get fired. If you do get fired, some iowa state fans in a jury will make you rich

 

[BIG10MANIAC]

No.

Nebraska fired Pelini after he said the fans can kiss my "@" as I walk out the door... And he had four 9 win seasons, and three 10 win seasons at Nebraska. Moral of the story: Don't be a donkey.


Pelini had 7 years Solich had 6. My goodness. Callahan had 4 and Riley had 3. Sheesh. You're 50% right. Congrats that's not losing, but its not winning either.

You are definately the embodiment of Iowa football. Smile. Be proud.

So because I don't give 2-craps about Nebraska and you don't like my opinions of them or my opinions of their coaches that means that I am a bad Iowa Fan? I am the "embodiment" of Iowa football because I don't like a Big 10 rival? Okay - I'm happy with that.

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

No.

Nebraska fired Pelini after he said the fans can kiss my "@" as I walk out the door... And he had four 9 win seasons, and three 10 win seasons at Nebraska. Moral of the story: Don't be a donkey.


Pelini had 7 years Solich had 6. My goodness. Callahan had 4 and Riley had 3. Sheesh. You're 50% right. Congrats that's not losing, but its not winning either.

You are definately the embodiment of Iowa football. Smile. Be proud.

You've had 5 head coaches in the 21 seasons that have occurred since Tommy O packed his gun safe into a U-Haul. That's a turd. A turd cannot be polished.

 

[ZJSARENOTFREE]

These rankings are purely subjective and do not mean much. Apparently, some of the sportswriters out there are trying to fill the time before fall camp starts. We all know we have a great university, solid football program and don't have to take a back seat to anybody.

 

[ZJSARENOTFREE]

You've had 5 head coaches in the 21 seasons that have occurred since Tommy O packed his gun safe into a U-Haul. That's a turd. A turd cannot be polished.

Yet that turd has basically the same record as Iowa during that time????

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

Yet that turd has basically the same record as Iowa during that time????

No, you're way ahead! 5 coaches to 1.

 

[ZJSARENOTFREE]

No, you're way ahead! 5 coaches to 1.

Maybe a few more coaches would have done Iowa some good.

 

[LaQuintaHawkeye]

Yet that turd has basically the same record as Iowa during that time????

LOL, not even close...major deductions for playing only 8 of them in a true P5 conference.

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

Maybe a few more coaches would have done Iowa some good.

O'rly? You're like a baker who burns every recipe trying to tell somebody how to make perfect cookies.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

Iowa is not #1 on the list?

This wedding is horsesh**.

 

[ZJSARENOTFREE]

O'rly? You're like a baker who burns every recipe trying to tell somebody how to make perfect cookies.

I guess I'd rather pursue having the best cookies vs. having an ok cookie with an occasional good batch.

 

[MeetTheFerentz]

I guess I'd rather pursue having the best cookies vs. having an ok cookie with an occasional good batch.

How many cookies do you burn before you realize you just can't bake like you used to?

 

[ZJSARENOTFREE]

How many cookies do you burn before you realize you just can't bake like you used to?

A lot, but I guess in my head at least I am chasing the ultimate cookie. I agree that I will never be the baker I once was, but I hope to possibly get to be a decent baker again.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

A lot, but I guess in my head at least I am chasing the ultimate cookie. I agree that I will never be the baker I once was, but I hope to possibly get to be a decent baker again.

Never chase the cookie....

 

[blhawk]

Yet that turd has basically the same record as Iowa during that time????

Ahhhh.....big 12 north.....them were the good ol days, weren't they? (Still lost to ISU last game in Lincoln). Nice send off

 

[ROCKY MOUNTAIN HAWK]

A lot, but I guess in my head at least I am chasing the ultimate cookie. I agree that I will never be the baker I once was, but I hope to possibly get to be a decent baker again.

You need an oven from the 80’s.

 

[Scott559]

You need an oven from the 80’s.

 

[ChuckBarkley]

It’s a list so I take it with a grain of salt. But Iowa being outside the top 25 loses credibility. It’s like making a list of top party schools and excluding Arizona State.

 

[husker2612]

I can see agree with almost everything in the Big 10 Except Nebraska:
1) They have a worse recruiting base than Iowa
2) Their recent history is zero high quality bowls or division top finishes. When was last time Nebraska was in top 10?
3) The fan base is overly involved cause firing of 10 win coaches. Iowa may suffer through mediocrity at times, but better than pitchforks causing excess turnover.

2016 ranked 7th. Since 2009 we have been ranked 3 times in the top 10. FYI, same amount as Iowa. Want to try a different argument? Facts they suck sometimes.

As far as your recruiting base, do you have any information proving Iowa has a better base. If Iowa does have a better base. What does it matter? Nebraska out recruits Iowa every year anyways. So I don't see the point in this argument.

 

[MeetTheFerentz]

2016 ranked 7th.

Must've been a heck of a collapse that season, eh?