Big Ten coach rankings 2025: Ryan Day remains on top with Curt Cignetti, Bret Bielema among biggest risers

The Big Ten enters the 2025 college football season with back-to-back national championships after Ohio State’s impressive run through the College Football Playoff. While the criticism surrounding coach Ryan Day has tempered, he still has that Michigan monkey on his back. Certainly, winning a national title warrants plenty of respect, but does it fully erase the sting of those four consecutive losses to the Wolverines?

Beyond Day’s saga, the Big Ten coaching landscape is as competitive and dynamic as ever. Though the conference welcomes just one new face, Barry Odom at Purdue, there’s been significant movement within the ranks, especially after surprise double-digit win seasons from Indiana and Illinois shifted expectations.

Dan Lanning has quickly established Oregon as a national title contender, while James Franklin continues to push Penn State toward elite status despite ongoing debates about his ceiling. Impressively, seven of the Big Ten’s 18 coaches rank among the top 25 nationally, matching the SEC’s representation.

When it comes to ranking these coaches, there’s no official checklist or one-size-fits-all formula. The question of, “who’s the best?” is obviously subjective, blending factors like recent success, program trajectory and the ability to win big games just to name a few.

So, with all that in mind, here’s how we rank the Big Ten’s coaches heading into the 2025 season, based on input from experts at CBS Sports and 247Sports.

Complete Power Four coach rankings: 1-25 | 26-68

2025 Big Ten coach rankings

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Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/big-ten-coach-rankings-2025-ryan-day-remains-on-top-with-curt-cignetti-bret-bielema-among-biggest-risers/

Author : Cody Nagel

Publish date : 2025-07-22 12:11:00

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