The Big Ten is a top-heavy conference when it comes to an elite level of coaching. Of course, Jim Harbaugh and Ryan Day are the obvious choices at the top.
On3 recently ranked all 14 head coaches. So where does Nebraska’s Matt Rhule fall on this list, and can he get to the same level as Harbaugh, Day, and the rest?
They ranked the former Baylor and Temple coach at seventh in the conference, ahead of mainstays like Pat Fitzgerald, PJ Fleck, and Tom Allen, while also ousting Michigan State’s Mel Tucker. Rhule inclusion above these coaches before his first season back in college football and in the Big Ten speaks volumes about what he’s achieved before coming to Lincoln.
At Nebraska, Rhule will have more resources to work with and he doesn’t inherit quite the dire circumstances he did at his previous two college head coaching stops. He’s also shown an ability to adapt to a new CFB landscape, embracing NIL and using the transfer portal to shore up the roster for 2023.
– Jesse Simonton, On3
For Rhule to climb higher in the rankings, he must work the same magic he did at Temple and Baylor. So, while an immediate impact may not be what historians predict, in a year or two, the Cornhuskers could be going toe-to-toe with the top players in the Big Ten conference for playoff participation.
14
Ryan Walters – Purdue
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13
Tom Allen – Indiana
Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
12
Greg Schiano – Rutgers
Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
11
Mike Locksley – Maryland
Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
10
Pat Fitzgerald – Northwestern
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