Coaching Upgrade in Big Ten West

While the conversation surrounding the weaker division of the Big Ten has been centered around the battle to the end because of middle of the road performances, the collective coaching staff got an upgrade. In a division that has seen plenty of parity, four different teams in nine seasons, the newest hires bolster the west in its chase of the east. While it's probably not a changing of the guard, the pedigree Matt Rhule and Luke Fickell bring is something of note.

The first hire was Rhule to the struggling Nebraska Cornhuskers. Since moving on from Bo Pelini the Cornhuskers have only had two bowl seasons and one winning season, both coming the two years after Pelini. Since 2017, one of college footballs historic powers, has a 16-37 and never won more than three games in a season. It was a move that was rumored right away but, following Nebraska's hires, it was still tedious until the paperwork was finalized.

Rhule has coached seven seasons at the collegiate level and in that time led Temple to back-to-back 10 win seasons. He then went to the dead in the water Baylor program and took them from one win his first season to 11-3 and a Sugar Bowl appearance. While the shine may be dulled a bit from his tenure at the Carolina Panthers, you can't win in the NFL without a QB, we've seen plenty of coaches unable to succeed at the pro level that are great college coaches. Rhule is EXACTLY what Nebraska needs and I believe he can revitalize a program that can recruit and has deep pocketed boosters.

As good as the Rhule hire is, it was immediately trumped by the Wisconsin Badgers hiring Fickell. It looked like the Badgers might make one of those, often failing, loyalty moves to stick with former defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. Instead they poached a coach with a playoff appearance on his resume that I thought would stay put with Cincinnati moving to the Big 12. However, he takes over a perennial Big Ten west power that has shown at least a Rose Bowl season. In the nine Big Ten title games, in the East and West configuration, the Baders have been four times.

In six seasons at the helm of the Bearcats, Fickell only has had a losing record in his first year. The previous five he has gone 53-10 with a New Year's Six and College Playoff appearance. His team has also been ranked in all five of those seasons and that success cannot be forgotten when you talk about Cincinnati making the jump up in conferences. As a former defensive coordinator at Ohio State it isn't an unfamiliar landscape for him also.

Wisconsin has been, what my father would call, a regional power over the past decade plus, meaning they will compete for the west and Rose Bowl appearance while not quite getting to the College Football Playoffs. Now they bring in a coach who took a Group of 5 team to the playoffs with the resources and recruiting of that regional power. While I'd put Wisconsin on par with Penn State, behind Ohio State and Michigan, if you can get to the Big Ten Championship regularly then it just takes one season to breakthrough.

Again, I don't think this is a changing of the guard between the Big Ten divisions, but there's pedigree in Rhule and Fickell taking over two programs that have the capability to be regular west division winners. The Big Ten west division has shown how open it is and that leaves an opportunity to grab a hold of that to put themselves in a position to threaten for a playoff spot. With the college football playoffs expanding as well, these are two moves that could get these teams into that field.

As a Purdue fan I'm currently enjoying the historic Big Ten west win, but these moves have me feeling like they will be cemented in that second tier with Iowa and Minnesota. And that was before Jeff Brohm flew off to his hometown Louisville Cardinals. These coaches have had the success that could immediately knock the Boilermakers' appearance as a one off while these potential powers ascend to their potential. In divisions you often see cyclical reigns of power where teams take advantage of down times for programs and now Wisconsin and Nebraska can clean up where Minnesota, Purdue and Iowa have been able to take a little advantage.