Big Ten Coaching Hot Seat Check

After disappointing seasons for some Big Ten coaches, this season could be crucial for saving their jobs and legacies.

Photo via The Nation

Hottest: Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern)

Pat Fitzgerald didn’t make the cut when I initially brainstormed this list. However, with the recent hazing allegations brought against Fitzgerald and members of the Northwestern football team, it feels like Fitzgerald’s firing is almost inevitable in the coming weeks. A report from The Daily Northwestern detailed hazing allegations from two former players and implied that Fitzgerald was aware of the incidents. The university suspended the head coach for two weeks amidst their ongoing investigation, as well as imposing other sanctions on the team.

The Wildcats are coming off two consecutive losing seasons under Fitzgerald, winning just one game last season.

Hot: Mel Tucker (Michigan State)

If Tuck is “comin’,” it better be soon. After a tremendous 11-2 record in 2021, Mel Tucker’s Spartans took a major step backward last year going 5-7 and failing to make a bowl game. Currently, Tucker is 18-14 through three seasons in East Lansing and 2-1 against rival Michigan.

The pressure on Tucker right now comes more as a result of the massive contract he signed in 2021. Michigan State inked Tucker to a 10-year, $95 million dollar contract with no buyout options. Disgruntled Spartan fans might have a hard time justifying one of college football’s biggest contracts should Tucker put up another losing season.

Warm: Ryan Day (Ohio State)

It almost feels ridiculous to put Day anywhere on this list, yet his presence shows just how important the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry is. Overall, Day has been one of the best coaches in the country since his arrival in Columbus. Day is 45-6 and has only lost four games in the last two years.

Despite an incredible performance against the defending national champions in the Peach Bowl last year, the Buckeye’s season was stained by a blowout loss at home to the Wolverines. What many considered to be a fluke in 2021 became a nightmare at home in November for the Buckeyes when Michigan put together two straight victories in “The Game.”

The Buckeyes enter 2023 as one of the country’s most talented teams once again, and expectations are high for Day and company. Even if Ohio State makes the playoff with an 11-1 record again, another loss to Michigan could move Day into the hottest of seats among Buckeye fans.