It's a good time to be the Big Ten. The conference has won three straight national titles with three different schools. That kind of success leads to a lot more heated debates between media and fans alike about which conference is the best in the country, but no matter which side of the argument you land on, there's one thing that's not up for debate.
The Big Ten is home to some of the best college football coaches in the country.
We here at CBSSports.com ranked Power Four coaches this offseason the same way we've done every offseason for a decade, and much like the AP Top 25 polls and College Football Playoff rankings of late, there's a lot of Big Ten representation at the top.
That includes the coach at the very top, where a new No. 1 emerges. Considering he just won a national title at (freaking) Indiana, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise.
Complete Power Four coach rankings: 1-25 | 26-68
2026 Big Ten coach rankings
1. Curt Cignetti, Indiana
National rank: 1
Where else could you realistically put him? Well, in the interest of full disclosure, I had Cignetti behind Ohio State's Ryan Day on my ballot, but that's more about Day's long run of success. It's hard to argue with anybody who put Cignetti at No. 1. He's been a dominant force in the sport since showing up in Bloomington and took only two years to turn Indiana from a program nobody thought about to one nobody can escape. There's a genuine argument to be made that Cignetti is the greatest coaching hire in history, in any sport. Last year: No. 6 in Big Ten
2. Ryan Day, Ohio State
National rank: 3
The Buckeyes weren't able to follow up on their national title with another one in 2025, but not many teams can pull off that feat. Especially now in a 12-team playoff era. Still, the Buckeyes began the year with a 12-0 mark, and finally got the Michigan monkey off their back. The problem was the ending, losing their final two games of the year to Indiana and Miami. Still, it says a lot about what Ryan Day has accomplished that a 12-2 mark leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of Ohio State fans. Last year: No. 1 in Big Ten
3. Dan Lanning, Oregon
National rank: 5
There's really only one thing left to accomplish for Dan Lanning at Oregon. He's won the Big Ten and made the College Football Playoff each of the last two years. Last season saw the Ducks pick up their first CFP win under Lanning. But the one thing they haven't done is the one thing they want to do most of all: win the national title. The Ducks enter the 2026 season as one of the favorites to do just that, and Lanning deserves a lot of the credit for it being the case. Last year: No. 2 in Big Ten
4. Kyle Whittingham, Michigan
National rank: 10
Was there a bigger coaching upgrade in the country this offseason? Sherrone Moore came in at No. 15 in our Big Ten coach rankings last year, lost his job in ignominious fashion, and was replaced by one of the best coaches in the sport. There are certainly questions about how Kyle Whittingham will adapt to life at Michigan after spending so much time at Utah, but there's little question about the culture and stability he can bring to a program that's been missing it, even when things were going well. Last year: N/A in Big Ten
5. Matt Campbell, Penn State
National rank: 16
There were plenty of Power Four gigs that tried to lure Matt Campbell out of Ames over the years, and they all failed until Penn State came calling. Now the most successful coach in Iowa State history takes over a Penn State program that had plenty of wins under James Franklin but never broke through to elite status. Can Campbell get the Nittany Lions there? That remains to be seen, but there's no question the program is still home to one of the best coaches in the sport. Last year: N/A in Big Ten
6. Lincoln Riley, USC
National rank: 17
This feels like a huge season for Lincoln Riley. He's been dropping steadily in our rankings each of the last few years, as he has not yet been able to get the Trojans to the CFP, which is what he was hired to do after doing so routinely at Oklahoma. Still, there's a confidence about him this year that I haven't sensed the last couple of seasons, and while the 2026 Trojans are one of the younger P4 teams in the country, they might be Riley's most talented team to this point, too. Last year: No. 4 in Big Ten
7. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
National rank: 20
Everybody has their favorite restaurant. The place you've been to hundreds of times and order the same meal every time. Not because you don't like variety, but because it's just that good. Kirk Ferentz is your favorite restaurant. You know exactly what you're going to get from the Iowa Hawkeyes every single season, and while it may not be a Michelin-star restaurant, you don't always need that pretentiousness. Sometimes you just want a well-cooked steak. Last year: No. 5 in Big Ten
8. Bret Bielema, Illinois
National rank: 25
He's only been there for five seasons, but Bret Bielema is already fourth all-time in wins at Illinois with 37. That's more than Ron Turner, Ron Zook and John Mackovic had. Hell, it's more than twice as many wins as Bielema's predecessor, Lovie Smith, had. The 19 wins Illinois has over the last two years are the most it's ever had in consecutive seasons, and Bielema's gone undefeated against nonconference Power Four opponents in that time, too, including two wins against SEC schools. He's completely changed the way outsiders view the program, as well as how those who have followed it for years see it. Last year: No. 7 in Big Ten
9. Jedd Fisch, Washington
National rank: 32
You may have noticed that with Indiana's ascension and a couple of new additions, nearly every coach has dropped a spot or two in our rankings compared to last year. Not Fisch. After a 6-7 debut season with the Huskies in 2024, the program finished 9-4 last year and enters the 2026 season with some CFP darkhorse buzz. While there were some choppy waters outside Husky Stadium over the Demond Williams Jr. transfer saga after the season ended, things seem to have calmed down considerably since. Last year: No. 10 in Big Ten
10. P.J. Fleck, Minnesota
National rank: 33
I maintain that P.J. Fleck remains one of the most underappreciated coaches in the country, and it's probably because Minnesota doesn't play a style of football that many consider exciting. What they do, though, is win far more often than most expect. The Gophers have finished with a winning record in conference play in four of the last five seasons, the first time they've pulled off that feat since they were winning national titles in the 1960s. Last year: No. 8 in Big Ten
11. Matt Rhule, Nebraska
National rank: 37
Matt Rhule received a contract extension in the offseason after he was connected to the Penn State job, but even with that seemingly additional job security, the 2026 season feels pretty damn important. Many thought last year would be the long-anticipated breakthrough, but it didn't happen. Nebraska finished 7-6 overall and 4-5 in the Big Ten. They have not finished a season with a winning conference record under Rhule, and are only 10-17 overall. Last year: No. 9 in Big Ten
12. Bob Chesney, UCLA
National rank: 38
Chesney is one of the newcomers to Big Ten football this year, and he's coming off a playoff appearance with James Madison. Well, the last James Madison coach to take over a basketball school in the Big Ten did pretty well and is now No. 1 on this list. No pressure, Bob! Seriously, Chesney has brought a jolt of energy to the program this offseason that hasn't been felt in Westwood in a while, and hopes are high. Some even look at this team as a playoff contender. That's a bit far-fetched in my eyes, but the fact that people are even bringing it up is a welcome change of pace for this program. Last year: N/A in Big Ten
13. Pat Fitzgerald, Michigan State
National rank: 43
Pat Fitzgerald is familiar with the Big Ten, and the Big Ten is familiar with Pat Fitzgerald. It'll take some time getting used to seeing him in green instead of purple, as it will to hear him finish every press conference with "go green" instead of "go Cats." Still, there's no doubt that what Fitzgerald accomplished at Northwestern as a player and coach is one of the greatest success stories in college football. What can be questioned is how things ended there, and I don't just mean off the field. Can Fitz adapt to the modern era of roster management? How well he does so will determine how smart a hire this was. Last year: N/A in Big Ten
14. Luke Fickell, Wisconsin
National rank: 48
Luke Fickell might be on the hottest seat in the Big Ten entering the 2026 season. The Badgers have not only missed out on bowl games each of the last two seasons, but they've also dropped too many games to rivals. The good news is the schedule lightens up considerably this year compared to what they've dealt with, and surely they can't continue having the same horrible injury luck, right? Right!? Fickell is still the coach who got Cincinnati to the playoff when there were only four teams, but can he put together a season that earns him a fifth go-round in Madison? Last year: No. 11 in Big Ten
15. Barry Odom, Purdue
National rank: 50
While Jeff Brohm had success at Purdue, it should be noted that most of it came before the transfer portal era and NIL truly kicked into high gear. Since then, this has become one of the more difficult Power Four jobs for winning football games. It's not that Purdue doesn't have money; it's that they invest quite a bit of it into their basketball program, which means any football coach has to do more with less than many of their Big Ten counterparts. The good news is Barry Odom has shown the ability to make the most out of what he's given. That said, while I expect Purdue to be a better team in 2026 than it was in 2025, there's still a lot of mountain left to climb. Last year: No. 14 in Big Ten
16. Greg Schiano, Rutgers
National rank: 52
There's no question that Greg Schiano is the most successful Rutgers coach in program history and has done things with the program nobody else was capable of. It's just that we're six seasons into his second stint, and the Knights are 31-41 overall and 15-39 in conference play. At some point, you wonder whether Rutgers needs to find out if someone can do better. I don't think Schiano is on the hot seat, but another losing season in 2026 might prompt the program to ask uncomfortable questions. Last year: No. 12 in Big Ten
17. Mike Locksley, Maryland
National rank: 55
While Wisconsin's Luke Fickell is on the hottest seat, Mike Locksley may not be far behind him. That tends to happen when you go 2-16 in conference play over a two-season span. The good news for Locksley is that he was able to hold onto all the young talent he'd assembled on the roster last year, including QB Malik Washington. However, results need to improve, or it'll be far more difficult to hold onto those players next winter. Last year: No. 16 in Big Ten
18. David Braun, Northwestern
National rank: 58
I'm a bit surprised Braun didn't move up a spot or two in the rankings this year. It made sense for him to drop last year, since the Wildcats were coming off a 4-8 season, but Northwestern rebounded to go 7-6 and reach a bowl game. Yes, they took advantage of an advantageous schedule, but what more can you ask of Northwestern than to win the games it has a chance to win? Considering the circumstances of Braun's hire, if you'd have told a Northwestern fan the team would go 19-19 in his first three years, most probably would've signed up for it. Last year: No. 18 in the Big Ten
