#1 - Stoops vs Meyer (B1G) - I question putting Stoops at the top of the Big 12 and I've thought he's gotten a pass for years. Meyer has coached fewer years but has done more with his talent. (5 vs 2)
#2 - Patterson vs Bielema (B12) - Despite his ability to continually put his foot in his mouth, Bielema is a good coach. Patterson is better. It should be interesting to see how his defensive genius works in the Big 12. If he can continue this success it should enable him to steal a few recruits from Texas and get to the top of the Big 12 list. (7 vs 12)
#3 - Gundy vs Dantonio (B12) - There probably isn't a starker contrast between two coaches on this list. Gundy is one of the best offensive minds in the game. Dantonio is old school with his hard hitting defenses and tough running game. Until Dantonio can get MSU to the next level he's a step behind Gundy. (10 vs 13)
#4 - Snyder vs Hoke (B1G) - Snyder has been a miracle worker and his brief absence showed just how much he means to the university. Hoke on the other hand barely is over .500 in his career. You'd think that would mean an easy victory for Snyder but Hoke had an amazing run last season and is poised to make Michigan a perennial top 10 team. That isn't going to happen at Kansas State no matter what the 72 year old Snyder does. (11 vs 24)
#5 - Brown vs Ferentz (B1G) - Both coaches would have been ranked in the top two of their leagues 3 years ago. Both have slipped but Ferentz at least has the excuse of poor recruiting. Brown is a great recruiter that has always gotten the least of his team. In many ways he's the Ron Zook of the Big 12. (16 vs 33)#6 - Weis vs Pelini (B1G) - I'm not a big fan of Pelini but Weis is a terrible coach. (40 vs 37)
#7 - Briles vs Fitzgerald (B1G) - Both coaches play at small schools with moderate past football success. Briles has recently done well on the arm of Robert Griffin while Fitzgerald seems to be able to reinvent his team into contenders every year. If Briles continues his success in the post Griffin era he may pass Fitzgerald but for now I give the edge to the Big Ten. (41 vs 42)#8 - Holgorsen vs O'Brien (B12) - This is O'Brien's first year at Penn State so it isn't a fair comparison but Holgorsen is seen as one of the best young coaches in the game. I'd expect both to be ranked higher than 8th next season. If that doesn't happen quickly in O'Brien's case I'd expect a quick exit. (44 vs 62)
#9 - Rhoades vs Kill (B12) - Iowa State has gotten quite a few upsets under Rhoades while Kill has a big job ahead of him at Minnesota. I think Kill has a big upside but it's not enough to give him a better rank than Rhoades past success. (48 vs 64)
#10 - Tuberville vs Beckman (B12) - Tuberville once was considered one of the best coaches in the game. Now he's struggling to achieve the success of his predecessor at Texas Tech. Beckman has only coached in the MAC and took the job at Illinois in the off season. For that reason alone you have to give the nod to Tuberville but I suspect it won't take Beckman long to rocket up this list. (50 vs 69)
#11 & #12 - The Big 12 only has ten teams while the Big Ten has 12 so we can't compare Hope and Wilson vs a counterpart. FWIW I think it is only a matter of time before Hope is fired at Purdue while I think Wilson has a good shot to bring respectability to Indiana. 92 & 111
I'm sure my rankings are a bit jaded by the fact that I'm a fan of the Big Ten but my rankings has the two leagues tied 5 - 5. That isn't to say I think the Big Ten has the best coaching in the country but rather that the Sporting News statement that the Big 12 is the best is off the mark. Just like on the field, the best coaching in America is in the SEC (and it should be considering the money they invest). FWIW, the later Sporting News ranking gave the Big 12 the nod with only Meyer and Pelini rating better than their Big 12 counterpart.
On a positive note, I've complained a lot in the past about the coaching in the B1G but they've recently made great strides. In the last 2 years the B1G has brought in Meyer, Beckmann, O'Brien, Kill, and Wilson. Compare that to the Big 12 and Tuberville, Holgorsen, and Weis. It's obvious to me that the Big Ten is getting better than their opposition and it is only a matter of time before we see the results on the field.
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