Defining Success For The Big Ten's Four New Head Coaches

Much to the chagrin of SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, who continues twisting and turning his words to find arguments that frame his conference as the best in college football, the chasm in coaching between the SEC and Big Ten stretched even wider this winter.

As the SEC filled some of its vacancies with up-and-comers from The American in Ryan Silverfield (Arkansas), Alex Golesh (Auburn) and Jon Sumrall (Florida) — all of whom might eventually prove to be home runs but, for now, remain somewhat unproven — its rival embraced a different approach. Rather than tying their hopes to rising stars, Big Ten athletic directors pursued and poached proven commodities. 

The four new coaches joining the Big Ten in 2026 have more than 500 wins between them. 

It's a group led by former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, now in charge at Michigan. He's flanked by former Iowa State coach Matt Campbell (Penn State), former James Madison coach Bob Chesney (UCLA) and former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald (Michigan State). Lengthy résumés abound. 

Eventually, once each attempted rebuild has had the chance to take hold, a judgment can be rendered about whether the SEC or the Big Ten employed a wiser strategy. But, until then, here's a breakdown of what would constitute a successful debut for each new Big Ten head coach: 

* Note: All recruiting and transfer rankings courtesy of 247Sports. 

Career record: 177-88 overall in 22 years (Utah)
Recruiting class: No. 12 overall, No. 4 Big Ten
Transfer portal: No. 24 overall, No. 5 Big Ten
Returning starters: 7 offense, 3 defense

There are two prisms through which to view any potential progress during Whittingham’s first season after an incredibly successful tenure at Utah. The first is off the field, where part of the appeal in hiring someone like the 66-year-old Whittingham — a mature, long-tenured, universally respected figure across college football — was the idea that he could adequately cleanse Michigan following a handful of scandal-ridden years. 

The Wolverines consistently ran afoul of the NCAA and generated one negative headline after another under former coach Jim Harbaugh, whose tenure in Ann Arbor is defined as much by controversy as the incredible turnaround and national championship ascent he architected. Harbaugh’s successor, Sherrone Moore only added to the program's troubles through personal conduct issues that resulted in his firing for cause last December.

If Whittingham can shepherd Michigan through a full calendar year without another public relations nightmare, the university’s leadership structure might finally exhale.

The second prism is on the field, where Moore’s roster-building efforts over two subpar seasons knocked the Wolverines from their three-year perch atop the conference hierarchy. Front and center for Whittingham and his staff is the development of quarterback Bryce Underwood following an uneven freshman campaign. Underwood ranked ninth in the Big Ten in passing yards (2,428) and 13th in passing touchdowns (11) for a team that finished outside the top 100 nationally in passing offense. How well, and how quickly, Underwood can adapt to the new system installed by offensive coordinator Jason Beck, who followed Whittingham from Utah, will serve as a barometer for the Wolverines’ ceiling. 

A challenging schedule includes another marquee non-conference matchup with Oklahoma (Sept. 12 on FOX) and difficult Big Ten games against Iowa, Penn State, Indiana, Oregon and Ohio State — all of whom are likely to be ranked. Nine wins and tangible progress from Underwood, whose offseason reviews have been mixed, would almost certainly be well-received. As would a victory over the Buckeyes.

Career record: 107-70 in 14 years (Toledo, Iowa State)
Recruiting class: No. 65 overall, No. 16 Big Ten
Transfer portal: No. 4 overall, No. 1 Big Ten
Returning starters: 2 offense, 1 defense

The long and winding coaching search overseen by Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft, who made the gutsy decision to fire James Franklin last October, eventually landed in a place most analysts agreed was an acceptable one. 

Campbell, 46, had long been considered one of the profession’s rising stars thanks to his impressive tenures at Toledo, where he posted three nine-win seasons, and Iowa State, where he established a sustained culture of winning despite being afforded modest resources. He won at least eight games in five of his 10 years with the Cyclones and twice finished among the top 15 in the final AP Poll. 

An impressive knack for talent identification and player development are reflected in Campbell’s glut of 13 players selected in the first four rounds of the NFL Draft since 2019. As a result, Campbell became a mainstay in seemingly every high-profile coaching search during the last few carousel cycles, including with several professional franchises.

To truly convince the Penn State faithful, Campbell will need to demonstrate that he can topple highly-ranked opponents in the way that Franklin simply never could, especially toward the end. An extremely favorable 2026 schedule that is missing the likes of Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana largely strips the new regime of that challenge early on. But games against USC (home), Michigan (away) and Washington (away) will serve as important mile markers against the conference’s second tier. 

Another important avenue through which to gauge Campbell’s success will be quarterback recruiting. The Nittany Lions signed 2026 prospect Peyton Falzone (No. 436 overall, No. 20 QB), but are likely searching for a higher-end solution to replace starter Rocco Becht, an Iowa State transfer entering his final season of eligibility. 

Career record: 132-52 overall in 16 years (James Madison, Holy Cross, Assumption)
Recruiting class: No. 62 overall, No 15 Big Ten
Transfer portal: No. 25 overall, No. 6 Big Ten
Returning starters: 2 offense, 2 defense

Can lightning strike twice from the James Madison coaching pipeline? That’s clearly what the Bruins are hoping for by tabbing Chesney, 48, as the permanent replacement for DeShaun Foster, whose tenure never really accelerated, evidenced by his mid-September firing amid an unsightly 0-3 start.

Chesney arrived in Los Angeles with an impressive knack for program building, which stretched across four different locales. That includes his most recent stint as Curt Cignetti’s successor with the Dukes, whom he guided to the College Football Playoff last season, ultimately falling to No. 5 Oregon.

In the same way that Cignetti leaned heavily on ex-James Madison players and coaches to overhaul the culture at Indiana, Chesney is attempting a similar strategic approach with the Bruins. A transfer portal class comprised of 41 new faces — tied for the fourth-largest haul in the country — includes 10 former JMU players, headlined by edge rusher Sahir West (No. 77 transfer, No. 9 edge) and tailback Wayne Knight (No. 420 transfer, No. 38 RB). They will be instrumental in helping Chesney and his staff inspire belief in a program that has only finished above .500 in conference play twice since 2015. 

More important, perhaps, than anything Chesney and his team accomplish on an actual field this fall is to what degree UCLA can maintain its stunning recruiting run. With 21 verbal commitments in the current cycle, including six from blue-chip prospects, the Bruins are sitting No. 11 overall in the national rankings for 2027, leading programs like Ohio State, Michigan, Ole Miss, Texas Tech and Georgia. Converting those pledges into binding signatures will be paramount for Chesney’s regime.

Career record: 110-101 in 17 years (Northwestern)
Recruiting class: No. 45 overall, No. 12 Big Ten
Transfer portal: No. 55 overall, No. 14 Big Ten
Returning starters: 2 offense, 3 defense

Michigan State enjoyed a lengthy run of conference contention under Hall of Fame coach Mark Dantonio in the 2010s, highlighted by the program's lone trip to the College Football Playoff. But after being briefly teased by the promise of his controversial successor, the Spartans endured a scandal-strewn, multi-regime collapse that has left them among the Big Ten's bottom feeders. It was quite a mess for Fitzgerald, the longtime head coach at Northwestern, to wade into after three years away from the sport.

After four consecutive losing seasons — three of which are now pockmarked by vacated wins stemming from NCAA violations — the rebuilding effort at Michigan State is expected to be a multi-year endeavor. For Fitzgerald, who guided Northwestern to two Big Ten Championship Game appearances, the clearest sign of progress in Year 1 will be improving the overall talent level on the Spartans' roster. Michigan State has produced just four NFL Draft picks over the last three seasons combined, a number far too low for a program hoping to contend in the Big Ten.

Keeping players on campus should be a central focus for Fitzgerald considering how much talent has exited the program in recent years: from quarterbacks Sam Leavitt (Arizona State/LSU), Katin Houser (East Carolina/Illinois) and Payton Thorne (Auburn), to wide receivers Keon Coleman (Florida State) and Germie Bernard (Washington/Alabama), to defensive tackle Derrick Harmon (Oregon), to safety Jaden Mangham (Michigan). All of those players were either highly coveted in the transfer portal or reached new levels after exiting Michigan State — or, in some cases, both. 

If Fitzgerald can mold the Spartans into a competitive group this fall and then retain his key contributors for 2027 and beyond, he’ll begin to lay the groundwork for a lasting turnaround.