2015 B1G Coaches Hot Seat - East Division

IT IS BACK.

It is time once again to take a totally biased look at just how hot each Big Ten coaches' seat is. This time-honored tradition here has absolutely no track record of being accurate, but we like to think we're a sound voice of reason in this ridiculous world of college coaching punditry.

As usual, our hotness scale for your reference...

Totally Safe - Can lose every game and still be elected governor.
Safe for Now -  Can have an off-year and still be okay.
Needs a Good Year - Needs to improve from last season.
Needs a Great Year - This could be the end if things don't get better fast.
Dead Man Walking - The end is nigh.

Let's get it on!

Kevin Wilson - Indiana

Source

2014 Record	Indiana Record	Season @ IU/Overall	Career Record	Age	Salary	2014 Hotness	2014 Key Games
4-8 (1-7)	14-34 (6-26)	5th/5th	14-34 (.292)	53	1.2M	Yellow	1-3

Every year I come on here and try to make a case why it doesn't matter how good or bad Indiana's coach is because frankly, who cares about Indiana football? IU hasn't had a coach with a winning career record since the Truman administration.

Kevin Wilson is not going to be the magic bullet for Indiana. If he was, a 6-26 league record over the last 4 years wouldn't exactly be a great start. And now that they find themselves in the Big Ten east division among all of the league's heavyweights, so...welp…sorry Indiana.

Two years ago Indiana was great fun to watch with their dynamic offense, scoring points, etc. But even then, a 5-7 record was all they could muster. Last year, QB Nate Sudfeld's season-ending injury against Iowa on October 10th derailed what was likely to be a bowl-type season for the Hoosiers. But in a fitting example of mediocre destiny, twas not to be.

But with Sudefeld back and 2nd-year defensive coordinator Brian Knorr running a moderately improved unit, things could be looking up for the Hoosiers. They will need to be, because no Indiana coach has lasted longer than 5 years since Bill Mallory from '84-'96.

2015 Key games:
9/26 @ Wake Forest
10/10 @ Penn State
11/21 @ Maryland
11/28 @ Purdue

Hotness: Needs a Great Year

Randy Edsall - Maryland

Source

2014 Record	Maryland Record	Season @ UM/Overall	Career Record	Age	Salary	2014 Hotness	2014 Key Games
7-6 (4-4)	20-30 (10-22)	5th/12th	94-100 (.485)	56	2.0M	Green	1-4

All things considered, Maryland's first year in the B1G went about as expected. They beat the teams they were supposed to beat (except for Rutgers, not sure what happened there after being up 35-17 at halftime) and lost to the teams they were supposed to lose to.

Honestly, that loss to Rutgers probably soured what should've been an acceptable season and turned it into one most Maryland fans would like to forget. It also called into question whether Edsall is really the man for the job.

Randy Edsall is a good coach who, I would say, can probably do well at Maryland even though he has to go up against tough schedules every year…2015 being no different. But unless something terrible happens at Ohio State, Michigan State stops being Michigan State, and Michigan continues to flounder…all 3 being very unlikely, Maryland is going to have a tough time getting any sort of foothold.

In order to take that next step and really compete, a change is probably needed here.

2015 Key Games:
9/26 @ West Virginia
10/3 vs Michigan
10/10 @ Ohio State
11/14 @ Michigan State

Hotness: Needs a Good Year

Jim Harbaugh - Michigan

2014 Record	Michigan Record	Season @ UM/Overall	Career Record	Age	Salary	2014 Hotness	2014 Key Games
N/A	0-0	1st/8th	58-27 (.682)	51	5.0M	N/A	N/A

EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!!!!!!

No really, it is.

Michigan shocked everyone…EVERYONE when they hired Jim Harbaugh back in December. In terms is grading collegiate hires, there is now a level above home run. There simply isn't better way to describe how important this hire was for the Wolverines. Time will tell, of course, but there is no better coach in the world that Jim Hackett could've found to make a bigger impact.

Now of course, he hasn't really done anything yet in Ann Arbor in terms of wins and losses. But the immediate impression he has made is enough to get every Michigan fan truly excited for the football season. And especially after the way the last season ended, that in and of itself is a miracle.

Jim has assembled an NFL-caliber staff in Ann Arbor. It is clear that Michigan is primed to compete at a level not seen around here in quite some time.

Realistic expectations for this season put Michigan in the 8-9 win range. If Harbaugh can deliver that, which would include of course at least one big win against a rival…of which both Michigan State and Ohio State both visit the Big House this year, which is a nice bonus for the first-year coach…then I think most Maize & Blue faithful will be satisfied with that.

Actually at this point, as long as Jim wears a headset, I think most Michigan fans will be happy.

2015 Key Games:
9/3 @ Utah
9/12 vs Oregon State
10/17 vs Michigan State
11/28 vs Ohio State

Hotness: Safe for Now

Mark Dantonio - Michigan State

Source

2014 Record	MSU Record	Season @ MSU/Overall	Career Record	Age	Salary	2014 Hotness	2014 Key Games
11-2 (7-1)	75-31 (45-19)	9th/12th	93-48 (.660)	59	3.64M	Green	2-2

The Michigan State job is going to be Mark's for as long as he wants it. He cemented his legacy over the last 2 seasons, which have been the best seasons in East Lansing since the 60's. Mark has more wins at MSU than George Perles and he did it in 4 fewer years.

Like Tom Izzo, he fits perfect in East Lansing. He represents the fanbase like no one else can. And as long as he can keep the Spartans in major bowl games and, more importantly, ahead of the Wolverines, he'll in good shape.

How 'bout that Cotton Bowl?!

How will MSU fare without former DC Pat Narduzzi? How will Dantonio fare against Harbaugh? How will he continue to fare against Urban? While Mark is surely safe for the time being, Michigan State fans got a sweet taste of success in 2013/2014 and will surely want to keep that going. If Michigan State becomes second fiddle to Urban/Harbaugh for the foreseeable future, will the fans tolerate a return to mediocre success?

Mark/MSU are not being judged on the same level as they once were. They're a legit contender now, for better or worse. 2015's schedule is going to tougher than a year ago with a lot of big games on the road...including the season opener at Western Michigan?!?!?!!

Come on Michigan State…you don't do this.

2015 Key Games:
9/12 vs Oregon
10/17 @ Michigan
11/7 @ Nebraska
11/21 @ Ohio State

MBN Hotness: Safe for Now

Urban Meyer - Ohio State

2014 Record	Ohio St. Record	Season @ OSU/Overall	Career Record	Age	Salary	2014 Hotness	2014 Key Games
14-1 (8-0)	38-3 (24-0)	4th/14th	142-26 (.845)	50	6.5M	Green	3-1

Urban is just fine.

/grumble

2015 Key Games:
9/7 @ Virginia Tech
10/17 vs Penn State
11/21 vs Michigan State
11/28 @ Michigan

MBN Hotness: Totally Safe

James Franklin - Penn State

Source

2014 Record	Penn St. Record	Season @ PSU/Overall	Career Record	Age	Salary	2014 Hotness	2014 Key Games
7-6 (2-6)	7-6 (2-6)	2nd/5th	31-21 (.596)	43	3.0M	Green	1-3

I don't know how I feel about James Franklin.

On one hand, I like his attitude. I think he's a good fit for Penn State right now which is still in a bit of a transitional period. He's very rah-rah, which is fine, because Penn State seems like a rah-rah kind of place. He's young and that has a lot of benefits when you're coaching college kids. There is a lot of upside there.

But as he enters year two in Happy Valley, there might not be a tougher job in college coaching than the one James has right now.

The Big Ten east was already loaded…and now with Harbaugh back at Michigan…Franklin now has three built-in games every year against three very tough programs with dynamic coaches who are established winners. But unlike Indiana or Maryland or Rutgers, Penn State probably has the best chance to compete year-in and year-out just based off of name-recognition alone.

Penn State will always be Penn State. James Franklin's job will be to maintain what's already been built there and continue to distance himself and his team from the ugliness that torpedo'd that program. In a way, that gives Franklin a bit of a pass…much like how Hoke got a pass for a few years after the Rich Rod mess. The fans want to move on and they want some stability. But you still gotta win and win big games…that's what Penn State is all about. Franklin failed to deliver that in year one.

2015 Key Games:
10/17 @ Ohio State
10/24 @ Maryland
11/21 vs Michigan
11/28 @ Michigan State

MBN Hotness: Safe for Now

Kyle Flood - Rutgers

Source

2014 Record	Rutgers Record	Season @ RU/Overall	Career Record	Age	Salary	2014 Hotness	2014 Key Games
8-5 (3-5)	23-16 (11-12)	4th/4th	23-16 (.590)	44	1.0M	Green	2-5

Kyle is the lowest paid coach in the Big Ten and the power 5 conferences as a whole. I don't know if that just means he's not that great or maybe he's the biggest bargain in coaching. Either way, Rutgers is getting a steal right now and that's good news for them.

Some say Kyle is flirting with the hot seat in his 4th season, which is typically the time when most middle-of-the-pack coaches tend to start to feel the heat. But I don't think that's the case with Flood. He's 23-16 overall at Rutgers and that's not bad all things considered. Schiano turned Rutgers around but it took him some time to do it. Kyle seems to have been able to continue that same Schiano level of success so far.

Last year, in Rutgers' debut season in the Big Ten, they struggled big time in games against the league's brass. But big conference wins against Michigan and Maryland and a bowl win against North Carolina were a nice cap to a relatively decent 8-win season.

But again, a narrow loss to Penn State, and being absolutely destroyed by Ohio State, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Michigan State show just exactly where Rutgers is right now and where they need to get to to compete.

2015 Key Games:
9/12 vs Washington State
9/19 @ Penn State
10/24 vs Ohio State
11/14 vs Nebraska
11/7 @ Michigan

MBN Hotness: Safe for Now