Big Ten football has been notorious for exceptionally competitive games, and national relevance for multiple team members. The league’s relevance took a major hit due to its commissioner, Kevin Warren. The conference’s coaching carousel (both current and future) hasn’t helped the league either.
COVID has certainly added difficulty in planning for and directing a season. Coaches left and right have been impacted in how they coach, along with cancellations and other changes in between. Two coaches proved themselves to not be up to the challenge of dealing with change. Jim Harbaugh and James Franklin each underwhelmed in their efforts to work through this mired season. Harbaugh had a few top athletes opt out; Franklin’s squad had opt outs and a few key injuries. These two coaches of traditional powers are paid handsomely to handle these sorts of issues. Harbaugh now is clinging to his position, and it appears as though U of M may keep him for one more year. (He just fired his Defensive Coordinator – a clear indication that UM’s administration said – make some staff changes, or we will fire you.) Harbaugh’s last year of his contract is 2021; I think U of M sees that a millions of dollars buyout of his contract is not something they can afford or want to afford (see Will Muschamp for 13 million, and Gus Malzahn for a whopping 21 million). James Franklin just inked a deal in February that keeps him at Penn State through 2025. Penn State will lose big bucks if they fire him now. Thanks to Sports Illustrated for walking us through Penn State’s woeful contract with Franklin. Look for moderate improvements from the Wolverines and Nittany Lions in 2021. Improvements worthy of their massive contracts? I doubt it.
Kirk Ferentz dodged the firing bullet this past summer. Current and former Iowa players alleged that he and his staff were overtly racist in some dialogues with athletes, and also racist in their decision making for playing time between white athletes and people of color. How Kirk Ferentz (and Chris Doyle – Ferentz’s strength and conditioning coach) averted the chopping block is a textbook definition of sleight of hand. Ferentz denied the allegations, met with current and former players, then ultimately indicated ‘he would do better’. In today’s (rightly) heightened attention to racism and inclusion, it is surprising that Ferentz isn’t on the street right now looking for a new job. I hope that Ferentz’s personal pleas to the athletes were honest and heartfelt, not just calculated and proper to appease the masses.
The verdict is still out on Michigan State’s coaching change this past spring. MSU made a great hire in Mel Tucker. He was hired to rebuild a program that rose to great heights then began falling fast under Mark Dantonio. Tucker’s inaugural season allowed for two massive program building upset victories over the University of Michigan and Northwestern, and disappointing losses to Iowa (a 49-7 blowout), and Penn State (39-24). If Tucker can remedy the inconsistency of the 2020 team, Sparty should be back on track in 2021.
The shining light of coaches in the mass of confusion that is Big Ten football can be found at Ohio State, Northwestern, and Minnesota. Ryan Day has managed COVID (including contracting the virus himself) wisely, and led the team to a 6-0 season. No thanks to Commissioner Kevin Warren (much more on Warren in a moment), OSU did all it could to win the games on its schedule, and pass the eye test as a final four team. Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald has masterfully assembled a program that wins year in and year out, despite being in the lower half of the conference in amenities and support. And while many don’t like PJ Fleck’s ‘Row the Boat’ slogan (the dislike is that Fleck trademarked the phrase), there’s no denying that Minnesota has a team that can win. If Fleck moves on, Minnesota will slip within minutes of his departure.
The final ‘coach’ up for discussion is the ‘coach’ of the Big Ten. Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren did all he could to take the Big Ten out of the national conversation for football relevance this year. His opening salvo in the COVID prep wars was essentially, ‘we aren’t having a football season.’. He made this statement with the arrogant thought that ‘since we are the Big Ten’ that the other conferences would fall in line. Silly Kevin, you forgot one thing. Your conference is NOT the top football conference in the land. That title is held by the SEC. While the Big Ten is the pre-eminent athletics conference (when considering all the sports), it is not the number one conference for football.
Instead, the SEC, ACC, and Big 12 worked toward a season with safety measures and stop gaps in place to allow for cancelled games to be rescheduled, and ultimately allowed for their seasons to be played with room for rescheduling. The Big Ten (see Kevin Warren) eventually capitulated with an overwhelming ‘yea’ vote from the university presidents to have a season. Late to recognize his failing, Mr. Warren’s deferred decision to move toward a season left only a very few available days for rescheduling canceled games. The result is an Ohio State team who by the eye test alone is clearly a top four team but is unfairly maligned for having only played six games (and won them all).
Kevin Warren would have been better off in the beginning by discussing safety for the athletes and staffs under his watch as the ultimate priority, and he and his own staff could have then continued to evaluate and confer with the Big Ten membership to chart the best path for all involved. Warren nearly dashed the Big Ten’s football season, and its chances at bowl games and national relevance galore. Ohio State single handedly saved him.
Next step, lets watch his mismanagement of the NCAA’s cash cow – men’s basketball. Instead of waiting, an immediate ouster of Kevin Warren with a vote of no confidence is warranted – if I were a Big Ten university president and witnessed Kevin Warren’s football charade, there’s no way I’d risk another stumble with the sport of basketball. It is time for Warren to go. His struggles as a Minnesota Vikings admin, and his failure as Big Ten Commish show that he simply isn’t capable of handling the big job. If Kevin Warren can move on (university presidents move him on), the Big Ten can begin returning to its original greatness in 2021. If he stays, look for another fumble that sets the conference back even further.
Paul MacDonald - Sports Broadcaster 