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5 B1G assistants ranked among most ready for a head coach job
By Paul Harvey
Published:
The Big 10 will feature some great assistant coaches this season.
When it comes to coaches, it is usually a matter of “when” a good assistant gets a head coaching job and not a matter of “if.” Sure, some assistants prefer to stick around for the long haul, but the majority of good assistants eventually land a head position.
Heading into 2018, Pete Thamel with Yahoo! Sports ranked the top 20 assistants ready for a head coaching position, and the list featured a number of Big 10 coaches. While Clemson’s co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott occupied the top spot, Ohio State’s OC and acting coach Ryan Day was not far behind at No. 2:
If Meyer comes back, Day will resume a new role as redshirt sophomore Dwayne Haskins’ primary play caller. He got that role from co-coordinator Kevin Wilson after Mississippi State (head job) and the Tennessee Titans (coordinator) showed interest last year. More may call, as the early buzz on Haskins is strong.
Wisconsin DC Jim Leonhard and Ohio State DC Greg Schiano, who already has head coaching experience, also landed in the top five at No. 3 and No. 4 respectively. This looks like good news for the Buckeyes as they should be equipped to weather the storm should Urban Meyer miss any time this season.
Iowa’s Brian Ferentz (No. 19) and Penn State’s Ricky Rahne (No. 20) also made the list.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.