Ranking the 10 college football head coaching vacancies
Oct 31, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers wide receiver Rashad Still (88) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
All three Big Ten head coaching openings are good jobs, and none of the three is head and shoulders better or worse than the other, but Minnesota gets a slight edge over Maryland because the Golden Gophers play in the weaker Big Ten West and were trending upward as a program under the direction of Jerry Kill before Kill resigned due to health issues in late October. Kill took over prior to the 2011 season, and posted records of 3-9, 6-7, 8-5 and 8-5 before leaving with a 4-3 record this year.
Recruiting is a challenge for the Gophers since Minnesota isn’t stocked with powerhouse high school football programs and bordering states Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota don’t help much, either – although competition for the best players in the region is light compared to more talent-rich areas like the Southeast, Texas and California.
Also, the bitter winter climate of the Land of 10,000 Lakes makes it somewhat difficult to import players from warmer locales, though the Gophers do have ten players on the current roster from Texas, eight from Florida, five from Georgia and four from Alabama – so Kill did a decent job of selling the state and the program.
Facilities likely helped. Minnesota debuted a new on-campus stadium in 2009 that has already undergone renovations and improvements because the Minnesota Vikings are currently sharing it while waiting for their own new home.
The situation in Minnesota is unique among this year’s current head coach openings. Kill was in great standing, as was his staff. Interim head coach Tracy Claeys wants the job and has a good (though maybe not great) shot at getting it. Sticking with Claeys would help provide stability through the coaching change, especially since Minnesota doesn’t need a complete rebuild like many of the schools on this list.
Next: Illinois