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Big Ten Football: 3 most overrated head coaches heading into 2022

By Connor Muldowney

Oct 23, 2021; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin prior to the game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 23, 2021; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin prior to the game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 4, 2021; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz in the second quarter against the Michigan Wolverines at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 4, 2021; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz in the second quarter against the Michigan Wolverines at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa

If you enjoy watching a program play the same style of football for decades, Kirk Ferentz is your guy. He’s led Iowa to some success in his tenure in Iowa City, but he’s seemingly reached his ceiling.

It only took Ferentz four years to win 10-plus games and turn the program into a winning one but after a three-season stretch of 10-plus wins from 2002-04, he only won double-digit games in one of his next 10 campaigns. Winning 10 games at Iowa probably isn’t the easiest thing to do, but you’d think that after one of the most successful stretches in program history, things would continue to improve but they instead leveled out.

Ferentz has won seven or fewer games 10 times since taking over back in 1999 and has won nine or more just nine times. That’s not the best ratio, but it seems like he’s more likely to go 7-5 or 8-4 than he is to contend for division titles which should drive Iowa fans nuts, but they’re used to it. They seemingly don’t know any different so a division title every once every 6-7 years is enough for them.

Yet Ferentz continues to earn extensions from the school and can do no wrong in the athletic department’s eyes. Not many coaches have the leash he has.

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