Big Ten Basketball: Ranking all 14 head coaches in 2023 offseason
By Joey Loose
![Feb 16, 2021; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter fist bumps Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo after the game at Mackey Arena. The Purdue Boilermakers defeated the Michigan State Spartans 75 to 65. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports Feb 16, 2021; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter fist bumps Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo after the game at Mackey Arena. The Purdue Boilermakers defeated the Michigan State Spartans 75 to 65. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/9c805657416c972ff30890dec001a67e0d3c9cb203293b6928e3d114a83acf68.jpg)
We’re just a few weeks removed from the end of this year’s NCAA Tournament, meaning we’re in one of the crazier periods of the college basketball season. Events from the Transfer Portal continue to run rampant, with schools all over the country trying to fill out their rosters with the hundreds of available players.
The major schools and the power conferences are landing all of the top talent these last few weeks and that’s certainly true in the Big Ten. While this conference hasn’t exactly had great luck in the postseason in recent years, a slew of Big Ten Basketball teams has been prominent programs. Purdue was a top seed before their untimely undoing and programs like Illinois, Penn State, and Rutgers have had revivals in recent years. We could go on and on about the conference; everyone knows it’s one of the best even if the NCAA Tournament results aren’t there.
With each passing year, the scene in college basketball changes dramatically and that change is ever amplified by the Transfer Portal. These schools wouldn’t be able to make these big changes and land top prospects without their leadership. The head coaches are ever important in college basketball and there’s a fine selection of coaches leading the programs in the Big Ten. There was just one head coaching change in the conference this year, though things will certainly look different soon with UCLA and USC joining in 2024.
We’re still focused on the current Big Ten, but today’s goal is to look more closely at the current state of coaching in the league. We’ll be ranking the head coaches in the Big Ten as they currently stand. Things are constantly changing in the Big Ten, but many of these names have been here for more than a couple of years. Keeping in mind both their histories and recent success, here’s our ranking of the Big Ten coaches.