Badger of Honor
Fansided

Wisconsin Badgers: Top five coaches in the Big Ten

By Tanner Nestle

MIAMI GARDENS, FL - DECEMBER 30: Head coach Paul Chryst of the Wisconsin Badgers cheers during the 2017 Capital One Orange Bowl against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
MIAMI GARDENS, FL - DECEMBER 30: Head coach Paul Chryst of the Wisconsin Badgers cheers during the 2017 Capital One Orange Bowl against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next

5. Jim Harbaugh – Michigan

ANN ARBOR, MI – SEPTEMBER 9: University of Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh watches the warm-up prior to the start of the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Michigan Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.(Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MI – SEPTEMBER 9: University of Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh watches the warm-up prior to the start of the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Michigan Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.(Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /

We’ve come a long way in the Harbaugh saga. He was going to save Michigan football from what Brady Hoke did to it. He actually kind of did, and also didn’t. Harbaugh has put together some good teams in his brief stint at Michigan, but hasn’t been able to get over the hump in rivalry games. He’s currently sitting on a 1-5 combined record against Michigan State and Ohio State and hasn’t made the Big Ten Championship Game in any of his three years. He’s 2-1 against Penn State in his time at Michigan.

Harbaugh is a great coach. We won’t dispute that. He took over the program and led it to back-to-back 10-win seasons and has recruited at a very high level. The biggest knock on Harbaugh is his inability to win the big game(s) and meet Michigan’s expectations. He had a reputation for being a ‘quarterback whisperer’ but hasn’t been able to develop a quarterback at all since he arrived in Ann Arbor. This year won’t be any different since the starter will likely be Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson.

The rest of the head coaches on this list have all accomplished more than Harbaugh has in recent years. He may be capable of doing more than some of these coaches, but he has to prove it. This year could be it for Michigan. The Wolverines had an incredible defense last season and return just about everybody on that side of the ball. Add in Patterson on offense and Michigan could be one of the most complete teams in the country. It’s up to Harbaugh to put it all together. And he faces every single one of the coaches ahead of him on this list in 2018.

Home/Big Ten News