Big Ten How Did The First-Year B1G Football Coaches Do In 2024?

There is always some sort of movement on the coaching carousel, and last season was no different for Big Ten football. Michigan, Indiana, Michigan State, UCLA, and Washington all had new coaches last season, so how did they do?

Curt Cignetti – Indiana

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Former head coach Tom Allen was fired at the end of the 2023 season, after posting records of 2-10, 4-8, and 3-9. Enter Curt Cignetti as Indiana’s new head coach last season.

Cignetti executed one of the biggest turnarounds that we’ve seen (or are likely to see) in modern college football. The Hoosiers went 10-0 for the first time ever and landed in the CFP. They may have lost to Notre Dame (and earlier, to Ohio State), but the season wildly exceeded all expectations that existed for the Hoosiers.

Now the trick will be to keep it up.

Jedd Fisch – Washington

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We’re familiar with Kalen DeBoer’s exit from Seattle, and Jedd Fisch’s thankless entry into a bare cupboard.

It was going to be an uphill battle for washinton, and so losses to Penn State and Oregon were not unexpected. The losses to Rutgers, Iowa, Indiana, and especially Washington State had to hurt, though. Given that, victories against Michigan and USC were good wins.

The huskies’ recruiting ranking in for 2025 is not bad (#23), and they may not be in the Top-10 territory of Oregon, OSU, and Michigan, but it’s acceptable for where the program is at.

DeShaun Foster – UCLA

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Here is another exit that we are familiar with. Chip Kelly bolted for Ohio State while he could, leaving UCLA’s roster in shambles.

DeShaun Foster did the best he could with what (little) he had, and UCLA ended with a 5-7 record. He’ll need more than a season for us to see whether he has the Bruins back on a positive track.

Perhaps the best indicator of how far UCLA has fallen is that they’re recruiting rank is #42 in the 2025 class. Historically, the Bruins have been much better than this, so their struggle in the modern college football era is uncharted territory in Westwood.

Jonathan Smith – MSU

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Jonathan Smith is obviously another coach that we’re familiar with. Mel Tucker only had one winning season in the four seasons that he headed the Spartans, and MSU posted records of 5-7 and 4-8 before he completely flamed out.

Smith probably would not have left OSU if the Pac-12 had remained intact in some form. We’ll never know, because with the NW powers leaving for the B1G, Smith had to find a landing spot, and that spot was Michigan State.

Jonathan Smith ended 2024 with a 5-7 record. The Spartans have a #57 2025 recruiting class. Smith did all he could really be expected to do in 2024. He knows how to turn a program around, so will we see signs of renewed life in 2025?

Sherrone Moore – Michigan

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The previous three teams had notable head coach exits, but none of them would be as infamous as Jim Harbaugh leaving a scandal-riddled, national championship program for the LA Chargers.

Michigan promoted from within in bumping Sherrone Moore into the head coach position. Moore was not completely bereft of talent, and the Wolverines ended not only with an 8-5 season, but defeated #11 Alabama in the ReliaQuest bowl. (It was in Tampa, that’s all I know).

Michigan is still recruiting at a high level, and are #6 in the 2025 class. They aren’t going anywhere, but Moore has to maintain an upward trajectory if he wants to remain as the head coach in Ann Arbor.