Who's next? Big Ten assistants ready to be head coaches

Greg Schiano was one. So was Bret Bielema. And P.J. Fleck, Mel Tucker, Ryan Day and Scott Frost, too.

All of those current Big Ten head coaches at one time were hot assistants. All 14 league bosses were before moving into the corner office with a big leather chair.

Who will be next to go from promising Big Ten assistant to head coach?

This is a look at the assistant on each Big Ten staff that is best poised to be a head coach one day.

NOTE: Current Big Ten assistants who already have been head coaches weren't considered, though they too could one day ascend back to the head coach chair. Penn State's Manny Diaz, Purdue's Ron English, Maryland's Dan Enos, Nebraska's Mark Whipple among them.

Defensive coordinator Ryan Walters. In his second season in Champaign, Walters is considered one of the nation's top young coaches. He arrived at Illinois following six seasons at Missouri, including three as the Tigers' DC and two as co-defensive coordinator. A top Xs and Os mind, Walters engineered one of the best defensive turnarounds in the nation in 2021 for Bret Bielema.

Defensive coordinator/linebackers Chad Wilt. A 21-year coaching veteran, Wilt spent the last two seasons as defensive line coach at Minnesota for P.J. Fleck before Tom Allen grabbed him. The personable Wilt connects well on the recruiting trail. And he’s a good coach, too. In 2021, the Golden Gophers finished second in the Big Ten in total defense (278.8, 3rd nationally), scoring defense (17.3, T-6th nationally), rushing defense (97.5, 8th), and passing defense (181.2, 8th). Not bad.

Special teams coordinator LeVar Woods. He's one of the top special teams coordinators in the country and has outstanding leadership skills, filling several roles on the Iowa staff under Kirk Ferentz. The former Hawkeye played seven years in the NFL, which he sells on the recruiting trail.

Defensive coordinator/d-line coach Brian Williams. He’s in his first season leading the Terp defense after serving on Mike Locksley's maiden Maryland staff, working as the outside linebackers coach in 2019 and d-line coach in 2020 before being elevated to co-defensive coordinator in 2021. Williams is regarded as one of the best recruiters in the nation, too. How good? Since Williams' arrival, the Terps have had three consecutive top-35 classes.

Co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Sherrone Moore. He is in his fourth season in Ann Arbor and his second coaching the line and serving as co-OC after three seasons leading tight ends (2018-20). Moore developed the Wolverine line into a physical, hard-nosed unit, the force behind an offense that generated 6,023 total yards in 2021, the second-highest single-season total in program history.

Defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton. A few years ago, it may have been MSU secondary coach Harlon Barnett. OC/QB coach Jay Johnson has quietly impressed the last couple of years. And assistant head coach/run game coordinator/offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic may be the most nationally-respected assistant on staff, but o-line coaches sometimes have a hard time getting head coaching jobs. So, Hazelton is the pick, though his defense does have something to prove in 2022.

Defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Joe Rossi. Minnesota has thrived with Rossi leading the defense, with the Gophers sporting a 26-11 mark since he took over with four games left in 2018. Rossi joined the Minnesota staff in January 2017 and has served in a number of different roles before being named the defensive coordinator/linebackers coach in November 2018.

Associate head coach-receivers/passing game coordinator Mickey Joseph. He has an “it” factor that would win over a locker room. Joseph is a former Husker quarterback who is in his first season back in Lincoln. He has nearly three decades of coaching experience. Tight ends coach Sean Beckton also is one to watch.

RB coach/recruiting coordinator Lou Ayeni. He returned to his alma mater as the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator in 2018. Ayeni has excelled ever since. His backs all have similar qualities: toughness, smarts and productivity. And, get this: Ayeni has coached a 1,000-yard runner at each of his coaching stops. His organizational and recruiting skills are without peer.

Passing game coordinator/receivers coach Brian Hartline. He has recruited and mentored some of the best wide receivers in the nation during his four years as the program’s receivers coach. And Hartline will have increased responsibility with the offensive game plan beginning in 2022 with his promotion to passing game coordinator. There is no faster-rising assistant in the Big Ten.

Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Mike Yurcich. He has 23 years of college coaching experience and 16 years as an offensive coordinator, working at places like Texas, Ohio State and Oklahoma State. Another hot Penn State name: co-DC/safeties coach Anthony Poindexter, who almost became head coach at Virginia—his alma mater—after last season.

Co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach Mark Hagen. The time is now for Hagen, who is one of the best-kept secrets in the nation. Hagen has developed some top d-lines during coaching stops at Indiana, Texas and Texas A&M. And some of his best work has come at Purdue, where he doubles as a top recruiter.

Offensive line Augie Hoffmann. The easy answer here would be OC Sean Gleeson, but Hoffmann is the name to watch. He was an All-Big East guard at Boston College in 2003 who was with the New Orleans Saints from 2004-06. He became head coach at New Jersey prep powerhouse St. Joesph Regional in 2014, winning two state titles. Hoffmann joined the Rutgers staff in 2020 as running backs coach, proving to be strong recruiter. He has a bright future.

Defensive coordinator/safeties Jim Leonhard. Intelligent, good with players, recruits well, his glistening resume speaks for itself. Time and again, Leonhard has built some of the Big Ten's best defenses--without mega talent. There is no hotter name on this list. It's not a matter of if--but when--Leonhard will be a head coach.

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