The Big Ten college football season is fast approaching. Head coaches will be put under the microscope as teams battle it out in the power conference. Let’s look at five Big Ten coaches with the most to prove in the 2025 season.
Top 5 Big Ten Coaches With the Most To Prove in 2025
1. Lincoln Riley (USC)
Lincoln Riley must be feeling the pressure entering his fourth season as USC’s head coach. Many expected great things from the Trojans after they posted an 11-win campaign in Riley’s first year at USC in 2022. However, USC failed to meet expectations, racking up an 8-5 record in 2023 and settling for a 7-6 slate last year.
Is Lincoln Riley the right guy for USC?
2022: 11-3
2023: 8-5
2024: 7-6 pic.twitter.com/5kbmlZ00c6— Big CFB Energy (@BigCfbEnergy) May 1, 2025
The onus is on Riley to lead USC to the top of the Big Ten Conference and reach the College Football Playoff for the first time since he took over as coach. The Trojans, who have added defensive lineman Keeshawn Silver and cornerback DJ Harvey to their roster, will start their Big Ten schedule with games against Purdue, Michigan State, and Illinois.
2. Luke Fickell (Wisconsin)
Luke Fickell’s job could be on the line in 2025 after Wisconsin’s disappointing showing last year. The Badgers finished the 2024 campaign with a 5-7 slate, the first time Fickell experienced a losing record since 2017, when he was Cincinnati’s head coach.
Fickell, who has a 12-13 overall record across the last two seasons at Wisconsin, will need to produce results soon to secure his job. The Badgers, who added edge rusher Tyreese Fearbry and quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. to their team this offseason, will begin their Big Ten campaign with games against Maryland, Michigan, and Iowa.
3. Mike Locksley (Maryland)
After a long period of success at Maryland, Mike Locksley experienced difficulty last season. The Terrapins had their first losing season under Locksley since 2020, finishing the 2024 campaign with a 4-8 record.
Maryland struggled with its offense after Locksley took over play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Josh Gattis in October of last year, averaging just 16.7 points and 338 total yards per contest. They concluded their campaign with an embarrassing 44-7 loss to Penn State in their regular-season finale.
The Terrapins, who have added cornerback Dontay Joyner and edge rusher DD Holmes to their roster, will start their Big Ten schedule with matchups against Wisconsin, Washington, and Nebraska.
4. Sherrone Moore (Michigan)
Sherrone Moore had huge shoes to fill when he accepted the head coaching job at Michigan in 2024. He replaced Jim Harbaugh, who led the Wolverines to the national championship last year. Moore did post a winning record in his first year in charge, leading Michigan to an 8-5 slate in the 2024 season, including victories against Alabama, USC, and arch-rivals Ohio State.
This isn’t enough, however, to satisfy Michigan fans, who expect their team to reach the College Football Playoff year in and year out. The Wolverines, who have added running back Justice Haynes and defensive lineman Tre Williams to their lineup, will open their Big Ten campaign with games against Nebraska, Wisconsin, and USC.
5. DeShaun Foster (UCLA)
DeShaun Foster had mixed results in his first year as UCLA’s head coach. Foster posted a losing record in the 2024 season with a 5-7 slate, but he finished strong, leading the Bruins to a 4-2 record in their final six games.
It is important for Foster to build on that success and rack up victories quickly for UCLA to start the 2025 season. The Bruins, who have added quarterback Nico Iamaleava and running back Jaivian Thomas to their roster, will start their Big Ten schedule with games against Northwestern, Penn State, and Michigan State.
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