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Luke Fickell, Lincoln Riley and More: 5 Big Ten Coaches With Something to Prove

Big Ten coaches under pressure in 2025: Fickell, Riley, Lanning and more face key seasons

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Aug 30
Aug 30

By Mike Huesmann

This article is part four of five where I go through each Power Four conference and the Group of 5 looking at coaches who have something to prove in 2025 and what exactly they have to prove. We have reached our last P4 conference here. I started with the SEC, Big 12 was next, and ACC third.

Luke Fickell, Wisconsin

Where Do I Start?

Fickell was an elite coach at Cincinnati but has been disappointing for the Badgers. He has gone 7-6 and 5-7 in two full seasons. He wasn’t paid a war chest to be average. Somehow, he was given an extension this offseason. 

Little has gone right under his tenure in Madison, Wis., injuries included, but the progress on the field has lacked quality. My impression was another poor season would get him fired, though now that buyout is extensive. Comparing his teams with his Cincinnati teams, even when factoring in the tougher conference, shows us that something just isn’t working. Maybe more than one thing. Will he fix it and how much time will the Wisconsin brass give him to fix it? 

Dan Lanning, Oregon

Can He Make a Playoff Run?

Winning games and getting to the College Football Playoff is no longer enough for Oregon. Winning a playoff game, at least one, and having a shot at a title is where they are at. 

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They’ve been the “almost” team for a while and now it’s time to get over the hump. Oregon was the best regular season team in the country last year but had a disappointing ending in a lopsided Rose Bowl loss to Ohio State. Lanning is at the doorstep of being an elite coach already. Some playoff wins certainly put him in that exclusive club.

DeShaun Foster, UCLA

Can UCLA Get to a Bowl Game?

Year one was a disappointment for the Bruins under Foster but there have been signs of improvement. They were significantly better the second half of the season, winning four of the final six games, and now they have a nationally recognized QB. News this week that Nico Iamaleava would transfer from Tennessee has made national headlines, though in truth, I was pleased Joey Aguilar transferred in. The schedule, both conference and nonconference, aren’t doing the Bruins any favors this year. If UCLA makes a bowl game, Foster can keep building. If they miss a bowl game, he probably enters 2026 on the hot seat.

Mike Locksley, Maryland

Can He Ever Be More Than Mediocre?

Locksley has been an FBS head coach for 10 seasons and has never won more than eight games. He has been below average record-wise and has only had three winning seasons in those 10 years. 

Those three winning seasons were in a row and before last year, he won seven, eight and eight. But that isn’t good enough for the Big Ten, unless Maryland isn’t serious about football. He is 33-41 in seven years at Maryland and was an awful 2-26 at New Mexico. Can he get that elusive ninth win? Does Maryland care that he does?

Lincoln Riley, USC

Can He Keep His Job?

Riley is entering year four and has regressed in each season going from 11 wins, to eight and then seven. His first two years he was fortunate to have Caleb Williams, who followed him from Oklahoma. Last year it was Miller Moss—who has since transferred to Louisville—and Jayden Maiava, who previously succeeded at UNLV. Maiava looks to be the guy now, and QB guru Riley better work his magic in 2025. 

He has had plenty of phenomenal offenses, at both schools, but his defenses have been abysmal for multiple seasons. Riley has to take the blame for that because it extended past Alex Grinch’s tenure. The talent on this squad looks solid but the schedule is no walk in the park. If they don’t win nine games, I don’t know if Riley sees 2026. 

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