"If every Power 5 job in America opened tomorrow ..."
Which would be most desirable? Which would have the least appeal?
That is again the hypothetical question we're posing in our second annual attempt to rank the Power 5 head coaching jobs, from worst to best.
Beginning today with the bottom tier, we'll count down from 65 to 1. There's a new top job this year; Texas, last year's No. 1, has been bumped.
We've broken down the jobs into five categories, using the expectations for the program as it stands today as a general guideline for the groupings. A five-person panel of ESPN college football reporters -- Travis Haney, Chris Low, Ryan McGee, Adam Rittenberg and Mark Schlabach -- settled on the rankings, considering criteria such as location, recruiting base, budgets and administrative stability. Thoughts from coaches, agents and administrators were then solicited for feedback on the rankings.
Tier 5: Simply trying to become relevant
65. Kansas, Big 12
Current head coach: David Beaty (second year)
2015 rank: 63 | 2015 record: 0-12
The Jayhawks fell two spots from last year's rankings into the cellar in 2016, where, let's be honest, many coaches would have placed them a year ago. A winless season was a harsh reminder of how lowly the Kansas job is, and how difficult it will be for second-year coach Beaty to turn things around.
The challenge: There's rock bottom, and then there's Rock Chalk bottom. Including the 0-12 season in 2015, Kansas has gone 12-60 since 2010. It has won three Big 12 games in that span. Then there's the talent pool. The state, and specifically the Kansas City metro area, does not produce enough prospects for KU to be even intermittently successful in the Big 12. That puts the emphasis on recruiting the state of Texas, but the Jayhawks are 500 miles away and way, way down the pecking order in the Lone Star State.
The bright side: Big 12 administrators have told Insider that they like AD Sheahon Zenger, although his decision to hire Charlie Weis in 2011 clearly set a program struggling to find its footing back several years. In his defense, Zenger had just started the job when he hired Weis and he might have gotten it right with his subsequent hire of Beaty, a former KU assistant and Texas high school coach, who is a far more sensible fit. Some might view KU's reputation as a basketball school as a lag on the football program's success, but interest on the hardwood keeps the expectation and pressure incredibly low on the gridiron. Also, there's nowhere to go but up -- unless the Big 12 pursues expansion, of course.
64. Iowa State, Big 12
Current head coach: Matt Campbell (first year)
2015 rank: 64 | 2015 record: 3-9
A coaching change often provides a window into how a particular job is viewed within the industry. It's worth noting the level of candidates that are targeted by a program for an opening, those who are interested, and who is eventually hired. That's why coaches were surprised to see an up-and-comer, Toledo's Campbell, go to Ames, Iowa, after Paul Rhoads was fired. They thought he could do better, frankly. Conversely, a Big 12 coach recently told Insider that he thought Iowa State should have selected a coach who would implement either a wide-open spread or option-style offense. "To win there, you've got to do something different," he said.
The challenge: You're essentially dealing with the same recruiting hurdles as Kansas, only there is no K.C. metro area from which to draw a handful of players. A staff has to be doggedly aggressive, and it has to travel quite a bit. Despite the obstacles, Campbell's first recruiting class is marginally better than Rhoads' final few classes, which is notable since he had a limited time to piece it together. Predictably, it was a geographical hodgepodge, and Campbell quickly understood that jucos would be a key piece of his program-building. The class included seven, including three of the top nine players signed.
The bright side: Rhoads leaves behind a solid offensive nucleus in quarterback Joel Lanning, running back Mike Warren and receiver Allen Lazard. It'll take more than that to build success, clearly, but that's not a bad starting point for a new coach. Opposing coaches appreciated the way AD Jamie Pollard stood by Rhoads, especially after his impassioned criticism of officiating in 2014 resulted in a $25,000 fine. Then again, he fired Rhoads a year later.
63. Wake Forest, ACC
Current head coach: Dave Clawson (third year)
2015 rank: 65 | 2015 record: 3-9
Clawson took offense to being ranked last in these rankings a year ago, which is understandable on some level. But other coaches argued that it wouldn't be so bad, because he could operate with expectations as low as they get in major college football. Even in "jumping" to No. 63, that principle still holds true.
The challenge: Clawson sees being a private, academic school in the ACC as a positive, something to set Wake apart. While it's true on the surface, high admissions standards still create limitations that other schools in the league -- including those in the state of North Carolina -- are not facing. Stanford has figured out a way to beat the odds because it has a national reputation, academically and now in football, which allows the Cardinal to recruit nationally. Wake simply isn't there. The Deacons' 2016 recruiting class featured 22 commitments; all but six came from North Carolina or states that border it. The farthest signee was from Ohio.
The bright side: It's that relatively low level of expectation, an anomaly in a Power 5 league. Jim Grobe won an average of 5.9 games a season over 13 years, and he was widely heralded as a miracle worker. Also, if you're recruiting properly, you wind up with smart, motivated players. Look at the class Clawson just signed: All 22 players were captains on their high school teams. That's amazing.
62 (tie). Purdue, Big Ten
Current head coach: Darrell Hazell (fourth year)
2015 rank: 61 | 2015 record: 2-10
It was a positive sign for the program that its power brokers and decision-makers convened last June in California for a "summit." The chairman of the university's board of trustees was there. Even Drew Brees attended. Why was that a good thing? It showed people cared. There's a desire to alter the course following a disastrous 6-30 three-year run to start Hazell's tenure. After going 2-10 in 2015, it has to be his last year if the trend doesn't shift.
The challenge: At this point, any replacement for Hazell would be beginning while the school is enduring its worst three-year period since the World War II era. The fact that the "summit" was even necessary is an illustration of the pit in which the Boilermakers are mired. In terms of location, coaches and agents agree that West Lafayette is perhaps the worst college setting in the Big Ten, a tough draw for prospects even if they're from nearby Indianapolis or Chicago. Texas formed the backbone of former coach Joe Tiller's successful tenure -- Brees included -- but competition in that state is fiercer than it used to be.
The bright side: Even amid the struggles for Hazell and his staff, the Boilermakers have been able to recruit nationally. They're all 3-star-types, but few of their players come from the state, so there are inroads in California and Florida. In the Big Ten West, what coaches consider the weakest Power 5 division, there should be enough available talent for more than six wins in three seasons.
62 (tie). Vanderbilt, SEC
Current head coach: Derek Mason (third year)
2015 rank: 59 (tie) | 2015 record: 4-8
James Franklin successfully demonstrated the model for making Vanderbilt -- despite its drawbacks -- a visible, attractive option in the SEC. It's a total sales job -- gimmicks and talking as if you're constantly using a megaphone. Franklin's efforts, which produced consecutive nine-win seasons in 2012 and 2013, will be difficult to duplicate. That has proven true in Mason's 7-17 start.
The challenge: It's obvious. It's the only private school in the most competitive, and most ruthless, power conference in America. Good luck with that. Admissions is a hurdle that makes it all but impossible for sustained success; you simply are not afforded the flexibility that your rivals are. The stadium is by far the worst in the conference. Games are lifeless. You can be a block or two away from the stadium and not know there's a game going on. Franklin had pumped some life into the home environment, but there's a related problem there: If a coach excels at Vandy, as Franklin did, he probably isn't going to stay very long.
The bright side: Nashville is widely viewed as the best city in the SEC. That's a big selling point for recruits. It's also growing, with thousands moving to the area each year. And that's turning the Midstate into a better recruiting area than it has been in past years. (Tennessee is figuring that out, too.) While the stadium itself is lacking, the indoor facility is well ahead of many counterparts. Georgia, for one, just broke ground on its long-awaited indoor facility.
60. Washington State, Pac-12
Current head coach: Mike Leach (fifth year)
2015 rank: 62 | 2015 record: 9-4
After winning 12 total games in his first three years, Leach broke through in 2015 with a nine-win season. It was the program's most victories in a season since 2003, denoting the difficulty of sustaining success in the modern Pac-12.
The challenge: The eastern part of the state is beautiful, but it's also remote. Those who have worked there still roll their eyes about having to drive across the state line, to Moscow, Idaho, to get a decent meal. Imagine then asking recruits to leave Seattle, or populated areas in California, for Pullman. The other schools in the league, including the in-state rival located in Seattle, have a gigantic advantage. Leach's classes have accordingly been rated in the mid-50s and low-60s.
The bright side: Facilities are no issue after the unveiling of a dazzling $60 million football building in June 2014. It's on par with any in the country, division rival Oregon included. There's also a recent history of winning, going back to Dennis Erickson and Mike Price, and hiring someone such as Leach -- with a particular offensive style and system, the Air Raid in this case -- was wise on AD Bill Moos' part. As one coach indicated when talking about Iowa State, remotely located schools often have to offset recruiting disadvantages by being different. Moos is a Wazzu guy, and those who know him talk about his loyalty. He's going to be patient with his coaches, as he has shown that with Leach.
59. Syracuse, ACC
Current head coach: Dino Babers (first year)
2015 rank: 57 | 2015 record: 4-8
It isn't a closely guarded secret that Syracuse was primarily added to the ACC for its basketball program and, in theory, the New York television market. Football was an afterthought, even though that's far from the case in the majority of realignment moves. The rub is that the Orange probably would have been competitive in the American Athletic Conference, but it has proven to be regularly outgunned in the ACC (14 wins in three seasons). To that end, agents and those close to Syracuse's coaching search say Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost had a choice between Syracuse and UCF, and he chose the AAC school because it provided a better opportunity.
The challenge: This bottom tier, for the most part, continues to illustrate how much of a handicap location can be. Syracuse is another example. Even those who went to school there poke fun at how dreary it is year-round, especially during the winter months. The worn-down Carrier Dome hasn't seen any major renovations since 1999; the school's leaders continue to debate what should be done to update or replace the aging, multisport facility.
The bright side: The Babers hire fit with the "be different" theme you're seeing among many hires in this bottom tier. There aren't too many spread-tempo teams in the ACC. It figures to help offset some of Syracuse's recruiting disadvantages and where its talent and depth might be deficient in relation to the rest of the ACC.
58. Indiana, Big Ten
Current head coach: Kevin Wilson (sixth year)
2015 rank: 59 (tie) | 2015 record: 6-7
Several coaches and agents thought the Hoosiers would be closer to the cellar, which is difficult to argue with since 2015 marked just the program's second bowl appearance since 1993. But there seems to be a pulse currently; some of these other programs, rival Purdue included, cannot say that.
The challenge: As with Kansas, it's a plus and a minus being part of a hoops-centric athletic department. The football coach does not deal with nearly as much pressure, but there's also significantly less attention. When you need something, it's often going to fall behind the basketball team's wish list. That's important to note at IU since it has one of the smallest budgets in the league. Also, no program is more hopeful that the Big Ten re-examines its division splits. Indiana has undoubtedly improved under Wilson, but its ceiling is limited when placed alongside Ohio State, Michigan State, Michigan and Penn State in the Big Ten East. At least one coach thought that the 2015 Hoosiers might have competed for a division title if they were in the West Division.
The bright side: AD Fred Glass seems to have proper perspective when it comes to expectation, which is why he has been patient with Wilson. (In January, on the heels of the bowl berth, he even gave Wilson a six-year extension.) Glass seems to grasp the relative importance of football in the big picture. He mentioned in a recent interview with a Fort Wayne newspaper that filling the 50,000-seat stadium would boost revenue by $7 million. Wilson's contract stability serves as an example that he's going to give football the means to improve.
57. Boston College, ACC
Current head coach: Steve Addazio (fourth year)
2015 rank: 55 (tie) | 2015 record: 3-9
Reaching bowl games in eight of the 11 seasons since it joined the ACC, an argument can be made that no program has overachieved more in the past decade. After all, the ACC added BC for many of the same main reasons that Syracuse came on board (hoops, television market).
The challenge: Despite being in a major metro area, it isn't in a city (or region) that produces anything close to elite college talent. Only two members of the 2016 class were from Massachusetts. On top of that, being a private Catholic school leads the staff to further narrow its recruiting focus. It's no wonder that our recruiting writers wrote in December that BC is the most difficult recruiting Power 5 job in the country. This isn't a gig for just anyone, and Addazio, a tough-minded New England native, knew exactly what he was getting into when he left Temple. Even in a 3-9 season in 2015, the Eagles had the best defense in the country in terms of yards per play allowed.
The bright side: Recent history is the best thing BC has going for it. It isn't a place devoid of all hope and momentum. There's evidence that you can win there, even in the face of some turnover and the conference change. Four different coaches have taken the program to bowl games since 2005. There are also a lot worse places to live and work than Boston, even if BC operates in relative obscurity in the western suburbs.
56. Rutgers, Big Ten
Current head coach: Chris Ash (first year)
2015 rank: 53 | 2015 record: 4-8
It was a taxing fall for the school, which fired both its coach and AD amid on-field struggles and off-field ordeals. That level of instability would normally raise serious red flags with prospective coaches, but many in the college football world see AD Julie Hermann's dismissal as a huge plus in Rutgers' column. New leadership was sorely needed.
The challenge: The Big Ten added Rutgers in large part because of its connection to the New York television market, but it had to be concerned that the athletic department is subsidized to some extent by the school. (The Big Ten television deals should eventually satisfy some, or all, of that.) Winning would obviously help the book-balancing, too, but the coach has the smallest budget in the league with which to work, and yet is in the same division as monoliths Ohio State and Michigan. Facilities upgrades are on the books, but they're desperately needed in the effort to compete with the division and conference.
The bright side: Despite its geographical size, New Jersey produces a decent number of high-end prospects each year. The 2016 class featured the country's No. 1-rated recruit, defensive tackle Rashan Gary. The issue for Rutgers is fending off bigger, more established programs in the effort to net that talent. Michigan, for instance, signed five of the state's top seven high school players. Ohio State and Tennessee claimed the other two. Even mid-level schools such as South Carolina have made strides in the Garden State, making it tougher and tougher for the state's flagship school to hold its own. Hermann being out is a source of hope, as is the addition of new AD Patrick Hobbs. His background is intriguing: The former dean of the Seton Hall School of Law guided that university's athletic department through crisis in 2010. He's being asked to do the same, even though the scope and reach of Rutgers athletics is much larger.