I am actually sad Day won Coach of the Year. Not that he didn't deserve it. But Tressel was unquestionably the best coach in the B1G during his tenure, and Urban was even better. It's insane the OSU had the best coach for essentially 2 decades, yet never was he the best coach in a given year. It defies logic. It gets even worse when you look at the guys who won it. Guys, who even at their best couldn't hold a candle to Tressel or Urban, except in the eyes of the voters.
It was so absurd, I wanted OSU to never win it. Now that it has though, I thought it'd be fun to go back and look at all the hilarious times they screwed up this award. Starting in 2002:
2002 - The first of many Kirk Ferentz wins. Iowa had gone 7-5 the previous year. Ferentz went 11-1, but also lost to a 7-7 Iowa St team. Tressel went 13-0 after a 7-5 year, and went on to win the BCS Title against Miami. Not quite sure how improving from 7-5 to 11-1 is better than improving to 13-0.
2003 - John L Smith.
This will be the first in a long line "this guy was NEVER a better coach than Tressel or Meyer". Smith took over from Bobby Williams, who had gone 4-8. MSU lost to Louisiana Tech and barely beat Western Michigan. They did beat solid Iowa and Minnesota squads that year. But 8-4 and wins over Iowa and Minnesota are enough? Smith never went to another bowl game before being fired. Tressel went 10-2. Joe Tiller or Lloyd Carr had better arguments.
Also, John L. Smith won more B1G COY than Tressel and Urban combined!
2004 - Kirk Ferentz.
This one was somewhat legit. OSU only went 7-4. Iowa tied Michigan for the B1G, but Michigan won head to head. Michigan was the defending B1G champs, although Iowa was coming off their own 10-3 season. Barry Alvarez had a legit gripe.
2005 - Joe Paterno.
Penn State went from 4-7 to 11-1, and was 1 second away from 12-0. Deserved.
2006 - Brett Bielema. Ugh.
Bielema took over a 10 win team from Barry Alvarez. Wisconsin didn't have OSU on the schedule, played 2 MAC and 1 FCS (then 1-AA) schools, and went 11-1. Tressel replaced 9 defensive starter and 5 1st round draft picks, twice beat the #2 team in the country, won 10 games by at least 17 points, and was wire to wire #1. Tressel legit added more win off the previous season. It marked the second time he went undefeated and lost COY to a team that improved less.
Also, Bielema won more B1G COY than Tressel and Urban combined!
2007 - Ron Zook.
OK, I get that Illinois beat OSU in Columbus and Illinois went to the Rose Bowl. But Tressel replaced a Heisman winner and two first round receivers, and went back to the championship game. AND HE LOST TO RON FREAKING ZOOK.
Ron Zook won more B1G COY than Tressel and Urban combined!
2008 - Joe Paterno.
This one is legit. OSU returned a ton of talent, and not only got worse, but didn't win the conference.
2009 - Ferentz.
Maybe the most egregious one. Tressel lost a ton of talent. At the end of the year, Iowa had 11 players 1st or 2nd team All B1G, while OSU has 6. Iowa had 4 players 1st team on both coaches and media, while OSU had 1 (Kurt Coleman). OSU beat Iowa head to head and outright won the B1G.
Iowa had better players AND a better coach, and yet OSU won the conference. That is just devoid of logic.
2010 - Mark Dantonio
MSU, Wisconsin and OSU split the B1G title. Michigan State didn't play OSU but beat Wisconsin. OSU's only loss was Wisconsin. OSU was a heavy preseason favorite, so it's understandable that Tressel didn't win.
2011 - Brady Hoke
OSU's probation year with Fickell, who went 6-7. Hoke went 10-2 after replacing Rich Rod. Wisconsin and Michigan State, after being co-champs the previous year, met in the B1G title game. I can see why Hoke winning 10 games after Michigan had won 15 in the previous 3 years merits the award.
OTOH, Brady Hoke won more B1G COY than Tressel and Urban combined!
2012 - Bill O’Brien.
I get that O’Brien has a tough task picking up the program after the Sandusky scandal. The NCAA let PSU players transfer without sitting out, so they lost a lot.
Here’s the problem: a common argument for other coaches winning over OSU coaches is that OSU is so good year to year, they don’t improve as much.
Well, Urban took over a 7 loss team in probation, and went undefeated. O’Brien took a 4 loss team in probation and went 8-4, including losing to a 3rd place MAC East team at home and a 4-8 Virginia team. OSU won’t by 12 in a white out at Happy Valley.
Just makes no sense. For the second time, an OSU coach went undefeated and added 6 wins and didn’t win COY.
2013 - Dantonio
Well deserved. OSU was the prohibitive preseason favorite and MSU beat OSU for the B1G.
2014 - Jerry Kill
I get that Minnesota is not a easy job. I also get that Jerry Kill had medical issues. But Minnesota went from 8-4 to 8-4 and OSU won the first B1G since 2010.
Also, Jerry Kill won more B1G COY than Tressel and Urban combined!
2015 - Dantonio
See 2013
Wait, Ferentz won? Dantonio beat one of the best OSU team of all time, beat Ferentz on a neutral field, and yet Ferentz won COY.
The argument for Ferentz is he went from 7-5 to 12-0. But that's what Tressel and Meyer did, and neither won COY. And Tressel and Meyer were in their 2nd and 1t year at OSU, so it wasn't like it really their fault the record was so bad the year before. It's just mindboggling.
2016 - James Franklin
Again, I get some of the argument. PSU only ever won 7 or 8 games from post-Sandusky until this year. PSU jumped to 11-2, won the B1G and beat OSU.
However, OSU lost their leading rusher, their 3 leading receivers, and 7 defensive starters, including 3 first rounders. They responded by going 3-1 vs the top 10, with 3 of the 4 games being road night games. Half of OSU's oppponents won 9 or more games. Doing that well against that schedule after losing that much talent wins any other coach the award.
2017 - Paul Chryst
Chryst went 12-0 in the regular season, and beat decent Michigan, NW and Iowa teams. Which would be fine if Tressel had won in 2002 or Meyer in 2012. But I don't see how going from 10 to 12 wins in the bad division is COY worthy.
2018 - Pat Fitzgerald
This has to be because Meyer got suspended, right?
NW was 8-4. They lost at home to Duke by 14 at home. They lost to 4-8 Akron...AT HOME! They beat Rutgers by 3. This coming off a year when they won 10 games. How about the coach that beat the East Co-Champs and the West Champs by 3 TDs a piece? Nah, lets give it to the coach that lost to Akron.
Since the B1G split into East and West, Minnesota won 4 of the first 5 COY awards. Even this year, PJ Fleck won COY by the coaches vote. How does the West keep getting it's but kicked in the B1G Title game with better coaches?