The coaching carousel is usually a tale of winners and losers, of programs scrambling to patch holes while rivals celebrate their coups. But this winter’s trio of hires—Matt Campbell to Penn State, Pat Fitzgerald to Michigan State, and Bob Chesney to UCLA—feels different. It feels less like a reshuffling of chairs and more like a swell of momentum, a rising tide that promises to lift The Big Ten as a whole.
Campbell: The Steady Builder
Penn State’s choice of Matt Campbell is less about flash than about foundation. At Iowa State, Campbell proved he could coax consistency out of chaos, turning a perennial underdog into a program that punched above its weight. His move to Happy Valley signals Penn State’s desire for stability after the upheaval surrounding the firing of James Franklin. Campbell’s reputation for player development and cultural clarity doesn’t just steady Penn State—it raises the competitive bar for the entire Big Ten.
Fitzgerald: The Familiar Voice
Michigan State’s hire of Pat Fitzgerald is a return to tradition. Fitzgerald’s Northwestern tenure was long, complicated, and ultimately cut short, but his record—110 wins, multiple division titles—speaks to his ability to wring toughness and identity from a program. For the Spartans, Fitzgerald offers a floor of credibility and a ceiling of resilience. His reemergence strengthens the Big Ten’s coaching ranks, reminding rivals that Michigan State will not be an afterthought.
Chesney: The Ambitious Leap
Then there is Bob Chesney, UCLA’s bold choice. From Division III to the Sun Belt, Chesney has won everywhere he’s been, most recently guiding James Madison to a conference crown and inclusion in The College Football Playoff. His arrival in Westwood is less about continuity than about ambition. UCLA, long searching for a spark, has found a coach whose résumé suggests he can build programs from the ground up. In the Big Ten’s new geography, Chesney’s energy could ripple far beyond Los Angeles.
The Tide That Lifts
Individually, these hires solve immediate problems—Penn State’s credibility, Michigan State’s identity, UCLA’s ambition. Collectively, they elevate the sport. Campbell’s steadiness, Fitzgerald’s tradition, Chesney’s vision: each adds weight to the competitive fabric. Rivalries sharpen, conferences strengthen, fan bases reawaken.
College football thrives when its pillars are sturdy, when its challengers are bold, when its middle class refuses to settle. This winter’s carousel has not merely redistributed talent; it has raised the waterline. And as the old saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats.
