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Big Ten Basketball Coach Rankings

By Rees Woodcock

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Nov 21, 2015; Bowling Green, KY, USA; Stony Brook Seawolves head coach Steve Pikiell shouts during the second half against Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at E.A. Diddle Arena. WKU won 67-66. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 21, 2015; Bowling Green, KY, USA; Stony Brook Seawolves head coach Steve Pikiell shouts during the second half against Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at E.A. Diddle Arena. WKU won 67-66. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports /

The No. 14 coach on this list goes to Steve Pikiell of Rutgers.  He joined the team this year in hopes of turning around a struggling program.

Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini /

Illinois Fighting Illini

Last season the Scarlet Knights floundered to another bad record under Eddie Jordan.  The team finished 7-25 and once again missed the postseason.

Under Jordan, Rutgers failed to eclipse the 12 win mark and they haven’t been over 15 wins in the last decade.  This team is not good.

Pikiell has his work cut out for him.  He is looking to get this team back into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 1990-91 season.

I think Pikiell could be the right man for the job, though.  He was a candidate I liked if Illinois was going to remove John Groce, actually.

Pikiell came from Stony Brook where he made the NCAA Tournament last season and won over 22 games each of the last six seasons.

Rutgers is also getting back their leading scorer from the year before as well.  Corey Sanders was fun to watch last season and he will be the anchor for this team.

Pikiell has a lot of work to do but I think he has some pieces to show improvement in this team.

Next: No. 13

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