The Big Ten Conference has always had its historic and legendary coaches. That is no different from years gone by, from the likes of Gene Keady, Bobby Knight, and Jud Heathcote. Michigan State’s Tom Izzo seems to be one of the last members of that type of coach. He coached under Jud and had many battles with Gene and Bob. However, Izzo and other coaches like him find themselves in a difficult place. Like the rest of the country, they are getting outshone by a new guard of coaches in the Big Ten.
Just look at the pair of Big Ten coaches who reached the Final Four this season. Michigan’s Dusty May and Illinois’ Brad Underwood. The old guard of Big Ten coaches has to make some massive improvements, or else they are in for a rude awakening.
The New Guard Of Coaches In The Big Ten Has Arrived
The 2025-26 season has easily showcased that the new coaches around the Big Ten are ready to make a name for themselves. Dusty already proved it in his first season. He led the Wolverines to the Big Ten Tournament Title and a Sweet 16 appearance. Now he has Michigan, led by potential National Player of the Year, Yaxel Lendeborg, on the precipice of a National Championship. That’s just two years removed from an 8-24 season for the program.
John Beilein was awesome for Michigan, but Dusty May might have them on a whole new level. If that ain’t enough, it appears he’s caught on to what Izzo has done for decades, and is more than ready to flip the script in the rivalry.
21 Years Later, Illinois Is Back
It took a long time, not to mention several coaches. Nevertheless, the Illini are back in the Final Four, for the first time since 2005. It took Coach Underwood a while, but he has been building for this moment since he got to Champaign. His eye for talent has further proven that the new breed of coaches is here to stay. Like Dusty, Brad has a chance to win a National Championship, especially with the talent Illinois has.
Freshman standout Keaton Wagler has a legit chance to take the Illini to the promised land.
Ben McCollum Isn’t A One-Hit Wonder
The story of Nebraska basketball and Fred Hoiberg was great this season. However, the bigger story was what Ben McCollum was able to do in his first season with Iowa. He’s not a high emotion guy like Fran McCaffrey was, but Coach McCollum clearly knows what to do to get the job done. He got the Hawkeyes to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1987. Not to mention, he developed Bennett Stirtz into a potential high draft pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
It should be fun to see what McCollum can do moving forward. It’s clear he’s ready for the future; the same can’t be said about some of the old guard of the Big Ten.
Adapt Or Die For The Old Guard
That old guard I’m talking about is Greg Gard, for starters. After Bo Ryan retired, Wisconsin sure looked like it was still going to be in a good place. Relatively speaking, they are, in terms of the Big Ten. However, they have been almost worthless in the NCAA Tournament. Since 2017, the Badgers have missed the dance twice and haven’t made it to the second weekend of the tournament since Gard’s second season over a decade ago.
That’s unacceptable for such a prestigious Big Ten program. The same could be said for Michigan State and Tom Izzo. However, he’s found ways to still keep his drive and fight. After some ugly years, where the Spartans couldn’t get out of the first weekend of the Big Dance, Izzo has gone to the Sweet 16 or better in the last two seasons. Though he’s probably regretting not getting past UConn in the Sweet 16, after having such a confident group of guys who all stayed loyal.
Everybody saw how this new era has affected things for Dana Altman at Oregon. Gard and Izzo seem to be in an adapt or die type of period as well. Both have brought in transfers, but are still trying to do it the old-fashioned way, by staying true to who they are.
We have all now seen how well that worked this year, with Michigan having a completely transfer-portal built starting line-up. Additionally, Illinois also went outside the normal way of recruiting just high-level high school players. Both of them are in the Final Four, while the Spartans, Badgers, and even the Purdue Boilermakers are all sitting at home. It’s tough to say, but the new guard of the Big Ten has arrived.
Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
