Big 12 Head Coach Hot Seat Index: Oklahoma State Keeps Getting Worse Under Gundy

The Cowboys continue their nosedive, while BYU continues to survive.

Nov 2, 2024; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys coach Mike Gundy reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images / William Purnell-Imagn Images

Welcome back to the Big 12 Head Coach Hot Seat Index. 

Week 11 in the Big 12 was full of chaos. Some of the conference’s contenders struggled, while others got closer to achieving their ultimate goals. But which head coaches got big victories, and which ones suffered crushing defeats?

Here is a look at the Hot Seat Index for the Big 12 head coaches after Week 11.

Big 12 Head Coach Hot Seat Index - Week 11

Scorching: Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State)

For the second straight week, Gundy is by himself on the hottest part of the heat index. The Cowboys are one of the worst teams in the Power 4 and are now 3-7 amidst a seven-game losing streak. They were just destroyed 38–13 by TCU to continue their unimaginable downward spiral. On the bright side, they are guaranteed not to lose this week... because they are on a bye.

Hot: Dave Aranda (Baylor), Gus Malzahn (UCF)

Aranda and the Bears were off this past week and have been preparing for their next matchup with West Virginia. They have won three games in a row and are looking to continue that momentum. 

Malzahn and UCF were unable to continue their momentum after blowing out Arizona. instead, they turned around and lost 35–31 to Arizona State. Despite the loss, the Knights have been playing much better in recent weeks and now get a bye week to regroup before the home stretch of the season. They need to win their last two games to become bowl-eligible.

Warm: Brent Brennan (Arizona), Sonny Dykes (TCU), Lance Leipold (Kansas)

Arizona did not play this past week, so Brennan will stay where he is in the warm section. His next matchup is on Friday night when the Wildcats host Houston. Meanwhile, Dykes and TCU feasted on Oklahoma State to improve to 6–4. A couple more wins for Dykes, and he will likely move down into the room temperature section after previously being one of the hottest seats in the conference.

Leipold moves down the list to a cooler seat after his upset over Iowa State 45–36. The win puts Kansas at 3-6 and a disappointing 2–4 in the conference, but it is also a reminder of how Leipold has turned Kansas football around in the last few years. He still needs to continue to keep winning, but this big upset bought him some time and allowed him to move down the heat index.

Room temperature: Willie Fritz (Houston), Scott Satterfield (Cincinnati), Kenny Dillingham (Arizona State), Neal Brown (West Virginia)

Fritz enjoyed a bye-week after upsetting Kansas State last week. The Cougars will play on Friday night in Arizona for a chance to even their record at 5-5. This is a very big game for the Cougars if they want to make a bowl game.

Satterfield’s Bearcats have now lost two games in a row and will have to beat Iowa State if they want to avoid losing a third. If Cincinnati loses again next week, Satterfield’s seat will get warmer again.

Dillingham’s Sun Devils picked up a big win over UCF over the weekend. Arizona State is now 7-2 and have won two games in a row. One of their biggest games of the season is now up next as they travel to Kansas State in a matchup of 7-2 teams that have high hopes for bowl season.

Brown’s Mountaineers defeated Cincinnati 31–24 to give West Virginia its second straight victory. The Mountaineers are now 5-4 and face a surging Baylor team that will also be trying to win its sixth game on Saturday.

Ice cold: Kalani Sitake (BYU), Matt Campbell (Iowa State), Kyle Whittingham (Utah), Joey McGuire (Texas Tech), Chris Klieman (Kansas State), Deion Sanders (Colorado)

Sitake’s Cougars are somehow still undefeated and in a great spot to win the Big 12 title. BYU keeps narrowly escaping with victories, but winning is all that matters in the end. Meanwhile, Iowa State is now 7-2 after losing two games in a row and falling out of the AP Poll. However, it has still been a strong season for Campbell and the Cyclones.

Whittingham and Utah nearly spoiled BYU's perfect season before falling short in the latest rendition of the Holy War. The Utes are 4-5 overall and now 1-5 in the conference, but Whittingham is still in no danger. Utah would never turn on him after all of the success he has had. 

Klieman and Kansas State were on a bye-week while they prepare for Arizona State. Texas Tech and McGuire missed an opportunity to get a big win over Colorado. Instead, the Buffaloes got a huge win themselves and are now in second place in the conference. Sanders has led one of the most impressive turnarounds in the country this season, and he may have a Heisman Trophy winner on his roster in Travis Hunter. 

The Big 12 Head Coach Hot Seat Index will continue to change as the season continues. Some seats will get hotter, while some seats may cool down. Stay tuned. We will update the index next week.

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