Big 12 Head Coach Hot Seat Index: This Cowboy is Falling Off His Horse

The hottest section of the index is getting crowded.

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy walks on the sideline during a college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys (OSU) and the West Virginia Mountaineers at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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

Week 9 in the Big 12 continued the trend of the top of the conference separating itself even further from the bottom. Additionally, after a disastrous last few weeks, the scorching section of the index is getting crowded.

Here is a look at the Hot Seat Index for the Big 12 head coaches after Week 9.

Big 12 Head Coach Hot Seat Index - Week 9

Scorching: Dave Aranda (Baylor), Gus Malzahn (UCF), Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State)

Aranda picked up a huge victory over Oklahoma State this past weekend. The Bears have now won two games in a row and are moving up into the middle of the pack in the conference standings. However, it is going to take more winning for the rest of the season to save Aranda’s job and cool his seat down completely. A 4-4 record for a coach on the hot seat is not exactly a resounding success. 

Malzahn and Gundy both join the dreaded scorching section after each losing their fifth game in a row. Both of these coaches have reputations of being winners, but their teams look dreadful at this point in the season. Oklahoma State is the only team in the Big 12 that has not won a conference game yet. Meanwhile, UCF has completely collapsed under high preseason expectations. Both of these teams are two of the biggest disappointments in all of college football. Gundy and Malzahn are both widely respected, but how much losing can their solid reputations withstand?

Hot: Lance Leipold (Kansas)

Leipold is alone this week in the hot section of the index. He played Kansas State closely but still ended up losing 29-27. He has done so much for Kansas' football program over the last several years, but a 2-6 record cannot be ignored. However, despite all of the losses that Leipold has accumulated, it still seems very unlikely that Kansas would move on from him. 

Warming up: Willie Fritz (Houston), Brent Brennan (Arizona), Sonny Dykes (TCU)

Fritz and Houston picked up a victory over a struggling Utah team. That win was badly needed, but Houston's record is still not great. The Cougars are 2-3 in the conference and just 3-5 overall. However, Fritz is still in his first season and has a great reputation as a program builder. Houston will give him more time to prove himself. 

Brennan is also in his first season at Arizona, but things are not going well at all for the Wildcats. They just lost 31–26 to West Virginia and have dropped to 1-4 in the conference. A four-game losing streak will warm up any head coach’s seat. They absolutely have to beat UCF this week and get back in the win column. Brennan does not need to let his team be the reason that UCF's losing streak comes to an end.

Dykes has won two conference games in a row and turned TCU’s season around. Beating Utah and Texas Tech in back-to-back weeks was almost enough to move Dykes all the way down to the room temperature section. The Frogs have a chance to win their third game in a row on Saturday against Baylor. As much goodwill as Dykes has won back the last couple of games, he could lose it all again if he loses to Aranda’s Bears.

Room temperature: Scott Satterfield (Cincinnati), Joey McGuire (Texas Tech), Kenny Dillingham (Arizona State), Neal Brown (West Virginia)

Satterfield was unable to pick up what would've been a huge win over Colorado, but his Bearcats continue to look like a team that is still fighting. At 3-2 in the conference, they still are having a positive season after struggling last year. Playing Colorado competitively was a sign that the Bearcats are still headed in the right direction. 

McGuire’s Red Raiders have now dropped two games in a row after suffering a heartbreaking loss to TCU. Despite the consecutive losses, the Red Raiders are still overperforming this season. They have an opportunity to pull off the biggest upset of the Big 12 season if they can beat Iowa State on the road this weekend. 

Dillingham and the Sun Devils had a bye this past week and will next take on Oklahoma State. This is a must win game for Arizona State consider considering that the Cowboys have not won a single conference game yet in 2024. Dillingham’s team does not want to be the win for Oklahoma State that ends that losing streak. 

Brown picked up an important victory over Arizona this past weekend. However, it is obvious that there is pressure in Morgantown, even after that victory. Jordan Lesley is out as defensive coordinator after having served in that role since 2021. The Mountaineers are off this week, so perhaps they can install some new defensive schemes during the bye week to sure up that side of the ball.

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

Sitake and Campbell remain undefeated and appear like they could be on a collision course to the Big 12 championship game. Whittingham and Utah are in the middle of a four-game losing streak, but it does not really matter. Whittingham owns that program and his job is safe no matter what happens this season.

Klieman and Kansas State improved to 7–1 on the season, keeping their hopes alive for a playoff birth and a potential spot in the Big 12 championship. Sanders and Colorado got a hard-fought victory over Cincinnati. Travis Hunter’s Heisman campaign continues, as does Coach Prime’s turnaround from last season’s 4-8 record. The Buffaloes are bowl-eligible for the first time under his leadership.

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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