Big 12 Head Coach Rankings - 2023
There are four new head coaches in the Big 12 thanks to the additions of BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati, and Houston but there is only one first-year head coach in the league - Scott Satterfield at Cincinnati.
Where do the fourteen head coaches in the Big 12 rank heading into 2023? I break it all down.
14. Neal Brown, West Virginia
Record: 57-41
Record at West Virginia: 22-25
Four years, three losing seasons for Neal Brown during his tenure at West Virginia. The job he signed up for is not the same one he has but there's no more time for excuses. Everyone is dealing with NIL and the transfer portal. Many thought Brown should have been let go at the end of last season.
13. Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati
Record: 72-40
Record at Cincinnati: 0-0
Satterfield had a very Dana Holgorsen-like exit from Louisville. If he didn't bolt for another job, he was likely going to be fired. He posted an 8-win season in his first year on the job and never capitalized on it despite having a very talented quarterback in Malik Cunningham.
12. Joey McGuire, Texas Tech
Record: 8-5
Record at Texas Tech: 8-5
Was year one fool's gold? Maybe, we'll see. I thought Dave Aranda was one of the top coaches in the league after his first year and you saw what happened last year. I need to see more from McGuire, especially since it's his first head coaching gig in college football. He's off to a great start, though.
11. Kalani Sitake, BYU
Record: 56-34
Record at BYU: 56-34
I'm not sure how BYU will fare in the Big 12 right off the bat but long-term, I think they'll be just fine. They recruit offensive linemen and defensive players extremely well and already have the size to compete. Now they just need to establish depth. In his last three seasons, Sitake has a record of 29-9.
10. Gus Malzahn, Central Florida
Record: 95-47
Record at UCF: 18-9
After losing the national championship in his first year at Auburn, Gus Malzahn severely underwhelmed. But he's got a great opportunity to redeem himself at Central Florida where he can now pitch UCF as a member of the Big 12. The Golden Knights are a sleeping giant. The question is - Is Gus the right guy for the job?
9. Brent Venables, Oklahoma
Record: 6-7
Record at Oklahoma: 6-7
Venables is one of the brightest defensive minds in all of college football. Year one was extremely challenging for he and his staff but now that they've been on campus for a year and set the culture and foundation they want, I believe we'll see the Sooners return to their winning ways.
8. Dana Holgorsen, Houston
Record: 88-61
Record at Houston: 27-20
Holgorsen has years of experience in the Big 12. Plus, he's the perfect coach for Houston right now considering he's already led one team in a transition to the conference in West Virginia. Houston will always have a successful offense under Dana but the defensive side is what may hold them back.
7. Sonny Dykes, TCU
Record: 84-65
Record at TCU: 13-2
Last year was an anomaly for Dykes and the Horned Frogs. I'm not saying they won't ever be back in the College Football Playoff in his tenure, but it's not going to be a regularity. They were incredibly lucky in the portal and they made it gel on the field. I want to see more before I move Dykes into the top five.
6. Dave Aranda, Baylor
Record: 20-16
Record at Baylor: 20-16
As I mentioned earlier, Aranda had me fooled. Okay, maybe not fooled but I overreacted a little after his Big 12 championship run in 2021. The Bears only won six games last season, so this is a crucial year for how I view him moving forward.
5. Matt Campbell, Iowa State
Record: 81-57
Record at Iowa State: 46-42
I know I have him at five, but I'm sorry, I'm just not a Matt Campbell guy. He is winning at a place that doesn't typically win, so I'll give him that. I'm just not of the opinion that he's one of the best coaches in the country like others believe.
4. Steve Sarkisian, Texas
Record: 59-47
Record at Texas: 13-12
Is Texas back? No, not yet. However, they do have a bright future with Arch Manning waiting in the wings. Sark seems like he'll have this team winning 8-9 games regularly which is pretty good considering what the Longhorns have been since 2012 but is it good enough?
3. Chris Klieman, Kansas State
Record: 102-33
Record at Kansas State: 30-20
Another 10-win season coupled with a slight step back from the guy at No. 2 in 2023 and Klieman slides up a spot. In all honesty, this is really 2A, 2B for me. Klieman is a winner and has the Wildcats positioned to do really big things this fall and beyond.
2. Lance Leipold, Kansas
Record: 154-56
Record at Kansas: 8-17
This man has the hardest job in all of college football. Kansas was a dumpster fire when he took over, having not won more than three games in a single season since 2009. Two years into the job and Leipold had them ranked, hosting College GameDay, and in a bowl game.
1. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
Record: 156-75
Record at Oklahoma State: 156-75
This is easy. Gundy is the clear-cut No. 1 coach in the Big 12 and it's not really close. He's been a consistent winner since taking the job in 2005 and has posted seven double-digit win seasons and has had the Cowboys bowling every year since 2006.
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