Ranking Every Big 12 Coach from Deion Sanders to Joey McGuire

The Big 12 is entering a new era of coaching turnover, and the landscape looks drastically different. The Colorado Buffaloes and coach Deion Sanders face a pivotal offseason as every program reshapes its sideline hierarchy.

Nov 8, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Rich Rodriguez talks with Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders after the game at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

The Colorado Buffaloes and coach Deion Sanders are heading into his fourth season at the helm, a run that has already brought plenty of highs and lows. Not long ago, Sanders was viewed as one of the Big 12’s most promising rising coaches.

Since he arrived to Colorado in 2022, the Buffaloes have joined the Big 12 and the conference has undergone a major shakeup. 

Coaches have come and gone throughout his tenure. This offseason continued the trend with Oklahoma State moving on from long-time coach Mike Gundy, Iowa State losing Matt Campbell to Penn State, and Kansas State’s Chris Klieman stepping into retirement.

Aug 29, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the first quarter against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Those changes have left the conference looking almost unrecognizable, with new faces and shifting power dynamics at nearly every program.

With so much turnover reshaping the league, the Big 12’s coaching landscape looks nothing like it did even a year ago. As the dust settles, this feels like the perfect time to take a fresh look at where every coach stands heading into next season.

As the conference shifts into a new era, these rankings will define expectations for every program heading into the offseason. With so many fresh faces on the sidelines, the Big 12’s coaching race might be more unpredictable than its title chase.

Big 12 Coaching Rankings

1. Kalani Sitake – BYU
2. Kenny Dillingham – Arizona State
3. Joey McGuire – Texas Tech
4. Kyle Whittingham – Utah
5. Willie Fritz – Houston
6. Lance Leipod – Kansas
7. Sonny Dykes – TCU
8. Scott Satterfield – Cincinnati 
9. Brent Brennan – Arizona 
10. Deion Sanders – Colorado
11. Eric Morris – Oklahoma State
12. Dave Aranda – Baylor
13. Rich Rodriguez – West Virginia
14. Jimmy Rogers – Iowa State
15. Scott Frost – UCF
16. Collin Klein – Kansas State

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Why Joey McGuire Still Isn’t the Big 12’s Top Coach

Nov 29, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire speaks to the media after defeating the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

A year ago, McGuire sat in the bottom half of most Big 12 coaching rankings. Now, he has Texas Tech sitting at No. 4 in the country and heading into the College Football Playoff. It’s an incredible rise and a testament to the work he has done in Lubbock.

Still, it’s not quite enough to earn the top spot. As good as McGuire has been, it’s tough to gauge how much of this season’s success is coaching when the program reportedly invested over $20 million into the roster, second only to the Texas Longhorns.

If McGuire takes the Red Raiders on a deep playoff run and competes for a national title, then he will absolutely deserve consideration for No. 1. When stacking up resumes, resources, overall talent and recruiting, he’s just not ready to leap ahead of Dillingham or Sitake.

A breakthrough run in the CFP could change everything and rewrite how McGuire is viewed across the conference. But until he proves he can sustain this success year after year, the top spot will have to wait.

Understanding Why Deion Sanders Isn’t Higher on the List

Oct 11, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the game against the Iowa State Cyclones at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

After going from 9-4 last season to 3-9 this past year without quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way star and Heisman winner Travis Hunter, the roster was exposed. That drop-off is the primary reason Sanders fell into the middle of these rankings.

Winning just three games in 2025, Sanders will need to bounce back next season and show that the program can compete without Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. He’ll have to put together a strong year to prove he can keep up with the rest of the Big 12.

A refreshed roster and another offseason to build depth should give him the tools he didn’t have this past season. But if the same problems pop up, questions about his long-term potential in the conference will stick around.

Next year gives "Coach Prime" a chance to reset the narrative and remind everyone why he was considered one of the league’s rising stars. If he gets it right, this ranking might end up looking a lot too low.