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The Big 12 enters 2026 with a completely different coaching landscape. Only one coach remains from the conference’s longest-tenured group last season. The league also has four new head coaches. That turnover makes this ranking especially difficult. Recent success matters, but so does long-term program building. Recruiting, player development, and career resumes also matter. The Big 12 also remains wide open entering the season. Texas Tech won the conference last year and reached the College Football Playoff. BYU, Utah, and Houston also enter with legitimate championship hopes. With that in mind, here is my ranking of all 16 Big 12 coaches.
- Kalani Sitake — BYU
Sitake earns the top spot after transforming BYU into a national contender. The Cougars have gone 23-4 since the start of 2024. BYU also owns the nation’s fifth-best record across the past two seasons. Sitake has built stability at a time when many Big 12 programs changed coaches. The Cougars narrowly missed the playoff during each of those seasons. Now, Sitake faces his biggest challenge yet. BYU needs to win the Big 12 and reach the College Football Playoff. The program has enough momentum to make both goals realistic.
- Willie Fritz — Houston
Fritz made a massive jump after Houston’s breakthrough 2025 season. The Cougars went 10-3 after winning only four games in 2024. That represented one of the nation’s biggest year-to-year improvements. Houston also finished No. 22 in the final AP poll. Fritz brings an impressive career record and decades of experience. He has won at multiple levels and different programs. More importantly, Houston now looks like a legitimate Big 12 contender. The Cougars also enter 2026 ranked No. 24 in the Coaches Poll.
- Joey McGuire — Texas Tech
McGuire delivered the biggest season in Texas Tech history. The Red Raiders finished 12-2 and won the Big 12 championship. They also reached the College Football Playoff for the first time. McGuire now owns four consecutive winning seasons in Lubbock. Texas Tech enters 2026 ranked No. 12 nationally. The Red Raiders also sit atop most preseason Big 12 projections. That success makes McGuire one of the conference’s elite coaches. However, he needs another strong season to challenge for No. 1.
- Kenny Dillingham — Arizona State
Dillingham has become one of college football’s fastest-rising coaches. He guided Arizona State to the Big 12 championship in 2024. The Sun Devils also reached the College Football Playoff that season. Arizona State followed with an 8-5 record last year. Now Dillingham must replace quarterback Sam Leavitt. Kentucky transfer Cutter Boley takes over the quarterback position. That creates an important test for Dillingham. His ability to develop Boley could define Arizona State’s season.
- Sonny Dykes — TCU
Dykes remains one of the Big 12’s safest coaching choices. TCU reached the national championship game during his first season. The Horned Frogs finished 13-2 during that remarkable 2022 campaign. Dykes has also kept TCU competitive since that run. TCU has won at least nine games in three of his four seasons. The Horned Frogs also have more wins than any current Big 12 program during his tenure. Dykes needs another championship push. Still, his track record deserves significant respect.
- Lance Leipold — Kansas
Leipold transformed Kansas into a competitive program. The Jayhawks reached nine wins during the 2023 season. Kansas also finished No. 23 nationally that year. However, back-to-back 5-7 seasons have cooled some of the excitement. Still, Leipold has won everywhere he has coached. He also inherited one of college football’s toughest Power Four jobs. Kansas needs a bowl appearance in 2026. If Leipold delivers, he could quickly return to the top five.
- Brent Brennan — Arizona
Brennan deserves credit for Arizona’s dramatic turnaround. The Wildcats went 4-8 during his first season. However, Arizona improved to 9-4 last year. Three of the Wildcats’ four losses came by one score. Quarterback Noah Fifita also returns for his fourth season as the starter. That gives Brennan an important piece for another strong campaign. Arizona faces a difficult schedule in 2026. The Wildcats play four preseason ranked opponents. Still, Brennan has earned a much higher ranking after last year’s improvement.
- Eric Morris — Oklahoma State
Morris enters his first season at Oklahoma State. He replaces longtime coach Mike Gundy after Gundy’s departure during 2025. Morris previously led North Texas to a 12-2 record last season. His Mean Green offense averaged 45.1 points per game. That offensive production gives Oklahoma State legitimate hope. However, Morris inherits a program that needs major rebuilding. His first season will tell us plenty. For now, his proven offensive success earns him the eighth spot.
- Dave Aranda — Baylor
Aranda remains one of the Big 12’s most difficult coaches to evaluate. Baylor won the conference under him during the 2021 season. The Bears finished 12-2 that year. Since then, however, consistency has disappeared. Baylor has posted four losing seasons across the last six years. The Bears also went 36-37 during Aranda’s tenure entering 2026. That makes 2026 a critical season. Aranda needs a strong year to change the conversation.
- Scott Satterfield — Cincinnati
Satterfield finally produced a winning season at Cincinnati. The Bearcats finished 7-6 last year and reached a bowl game. That represented progress after consecutive losing seasons. However, Cincinnati faded badly down the stretch. The Bearcats lost their final five games last season. Satterfield now needs to prove that 2025 represented progress. A strong 2026 could push him into the upper half.
- Rich Rodriguez — West Virginia
Rodriguez returned to Morgantown with enormous expectations. His first season produced a disappointing 4-8 record. Still, Rodriguez owns an impressive career resume. He went 60-27 during his first West Virginia tenure. He also produced three consecutive double-digit win seasons from 2005 through 2007. Rodriguez now enters 2026 with a dramatically reshaped roster. That roster turnover creates another challenge. However, Rodriguez remains one of the conference’s most experienced coaches.
- Jimmy Rogers — Iowa State
Rogers faces one of the Big 12’s toughest rebuilding jobs. He replaced Matt Campbell after Campbell left for Penn State. Rogers previously won an FCS national championship at South Dakota State. He went 27-3 during his two seasons there. However, Iowa State enters 2026 without a returning starter from last season. That creates an enormous challenge for a first-year Power Four coach. Rogers has proven he can build winners. Now he must prove it again at Iowa State.
- Deion Sanders — Colorado
Sanders remains one of the biggest names in college football. However, Colorado’s 2025 season damaged his coaching stock. The Buffaloes finished 3-9 after going 9-4 the previous season. Colorado also won only one Big 12 game. The program underwent another major roster and staff overhaul this offseason. Colorado now enters 2026 with plenty of questions. Sanders still has plenty of star power. Nevertheless, he needs results to move higher.
- Scott Frost — UCF
Frost returned to UCF before last season. However, the Knights finished just 5-7. That matched Frost’s highest win total during his eight seasons as a head coach since leaving Nebraska. His previous UCF tenure remains his strongest work. Frost went 13-0 with the Knights during the 2017 season. He now needs to recreate some of that magic. UCF should have an opportunity to improve. Yet Frost needs to show more consistency first.
- Morgan Scalley — Utah
Scalley takes over Utah after Kyle Whittingham’s remarkable tenure. He spent years developing Utah’s defenses before becoming head coach. Scalley also led Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Utes defeated Nebraska in that game. He understands Utah better than almost anyone. That familiarity should help him during the transition. Still, 2026 represents his first full season as a head coach. He must prove himself over an entire campaign.
- Collin Klein — Kansas State
Klein enters his first season as a head coach. However, he knows Kansas State extremely well. Klein starred at quarterback for the Wildcats from 2008 through 2012. He later spent seven seasons on the coaching staff. He also spent the last two seasons as Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator. The Aggies averaged 33.8 points per game last season. Klein clearly understands offense and Kansas State’s culture. Still, head coaching brings a completely different challenge. That uncertainty puts him at No. 16 for now.
Final 2026 Big 12 Coach Rankings
Kalani Sitake — BYU
Willie Fritz — Houston
Joey McGuire — Texas Tech
Kenny Dillingham — Arizona State
Sonny Dykes — TCU
Lance Leipold — Kansas
Brent Brennan — Arizona
Eric Morris — Oklahoma State
Dave Aranda — Baylor
Scott Satterfield — Cincinnati
Rich Rodriguez — West Virginia
Jimmy Rogers — Iowa State
Deion Sanders — Colorado
Scott Frost — UCF
Morgan Scalley — Utah
Collin Klein — Kansas State
The Big 12 could produce another unpredictable coaching race. Sitake has earned the top spot after two outstanding seasons. Fritz and McGuire sit close behind him. Both coaches have created legitimate championship contenders. Dillingham also deserves serious attention after Arizona State’s rapid rise. Meanwhile, Dykes and Leipold provide proven experience near the top. The biggest wild cards sit lower on the list. Rogers, Scalley, and Klein all enter their first full seasons. However, the Big 12 has shown that coaching changes can produce quick results. The 2026 season could change these rankings dramatically.
Author Profile
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Bradley Walker (VP) and Head of our Florida operations for NGSC Sports, bringing extensive experience across collegiate, professional, and amateur athletics. His coverage spans USF Athletics, including football, baseball, lacrosse, and softball, as well as University of Tampa baseball.
Bradley also provides coverage of minor league baseball with the Clearwater Threshers and Major League Baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays. On the national stage, he covers college football bowl games and conference championship matchups, along with premier golf events across the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and LPGA Tour.
In addition to his reporting work, Bradley is the play-by-play announcer for Pinellas Park High School Patriots football, lending his voice and insight to Friday night lights.
He is also an active podcast host and contributor, serving as a host on The Walker Report, where he delivers in-depth sports analysis, interviews, and coverage across multiple levels of competition.
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