Ranking each Big 12 football team by the head coaches’ all-time records
By Sam Fariss
The Big 12 went under the most changes during the massive conference realignment.
Texas and Oklahoma left the conference for the SEC. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah left the Pac-12 to make the Big 12 home.
Just a year before, the Big 12 also gained BYU, Cincinnati, and UCF in another conference shake-up.
So, now with the college football scene (somewhat) settled, the conference has 16 teams which means 16 head coaches.
How do those 16 head coaches stack up against one another when it comes to their career records?
kenny. 16. . Kenny Dillingham. Kenny Dillingham. 3-9 overall. 512. . . player
One of the newest Division I coaches on the Big 12 scene is the Arizona State Sun Devils leader, Kenny Dillingham.
In his first season with ASU, Dillingham led the Sun Devils to a 3-9 overall record for a 25 percent win rate.
deion. player. 514. 4-8 overall. 15. Deion Sanders. . Deion Sanders. .
One of the biggest disappointments in the 2023 season was Deion Sanders' leadership of the Colorado Buffaloes.
Sanders finished his first year in Colorado with a 33.3 percent win rate and an abysmal 4-8 overall record, despite a whole lot of talk about his team.
14. . Brent Brennan. 34-48 overall. Brent Brennan. . player. . brent. 511
Another Pac-12 turned Big 12 head coach is Brent Brennan at Arizona.
Brennan and the Wildcats finished the 2023 season at 10-3 overall to boost Brennan's career record to 34-48 and a 41.5 percent win rate.
Dave Aranda. player. . Dave Aranda. 13. . . 460. dave. 23-25 overall
Dave Aranda took his first-ever head coaching job at Baylor in 2020 and has since led the Bears to a 23-25 overall record over the past four seasons.
Throughout his time at Baylor, Aranda has earned a career win rate of 47.9 percent.
Lance Leipold. Lance Leipold. lance. . 12. . . 54-54 overall. player. 462
Officially breaking into the 50 percent win rate mark, Lance Leipold at Kansas has a career head coaching record of 54-54 overall.
Sonny Dykes. . . Sonny Dykes. 11. 466. sonny. . 89-72 overall. player
Along the way, Sonny Dykes has seen a College Football Playoff berth and a chance at a national title with the TCU Horned Frogs.
At 89-72 overall, Dykes has a career 55.3 percent win rate as a DI head coach.
. . Willie Fritz. willie. . 71-54 overall. 450. player. Willie Fritz. 10
Willie Fritz is officially in the Big 12 and he has officially become the Houston Cougars head football coach.
As he heads into his first season with the Cougars, Fritz has a head coaching record of 71-54 and a 56.8 percent success rate.
15-11 overall. Joey McGuire. 9. player. joey. . Joey McGuire. 468. .
Despite Texas Tech struggling slightly in Big 12 play throughout recent seasons, head coach Joey McGuire has an impressive win rate of 57.7 percent.
Throughout his career, the Red Raiders' head coach has gone 15-11 overall.
8. matt. . . Matt Campbell. Matt Campbell. . player. 461. 88-63 overall
A stronghold of the Big 12 over the past decade or so has been Matt Campbell, the Iowa State Cyclones head football coach.
Throughout his career as a DI head coach, Campbell has won 88 of 151 games to earn a 58.3 percent win rate.
Neal Brown. player. 469. . . Neal Brown. 7. neal. 66-45 overall.
While West Virginia has been a rollercoaster of a football program over recent seasons, coach Neal Brown has a respectable head coaching career on his resume.
Brown has led various teams to 66-45 overall for a 59.5 percent win rate.
. . Kalani Sitake. kalani. 61-41 overall. 6. player. . Kalani Sitake. 540
Beloved by his team and the BYU fanbase, Kalani Sitake took over the Cougars program in 2016 after playing at BYU during his collegiate career.
His career head coaching record is resting at 61-41 overall as Sitake heads toward the 2024 season with a win rate of 59.8 percent.
5. player. . . Scott Satterfield. Scott Satterfield. scott. . 75-49 overall. 449
After just one season with the Bearcats, Scott Satterfield and Cincinnati have a 3-9 overall record together.
However, throughout his 11-year head coaching career, Satterfield has gone 75-49 overall for just over a 60 percent win rate.
Chris Klieman. . 39-24 overall. Chris Klieman. . 4. 463. player. chris.
Just one place removed from the top-three podium, Kansas State's Chris Klieman has won nearly 62 percent of his games in his relatively short coaching career.
From Loras in 2005 to North Dakota State for five seasons to his current job at K-State, Klieman has gone 39-24 overall as a head coach.
101-54 overall. Gus Malzahn. player. gus. . . 3. . Gus Malzahn. 455
Surprisingly for some, the Central Florida Knights head coach, Gus Malzahn, has earned a spot on the Big 12 podium throughout his career.
From Arkansas State to Auburn to UCF, Malzahn has accumulated a 101-54 overall record as a head coach, or a 65.2 percent win rate.
. 162-79 overall. 2. player. Kyle Whittingham. kyle. . Kyle Whittingham. 843.
The most successful newcomer to the Big 12 is Utah Ute's historic head coach Kyle Whittingham.
Throughout his highly impressive head coaching career, Whittingham has won an astonishing 162 games for a 67.2 percent win rate.
. Mike Gundy. Mike Gundy. 465. mike. 166-79 overall. player. . . 1
The most experienced head coach in the Big 12, and unsurprisingly the winningest one, is Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy.
Over 245 games, Gundy has won 67.8 percent of them and earned a career record of 166-79.
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