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Ranking the Big 12's College Football Coaches for 2025

The Big 12 is loaded with standout coaches entering the 2025 college football season. Utah's Kyle Whittingham takes the No. 1 spot, but Iowa State's Matt Campbell, Kansas State's Chris Klieman, and Kansas' Lance Leipold aren't far behind. Additionally, Colorado's Deion Sanders, BYU's Kalani Sitake, Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham, and West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez form a strong second tier. Similar to the actual teams entering '25, little separates some of the coaches in this ranking.

How did we compile the rankings for coaches by conference? For starters, it’s an impossible task. However, we tried to weigh every possible factor. This is not simply a list of coaches ranked by accomplishment or wins. While those aspects are important, it doesn’t provide a complete picture of how successful coaches are. Also, every program has a different amount of resources available. Hierarchy in college football also plays a vital role in how successful programs are. It's always easier for programs with more built-in advantages to contend for a national title on a more consistent basis.

The above factors, along with career biography/resume, success in developing talent and landing prospects on the recruiting trail factored into the ranking. Additionally, how well programs value staff (is the head coach better as a CEO or hands-on approach) and the facilities or program resources matter into forming an outlook of how coaches have performed at different stops throughout their career.

Again, wins and the career biography to this point are important. But our rankings also take into account a blank slate and subjectivity. If you start a program from scratch, which coach would you hire knowing what they accomplished so far and their career trajectory? Remember, you don't get the assistants - only the head coach. And head-to-head wins do not matter for this ranking.

Here are the results for Big 12:

Ranking the Big 12's College Football Coaches for 2025

1. Kyle Whittingham, Utah

Injuries and a sluggish offense derailed Utah’s Big 12 debut with a 5-7 mark last year. However, it’s safe to bet on Whittingham to rebound in ‘25. Since taking over at the end of the 2004 season after Urban Meyer opted to take the Florida job, Whittingham is 167-86 overall and has just three losing records. Prior to last year, Utah went 28-13 from 2021-23 - a sign the program is clearly not in decline and ‘24 was just a combination of many factors working against the Utes. With success at a high level over several seasons and aiding the program in transitions from the Mountain West to Pac-12 and now to the Big 12, Whittingham’s tenure at Utah clearly places him among the best in college football.

2. Matt Campbell, Iowa State

Campbell guided Iowa State to its highest win total in program history (11) and an appearance in the Big 12 title game last season. Also, the Cyclones No. 15 finish in the Associated Press Top 25 was only the fourth top-25 ranking in program history. Iowa State is one of the toughest jobs in the Big 12, but Campbell continues to churn out winning seasons. The Cyclones are 13-5 in Big 12 play over the last two years and have posted winning records overall in seven out of the last eight seasons. Campbell is 64-51 overall at Iowa State.

3. Chris Klieman, Kansas State

Klieman has been a model of consistency since taking over at Kansas State in 2019. Setting aside the unusual ‘20 season, the Wildcats have won at least eight games every year under Klieman’s watch. Additionally, the program won the ‘22 Big 12 title and posted winning records in conference play in each of the last three seasons. Klieman is 48-28 overall in Manhattan and previously went 69-6 with five FCS titles as the coach at North Dakota State from 2014-18.

4. Lance Leipold, Kansas

Kansas didn’t quite meet preseason expectations with a 5-7 record last season, but Leipold still ranks among the best coaches in the Big 12. The Wisconsin native previously went 109-6 at Wisconsin-Whitewater and finished 37-33 at Buffalo before coming to Lawrence. After a 2-10 debut in ‘21, the Jayhawks showed steady progress with a six-win campaign in ‘22 and then a breakout 9-4 mark in ‘23. Leipold is 22-28 overall at Kansas and should have this team back into contention for the Big 12 title this year.

5. Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State

Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham.

Dillingham is one of college football’s top rising stars in the coaching ranks. The 35-year-old coach guided his alma mater to a 11-3 record and Big 12 Championship last season. The Sun Devils improved their win total by eight games from Dillingham’s debut in ‘23 and nearly upset Texas in the College Football Playoff. Arizona State is a program with significant potential in ‘25 and beyond. Dillingham was clearly the right hire to help the Sun Devils emerge as a consistent contender for the Big 12 title and playoff berths in the coming years.

6. Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia

Rodriguez is back home in West Virginia. He previously guided the program to a 60-26 record from 2001-07 before opting to depart to Michigan. Although his tenure with the Wolverines resulted in a disappointing 15-22 mark, Rodriguez has won at every stop in his tenure. He went 43-35 at Arizona (2012-17) and 27-10 at Jacksonville State (2022-24). Combine those two tenures with the previous stint at West Virginia and stops at Glenville State and Salem, Rodriguez is 190-129-2 all-time as a head coach. Going back home doesn’t always result in success, but Rodriguez should have West Virginia winning at a high level in the near future.

7. Kalani Sitake, BYU

After a 5-7 debut in the Big 12 in 2023, the Cougars were significantly better in their second trip through the conference. Sitake guided BYU to an 11-2 record and a No. 13 finish in the final top 25. The Cougars just missed on a trip to the Big 12 title game and College Football Playoff (potentially), adding fuel to a program that should be among the favorites to win the conference this season. Sitake is 72-43 in Provo and has led the Cougars to three seasons of double-digit victories.

8. Deion Sanders, Colorado

Sanders has engineered one of the biggest turnaround in college football since taking over in Boulder in 2023. Colorado went 1-11 in the year prior to Coach Prime’s arrival but showed instant improvement with a 4-8 mark in his debut. The Buffaloes were in the mix to make the Big 12 Championship Game on the final weekend of the regular season and finished with a 9-4 mark overall and 7-2 record in conference action last year. Also, Colorado recorded (No. 25) its first finish in the final Associated Press Top 25 since ‘16. Counting a three-year run at Jackson State (2020-22), Sanders is 40-18 as a head coach at the collegiate level.

9. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State Cowboys coach Mike Gundy reacts after a call during the second quarter against the Arizona State Sun Devils.

The Cowboys bottomed out with a 3-9 mark and a winless record (0-9) in Big 12 play last season. As a result, the pressure is building on Gundy. The school cut $1 million of the long-time coach’s salary in ‘25, while the roster and staff was significantly overhauled this offseason. Although last season was a major sign of concern, Gundy is still 169-88 at his alma mater. The Cowboys played for the Big 12 Championship in ‘21 and have two seasons of double-digit victories over the last four years. Was ‘24 a small blip for Gundy? Or was it a sign of significant regression in the program?

10. Sonny Dykes, TCU

Dykes’ tenure in Fort Worth started with a trip to the national championship and a 13-2 overall mark. The Horned Frogs haven’t matched that performance in the last two seasons but are still 14-11 since ‘23 after a 9-4 mark last year. Dykes is 98-76 overall as a head coach at the FBS level counting other stints at Louisiana Tech, California, and SMU. Returning to the national title again is too much to ask. But Dykes should have this team in position to compete for a Big 12 Championship in ‘25.

11. Willie Fritz, Houston

Fritz is a proven winner from several different stops in his coaching career and has Houston trending in the right direction after a 4-8 debut last year. The long-time coach went 97-47 at Central Missouri (1997-2009), 40-15 at Sam Houston (2010-13), 17-7 at Georgia Southern (2014-15), and 54-47 at Tulane (2016-23) to own a 212-124 overall record as a head coach following the ‘24 season.

12. Dave Aranda, Baylor

Aranda’s tenure in Waco was in doubt after a 2-4 start last season, but the Bears rebounded to win six of their final seven games to finish 8-5 overall. The program’s strong finish could be traced back to Aranda’s preseason tweaks, which included taking over the defensive play-calling and hiring Jake Spavital as offensive coordinator. Aranda is 31-30 overall at Baylor and has three bowl appearances in his tenure.

13. Joey McGuire, Texas Tech

The 2025 season is a crucial one for McGuire. The Red Raiders are a solid 23-16 since he took over the program in ‘22. Additionally, they have posted winning records in Big 12 play in three consecutive years, including a 6-3 mark in '24. However, with a heavy investment into NIL and upgrading the roster through the portal, McGuire needs to show he can get Texas Tech to the next level and take this program to the Big 12 title.

14. Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati

Sep 29, 2023; Provo, Utah, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Scott Satterfield reacts in the first half against the Brigham Young Cougars at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

After going 3-9 overall in his debut with the Bearcats in 2023, Satterfield delivered progress last fall with a 5-7 mark. Cincinnati won three games in Big 12 play, including an Oct. 19 victory over Arizona State and a 34-0 shutout of Houston in September. Despite the early progress, the Bearcats closed ‘24 on a five-game losing streak and missed a bowl thanks to four losses by one score. With stints at Appalachian State (51-24 from 2013-18) and Louisville (25-24 from 2019-22), Satterfield has a track record of winning at the FBS level. Will that translate to Cincinnati in ‘25?

15. Scott Frost, UCF

Frost and UCF hope to rekindle the magic from his first stint in Orlando. Following Gus Malzahn’s departure to take over as the offensive coordinator at Florida State, the Knights brought Frost back to the sidelines after a two-year absence following his firing at Nebraska. In his first stint at UCF, Frost went 19-7 with a 13-0 record in ‘17. A move to his alma mater in ‘18 was picked as one of the best in the 2018-19 carousel, but Frost struggled with high expectations and was dismissed after a 16-31 record.

16. Brent Brennan, Arizona

Brennan inherited a team coming off a 10-win season and returned enough key personnel to contend for a spot in the Big 12 Championship. But instead of contending, the Wildcats stumbled to a disappointing 4-8 record and a 2-7 mark in conference play for Brennan’s debut in Tucson. Considering Brennan’s success at San Jose State, along with his previous ties to the program, this hire made a ton of sense in last year’s carousel. Can Brennan turn things around in ‘25 and avoid the hot seat?

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