The Big 12 bid farewell to Oklahoma's Brent Venables and Texas' Steve Sarkisian after the 2023 season and welcomes in five new coaches for 2024 as the league undergoes another makeover. Of the league's 12 incumbent programs, 11 have the same coach as they did in 2023. Houston is the lone exception as Willie Fritz comes over from Tulane to take over the Cougars.
Utah's Kyle Whittingham has enjoyed the most success of all the four coaches coming in from the Pac-12. Deion Sanders is certain to grab headlines as he leads Big 12 charter member Colorado back into the league it helped create. Then there's Arizona and Arizona State, both led by coaches eager to prove themselves as Power Four winners in Brent Brennan of the Wildcats and Kenny Dillingham of the Sun Devils.
Elsewhere, there are a handful of well-established names who are accustomed to success and respected throughout the profession. Though the Big 12 doesn't boast any obvious national title contenders, it's got plenty of solid programs led by proven tacticians. That was on full display when the league produced eight of the top 30 coaches in the 2024 CBS Sports Power Four coach rankings. It's a number on par with the mighty Big Ten and SEC (each has eight of the top 30) and above the ACC (which fields five of the top 30).
Below is where all 16 Big 12 coaches rank, as previously voted on by the CBS Sports and 247Sports staffs.
Complete Power Five coach rankings: 1-25 | 26-68
Big 12 Coach Rankings 2024
| 1 |  |
| Kyle Whittingham (6 overall): Utah was picked to win the Big 12 in the league's preseason media poll released Tuesday . That's an incredible sign of respect for Kyle Whittingham, who is entering Year 20 on the job and has the Utes operating as a perennial force in the sport. He'll be required to match wits with a new group of coaches in the Big 12 this season, but Whittingham's program is such a machine that it shouldn't be a problem. Last year: N/A in Big 12 | |
| 2 |  |
| Lance Leipold (12 overall): Leipold's remarkable rebuild took another big step last season as the Jayhawks finished 9-4 (5-4). The Jayhawks have enjoyed back-to-back bowl appearances under Leipold, which is especially impressive considering the program hadn't made a postseason appearance since 2008 prior to his arrival. More success appears to be in store for KU in 2024. Last year: 4 in Big 12 | |
| 3 |  |
| Chris Klieman (13 overall): Klieman is 19-8 (13-5 Big 12) over the past two seasons and has led Kansas State to consecutive top-25 finishes. A four-time FCS national champion at North Dakota State, the low-profile Klieman is a perfect fit for a gritty program that was previously defined by the success of only one coach in Bill Snyder. Last year: 2 in Big 12 | |
| 4 |  |
| Mike Gundy (15 overall): A 10-win season and appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game were couched against blowout losses to South Alabama and UCF last season for Gundy, who is the dean of Big 12 coaches as he enters his 20th season. He would be holding steady at No. 3 if not for the addition of Utah and Kyle Whittingham from the Pac-12. Last year: 3 in Big 12 | |
| 5 |  |
| Sonny Dykes (22 overall): Dykes has a long-established track record and schematic identity. But his stock may never be higher than it was this time last year following TCU's appearance in the national title game. A 5-7 mark in 2023 brought Dykes and the Horned Frogs back to earth, though he still remains firmly entrenched in the conference's top half. Last year: 1 in Big 12 | |
| 6 |  |
| Matt Campbell (25 overall): Campbell is up a spot in the league and 10 spots nationally after leading Iowa State to a 6-3 league record. It was a big bounce-back after ISU stumbled to 4-8 (1-8) record in 2022. With six bowl appearances in the last seven seasons, ISU has enjoyed one of its finest eras in program history under Campbell. Now that Texas and Oklahoma are out of the picture, the Cyclones should compete for conference titles on a regular basis. Last year: 7 in Big 12 | |
| 7 |  |
| Willie Fritz (26 overall): Fritz went 23-4 (15-1 AAC) during his final two seasons at Tulane. Now at age 64, the former JUCO, Division II and Group of Five coach gets his power conference opportunity. His mettle will be tested in 2024 as the Cougars seek to find their Big 12 footing with an overhauled roster after going 4-8 (2-7) last season. Last year: N/A in Big 12 | |
| 8 |  |
| Gus Malzahn (28 overall): UCF took its lumps in Year 1 of Big 12 membership. But the Knights closed strong and were the only new member to make a bowl. The floor for Malzahn's teams is always pretty high, and that's true again for 2024 after he landed a big transfer haul headlined by former Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson. Last year: 6 in Big 12 | |
| 9 |  |
| Neal Brown (42 overall): Brown is up 17 spots in the national rankings and five in the league after a 9-4 (6-3) season that was highlighted by a Duke's Mayo Bowl win over North Carolina. Posting the program's highest win total since 2016 got Brown off the hot seat (for now) as he enters Year 6 on the job. Last year: 14 in Big 12 | |
| 10 |  |
| Joey McGuire (44 overall): McGuire is arguably the most underrated coach on the list after guiding Texas Tech to 5-4 conference marks in each of his first two seasons. Prior to his arrival, the Red Raiders endured 12 straight years -- cycling through three head coaches -- without a winning record against Big 12 foes. Last year: 10 in Big 12 | |
| 11 |  |
| Kalani Sitake (49 overall): Entering his ninth season, Sitake has overseen a series of highs and lows at his alma mater. Unsurprisingly, Year 1 in the Big 12 marked a low as the Cougars finished 5-7 (2-7). Based on Sitake's track record, that means BYU is in for a bounce-back season. Last year: 9 in Big 12 | |
| 12 |  |
| Dave Aranda (55 overall): Aranda looked like a rising star in the head coaching ranks just two years ago following a 12-2 season and Sugar Bowl victory. The Bears are 9-16 since, and Aranda's seat is hot. A lot is riding on his hire of offensive coordinator Jake Spavital, who did great work at Cal in 2023. Last year: 5 in Big 12 | |
| 13 |  |
| Brent Brennan (56 overall): After a slow start to his tenure, Brennan took San Jose State to bowls in three of his final four years there. He posted a 20-10 record in Mountain West games over that span. A receivers coach by trade, Brennan has his work cut out for him as he inherits a 10-win team from Jedd Fisch. Brennan got off to a nice start by retaining several stars from the Fisch era. Last year: N/A in Big 12 | |
| 14 |  |
| Scott Satterfield (59 overall): Satterfield's stock has steadily dropped since he posted an 8-5 record in 2019 during his first season at Louisville. Since then, the once-successful Appalachian State coach is 20-28, which includes a 3-9 record in Year 1 at Cincinnati. A favorable 2024 slate -- no Utah, Oklahoma State, Arizona or Kansas -- offers a chance at redemption. Last year: 13 in Big 12 | |
| 15 |  |
| Deion Sanders (61 overall): Sanders' first season as an FBS coach started with a bang, but ended with six straight losses. He's generated buzz and excitement by talking a big game and collecting strong transfer talent. But the foundation has cracks -- see the offensive line for one example -- as the Buffaloes transition to the Big 12 and face another tough schedule. Last year: N/A in Big 12 | |
| 16 |  |
| Kenny Dillingham (64 overall): Dillingham inherited a mess from Herm Edwards, and the quick fix of playing true freshman Jaden Rashada at quarterback didn't pan out. The 34-year-old former Oregon offensive coordinator is drinking from a firehose as his alma mater transitions to the Big 12. Last year: N/A in Big 12 | |
