The expansion to 14 teams for the 2023-2024 academic year provides a unique environment for the Big 12 in its final year with Oklahoma and Texas. New teams mean new faces in the coaching ranks.
Over at CBS Sports, they ranked each coach in the Power Five, so we’ve collated where the Big 12 head coaches stack up ahead of the 2023 season.
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CBS Sports coach rankings No. 26-69.
CBS Sports coach rankings No. 25-1.
Four Big 12 coaches landed in the top 25, but none made it into the top 10. It’s a pivotal season for several guys. Here’s a look at how the Big 12 coaches faired in CBS Sports Power Five head coach rankings.
(AP Photo/LM Otero, File)
Power Five: 11
2022 Rank: 35 (up 24 spots)
Big 12: 1
Year one for Sonny Dykes and the TCU Horned Frogs was a magical run. The thumping they took in the national championship game shouldn’t diminish that.
Dec 31, 2019; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Kansas State Wildcats head coach Chris Klieman during the first half against the Navy Midshipmen at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Power Five: 12
2022 Rank: 31 (up 19 spots)
Big 12: 2
Chris Klieman has had the Kansas State Wildcats on the slow burn to the top of the Big 12. After making improvements each year, many wondered how the Wildcats would perform with the departure of Skylar Thompson to the NFL. Not only did Klieman and his staff get the best football of his collegiate career out of Adrian Martinez, they didn’t miss a beat when Martinez was hurt and Will Howard took over. It all culminated with an upset win over undefeated TCU and a Big 12 championship.
OSU head coach Mike Gundy walks the sidelines in the second quarter during a college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. Nathan J. Fish, The Oklahoman
Power Five: 17
2022 Rank: 10 (down seven spots)
Big 12: 3
The Oklahoma State Cowboys started the season 5-0 and went 2-6 down the stretch. It was a struggle on both sides of the ball for Mike Gundy’s squad. The schedule sets up well for the Cowboys to improve their win total. But don’t look for them to be Big 12 title contenders in 2023.
LAWRENCE, KS – OCTOBER 23: Head coach Lance Leipold of the Kansas Jayhawks reacts to an instant replay call that went in favor of the Oklahoma Sooners in the fourth quarter at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on October 23, 2021 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Kyle Rivas/Getty Images)
Power Five: 23
2022 Rank: 42 (up 19 spots)
Big 12: 4
Lance Leipold continues to work wonders in Lawrence. The Jayhawks earned bowl eligibility for the first time since 2008. Though they got off to a hot start, they weren’t able to keep it going after an injury to Jalon Daniels. Still Leipold is proving to be one of the best coaches in the country with his work with Kansas.
Sep 17, 2022; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears head coach Dave Aranda talks to his players during a timeout against the Texas State Bobcats during the first half at McLane Stadium. Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports
Power Five: 28
2022 Rank: 11 (down 17 spots)
Big 12: 5
Dave Aranda did incredible work to turn around a two-win Baylor team to win the Big 12 in 2021. But 2022 was a step in the wrong direction for the Bears, who were 6-7 and lost their last four games of the season. 2023 feels like an important year for Aranda in Waco.
Nov 26, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; UCF Knights head coach Gus Malzahn (center) walks off the field after defeating the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium. Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
Power Five: 34
2022 Rank: N/R (wasn’t a Power Five coach in 2022)
Big 12: 6
Gus Malzahn’s done a solid job with the Knights since taking over for Josh Heupel. UCF has had a pair of nine-win seasons. He’s got a .669 winning percentage as an FBS head coach. He had success in his last stint in the Power Five, helping Auburn reach the BCS championship.
Nov 20, 2021; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell reacts during the second half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Power Five: 35
2022 Rank: 12 (down 23 spots)
Big 12: 7
It’s been a rough couple of seasons for Matt Campbell and Iowa State. They were supposed to contend for the Big 12 in 2021, but couldn’t take advantage of their final year with Breece Hall, Brock Purdy, and Charlie Kolar. In 2022, the defense was really good, but the offense couldn’t hold up its end of the bargain.
Oct 9, 2021; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian walks on the sideline during the second quarter of their game against the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Power Five: 37
2022 Rank: 39 (up two spots)
Big 12: 8
Steve Sarkisian has the Texas Longhorns looking like the favorite in the Big 12. He’s assembled a strong roster and pulled off a high-profile recruitment win, landing Arch Manning. Is 2023 the year Texas is actually back?
Dec 17, 2022; Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA; Brigham Young Cougars head coach Kalani SitakeÊblows a kiss to fans after being given a Gatorade bath after defeating the Southern Methodist Mustangs at University Stadium (Albuquerque). Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports
Power Five: 41
2022 Rank: N/R (wasn’t a Power Five coach in 2022)
Big 12: 9
Kalani Sitake has worked to build the Cougars into a tough, physical team. BYU has had just one losing season in its seven-year run and twice finished the season in the AP top 25. How the Cougars handle the week-to-week grind of the Power Five will be a storyline to watch,
Sep 24, 2022; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire sings the school song after the Red Raiders defeated the Texas Longhorns in overtime at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field. Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Power Five: 46
2022 Rank: 62 (up 16 spots)
Big 12: 10
The Texas Tech Red Raiders created a lot of buzz when they plucked Joey McGuire off of Dave Aranda’s staff. McGuire had only been a head coach at the Texas high school level. The theory was McGuire’s ties to the Texas high school scene would be advantageous in collegiate recruiting. Year one was a strong first impression for Tech, who beat both Texas and Oklahoma on their way to an 8-5 season and a win in the Texas bowl.
Nov 6, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Dana Holgorsen reads a playcard during the first half against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium. Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
Power Five: 48
2022 Rank: N/R (wasn’t a Power Five coach in 2022)
Big 12: 11
In eight seasons at West Virginia, Dana Holgorsen won 59.8% of his games, including a pair of 10-win seasons. It’s been a minute since Holgorsen was in the Power Five, but look for the Cougars to give Big 12 teams fits with their offensive prowess.
Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables walks off the field after a spring scrimmage game at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman Okla., on Saturday, April 22, 2023.
Power Five: 52
2022 Rank: 45 (down seven spots)
Big 12: 12
It was a rough first season for Brent Venables as head coach of the Sooners. The defense didn’t live up to expectations and the offensive inefficiencies couldn’t make up for it. Still, there’s belief in the direction of the program as Venables and his staff have proven they can recruit with the best of them.
Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Scott Satterfield talks to the 2023 football team at the end of the Cincinnati Bearcats spring scrimmage at Nippert Stadium on Saturday, April 15, 2023.
Cincinnati Bearcats Football Spring Game April 15 2023. Stephanie Scarbrough/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
Power Five: 54
2022 Rank: 43 (down 11 spots)
Big 12: 13
Scott Satterfield was one game over .500 during his tenure at Louisville, but had a good run at Appalachian State before taking over the Cardinals. Now at his third stop as a head coach, Satterfield is hoping to build upon the success of Luke Fickell, who helped push the Bearcats to national prominence.
Sep 25, 2021; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Neal Brown calls a timeout during the second quarter against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Power Five: 59
2022 Rank: 52 (down seven spots)
Big 12: 14
There was some discussion that Neal Brown may have run out o