CBS Sports ranks every Big 12 coach entering the 2026 season

The Big 12 proves to be one of the more fun conferences in college football. But this brings a lot of parity into the league, making something like ranking coaches a difficult task. Still, CBS Sports gave the exercise a go.

All 16 head coaches from the league were ranked by CBS Sports, at least on the national level. None are inside the top 10, while five are inside the bottom 10 when it comes to the power conference level.

So, without further ado, let’s check out the full list. These are the Big 12 coaches ranked, and the numbers at the end indicate their national rankings.

1. Kalani Sitake, BYU (12)

Sitake is clearly viewed as one of the best coaches in college football. Penn State‘s interest in him clearly tells you that. But Sitake opted to remain at BYU, hoping to take another step forward with the program.

CBS Sports: “Sitake’s Cougars are 23-4 over the last two seasons and reached the Big 12 Championship last year. If they can figure out how to get over the Texas Tech hump and reach the CFP in 2026, Sitake will likely climb into our top 10.”

2. Willie Fritz, Houston (18)

Fritz jumped to the power conference level with Houston, looking to get the Cougars up to speed. He has done the job and then some, maybe having them ahead of schedule. As a result, he sneaks into the top 20 and takes the second spot among coaches in the Big 12.

CBS Sports: “Willie Fritz has always been a favorite among many on our panel, and seeing him win 10 games with Houston last year gave us the excuse we’ve long wanted to rank him even higher this year.”

3. Joey McGuire, Texas Tech (21)

Crazy what a College Football Playoff appearance will do for your national perception. McGuire flew up the board for CBS Sports to No. 21. Texas Tech certainly appears to be the class of the Big 12 at the moment.

CBS Sports: “I was not surprised to see McGuire climb 27 spots to No. 21 in our rankings this season, and you shouldn’t be either.”

4. Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State (22)

A similar type of rise came for Dillingham this time last offseason. Arizona State won the Big 12, made the CFP, and the recognition began to flood in. But the Sun Devils enter a new era, looking to keep the success.

CBS Sports: “He lost his quarterback to the portal this winter, but Dillingham has a successful enough track record with signal callers that expectations remain high.”

5. Sonny Dykes, TCU (26)

Dykes rounds out a run of three Big 12 coaches with Playoff appearances. TCU has failed to reach the same heights since 2022. As a result, Dykes has seen a lot of movement in his ranking.

CBS Sports: “Sonny Dykes fell from 22nd to 35th in our rankings last season despite going 9-4, and now another 9-4 mark has him on the precipice of returning to our top 25.”

6. Lance Leipold, Kansas (34)

For the longest time, Leipold has been credited with turning Kansas football around. While that remains true, KU now has back-to-back losing seasons.

CBS Sports: “We all know that if he wins nine games or more at Kansas again, he’s going to jump right back into the top 25.”

7. Brent Brennan, Arizona (41)

Overdelivering on expectations is a great way to vault your name in this list from CBS Sports. Brennan went from 4-8 in Year One to 9-3 in Year Two. He sees a great rise into the Big 12’s top 10 and top 50 overall.

CBS Sports: “He was 66th last year when nobody expected much from Arizona, but then the Wildcats went 9-4, propelling Brennan 25 spots to 41st.”

8. Eric Morris, Oklahoma State (46)

There are multiple first-year head coaches entering the Big 12 this season. None even comes close to the ranking Morris received. His track record at other spots gives the Oklahoma State headman a big advantage.

CBS Sports: “Morris has been a head coach for seven seasons at Incarnate Word and North Texas. He won 10 or more games in 2021 and 2025, but has finished somewhere between 5-7 and 6-5 in his other five seasons.”

9. Dave Aranda, Baylor (47)

Some wondered if Aranda would even have this job entering 2026. But Baylor continues to double down on their guy, hoping for better results.

CBS Sports: “Like many coaches in this range of the rankings, Aranda isn’t on solid footing and needs a successful season to ensure we’re still ranking him next year.”

10. Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati (53)

Satterfield moved up, even after Cincinnati did not put together the best season. However, it’s better than what Satterfield had been able to produce.

CBS Sports: “The Bearcats went 7-6 last year, posting a winning conference record to reach a bowl game for the first time under Satterfield, so the climb is justified to some extent.”

Big 12 coach rankings: No. 11-16

11. Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia (54)
12. Jimmy Rogers, Iowa State (59)
13. Deion Sanders, Colorado (60)
14. Scott Frost, UCF (62)
15. Morgan Scalley, Utah (65)
16. Collin Klein, Kansas State (66)