Sarkisian will need more than an Arch Manning commitment to save his job.
The Big 12 and its ten teams head into the season as the conference works to maintain viability. As the conference figures out their next move, the league’s best coaches may be looking for jobs in a more stable conference.
WIN NOW OR ELSE
Steve Sarkisian – Texas Longhorns
It seemed Texas could’ve done better when they hired Sarkisian and it still does. The 2023 recruiting class is on fire, but Sarkisian may not get a chance to coach those recruits if things don’t turnaround quickly.
THINGS ARE GETTING UNCOMFORTABLE
Neal Brown – West Virginia Mountaineers
This seemed like a great hire for West Virginia, but Brown hasn’t been able to gain traction at 17-18. Because there won’t be upgrades looking to get into the Big 12 until the realignment situation settles, Brown may have two years to figure this out.
COMFORTABLE, FOR NOW
Chris Klieman – Kansas State Wildcats
Nothing flashy, just consistent, solid results from Klieman. He might leave for a school with more resources.
Brent Venables – Oklahoma Sooners
This seems like an okay hire. We wouldn’t be surprised to see Venables on the hot seat if he can’t dominate the Big 12 before their exit to the SEC.
Sonny Dykes – TCU Horned Frogs
Many were ready to move on from the Gary Patterson era, but that is going to be a tough act to follow. Patterson set the bar high for TCU.
Lance Leipold – Kansas Jayhawks
Only 2 wins in his first season at Kansas, but with Leipold they will likely see a steady increase in wins. If Leipold can pull off a 6 win season at Kansas, others may come calling.
Joey McGuire – Texas Tech Red Raiders
This is a wildcard hire — either a homerun or a soon to be hot seater. Texas Tech will give him the resources to make a run at the top of the conference.
NAME YOUR PRICE
Matt Campbell – Iowa State Cyclones
Campbell has done good things at Iowa State and has been coveted for quite some time. Perception may outpace reality with Campbell and his 42-34 record. If Campbell is going to make a move it needs to be soon before the star fades.
Dave Aranda – Baylor Bears
A 12-2 2021 campaign put Aranda at the top of athletic director’s wish list. It was an impressive turnaround. He’s at Baylor as long as he wants, which may not be long.
Mike Gundy – Oklahoma State Cowboys
Gundy doesn’t get the credit he deserves. He’s had at least 7 wins since 2006. Oklahoma State has been lucky to have him around as long as they have.
