Postscripts: Coaching Carousel Comes for the Big 12
What’s going on in the Big 12 and beyond? I expand and explain every Sunday in Postscripts at Heartland College Sports, your home for independent Big 12 coverage.
This week, the ripple effects of one coaching move were on full display in college football, the Mountaineer to watch in college baseball and the Big 12’s record-setting soccer season continued.
The Seismic Moves of a Coaching Carousel
At some point, you think your coach is safe. And then someone goes off and does something you don’t expect.
Earlier this week Alabama head coach Nick Saban retired. I was actually doing Big 12 Radio on Sirius/XM and was asked to react to it on the fly. My immediate thought? Which Big 12 coach will get sucked into this rumor mill?
Turns out it was Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, but only briefly. His agent, Jimmy Sexton, used it to help his client get a four-year extension, announced on Saturday. Sexton also happens to be Saban’s agent. And Oregon coach Dan Lanning’s agent. And Washington coach — I mean new Alabama coach — Kalen DeBoer’s agent.
I DEFINITELY got into the wrong profession. But I’m also a terrible negotiator.
Anyway, now the Washington job is open. That’s the cascading effect of all of this. Alabama was never going to go the coordinator route. The Crimson Tide was always going to get a sitting head coach. Which means, of course, another opening. With that brings another round of Big 12 coaching rumors.
The usual suspects emerged. Kansas coach Lance Leipold. Kansas State coach Chris Klieman. Iowa State coach Matt Campbell. So has Arizona coach Jedd Fisch, who ultimately ended up taking the job.
So now, there’s another opening, and an attractive one at that. Inevitably, a Big 12 coach will get sucked into that rumor mill.
It’s the natural order of things — opening, rumor, hire, repeat. The Big 12 is no stranger to it.
With the ever-growing chasm of revenue generation in college sports, however, I think Big 12 coaches moving to other jobs will be less frequent. There will be only so many jobs that will pay better than a Big 12 job. In that sense, the relentless changes in the sport could ultimately help the league in terms of coaching stability.
The Mountaineer at No. 1
We’re not that far away from college baseball season. We’re about seven months away from the MLB Draft in Arlington, Texas. I’ll be there covering it for Inside The Rangers and other Fan Nation sites (so if you want me at Football Media Days in Las Vegas, Big 12, you’d better schedule accordingly).
On that warm (well, likely stupid hot) night in Arlington I may see a first — a No. 1 overall pick from West Virginia.
JJ Wetherholt might be the best player in college baseball. He was last year’s Big 12 Player of the Year and a finalist for practically every college baseball award of note. After batting .449 with 16 home runs, 24 doubles, two triples and 36 stolen bases, this season may be a coronation for him.
It might also lead to WVU history when it comes to the MLB Draft.
Scan the Mountaineers’ draft history and their last first-round pick wasn’t that long ago. Pitcher Alek Manoah was taken No. 11 overall by Toronto in 2019. In 1997 Oakland took pitcher Chris Enochs No. 11 overall (see that pattern?). WVU’s other first-round picks were outfielder Joe Honce in 1983 (Minnesota, No. 12 overall) and third baseman Rick Oliver in 1971 (Milwaukee, No. 17 overall). It should be noted that the latter two selections were made when MLB had multiple drafts each year.
Wetherholt could take the Mountaineers into uncharted territory — the No. 1 overall pick. By the way, that pick belongs to the Cleveland Guardians.
Big 12 Soccer Cleans Up
If you weren’t paying attention to Big 12 women’s soccer, well, shame on you. Newbie BYU went to the College Cup (their Final Four) while Texas and Texas Tech both reached the Sweet 16.
Well, along with the terrific playoff run, the league cleaned up when it came to the NWSL Draft, which was held on Friday in Anaheim, Calif.
The Big 12 broke its own record for most draft selections, which it set last year with five. This time around the Big 12 sent nine women to professional soccer.
As you might expect, BYU dominated there, with the first four selections:
4. Brecken Mozingo (BYU) – Utah Royals
20. Olivia Smith-Griffitts (BYU) – Utah Royals
23. Olivia Wade-Katoa (BYU) – Portland Thorns FC
30. Jamie Shepherd (BYU) – Bay FC
31. Hannah Anderson (Texas Tech) – Chicago Red Stars
50. Alex Kerr (Texas Tech) – Orlando Pride
54. Madison White (Texas Tech) – Racing Louisville FC
55. Laveni Vaka (BYU) – Bay FC
56. Talia Gabarra (UCF) – Orlando Pride
It was a great season for Big 12 women’s soccer and with BYU in the fold full-time it should only get better. Next fall, two more NCAA Tournament teams will join the Big 12 — Arizona State and Colorado.
No matter the sport, this league just gets tougher and tougher.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
