The 2024 college football regular season came to a close less than two weeks ago, and in the time that’s passed since, we’ve seen several decisions made on head coaches around the country.
There have been resignations, firings, hirings, extensions, and all kinds of decisions in between and the Big 12 is no exception.
We’ve seen some home run moves, some head-scratchers, and some decisions that make sense, but we need more time before we know how things will work out.
Here’s how we grade each of the head coaching moves that have been made around the Big 12 this cycle.
West Virginia – Hired Rich Rodriguez
Grade: A
There aren’t many times when a school gets the opportunity to hire back a previous head coach for a second tenure, and there are even fewer times when it makes sense. Luckily for West Virginia, hiring Rich Rodriguez was the perfect “lightning-in-a-bottle” moment. The fan base had grown stagnant with Neal Brown, and after a blowout at the hands of Texas Tech, athletic director Wren Baker had no choice but to part ways.
Then, just a short while after that, Rodriguez leads a transitioning FBS program to a Conference USA title – in dominant fashion – and is in the perfect position to come back home. With nine wins in each of the last three seasons with Jacksonville State, Rich Rod would’ve been a candidate without having any ties to the Mountaineers. Yet, he does have ties to Morgantown, and that’s what has everyone feeling so great about his return. This was an opportune hire at an opportune time, and a home run for WVU.
UCF – Hired Scott Frost
Grade: C
I know, I know… I just gave West Virginia an “A” for going back to the well, but I’ve given the Knights a “C” for doing the same thing with Scott Frost. So, what gives?
Well, for starters, Rich Rodriguez went and showed that he could have success building something at three other stops as a head coach. After leading UCF to a 13-0 season in 2017, Frost went home to Nebraska and had one of the most difficult tenures of any head coach this century. Does all of that fall on him? No, but a good portion of it does. He was, after all, the head coach.
The other issue I have here is that it seemed like Jamey Chadwell might’ve been a legitimate candidate. After going 21-4 at Liberty over the last two seasons, he seemed like the perfect guy to come in and take over in Orlando. Maybe talks fell through or he was too expensive, but that would’ve made a lot of sense. The Frost hire just feels off considering he was fired in the middle of the 2022 season after going 16-31 at Nebraska. The good news for UCF is he’s got everything to prove and his buyout from the Huskers probably means he was able to take the job without demanding too big a price tag up front.
Oklahoma State – Restructured Mike Gundy’s Contract
Grade: B-
This needed to happen, and after the season that Oklahoma State just turned in, it’s not an unreasonable ask for the Pokes to restructure their rolling contract with Mike Gundy. However, the execution of the entire deal was unfortunate. Gundy is the winningest coach in Cowboy football history and the fact that he spent a weekend with his feet to the fire feels a bit odd.
But, after resolving the standoff, Gundy and the administration can move forward with a new plan and a new staff. It was past time for changes at the coordinator positions, and there’s a sense that Gundy’s grip on the happenings in Stillwater had grown a little too snug. Perhaps this is the wake-up call that gets the Pokes going in the transfer portal and on the recruiting trail. If so, the drama will have been worthwhile.
Utah – Kyle Whittingham Coming Back for 2025
Grade: B+
What we’re seeing in Salt Lake City isn’t all that dissimilar from what happened in Stillwater this season. Both Gundy and Kyle Whittingham are among the most tenured coaches in college football, and with their experience and success has come the tendency to do things the way they’ve always done things. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for either of them, but that doesn’t mean it was time to part ways.
Whittingham is one of the most well-respected guys in the industry, and he’s shown time and again that his program knows how to bounce back. There was no way that he was walking away from the game with a 5-7 record after what he’s built at Utah.
If Whittingham can rally the troops and get back to reaching expectations in 2025, it might put the program in a position to move on to the next phase of its life – life after Kyle Whittingham.
Iowa State – Matt Campbell Extension
Grade: A+
I don’t often give out the coveted “A+,” but Iowa State has earned it with this one. The Cyclones just turned in their most successful season in program history, which has become a year-to-year trend for Matt Campbell. Every offseason, Campbell’s name comes up in coaching carousel discussions, and every year he sticks around in Ames.
Now, after the program’s first-ever 10-win season, Campbell is locked in with ISU through 2032. There’s no arguing that Campbell is the greatest football coach in Iowa State history – he owns the record for both total wins and winning percentage in Ames. Now, with an extension – and a raise to follow – he can continue building the Cyclones into a consistent winner and contender in the Big 12.
Arizona – Brent Brennan Returning
Grade: D
Arizona entered the 2024 season inside the AP Top 25, and, despite losing a few pieces from a 10-3 squad last season, appeared to be a contender in their first year in the Big 12. Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan was arguably the best QB-WR duo in the country coming out of the offseason, and it seemed that, if nothing else, the Wildcats would be able to score points.
Well, they didn’t. In fact, this Arizona team didn’t even look like a shell of the squad from last year. The Wildcats lost seven of their last eight games, and lost six games in Big 12 play by three or more touchdowns. Usually, I’m not a proponent of firing a head coach after just one season, but this felt like a case where the writing is very clearly on the wall. The Big 12 is certainly competitive, but going 4-8 overall and 2-7 in conference play is unacceptable with the kind of talent that Arizona was bringing back.
