Week 12 in the Big 12 didn’t just shake up the championship race — it might’ve shifted the job security landscape for several head coaches across the league. As we barrel toward the end of the regular season, every win or loss carries extra weight, especially for programs hovering around bowl eligibility or falling short of expectations. From coaches strengthening their grip on the sideline to others hearing the seat warm up beneath them, here’s a look at which Big 12 head men helped — and hurt — their job status this weekend.
Helped His Job Security
Brent Brennan, Arizona
Brent Brennan went a brutal 4-8 in Year 1 taking over from Jedd Fisch, but now he’s 7-3 and arguably coming off his best win of the season at No. 25 Cincinnati. The Wildcats are playing great defense and Noah Fifita looks more like the guy he was in 2023 than in 2024. It’s been a lot of fun to watch this team develop, and if they can beat Colorado and Arizona State, this is a nine-win team. Those were not the expectations going into 2025, and even at 8-4, he’s more than comfortable going into the 2026 season in Tucson.
Joey McGuire, Texas Tech
I’ve had Joey McGuire on the list simply because the incredible pressure he is under this season to win with this team. But he keeps doing it, and in incredibly impressive fashion. In a 48-9 win over UCF, the Red Raiders (10-1, 7-1 Big 12, No. 6 CFP) stayed on track for a shot at their first Big 12 championship in their regular-season home finale, reaching 10 wins for the first time since going 11-2 under the late Mike Leach in 2008. Texas Tech has as bye week and then it’s a road trip to West Virginia, which if they win, locks them into the Big 12 Championship Game and a likely trip to the College Football Playoff, even with a loss. So at this point, barring a collapse vs. WVU and in the Big 12 Title Game, McGuire is in great shape going into 2026.
Hurt His Job Security
Sonny Dykes, TCU
TCU followed up an ugly fourth-quarter blown lead against Iowa State with a drubbing at BYU. Ouch. This is now the third-straight season Sonny Dykes will have not reached expectations at TCU following a National Championship appearance in the 2022 season. With all the openings around college football, I don’t expect Sonny Dykes to go anywhere, but I believe there will be pressure to make some staff changes based on how this season is trending. They’re 6-4 with games at Houston and vs. Cincinnati. Two games that could go either way. And 8-4 will feel a lot better than 6-6.
Dave Aranda, Baylor
Dave Aranda quieted the doubters for one week after a 30-3 win over UCF. Then, the Bears hosted Utah and got crushed by nearly 30 points. We’re back to where we were with Dave Aranda prior to the UCF game. The Mack Rhoades drama is not helping Aranda either, as the AD involved in an alleged scandal creates more controversy and issues inside the athletics department. Baylor has a couple of coin-flip games against Houston and Arizona. If Baylor loses both, they miss out on a bowl game at 5-7, and then it’s hard to see how he returns in 2026. But a lot of this will also be determined by who is running the athletic department next year.
Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati
Scott Satterfield got this team into the Top 25 this season, but now, we’re seeing some similarities to what we saw in 2024. The schedule toughens up, and Cincinnati comes crashing back down to earth. They have now lost to Utah and Cincinnati in back-to-back games and are 7-3 overall. They play BYU and TCU to wrap the season, two games that could go either way for the Bearcats. Last year, they closed the season with a five-game losing streak. Now they missed a bowl game last year too, and they will make one this season. So Satterfield is likely safe, but a four-game losing streak would be a brutal way to follow up on 2024, especially with how the first half of this season went.
