The Big 12 has a new NFL head coach in the ranks, and it isn’t just another name getting drawn out of a hat. Todd Monken, the former offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens, is set to be the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns, and that’s a big moment not just for him but for a league that’s quietly been one of the best developmental grounds for future NFL coaches.
Monken’s been all over the football landscape, but his roots run right back through the Big 12. He was on the Oklahoma State staff from 2002 to 2004 as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach, then returned as offensive coordinator from 2011 to 2012. In 2011, Oklahoma State finished 12-1 overall with an 8-1 conference record and a Big 12 trophy to show for it. They finished No. 3 in the AP Poll and developed the Biletnikoff Award winner Justin Blackmon, while averaging 48.7 points per game, good for second-best in the country.
The Big 12 isn’t just producing NFL players who go on to make plays on Sundays; it’s producing coaches who end up running NFL teams. Look at Monken’s path: Big 12 coaching roots, college coordinator success at power programs, and now a franchise getting its reset with him at the helm. That arc is exactly the kind of development pipeline the conference should be proud of.
Most casual fans think of college football producing NFL players, but the really big story is how the Big 12 continues to shape NFL minds, too. Monken’s hiring is another feather in that cap, and it speaks to just how influential this conference has become for future stars, not just under center, but on the sidelines as well.
