[2024] Hot Seat: Ep.1 - The Big XII

[dearden]

This article was originally published on plus.espn.com - featured audio has been transcribed for the reader's ease.

The end of the regular season is a time of reflection for college football head coaches.  Who should I have targeted earlier on my recruiting board?  What could I do to optimize our gameplan against [insert conference opponent here] going forward?  When are my blue chip underclassmen gonna be ready to take the starting role?  Where am I gonna be coaching a bowl game this year, if at all?  Why is my place-kicker so bad?!  These are merely a sample of the questions that swirl around the mind of a college football head coach as they navigate the season, attempt to avoid the toilet bowl, and prepare for the next season.  The revolving door turns round-and-round.  There is; however, a question that a head coach tends to avoid thinking about during the regular season: where am I gonna be coaching next season?

Some avoid that question out of undying love and loyalty for their current program, where they may also have other ties and commitments.  Others may avoid it to dispel any myth that they’re “abandoning” their team, for theoretically greener pastures elsewhere or just because they couldn’t hack it at their current role.  Few who have recently moved programs avoid it (or suppress it) to ensure that a narrative isn’t created about their lack of commitment.

One hundred years ago, I may have agreed with these particular reservations; however, in the modern era of coaching, I honestly couldn’t care less.  Is it nice to have a long-term head coach to build a collegiate dynasty?  Of course it is.  Are coaches bound to their programs from their hiring until the end of time itself?  No.  In an era where coaching success brings opportunity and where successful coaches ought to be compensated for their achievements, my proposition is this: coaches supporting coaches.  Pundits and other media sources will speculate on-and-on about “hot seats” - which coaches haven’t done their jobs and who ought to be fired.  This series flips that line-of-thought on its head.  Instead, we’re gonna be taking a look at every available Power 5 coaching job; highlighting the program itself, the best “coaching fit” who could come into that program and make a difference, and an honorable mention.  We’re also gonna be sitting down with Conference Commissioners to see which head coach they’d tap to take over program vacancies within their conference.  Coaches supporting coaches - and the carousel turns round-and-round.

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This past week, I travelled down to Waco, Texas with the College Gameday crew to sit down with Baylor Head Coach and Big XII Conference Commissioner, @Vivid.  We spoke about the four Big XII vacancies - Arizona, Iowa State, Kansas State, and UCF - in detail and he provided me with his “Commissioner’s Picks” for each program.  Let’s get started, shall we?

Arizona Wildcats
Coach’s Pick: @joopear (FA)
Commissioner’s Pick: @Ape (NIU)
Coach’s Honorable Mention: @Kirby (FSU)

Projected Offensive Scheme: Air Raid
Projected Defensive Scheme: 4-Man

The Arizona Wildcats are a team who desperately need to hit that reset button.  Following a 2021 Season where Arizona finished #16 in the Coaches Poll and Pac-12 Southern Division Champions with an overall 10-4 [7-3] record, it’s been three tough years in Tucson.  That off-season, Coach @joopear departed for Texas and the Wildcats slumped to a 4-6 [2-5] record by the end of Week 11 of the 2022 regular season.  The bleeding was stemmed with the hiring of Coach @ParksRek ahead of their Week 12 matchup with USC, which Arizona won at home 29-17, but with a subsequent loss in the Territorial Cup to finish the 2022 season a disappointing 5-7 [3-6] record and an increasingly-anemic 2023 campaign where the Wildcats finished 4-8 [3-6], the damage had already been done.  Arizona and Coach Parks&Rek parted ways via mutual consent and the Wildcats entered the 2024 season without a plan, with reports that their coordinators would be coaching-by-committee while a search was underway for suitable replacement.  Eyebrows were raised concerning the efficacy of this arrangement when, during Spring Games, Arizona had scheduled two games at identical times halfway across the country from one another.  The solution?  Play them both, apparently.  Would this sort of innovative approach translate to regular season success?  No, it would not.

Despite a convincing 40-27 victory in the Territorial Cup to round-out the 2024 regular season, Arizona’s first season in the Big XII has not gone to plan.  Coaching-by-committee resulted in the Wildcats’ 13th place finish out of 16 teams with a second-straight record of 4-8 [3-6].  Since the end of the 2021 season and the departure of Coach joopear, the Arizona Wildcats have gone from a nationally-ranked program with conference championship aspirations to an abysmal 13-23 [9-18] in the subsequent three campaigns.  In short, the Wildcats have been declawed - those happier days of 2021 a distant memory of success they could only dream of replicating.  But what if they could?

After two seasons and change at the helm at Texas, Coach joopear resigned following a slow start to the 2024 campaign where the Longhorns started 0-5 [0-2].  However, since Coach joopear’s departure Texas’ singular victory was a matchup against lowly FCS Prairie View A&M, with their 2024 season ending with a 1-10 [1-11] record and having been shutout an astounding six times (50% of games played).  To me, this demonstrates that the shortcomings in Austin aren’t necessarily down to coaching - whether that be the departing Coach joopear or the incoming Coach @SlinkyJr - but rather something systemic we have yet to see on the surface.  That leaves Coach joopear, whose three seasons produced a combined record of 25-15 [16-12] at Arizona and Texas, with an untainted coaching resume and #opentowork.  Given that his fortunes are almost the precise inverse of those suffered by the Arizona program he departed in 2021, and that Coach has proven he can coach and compete at the highest level, Coach joopear to return to Arizona as the prodigal son is not only poetic, but pragmatic.  With a three year gap since Coach joopear’s departure from Tucson, it stands to reason that most of the upperclassmen who would be starting during the 2025 season are Coach’s recruits from his 2021 class - with the impending opening of the transfer portal, it would behoove both Coach and program to finalize any deal as soon as possible to keep their rising talent around.  Moreover, inking a contract prior to the opening of the transfer portal would allow Coach joopear to, well, utilize the transfer portal.  At both Arizona and Texas, Coach joopear employed schemes similar to, but not identical to those the Wildcats are built to start the 2025 season with; however, with adequate time to evaluate his personnel, I have no doubts that Coach joopear will have Arizona running on all cylinders by the beginning of next season.
 

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Dearden: Let's start with Arizona and Coach @Ape. What makes this pairing so intriguing?

Vivid: Coach Ape is a dynamo! His nickname might suggest brute force, but don't be fooled – this is a coach with a brilliant football mind. His active coaching style keeps players on their toes, and his recruiting strategy? Pure genius. He's got a keen eye for untapped talent and the charisma to bring them to campus.

But what really sets Ape apart is his game planning. He's like a chess grandmaster, always three moves ahead. And let's not forget the marketing angle – 'Arizona's Ape' has a ring to it, doesn't it? It's a match made in alliterative heaven!

I’ll be honest, I love Commissioner Vivid’s pick here - I’ve got nothing but respect for Coach Ape and his work over at Northern Illinois.  I actually agree so much with Vivid that Coach Ape is actually my Coach’s Pick for another program… so I’ll leave you, dear reader, in suspense for a bit (or just scroll down) to find my full analysis.

My honorable mention, by virtue of his familiarity with the Air Raid offense and 4-Man defense, is Coach @Kirby out of Florida State.  Do I think Kirby would ever leave Tallahassee?  Not really, that’s why he’s the honorable mention here.  But if he were to decide to leave the Sunshine State for a city with over 350 average days of sunshine, Kirby would be a spectacular fit to turn the Wildcats around.  With a 2024 recruiting class hovering around the Top Ten, in the battleground of Florida, and a pedigree for overall success, I believe that Kirby would replicate his success found in Tallahassee over in Tucson and then some.  But seriously, would he ever leave Florida State and the role of ACC Commissioner?  Maybe, only time can tell.
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Iowa State Cyclones
Coach’s Pick: @Coach123 (Air Force)
Commissioner’s Pick: @Qupax (Wake Forest)
Coach’s Honorable Mention: @Spoof (Clemson)

Projected Offensive Scheme: Spread Option
Projected Defensive Scheme: 4-Man

Iowa State are a bit of a conundrum - over the past four years they’re been consistent, albeit middling, but have never crossed into the realm of contention nor have they fallen into the abyss of irrelevance.  Rather, the Cyclones have, almost ironically, remained stagnant towards the middle or the bottom-half of the Big XII.  If anything, they’ve perfected the Power 5 yo-yo: 6-7 [5-4] in 2021; 6-7 [5-4] in 2022; 8-5 [4-5] in 2023; and 4-8 [3-6] in 2024.  Given the talent that the Iowa State roster has at its disposal, from the elusive Quincy Bakhtiari [B+/C] at Quarterback going into his Senior season to rising upperclassmen Daniel Shreffler [B/C-] organizing the defense at Inside Linebacker and Mark Demoral [B/C] leading the offensive line at Center, it’s surprising to see them languishing in an otherwise-competitive Big XII.  My diagnosis is this: Iowa State need an experienced and proven head coach in Ames, one who can make the most of its current players while building the team for future Big XII title challenges.

Enter, stage right, @Coach123.  The former-Notre Dame head coach led the South Bend outfit to an 8-5 record in 2022 followed by a 11-2 run in 2023 where the #5 Fighting Irish ultimately fell to #12 Marshall in the College Football Playoff.  In 2024, Coach123 departed Notre Dame to take the helm at the United States Air Force Academy, where the Falcons quietly finished the regular season with a respectable 7-5 [4-3] record in a barnstorming Mountain West.  Over the past three seasons, Coach123 has finished with an overall record of 26-12 [4-3] (68.4% win rate) across two esteemed programs.  Should his talents and services be requested, and accepted, in Ames, this pattern of success is sure to continue.

Even more appealing, for the Cyclones, their fans, and Coach123 himself is the sort of personnel set to suit up for Iowa State in 2025.  Offensively, the Cyclones are set up perfectly to run the Spread Option; while defensively, their personnel strengths lean in favor of the 4-Man Spread Stopper.  This past season at Air Force, Coach123 utilized the Flexbone offense - one of just five programs in college football who did so - and demonstrated his skill at developing and play-calling for a scrambling-type Quarterback.  On the defensive side of things, Coach123 employed the 4-Man; no changes needed to apply this same system at Iowa State.

All in all, Coach123 checks all the boxes for Iowa State: he’s an accomplished head coach who has shown that he can do a job in multiple coaching environments; he’s a “scheme-fit” for the Cyclones’ current strengths; and he’s a someone who can help to build the program up for future success - any detractors of that last point can reference the sort of success that Notre Dame’s been having in his absence.  Boxes, checked.  Fat contract?  To be signed on the dotted line.

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Dearden: Moving to the heartland, Iowa State fans are abuzz about Coach @Qupax potentially returning. Can you elaborate on this situation?

Vivid: Ah, Qupax and Iowa State – it's like a classic romance novel. Qupax cut his teeth here, showed flashes of brilliance, then left to make his mark elsewhere. But you know what they say – you never forget your first love.

Qupax has since developed into one of the most innovative offensive minds in the game. His schemes are so forward-thinking, they make spread offenses look antiquated. Bringing him back to Ames would be like completing a circle. The fans are clamoring for it – "Come back to us, baby!" is more than a slogan; it's a heartfelt plea from Cyclone Nation.

Ah, a returning head coach.  Coach Qupax wasn’t the first name on my sheet, but he was on the shortlist.  For those of you keeping score at home, Iowa State’s 8-5 [4-5] 2023 record under Qupax has been their best record in the past four years, so there’s absolutely no doubt that Coach knows his squad and can compete with them.  My only reservation is that after parting ways via mutual consent after the 2023 season, Coach Qupax signed a deal with Wake Forest in Week 5 of the 2024 season after their 2-2 [1-0] start to the season.  From Week 5 onward, Wake Forest went winless, finishing 2024 with a 2-10 [1-7] record at the bottom of the ACC.  While a Week 7 scheme change didn’t do the Demon Deacons any favors, questions may be asked in Ames about this poor run of form and Coach Qupax’s decision to take the Wake Forest job in the first place when his former seat at Iowa State was still functionally open.

Following the theme of honorable mentions for coaches that I truly like for the program at hand, but don’t ever believe would leave their current role is Coach @Spoof of Clemson.  Like Coach123, Coach Spoof is a “scheme fit,” but even more-so as an adherent of both the Spread Option and the 4-Man at Clemson.  While it’s clear that Coach Spoof intends to implement either scheme or its variants in the near future, what’s less clear is the sort of “Catch-22” about his current position and/or willingness to leave Clemson.  Coming off of a 2-10 [1-7] 2024 regular season, Clemson are at their theoretical lowest, so Coach Spoof could leave for a reasonably-attractive Iowa State; however, Clemson also have a Top-25 recruiting class, which means that they ought to rebound within a few seasons to compete, which means Coach Spoof should reasonably stay in South Carolina.  At the end of the day, it’s up to Coach himself, but I see success in his future regardless of his path forward.
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Kansas State Wildcats
Coach’s Pick: @Ape (NIU)
Commissioner’s Pick: @ChizDippler (FA)
Coach’s Honorable Mention: @LordLittlebutt (Notre Dame)

Projected Offensive Scheme: West Coast
Projected Defensive Scheme: Speed

Kansas State are on fire, there are no ifs, ands, nor buts about it.  In three out of the last four seasons, the Wildcats have finished within the Top-4 of the Big XII and haven’t posted a losing record.  From 2021 through 2023, Coach @Swipet led Kansas State to finishes of 8-5 [6-3], 9-4 [6-3], and 7-6 [4-5], respectively.  Following his departure ahead of the 2024 season, the Wildcat faithful remained uncertain about their future - their future would be continued success, as Kansas State impressed throughout the campaign.  Finishing 4th in the Big XII with a regular season record of 9-3 [7-3], the Wildcats once-again challenged for, and once again fell-short of, the Big XII title game.  What Kansas State needs, it seems, is a head coach who can get them over that hump and into the promised land.

This is where we double-back to Commissioner Vivid’s pick for Arizona: Coach @Ape of NIU.  The 2023 National Coach of the Year has been nothing short of impressive during his two years in DeKalb - guiding the Huskies to a 10-3 [6-3] finish and a MAC Western Division title in 2023 and a 7-5 [3-5] 2024 regular season record in an increasingly-competitive MAC.  While these accomplishments are notable in their own right, it’s Coach Ape’s coaching schemes, style, and demeanor that ought to make him a favorite in Manhattan.

First and foremost, the Wildcats are built for Coach Ape’s favored West Coast offense in the 2025 season.  While Kansas State have successfully-operated with the Spread Option during the 2024 campaign, the lynchpin of that offense - Quarterback Nate Washington [A-/B-] - is set to graduate.  The remaining offensive veterans, such as Wide Receivers Akrum Howard [B+/B+] and Edmund Weaver [B/C-], are also scheme fits for the West Coast style-of-play.  The only position requiring improvement is Quarterback - with rising Senior Raymond Patterson [B-/A-] only questionable competitive in such a demanding conference.  That said, if there’s been a head coach who’s actively been monitoring Quarterbacks via the transfer portal, it’s Coach Ape; with confirmed links to Florida State’s Kelly Jarwin and Tennessee’s Mark Koch, and unconfirmed links to Air Force’s Quenton Ogbah, it is a likely possibility that one of these three could suit up for 2025 in royal purple and white.  As a bonus, Coach Ape’s preference for a Speed Man defense also plays to the returning Wildcats’ strengths.  While “scheme fit” ought not be overlooked as an important element in a “coaching fit,” Coach Ape’s style and demeanor truly set him apart from the rest.  As astutely noted by Commissioner Vivid, “[Coach’s] active coaching style keeps players on their toes [,] he's got a keen eye for untapped talent and the charisma to bring them to campus. [...]  He's like a chess grandmaster, always three moves ahead.”  What does all of this mean for Kansas State?  It means that Coach Ape is the sort of head coach who can take a program on the cusp of greatness and push them that extra yard or two over the goalline - he’s a proverbial Fullback in the mold of Appalachian State’s Ramon Brice who can gracefully and cerebrally power through his opposition (shameless plug).  In short, Coach Ape is the sort of head coach that Kansas State need.

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Dearden: You have Kansas State taking a different approach with their interest in Coach @ChizDippler. What's the thinking behind this potential hire?

Vivid: Chizdippler is old school football personified, and that's exactly what K-State needs. His name might be a tongue-twister, but his football philosophy is straightforward – smashmouth, ground-and-pound football that would make Vince Lombardi proud.

But don't mistake his traditional approach for being outdated. Chizdippler has a knack for adapting classic strategies to the modern game. His rushing attacks are like watching poetry in cleats – intricate, powerful, and utterly mesmerizing. 

Plus, have you seen the man's mustache? It's got more personality than some entire coaching staffs! He'd fit right into the K-State culture – hardworking, no-nonsense, with just the right touch of flair.

Coach Chizdippler is an outside shout I wasn’t expecting, but the more I look into it, the more I support it.  The former-UNLV head coach had mixed success in the “land of cocaine and hookers,” starting out strong with an 8-5 [5-3] record in 2021 followed by losing-seasons in 2022, where the Rebels finished 4-8 [3-5], and in 2023 with a 5-7 [3-5] campaign.  That said, things looked to be coming up aces in Las Vegas to start the 2024 season, with successive wins over defending National Champions #24 USC, Kent State, and New Mexico State catapulting the Rebels to 3-0 before Coach Chizdippler’s unexpected departure.  With Coach @cultur3 at the helm, UNLV would finish the 2024 season with an impressive regular season record of 10-2 [6-1].  Translating Coach Chizdippler’s time at UNLV into the Kansas State job, I see a head coach who possesses the ability to compete now while building for the future, which is precisely what the Wildcats need after four-straight years of sustained success - to reap the benefits of their talented squad while ensuring its viability for years to come.

Selfishly, I don’t want my honorable mention of Coach @LordLittlebutt to leave his current position.  As a Notre Dame alumnus, it warms my heart to see the Irish fighting for a National Championship; however, journalistic integrity compels me to detail how Coach LordLittleButt would be a great fit for Kansas State.  The scheme fit is immaculate - Coach LordLittleButt made the adjustment in pre-season to do away with Notre Dame’s Run and Shoot offense to replace it with the West Coast offense.  This one change has paid dividends: it’s transformed Quarterback Izaah Plawecki [A/C+] from an average signal-caller who was demoted to QB2 after the conclusion of the 2022 season in favor of Jake Schofield into a Heisman contender and Davey O’Brien front-runner with a superhuman 73.04% pass completion - a full four percentage points higher than his closest peers - in 2024.  The Irish just look damn good, and they’re set up for the future too.  Under the first-year head coach, Notre Dame find themselves closing in on a Top 10 recruiting class.  Scheme fit, double-check.  Win now, check.  Plan for the future, check.  Coach LordLittleButt checks all the boxes Kansas State could want, it’s just a matter of whether or not he’d be lured from one school in the middle of a large field to another school in the middle of a larger field.  I sure hope he isn’t.
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UCF Knights
Coach’s Pick: @Ricky Campbell (Stanford)
Commissioner’s Pick: @iToxicKiddy (USF)
Coach’s Honorable Mention: @Ewade (Utah State)

Projected Offensive Scheme: Vertical
Projected Defensive Scheme: 3-Man

Thus far, we’ve evaluated coaches via a litany of barometers: scheme fit, prior records, recruiting ability, etc.  However, there’s one important factor that we have yet to consider that plays a big role here - desire.  Let’s not split any hairs, the University of Central Florida are in dire straits when it comes to their football program.  Their sole, definitive winning season was the 2023 campaign, where the Knights finished 7-6 [5-4] under Coach @rajmurti.  Prior to UCF’s Military Bowl appearance, Coach rajmurti capitalized on this comparable success and took the vacant Ohio State job - and we all know how the vacant Ohio State job goes at this point.  In 2024, the Knights regressed massively, finishing the regular season 2-10 [1-8] and falling from 6th in the Big XII the previous season all the way to the bottom.  The UCF job is a homeowner's nightmare: a full-gut rebuild with a questionably-shaky foundation and possible black mold, the only person who would reasonably take it is someone who truly wants it.

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“RIP UCF” -@Ricky Campbell
“Is UCF coached?” -@Ricky Campbell
“I need to come home to the east coast and turn UCF around.” -@Ricky Campbell
“I hate seeing UCF this bad.” -@Ricky Campbell

Within the past two months, Coach Ricky Campbell has expressed his sympathies for the UCF Knights twice, questioned their coaching staff’s efficacy once, and explicitly said that he ought to “come home [..] and turn UCF around.”  Frankly, I couldn’t think of a better fit for the job.  Scheme fits be damned for this one, Coach Ricky Campbell has built an impressive squad at Stanford over the past four seasons.  The Cardinal finished 8-5 [5-4] in both 2021 and 2022 before taking a step back in 2023, with a final record of 5-7 [3-6].  That said, Stanford have surged forward with a vengeance in the 2024 season, posting a formidable regular season record of 9-3 [7-1] in a cutthroat ACC during their first conference season.  Alongside their impressive displays on the field, Stanford currently possess the #2 2025 recruiting class - demonstrating that Coach Ricky Campbell’s talents extend to the acquisition of new blood to build for the future.

I say “currently possess” for two reasons: first, the 2025 recruiting cycle is not finalized, so obviously the rankings may fluctuate; two, there remains a far more sinister outcome from the perspective of Stanford University.  Let’s suppose Coach Ricky Campbell departs for UCF - fair, he has served the Cardinal well and is embarking on a long rebuild of the Knights.  What if it could be a shorter rebuild?  The 2024-2025 off-season marks the institution of the transfer portal in collegiate football, a game-changing innovation in its own right; however, there is a distinct possibility that some, if not a decent chunk of Coach Ricky Campbell’s recruiting class could decommit from Stanford to follow him to UCF.  Within Stanford’s 2025 Class are three players from the State of Florida - 4* Athlete Aaron Frost, 3* Athlete Jorge Alviso, and 3* Center David Ayala.  Alongside these Floridians are three recruits from the State of Georgia, two from Alabama, one from Mississippi, and one from Louisiana who could all be tempted to play their football closer to home.  If we include 5* Tight End Michael Miller and 5* Inside Linebacker Ryan Yancey, both of whom have openly stated that they chose to commit to Stanford because of Coach Ricky Campbell despite being hometown boys, there are a potential of twelve recruits who could flip their commitments as a result of Coach Ricky Campbell’s move to UCF.  While this would understandably decimate Stanford, this shrewd move could serve as the well-needed foundation for the UCF Knights and would serve well to recruit their most important prospect: the enthusiastic prospective head coach.

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Dearden: Lastly, UCF are making waves with their interest in Coach @iToxicKiddy. How does this align with UCF's goals in the Big XII?

Vivid: iToxicKiddy is our secret weapon. Don't let the playful gamertag fool you – this coach is a recruiting savant. He's got Florida high schools on speed dial and a track record of turning three-star recruits into NFL draft picks.What makes iToxicKiddy perfect for UCF is his understanding of the Florida football landscape. He knows how to compete with the big boys of the SEC and ACC for talent. Bringing him to UCF is like planting our flag in talent-rich Florida soil.

As noted, recruiting will be crucial for UCF in the coming years and Coach iToxicKiddy has quietly assembled a 2025 class with some enviable components just West over in Tampa.  Of particular note are 5* Quarterback Douglas Burns out of Miami, Florida and 5* Free Safety David Parks from Scottsdale, Arizona - showcasing an ability to recruit elite talent from across the country on either side of the ball.  What remains to be seen is Coach iToxicKiddy’s desire to travel up the I-4 to Orlando.  While the Big XII Commissioner’s blessing is certainly a vote-of-confidence, I maintain that to take over such a precarious program such as UCF requires a genuine resilience and inclination.  Should Coach iToxicKiddy possess both of these qualities, I see no reason why the UCF experiment would not eventually succeed.

My honorable mention for the UCF is a bittersweet one, in the fact that my logical brain says that Coach @Ewade of Utah State is the perfect candidate for UCF on paper.  In four seasons with the Aggies, Coach Ewade has delivered four respectable finishes of 7-6 [5-3], 7-6 [4-4], 6-7 [3-5], and 5-7 [3-4].  Alongside these consistent results, Coach Ewade boasts the #10 2025 recruiting class at time of writing with impressive recruits such as 5* Quarterback Joseph Dering prepared to suit-up for the Aggies next year.  Moreover, Coach Ewade is one of only four collegiate head coaches to employ the 3-Man defensive scheme - meaning that if he were to take his talents to Orlando, he would be primed to fix the leaky UCF defense, which allowed a Big XII worst 5,760 yards of total offense during the 2024 regular season alongside a fourth-worst 355 points allowed.  Coach Dearden, this sounds like quite the match, why is this a “bittersweet” honorable mention?  Implied lack of desire - Coach Ewade fits the mold of the ideal UCF head coach save for the most important criterion: there’s no presumption that he wants the job.  Combined with Coach Ewade’s seemingly inseparable ties to Utah State, this coaching fit remains one that most likely only works on paper.  Most likely.

Four programs down, thirteen to go.  Special thanks to Big XII Conference Commissioner and Baylor Head Coach @Vivid for his “Commissioner Picks” and the exclusive Big XII content featured below.  Any thoughts on the featured programs and the highlighted coaches?  Feel like you’d have someone else in mind to take over within the Big XII?  Let us know down below.  Be sure to check out our upcoming features on the B1G and SEC - until next time football fans!

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@dearden: Before we wrap up, I'd like to ask about a couple more topics. First, there's been some buzz about Coach Rome at Cincinnati taking an unorthodox approach to recruiting. Can you share your thoughts on that?

@Vivid: Ah, Coach @Rome – now there's a maverick for you! What he's doing at Cincinnati is nothing short of revolutionary. While everyone else is chasing five-star recruits, Rome is out there finding diamonds in the rough.

It's like he's got a crystal ball, seeing what these kids could become rather than what they are now. He's building a program not just for next season, but for three, four years down the line.

Rome's got this uncanny ability to spot raw talent – a slightly off throwing motion that could be perfected, or a linebacker with the right instincts but the wrong size. He brings these kids in, develops them, and suddenly, Cincinnati's fielding a team of upperclassmen who play like five-star recruits but with chips on their shoulders.

It's a long-term strategy, sure. We're keeping a close eye on Cincinnati – Rome might just be rewriting the recruiting playbook as we speak.

Dearden: That's fascinating. Now, if I could just quickly ask about your Baylor Bears currently leading the conference...

Vivid: Now, now, let's not get off track. We're here to talk about these exciting coaching prospects, not current standings. Next question?

Dearden: Fair enough, Commissioner. Any final words for Big 12 fans eagerly awaiting news on these coaching hires?

Vivid: To the greatest fans in college football – buckle up! The coaching carousel is in full swing, and when it stops, the Big 12 landscape will be transformed. The future of Big 12 football isn't just bright; it's blinding!

Dearden: Thank you, Commissioner Vivid, for this enlightening conversation.

Vivid: (Winking) The pleasure's all mine. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some coaching destinies to shape – and maybe a quick peek at those standings!

 

[Bundy]

Read the title and expected to be on this list 😄😰

Would love if Kansas State could pull a coach, they've been talented and I miss @Swipet. Iowa State and Qupax is just a natural fit, they're like the on again, off again relationship of the Big 12 and we all expect them to settle their differences. 

Pulling an Ape or Ricky or so on would be wild but welcomed. I think Kirby and Spoof are untouchables when it comes to these programs though, they've got too much building in the ACC and they're basically the ACC identity in my mind. (Same for Ricky and Ape probably too, sadly.)

Wouldn't rule out a @kwheele interest in like UCF either, a team that hasn't had much but in those Florida recruiting grounds, would be a fun build up if given patience. 

[SageBow]

I don't want Ape or Ewade or any of these guys in this conference pls I need some cupcakes to beat up now that I'm finally decent

[Vivid]

29 minutes ago, SageBow said:

I don't want Ape or Ewade or any of these guys in this conference pls I need some cupcakes to beat up now that I'm finally decent

Now you know how I felt when you came to the conference