By Mark Pszonak
1. Kyle Whittingham-Utah (Entering his 21st year)
Overall Record: 167–86
Utah’s Kyle Whittingham is the second longest-tenured head coach in college football behind Iowa’s Kirk
Ferentz. Whittingham began his coaching career as a grad assistant at his alma mater BYU in 1987 after
a brief NFL career. After stops in Utah State Eastern and Idaho State, he was hired as defensive line coach at
Utah in 1994. He took over as head coach in 2005. In 2008, while the Utes were in the Mountain West
Conference, they went 13-0, won the Sugar Bowl, and finished second in the final AP poll. Utah had
mixed success in 13 years after moving to the PAC 12. They finished first in the south division four
times. In 2024 they moved to the Big 12 and were favorites to win the conference. Whittingham and
Utah are looking to rebound after a disappointing 2-7 season.
2. Deion Sanders-Colorado (Entering his 3rd year)
Overall Record: 40–18
Deion Sanders became a household name with his MLB and Hall of Fame NFL career. Sanders took his
first college head coaching job in 2020 at Jackson State after coaching in high school. In three years the
Tigers went 27–6 and won the SWAC in 2021 and 2022. Colorado made a splash by hiring Sanders to
turn around a 1-11 program. His son Shilo and the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner followed Sanders to
Colorado. They improved to 4-8 in 2023 before moving to the Big 12 the next year. The Buffalos made a
leap forward going 9-4 in 2024 and an Alamo Bowl berth. Sanders may not be a conventional college
head coach with the way he recruits and uses the transfer portal, but it is hard to argue with the success
he is having so far in Boulder.
3. Kenny Dillingham-Arizona State (Entering his 3rd year)
Overall Record: 14–12
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Kenny Dillingham began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Memphis in 2016. He was made
offensive coordinator in 2018. Dillingham had stops as the offensive coordinator at Auburn, Florida
State, and Oregon. He came back to his alma mater, Arizona State, as head coach in 2023. The Sun
Devils went 3-9 in his first year. The Big 12 preseason media poll had Arizona State finishing in last
place. Instead, ASU went 7-2, beat Iowa State in the conference championship, and earned the school's
first college football playoff berth. Dillingham turned the Sun Devil program in two years and looks to
build upon that success.
4. Lance Leipold-Kansas (Entering his 4th year)
Overall Record: 168–67
Lance Leipold won six NCAA Division III championships at Wisconsin Whitewater between 2007 and
2014. Buffalo hired Leipold after the 2014 season and led them to three bowls in six seasons. The Bulls
finished 6–1 in the shortened 2020 season, including a win in the Camellia Bowl, and were ranked No.
25. Kansas hired Leipold in 2021 to turn around a struggling program. In his second year, they went 6-6
in the regular season and earned their first bowl berth in 13 years. In 2023, the Jayhawks went 9-4,
defeated UNLV in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, and were No. 23 in the final AP poll. Leipold is proving
that you can win on the gridiron at a “basketball school”.
5. Matt Campbell-Iowa State (Entering his 10th year)
Overall Record: 99–66
Matt Campbell was an assistant coach at Bowling Green, Mount Union, and Toledo from 2003 until he
was hired by Toledo as their head coach in 2012. He led the Rockets to a 35–15 record and went to five
bowls in six years there. Iowa State made Campbell their head coach in 2016. In 2020, the Cyclones
won the Big 12, won the Fiesta Bowl, and finished ninth in the AP poll. They won the regular season
conference title again in 2024, went 11-3, and finished 15th in the AP poll. Campbell has been named the
Big 12 Coach of the Year twice. He has been linked to NFL openings in the past but has declined the
move and remains in Ames, Iowa.
