Ranking the Big 12 Coaches (Part 3)

We looked at the unknowns when it comes to Big 12 coaches earlier this week as well as the coaches who still have something to prove. Now on to the big four in the Big 12. The big boys. The coaching stalwarts in this conference.

Group 1: The Established Giants

These guys run their schools. They aren’t going anywhere unless they want to.

4. Bill Snyder, Kansas State

The Silver Fox. The Windbreaker. Whatever you want to call him, Bill Snyder has won consistently for a long time in the Big 12. Even at 76, Bill Snyder is still kicking, with a career record of 193-101-1, beginning in 1843 (Actually it was 1989, it just feels a lot longer).

Before Snyder took the job at K-State, the school had an all-time record of 299-510 all time in 93 years of play. That’s good for a .370 winning percentage! In his years in Manhattan as the head coach (1989-2005, 2009-present) the Wildcats have won the Big 12 twice, and won the Big 12 North four times when the Big 12 was still split into two divisions.

It’s no wonder that Kansas State named their football complex Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium — there is no football program without him.

3. Gary Patterson, TCU

Gary Patterson has been a longtime staple of TCU football, since taking over in 2000. Patterson has amassed an impressive 143-47 record in Fort Worth, and the Horned Frogs have won at least 10 games in 10 of the last 14 seasons at TCU.

The last two season have been impressive in particular, with the Horned Frogs going a combined 23-3 and winning the Peach and Alamo bowls- If they can keep this pace up after the loss of superstars Josh Doctson and Trevone Boykin, Patterson will likely jump Mike Gundy on this list as he continues to prove himself in the Big 12.

2. Mike Gundy, OSU

As mentioned above, Gundy is the second most winningest coach in the Big 12 since 2010, going 58-20 overall and 37-16 in the Big 12 during that time. Gundy gets the most out of his team and is among the most beloved and successful head coaches at their Alma Mater in the country, despite constant turnover in the coaching staff and consistently being out-recruited by Texas and Oklahoma within conference.

1. Bob Stoops, OU

Big Game Bob (ahem, 4-6 in BCS bowl games) and his Sooners have had a stranglehold on the Big 12 for the majority of the 2000s. Since 2000, Bob Stoops and Oklahoma have won an amazing 9 Big 12 titles, including a National Title in 2000. Despite his many critics, Stoops owns a 179-46 record at OU, and an 8-9 record in bowl games.

Stoops is also the only head coach in the BCS era to have won the Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, and the Sugar Bowl. Oklahoma has been a national power as long as he has been at the reins in Norman and show no signs of slowing down.