The Texas Tech Red Raiders are set to defend the Big 12 title this season as head coach Joey McGuire hopes to maintain his status as king of the conference. In order to do so, he has to defeat some of college football’s most talented coaches. Here’s a ranking of the 12 he’s set to face in 2026.
12. Phil Longo, Sam Houston State
Longo took over a 10-win Sam Houston State and won two games last season. In the new era of college football, coaches aren’t inheriting the level of programs they once did, with smaller programs being stripped of talent by the top teams. However, Longo has been declining for some time.
Longo struggled his first time as a head coach, and one has to wonder if the game has passed him by.
11. JaMarcus Shepherd, Oregon State
Shepherd takes the reins of one of college football’s toughest jobs. He already recognizes it will be a tough road to build up the Beavers, but he’s young, experienced, and comes from a good coaching foundation. However, he needs his trial by fire before we can accurately judge his skills as a head man.
Texas Tech will be one of those tough trials.
10. Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati
Whenever someone wants to believe in Satterfield, something occurs that keeps his teams perpetually around .500. To this day, it’s hard to see the vision of why Satterfield was hired by Cincinnati, and with a tough schedule, Satterfield has a lot to do if he wants to be the head coach when Texas Tech visits Ohio.
9. Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia
Rodriguez should be higher on this list, especially after the success he had at Jacksonville State. It’s hard to put the faith needed to rank him higher when his track record as a head coach has its clear flaws. It also has its evident highs, so perhaps Rodriguez might pull off the unexpected and make the Mountaineers the sweethearts of America once again. That’s probably more of a fever dream, and West Virginia will have to work to go bowling this year.
8. Deion Sanders, Colorado
It’s a tad bit shocking to list Sanders higher than Rodriguez and Satterfield, as West Virginia defeated Colorado last season, while Cincinnati had a better record. Sanders made two major decisions that could save him from another losing season, moves that give him an edge on everyone in the conference. Brennan Marion as his offensive coordinator and Boo Carter on defense.
Marion’s go-go offense helped UNLV go from perpetual failure to Mountain West powerhouse, while Carter’s athleticism could be the “Travis Hunter” effect needed on defense to secure victories in shootouts. It’s a long shot, but perhaps Coach Prime has one more defining moment left to display.
7. Keith Patterson, Abilene Christian
If Patterson had the resources Tech has now, what would his career have looked like in Lubbock? Since then, he’s had an incredible run at Abilene Christian, turning them into a perpetual face in the FCS playoffs. A shocking turnaround, Patterson has three winning seasons in four years after the Wildcats had one winning season from 2015-2021.
Just because he’s not in the FBS doesn’t mean Patterson hasn’t got his players rolling. They’re a tough out, and that’s because they’re coached very well.
6. Brent Brennan, Arizona
Brennan turned his Wildcat tenure around last season, and 2026 could be the year he ascends with Arizona. It’s hard to buy in after 2024, considering how they wasted Tetairoa McMillan, but this is also a coach who found success at San Jose State, so he has the tools to dominate in 2026. There’s no reason Brennan couldn’t ascend to one on this list if his team gets off to a fast start.
Beating Arizona State last season definitely helped reshape Brennan’s story.
5. Dave Aranda, Baylor
Aranda’s time at Baylor has been a constant up-and-down, with 2025 going haywire. Ranking Aranda is tough because of his inconsistencies, but how do you drop a coach who randomly turns in a successful season?
In what is becoming a perpetual letdown, I am once again putting my belief in Aranda that 2025 was a glitch and that the success of 2024 will be a recurring theme in 2026. If Baylor can catch a rebuilding Auburn early, they could be 4-0 to start the season. He also has the defensive line to change the narrative on his career.
4. Sonny Dykes, TCU
Dykes has had a unique time at TCU, and after making the National Championship game in his first year, his back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2024 and 2025 have gone under the radar. It will be hard for TCU to contend for the Big 12, but Dykes has always found success when you least expect it.
3. Eric Morris, Oklahoma State
Morris comes to Stillwater, having to fill the massive shoes of legend Mike Gundy. Morris has a lot of things going for him early, especially with an offensive scheme that has dominated the skies during his time as a coach. He took North Texas to the brink of the College Football Playoff, and he seems to be adjusting to the times better than most.
2. Willie Fritz, Houston
One of the most underrated coaches in college football, the secret to Fritz’s success is that he finds every avenue to victory and pursues all of them with relentless intent. Thus, he’s won conference championships at every head coaching stop he’s had (five), leaving all of them to pursue better opportunities.
He recorded a 10-win season for Houston in 2025, and Houston could be rolling in 2026 if they get some momentum early. It’s a good thing the Cougars are Tech’s third opponent of the season.
1. Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State
Dillingham joins Aranda as the two Big 12 head coaches that Tech is scheduled to play this season. While the Sun Devils did suffer multiple losses, especially Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson, their new homes wouldn’t have occurred without the guidance of Dillingham’s program.
There’s a clear structure with everything he does, and the continuity of retaining his coordinators should make Arizona State the most dangerous opponent for the Red Raiders this season.
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This article originally appeared on Red Raiders Wire: Ranking head coaches Texas Tech will face in 2026
Reporting by Brock Vierra, Red Raiders Wire / Red Raiders Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Brock Vierra, Red Raiders Wire | USA TODAY Network
