Athlon asked Big 12 experts to rank the best jobs in the league.
Is it easier to win at Texas or Oklahoma? How about Big 12 newcomers West Virginia and TCU?
Which program provides the most support? Which program has access to the best players? Which program has proven it can succeed at a high level over time? Which program has the most pressure to win?
These are all the questions head coaches must ask themselves when deciding to accept a job or not.
So Athlon Sports asked some respected Big 12 minds one question: Where would you want to coach if the slates (rosters, sanctions, etc.) were wiped clean and all 10 jobs were available?
The Voting Panel:
David Ubben, Fox Sports
Ralph Russo, AP
Jon Solomon, CBSSports
Chip Brown, HornsDigest.com
Pat Forde, Yahoo!
Dennis Dodd, CBSSports
Stewart Mandel, Fox Sports
Blair Kerkhoff, KC Star
George Schroeder, USA Today
Chris Level, RedRaiderSports.com
Bryan Fischer, NFL.com
Allen Kenney, BlatantHomerism.com
Tim Fitzgerald, GoPowerCat.com
Steven Lassan, Athlon Sports
Braden Gall, Athlon Sports/SiriusXM
The Results:
Voting: A first-place vote was worth one point and a last-place vote was worth 10 points. The points are a great indicator of what tier your program is within the conference.
| Rk | Job | Votes (1st) |
| 1. |  |
15 (15) |
| Texas might be the best job in America as all 15 panelists voted UT as the best job in the Big 12. The resources are second to none in college football as is the in-state talent. Certainly, there is pressure to win but nowhere in the country are there more advantages to national success than Austin — which is also one of the best cities in the country as well. | ||
| 2. |  |
30 |
| Oklahoma got all 15 second-place votes and is largely considered on the same plane as the Longhorns. Being outside of the Lone Star State and in a less vibrant town are the only things that keep OU from the top spot. Facilities and fan support are among the nation's best and history suggests the Sooners rarely fail to compete at a high level. This program has no weaknesses. | ||
| 3. |  |
56 |
| The Pokes were voted the top second-tier program in the Big 12 behind Texas and Oklahoma. Oklahoma State has massive financial resources (one, at least) and recruits north Texas as if it's an in-state territory. The Cowboys got nine of the possible 15 third-place votes and was voted no lower than sixth. There is much to like about this program but it's clearly not on the same operating level as the two big boys in this league. | ||
| 4. |  |
62 |
| By going from the Mountain West to the Big 12 by way of the Big East, few programs in the nation have elevated their stock as much as TCU. There are countless reasons why being in the Big 12 is better (namely, money and clout) and being in the Big 12 has allowed for natural advantages — like in-state recruiting talent, for example — to flourish on a bigger stage. The stadium won't ever be elite or seat 100,000, but there is a lot of upward mobility for the Horned Frogs. TCU got four third-place votes. | ||
| 5. |  |
68 |
| Much like TCU, Baylor has elevated its stock by building a fantastic new stadium and state-of-the-art facilities. These are tangible ways to improve a coaching job long-term and few in the country have seen a bigger boost in the last half-decade than the Bears. And also like TCU, it's allowed Baylor to take advantage of a rich in-state recruiting base better than ever before. Baylor got two third-place votes and five fourth-place nods. | ||
| 6. |  |
92 |
| If Morgantown was located closer to the Big 12 fray, it would probably be the fourth-best job in the league. It has a much longer history of success and much better fan support historically than both Baylor and TCU. However, it's an extreme outpost even within a league full of outposts. The facilities also are in desperate need of upgrading, but the stadium is impossible to play in due in large part to great fans. This is an underrated job — if you can get there. | ||
| 7. |  |
106 |
| Both Spike Dykes and Mike Leach proved that you can win consistently in Lubbock. But it takes a special breed to be successful out on the West Texas plains. Texas is loaded with athletes but it's tougher to get players to Lubbock than other Lone Star State Big 12 locales. The stadium and fan support continue to grow and have been solidly consistent over the last two decades. Yet, there's a reason Tech has won just two conference titles since 1955 — and one was a 6-6 campaign that featured a five-way tie. | ||
| 8. |  |
114 |
| The last of the "quality" jobs in the Big 12 can be very deceiving. Kansas State is an extremely difficult place to win but Bill Snyder has covered up a lot of warts. In-state recruiting is highly questionable unless you are targeting JUCOs. The campus isn't bad and the stadium isn't small but it hardly compares to the bigger venues in college football. The facilities are solid as well but not elite. No coach since Pappy Waldorf has posted a winning record at KSU — except Snyder. And many of those tenures were extremely ugly. | ||
| 9t. |  |
141 |
| Of course Iowa State and Kansas tied for the worst job in the Big 12. Iowa State has better fan support and a better home atmosphere and comparable facilities. However, Lawrence is easier to recruit to and might be slightly easier to win at — both Glen Mason and Mark Mangino were competitive. The Cyclones got six 10th-place votes while the Jayhawks got nine. However, Kansas got a seventh- and eighth-place vote (the best for either school), which made up the difference and led to a dead heat in voting. | ||
| 9t. |  |
141 |
| SEE: Iowa State. | ||
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