5 coaches under most pressure for Big 12 media days 2024 ft. Deion Sanders
Big 12 Media Days will feature all 16 teams in the conference meeting in Las Vegas over the course of two days on July 9 and 10. The date each program is scheduled to appear has been announced, with coverage on ESPNU, Big 12 Now, and ESPN+ beginning at 1 p.m. EST on day one and 1:30 p.m. EST on day two.
This year's event will have many coaches and players who will be facing an immense amount of pressure for the upcoming season. Here's a look at five coaches who will be under the most pressure during 2024 Big 12 Media Days.
Five coaches under the most pressure for 2024 Big 12 Media Days
#1 Kalani Sitake, BYU
BYU Cougars coach Kalani Sitake first took over coaching duties ahead of the 2016 season. Through eight seasons with the Cougars, Sitake has a 61-41 record, including 4-2 in bowl games.
The pressure will be on Sitake during the Big 12 Media Days as he tries to get BYU to the next level. They have been ranked as high as No. 8 in the AP poll during Sitake's eight seasons as coach but are yet to appear in a New Year's Six bowl game.
BYU's best season under Sitake came during the 2020 season when they finished 11-1 and won the Boca Raton Bowl. Since then, he has mostly been able to maintain a winning record with the program but struggled in 2023, going 5-7 and failing to make a bowl game appearance.
#2 Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State
Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham will make his appearance on day one of the 2024 Big 12 Media Days. The pressure is on for the 34-year-old coach ahead of his second season in charge of the Sun Devils after a 3-9 finish in 2023.
Dillingham took over for Herm Edwards last season after the team finished 3-9 in 2022. While things didn't get any worse under Dillingham, they also didn't show much improvement, as they finished the 2023 season with an identical record.
Dillingham will attempt to turn the program around and lead them back to a winning season and a bowl game in the early stages of his era as the program leader.
#3 Deion Sanders, Colorado
Colorado has been one of the most talked about programs since Deion Sanders took the coaching job in 2023. The 2024 Big 12 Meida Days will be a pressure-filled event for the former Jackson State coach following a lackluster 2023 season.
The Buffaloes finished 4-8 in Sanders' first season in charge, winning just one game against a conference opponent. This season, Colorado will be transitioning from the Pac-12 to the Big 12, meaning coach Prime will have a new batch of conference teams to compete against.
Colorado will make their Big 12 Media Days appearance on day two of the event. Coach Sanders will be joined by his sons Shedeur and Shilo Sanders, along with punter Mark Vassett and CB/WR Travis Hunter.
#4 Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati
Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield had big shoes to fill following Luke Fickells departure to Wisconsin in 2023.
Satterfield joined the Bearcats after four seasons in charge at Louisville. However, Cincinnati saw their record drop from 9-4 to 3-9 after Satterfield took over and the team moved from the American Conference to the Big 12.
They struggled in their new conference last season, winning just one game against nine Big 12 opponents. Satterfield will be under pressure at Big 12 Media Days as he tries to restore the winning culture at Cincinnati following their combined record of 31-6 between 2020 and 2022 seasons.
#5 Dave Aranda, Baylor
Dave Aranda and the Baylor Bears will make their 2024 Big 12 Media Days appearance during the second day of the event, on July 10. Aranda's time with the program has been a bit of a mixed bag.
After taking over for Matt Rhule in 2020, Baylor's record fell from 11-3 to just 2-7. Things completely turned around for the team in 2021 when they finished 12-2 and narrowly missed a selection into the College Football Playoff.
Over the last two seasons, their record has continued to slip back under .500. They finished 6-7 in 2022 and 3-9 in 2023 with a combined conference record of 6-12. Aranda is 1-1 in the two bowl games he has led the Bears to, and questions will be asked whether he can return Baylor to the success they found in 2021.
Aranda will be working with a new quarterback this season, Dequan Finn, a transfer from Toledo, but is not expected to join Aranda during Big 12 Media Days. Instead, it was announced that the event would be attended by Baylor student-athletes WR Ketron Jackson, LB Matt Jones, RB Richard Reese, LB Keaton Thomas and DB Carl Williams IV.
Which Big 12 coach do you think is under the most pressure in 2024? Let's know in the comments section:
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