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Four Big 12 Coaches Make List of Best College Players Now Head Coaches

Originally posted on Heartland College Sports
By Joe Tillery | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 1:01 PM ET

A recent graphic from the Twitter account College Football Alerts ranked the top current head coaches based on how good they were as players in college.

Four Big 12 coaches made the cut, with Colorado’s Deion Sanders landing at No. 1 overall. Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy came in at No. 5, UCF’s Scott Frost at No. 9, and Utah’s Kyle Whittingham at No. 12.

Sanders earned the top spot without much debate. The former Florida State star was a two-time All-American and went on to become one of the most decorated defensive backs in NFL history. His playing resume alone made his inclusion at the top of the list a given.

The top 30 head coaches ranked as players via ESPN. pic.twitter.com/1tejfvvY21
— College Football Alerts  (@CFBAlerts_) July 14, 2025

Mike Gundy cracked the top five after a record-setting run at Oklahoma State from 1986 to 1989. He threw for over 7,000 yards and 49 touchdowns in his college career and has become synonymous with Cowboy football in the decades since.

Scott Frost, now in his first year back at UCF, was a national champion quarterback at Nebraska and also spent time in the NFL. He’s one of the few coaches on the list to win at the highest level as both a player and a coach.

Kyle Whittingham, Utah’s longtime head coach, checked in at No. 12. He played linebacker at BYU in the early 1980s before a brief pro career and eventually returned to the college game on the coaching side. He’s been with the Utes since 1994 and has led the program since 2005.

While the rankings are subjective, the list sparked conversation online, especially given the mix of elite athletes and long-tenured coaching veterans it included.

This article first appeared on Heartland College Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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