One thing the Big 12 doesn't have that the old Pac-12 often produced is a coaching villain.
Maybe it'll just take time for Big 12 men's basketball coaches to rub UA fans the wrong way in the manner UCLA's Walt Hazzard, Ben Howland and Steve Alford did. Maybe there will soon be a Big 12 villain to replace Oregon's Ernie Kent, who was not shy to express his lack of respect for Lute Olson.
Similarly, Pac-12 basketball seemed more urgent and important because so many "villains" played that role against Arizona. Those like UCLA's Reggie Miller and Don MacLean, those like Oregon State's Gary Payton, and many others, from UCLA's Kevin Love and Stanford's Josh Childress to UCLA's Bryce Alford and Oregon's Luke Jackson.
Here's a primer on the Big 12 coaches. It might help you get familiar with them the way it used to be with UCLA's Jim Harrick and Washington's Lorenzo Romar:
Colorado head coach Tad Boyle greets Kansas head coach Bill Self in the first half of a game Feb. 24, 2025, in Boulder, Colo.
– Tad Boyle, Colorado: Age 64, 15th season. Likeable dude. Career winning percentage of 59.7. In terms of sideline behavior, he rarely throws a tantrum.
– Johnny Dawkins, UCF: Age 62. Used to coach Stanford. Career winning percentage of 58.3. Three NCAA victories in 19 years. No threat.
– Ross Hodge, West Virginia: Age 45. After two years at North Texas, Hodge is a newbie at WVU. He comes from Texas Tech Grant McCasland’s coaching tree.
– Jamie Dixon, TCU: Age 60. Career winning percentage of 58.3 at Pitt and TCU, his alma mater. Dixon is a rage machine on the sidelines, always on his feet, always roaming.
– Scott Drew, Baylor: Age 55. Has gone 466-259 at Baylor with one NCAA championship. Nice guy. Reminds me of former Cal coach Ben Braun, Mr. Beige.
Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley yells at Wildcats assistant head coach Jack Murphy for shaking hands with ASU guard Adam Miller (44) after the game at Desert Financial Arena, Feb. 1, 2025.
– Bobby Hurley, ASU: Age 54. After going just 168-157 in nine years at ASU, he has lost his presence. His rage carries on but few and fewer pay attention.
– Wes Miller, Cincinnati: Age 42. Young guy who played for North Carolina, where he was a career sub. Won four conference titles at UNC-Greensboro but is obscure in Big 12.
– TJ Otzelberger, Iowa State: Age 48. Friendly guy but a gamer. The kind of guy you'd want coaching your team. Is 94-45 at Iowa State, which is terrific.
– Grant McCasland, Texas Tech: Age 49. Is 51-20 at Tech, and now is blessed with donor money like few others. Buddy to Tommy Lloyd, so must be a good guy.
– Kelvin Sampson, Houston: Age 70. As good as it gets. Intense, but doesn't go over the line like Dixon and Hurley. Was Olson's friend.
– Bill Self, Kansas: Age 63. Multiple national championships at KU. First ballot Hall of Famer. Handles himself with class.
– Jerome Tang, Kansas State: Age 59. Career assistant got a late-in-life shot at a head coaching spot at KSU. He's been strong with a 61-42 record. Not an explosive personality on the sidelines.
– Steve Lutz, Oklahoma State: Age 53. Starting at the bottom after one season. Was a big winner at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Hasn't shown much of a presence yet.
– Alex Jensen, Utah: Age 49. Newbie after a decade as an NBA assistant. Former Ute Final Four standout, 1998. His challenge at rebuilding the Utes is overwhelming for a nice guy like he is.
– Kevin Young, BYU: Age 44. Immediate hit thanks to donor-recruiting money. Even-tempered, rising star in the Big 12. Rarely gets a technical foul.
