What do Big 12 coaches think of commissioner Yormark going into his second year?

Big 12 media days at AT&T Stadium in Arlington gave the Big 12 coaches a chance to voice their opinion on the conference and its commissioner, Brett Yormark.

Yormark is entering his second year in the role, succeeding Bob Bowlsby. He made some quick moves, including the much-anticipated expansion of the conference.

The coaches who gave remarks about the commissioner were all excited about the conference’s new additions.

“I’ve got so much respect for [UCF] Coach [Gus] Malzahn — the person that he is and the thinker in football that he is,” said Baylor coach Dave Aranda. “He makes a tough league tougher and better.”

Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire supported the case that the league is going to get tougher because of the new competition.

“I think you’re going to see some great games throughout the year and some great new venues,” said McGuire.

Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell and Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables marked BYU in Provo, Utah as the most exciting venue of the four new ones.

“As a young kid, I always dreamed of playing against BYU at Provo,” said Campbell. “I grew up watching those games late night on ESPN and really look forward to the opportunity to go compete there.”

Outgoing Oklahoma will travel to Provo for its final road conference game.

“It’s going to be a wonderful atmosphere with an incredible fan base. There’s not going to be an empty seat in the house,” said Venables. “Coach and his staff have done an amazing job to establish a program of culture and toughness, and you’re going to have to go earn victory.”

However, the biggest theme was the admiration for Yormark’s leadership and vision to improve the conference.

“I’d like to thank Commissioner Yormark for his vision and leadership,” said Chris Klieman, head coach of 2023 Big 12 champion Kansas State. “He’s done an absolutely phenomenal job bringing energy to the Big 12 and being there for us as coaches. Without his leadership we wouldn’t be in the place that we are right now.”

TCU head coach Sonny Dykes echoed Klieman’s statements.

“I want to shoutout to Brett Yormark and the leadership in the Big 12,” he said. “I think his vision is unparalleled and I love the confidence that he brings to the league.”

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said it made the Big 12 an attractive destination for his program.

“I’ve been really impressed with [Yormark’s] leadership and I’m excited to follow his leadership,” he said. “I love the innovative and creative ways [he has] of approaching college football.”

It’s an approach that the commissioner has developed through guidance from Bowlsby and a good supporting administration.

“One of the steadiest hands that has helped me along the way is former Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby,” said Yormark in his opening speech at Big 12 media days on the state of the conference. “He has left a lasting legacy, not only for this conference but for college athletics.”

Aside from conference expansion, Yormark was determined to lock down TV rights for the Big 12 with FOX and ESPN, which he did through 2031.

The rights will add Big 12 football games to the TV guide on more Fridays and Thursdays, which have been few and far between in previous years. TCU will travel to Lubbock to play Texas Tech on Thursday, Nov. 2, this season, but it will allow the game to be aired nationally on FS1.

It’s different than the conventional Saturday game lineup, but the coaches are open to the change.

“If Brett says that’s the best thing for us to do, we’re going to do it because he’s our leader and there’s a reason why we’re doing it that way,” said Klieman. “I think the more people and more audiences we can touch, [whether] that’s a Thursday, a Friday or whenever, I know that we’re all willing to do it to help out the conference.”

While Yormark’s background is not in college athletics, the commissioner has used his experience in professional sports to build his vision for the Big 12. He was previously the President and CEO of Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment Global, which manages the Brooklyn Nets, its G League team the Long Island Nets and the Barclays Center, according to the Big 12 website.

Yormark’s vision includes a foreign presence with a Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball matchup set to be played between Houston and Kansas in Mexico in December, 2024 and the introduction of a halftime performance to the Big 12 Football Championship game.

Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy said his trust in the commissioner has been built through a lot of talks and phone calls.

“I’ve had really good conversations with [Yormark] since he took the job,” he said. “His background and all the different things he did provided him with a very thorough resume for taking this conference to a new level.”

Yormark has brought a sense of stability to the conference. Along with the TV rights, the commissioner also solidified AT&T Stadium in Arlington as the venue for the Big 12 Football Championship game through 2030.

For Dykes, the Horned Frogs feel like they’re in a good place with the conference.

“I think he’s got a great understanding of how to position the Big 12 to be incredibly successful moving forward and I couldn’t be any more confident in a commissioner,” said Dykes. “I’m excited about that and feel really strong about the future of the Big 12 and our role in it.”

Yormark has set the expectations for the rest of his tenure high, but it’s likely he will find every new opportunity to increase the brand of the Big 12 to compete with the other Power 5 conferences.