With the end of the college football regular season is upon us, the annual coaching carousel is about to start up again. With Ohio State, Washington State and Arizona all luring big-name coaches in Urban Meyer, Mike Leach and Rich Rodriguez, respectively, the picture is becoming clearer every day. Here are my thoughts about the seven current openings in the BCS conferences and who I see taking the reins at each school. The schools are ranked from most to least desirable for potential coaches.
1. While the UNC Tar Heels will continue to work their way past looming NCAA sanctions, they will also be looking to find a coach to get them back on track. Even with these issues overshadowing the program, UNC remains the top available coaching vacancy. Known predominantly as a basketball school, UNC has shown a commitment to football as well in recent years. Its academic reputation, brand-new facilities and wealthy alumni base create an opportunity for the school to make a fantastic hire that could potentially lead to a step forward on the gridiron. I look for Gus Malzahn, a spread-offense mastermind, to be the leading candidate here with Vanderbilt Head Coach James Franklin also in contention.
2. In recent years Ole Miss has slipped to being only the third-most popular team in the state, which is embarrassing given their rich history. They’re not that far off considering that former coach Houston Nutt knew how to recruit well in the middle of SEC territory. Even so, the cupboard is pretty bare. James Fedora, who has succeeded just down the road at Southern Miss, is the best bet, considering his Mississippi roots. Baylor coach Art Briles is also gaining steam as a potential replacement for Nutt.
3. When Rick Neuheisel proclaimed that the monopoly on football in Los Angeles was over, he spoke a little prematurely. Four years later, the USC monopoly is still alive and well as UCLA has struggled under his watch. Early reports indicate that the Bruins are willing to shell out as much as $3 million to land a top-tier coach and make Neuheisel’s proclamation reality and, if this is the case, expect them to pursue Boise State’s Chris Petersen. Landing Petersen would be a long shot, but it’s still worth a call. If he doesn’t work out, I see Houston’s Kevin Sumlin as the next man in line.
4. I’m assuming that the Penn State job will open up in the near future, due to one of the biggest scandals in the history of college sports. Tom Bradley has done a solid job replacing the legendary Joe Paterno, but all signs point to his being dismissed after the season. Any other year Penn State would be unquestionably the top available job, but the magnitude of this scandal will surely hurt everything from recruiting to ticket sales to alumni donations. Even so, being the head coach at Happy Valley is still a prime job. Dan Mullen, the head coach at Mississippi State, has been the leader to replace Paterno since day one. Born in Philadelphia and educated at Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pa., Mullen looks to be a perfect fit for the Nittany Lions.
5. As soon as Arizona State was in contention to win a wide-open Pac-12 South, they lost five out of their last six games. As a result, Dennis Erickson is once again without a job as the Sun Devils look to find a coach who can get them over the hump. Being a beautiful school with ties to the Los Angeles recruiting scene has its perks, but ASU has nevertheless struggled for the majority of the last decade. The aforementioned Kevin Sumlin looks to be the man whom the Sun Devils want the most, but recent rumors have him leaning toward UCLA if the California school should come calling. In that case, look for SMU coach June Jones to wind up with this job.
6. After the failed tenure of Ron Zook at Illinois, it is difficult to think that the brass will take a big gamble with the next coaching hire. As an historic basketball school, football will always play second fiddle, a problem for the Illini given that their successful coaches often use the program as a stepping stone. Cincinnati’s Butch Jones is the safe bet for Illinois considering that he knows how to win with programs that aren’t always in the limelight.
7. Kansas finds itself at the bottom of this list due to the fact that they will, once again, have to start from scratch. After Turner Gill left the program decimated, it will be difficult to find a true winner who wants to go to a place where his accomplishments will always be overshadowed by basketball. Accordingly, the top two realistic choices are TCU offensive coordinator and quarterbacks’ coach Justin Fuente and Kansas State defensive coordinator Dana Dimel, who has deep connections within the state.
Matt Emch is a sophomore in the College. Riding the Pine appears every Friday.
