Ole Miss
Mike Norvell
Head coach at Memphis
The second-year man for the Tigers has done an incredible job following up Justin Fuente’s final two-year hurrah in the Bluff City (19-7 record, finished No. 25 in AP poll in 2014). His lone year at the head of the Memphis program, his Tigers went 8-5, finished third in the AAC and made it to a bowl game. The intriguing thing about Norvell is his high-powered offense, ability to coach a quarterback, and recruiting success at a Group of 5 program, primarily in Mississippi.

At 36 years-young, he is one of the nation’s youngest head coaches and will look to build upon his eight wins in his first year after enjoying four successful years as Arizona State’s associate head coach and offensive coordinator. While at ASU, the Sun Devils averaged at least 34.6 points a game in each of the last four seasons. He also helped Memphis quarterback Riley Ferguson shatter Paxton Lynch’s single season passing touchdowns school record and throw for 3,698 yards in 2016. He would be a young, excitable name to come into the program when it needs some energy and positivity immediately.

In year two, his Tigers are off to a blistering start (currently 6-1) and aside from a lopsided loss to UCF, they have been impressive with two wins over ranked opponents and an offense that is ranked 20th in S&P+ rankings. Other than the road loss to Scott Frost and the Golden Knights, Norvell’s offense has scored 30 or more points in every other game. And despite his defense being ranked in the 100’s, they are 2nd in turnovers gained and 10th in the country in turnover margin.

Frank Wilson
Head coach at UTSA
The New Orleans, La. native might be a name that some of you recognize after his time as an Ole Miss running backs coach (2005-2007) or as a LSU assistant (2010-2015) where he was associate head coach and running backs coach. Since then, he has taken over the head coach position at UTSA after former Miami Hurricans legend Larry Coker resigned. In his first year, the Radrunners went 6-7, finished second in his division and signed the No. 1 recruiting class in Conference USA.

This year, his Roadrunners are currently 4-2 and should be favored to win out, despite two tough games against UAB and Marshall on the schedule. Outside of the two losses to Southern Miss and North Texas, his defense has held opponents to 12 points per game in their four wins. UTSA is 2nd in the nation in red zone defense, 18th in sacks, 39th in team passing efficiency defense, and 47th in S&P+ defense rankings.

Wilson could be a name to watch because of his ties to the south, Ole Miss and the Southeastern Conference. He is a known commodity around the Southeast and has enjoyed tremendous success as a recruiter, especially at LSU. While he was employed in Baton Rouge, 29 of his players were selected in the NFL Draft, second only to Alabama (30). He is young, fiery and would be a possible jolt to the Ole Miss program with his name recognition on the recruiting trail and recent success at UTSA.

He is relatively new to the head coaching game, but he checks all of the recruiting boxes and then some. Frank has been named recruiter of the year twice by Rivals (2011) and Scout (2015) respectively and he’s also been able to land big-time running backs at LSU and hell, he almost convinced former five-star and NFL back Joe McKnight to sign with Ole Miss back in 2007.

Scott Frost
Head coach at UCF
Sticking with the young candidate theme, Frost would be another name to keep an eye on. Some of you might remember him from his days under center at Nebraska in the 90’s. He initially started his career at Stanford before transferring to the Huskers and guiding them to a 24-2 record in two years and a national title in 1997, when they beat the brakes off Peyton Manning and the Tennessee Volunteers.

After a very brief career in the NFL, he got into coaching as a graduate assistant at Nebraska and Kansas State before moving over to defense at Northern Iowa. There he was a linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator for two seasons. Former option quarterback coaching linebackers and running a defense? That sounds pretty cool, to be quite honest. In 2007, the Panthers went 12–3 and led the Missouri Valley Conference in rushing defense (107.1 avg.) and scoring defense.

Once he left there, he arrived at Oregon and worked under Chip Kelly and Mark Helfrich. This is where he made his name. During his four years in Eugene as wide receivers coach, the Ducks reached four straight BCS (R.I.P.) bowls and his room played a big part in giving Oregon a balanced attack on the ground and through the air. He was promoted to offensive coordinator by Helfrich once Kelly left for the NFL and his offense, led by Marcus Mariota, generated a Heisman Trophy and a berth in the inaugural College Football Playoff.

As a head coach, Frost turned around a train wreck Central Florida program (0-12) and finished with a 6-7 season and a berth in a bowl game in his first year leading the Golden Knights. His first two recruiting classes have finished 65th and 55th respectively and finished tops in the American Athletic Conference this past year, narrowly beating out Norvell and finishing four spots ahead of Charlie Strong.

One of the more impressive things on Frost’s resume is his coaching tree. He has either played or coached under names such as Bill Walsh, Tom Osborne, Frank Solich, Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Jon Gruden, and Chip Kelly. This Mount Rushmore coaching tree has no doubt helped him in his quest to a New Year’s Six bowl in 2018 as he has guided UCF to a 6-0 record, No. 18 ranking, and an offense that is 3rd in the country in S&P+ rankings.

Charlie Strong
Head coach at South Florida
Since we’re talking about the American Athletic Conference, let’s discuss the possibility of Charlie Strong’s potential return to Oxford. The former Rebels’ receivers coach spent a single season in Oxford before leaving for Florida and eventually becoming the head man at Louisville. During his time in the Commonwealth, his Cardinals began to roll after consecutive 7-6 seasons. His final two years in Louisville saw his teams finish with a combined record of 23-3, a Big East title, and Sugar Bowl win in 2012.

Before he made his mark following up Bobby Petrino, Strong was destroying the SEC at Florida as Urban Meyer’s defensive coordinator. In 2006, the Gators were sixth in both total defense and scoring defense and won a national title. His ninth-ranked defense in 2008 led the Gators to another national title after they were able to bounce back from an 11 a.m. loss at the hands of Houston Nutt (lol).

One of the more interesting tid bits about Charlie and his potential candidacy is how he affected Louisville’s defense upon his arrival. He immediately jumped the Cardinals from 65th to 14th in total defense and his 2013 squad led the nation in total defense and—this should be intriguing for Rebel fans—rush defense. He was a relentless recruiter at Louisville as well, finishing 44th, 27th, 45th, and 36th.

And speaking of recruiting, his three years at Texas saw him finish 17th, 10th, and 7th. The wins weren’t there during his time in Austin, but there is no doubt he attracts top talent. And that’s how you win, especially in the SEC West. Strong was rumored to be very interested in the once vacant defensive coordinator role at Ole Miss, but he eventually took the head job at USF. Which brings me to my one question about Charlie: is his immediate success in Tampa his doing or leftovers from Willie Taggart’s tenure? The Bulls are 7-0 and ranked as high as 14th in the country.

Can he sustain success once Quinton Flowers leaves? Ole Miss won’t be able to wait and see, but the question remains. Will USF’s 16th-ranked defense translate to success in Oxford if he were to be hired? Could Shea Patterson step right in to Sterlin Gilbert’s 33rd ranked offense and do his thing in 2018? Only time will tell.

Neal Brown
Head coach at Troy
Sticking with the Texas Tech Red Raiders theme, the third-year head coach at Troy has already made waves in a short time frame. The Danville, Kentucky native was named Tommy Tuberville’s offensive coordinator in Lubbock and treated us all to his NASCAR spread offense. In his first year calling plays for Tubs, his offense was top 15 in total offense and passing offense. Brown gained considerable praise in his second year when the Red Raiders defeated No. 3 Oklahoma, earning him the title of Rivals.com National Coordinator of the Week.

He left Lubbock in 2013 to return home and coach Mark Stoops’ offense and quarterbacks at Kentucky. The stint in Lexington was short-lived however. Brown’s Air Raid system never got off the runway as Kentucky went 7-17 in his two seasons in the SEC East. Despite a little improvement in year two, Neal decided it was time to move on and try his hand at being a head coach.

After an understandable transition year one that saw the Trojans go 4-8, he made a tremendous jump in year two, finishing a 10-3 campaign and winning the Dollar General Bowl. It was their first 10-win season since joining the FBS ranks and their first ever top 25 ranking in school history. Now in year three, he has his fellas off to a 4-1 record and are just coming off a huge upset of LSU in Death Valley.

Despite the quick success as a head coach at Troy, the one knock on Brown will be recruiting. The 37-year old was able to secure signatures from three four-stars during his time at Kentucky but at the head of a program he has finished 98th and 96th respectively. Granted, resources are limited at Troy and he did jump to 2nd in the conference with his second full class, but in order to compete in the SEC West year in and year out you’re going to have to win head-to-head battles with Nick Saban, Gus Malzahn, Kevin Sumlin, and Ed Orgeron.

The wins and excitement are there (beat No. 25 LSU this year on the road), but we need to see the proverbial ticker move a little more when it comes to recruiting. If his Trojans continue to win and other SEC programs continue to struggle and heat up their head coach’s seats, Brown is going to be a name to watch in November and December if he can win out and capture a Sun Belt title.

Chad Morris
Head coach at SMU
This is a name that has been circulating around the coaching search chat room for quite some time since his departure from Clemson. After partnering with Dabo Swinney and being a key cog in Clemson’s meteoric rise, (that almost certainly was due in large part to good, old fashioned hard work and doing things the right way) Morris is a candidate that, for whatever reason despite being on the bad side of 50, is labeled as a young, up-and-coming coach. All jokes aside, you can’t deny the fact that he was an innovative part of Clemson’s offense developing into what it is today and that he has sparked a little bit of interest at SMU.

He is originally from Texas, coached in the high school ranks for 15 years (169-38 career record) before working gigs at Tulane, Clemson, then moving up to head coach in Dallas. He is very active on the recruiting trail, something Ole Miss desperately needs to refill the proverbial cupboard, and he has signed the likes of Deshaun Watson, Chad Kelly, Ben Boulware, and Shaq Lawson. His connections to high school programs in the Lone Star state is invaluable and his reputation for sparking the Tigers’ offense under Swinney still helps on the recruiting trail.

Despite only signing a few non-Texas players while coaching at SMU (his first two classes were ALL Texas players), he still has ties to most of the Southeast from his time at Clemson. His first two full classes at SMU finished 75th and 80th in the country, but one would venture to think that he would be able to spread his crootin wings a bit more at a Power 5, SEC program.

But, I still have my own personal reservations about his ability to recruit and consistently win at a big-time level (11-19 career record at SMU). And not to mention, his defensive efficiency ranks 104th right now. And we all know how I feel about defense being a part of your arsenal as a head coach.

To me, this feels like a similar hire to the one Ole Miss made in 2012 when they picked Hugh Freeze. He is an offensive coach who has a fun offense (27th in offensive efficiency) and ties to a certain family made famous by a shitty movie. If it were me, I would steer clear of a Group 5 coach who has yet to finish higher than 5th in the AAC West, but that’s just me, a blogger. What do I know?

Joe Moorhead
Offensive coordinator at Penn State
Moorhead’s offenses at Penn State have been stellar (18th in S&P+ in 2016, currently 13th in 2017) in its first two years in State College. He was a key cog in helping the Nittany Lions win their first outright Big Ten title in 20 years and has developed a three-star Trace McSorley into an uptempo spread wizard.

He has also been a head coach before. During his time at Fordham, a Patriot League program in the Bronx, his career record was 38-13, 11-1 in conference, and he won one league title. He worked his magic and turned a 1–10 team into someone who had the second largest turnaround in FCS history in 2012. Then, he followed that up with an encore of 10 straight wins.

Joe is a Pittsburgh native and has no real ties to the southeast, which would be tough recruiting primarily in the Southeast, but he's 43-years young and has been named the top rising assistant coach name by Sports Illustrated and arguably runs the most fun offense in college football at Penn State with Heisman frontrunner Saquon Barkley and former three-star turned all-star quarterback Trace McSorley.

Matt Campbell
Head coach at Iowa State
Speaking of turning three-stars into stars, the Cyclones head coach is a kingmaker. The Ohio native earned his stripes in the MAC at Bowling Green (graduate assistant, offensive line coach, run game coordinator) and Toledo (offensive coordinator, offensive line coach, head coach) and now has ISU ranked and the college football world buzzing. As the Rockets’ head man, he won two division titles, 35 games, and led them to four bowl games. All in four full seasons (coached bowl game in 2011 as interim coach).

The 2015 MAC Coach of the Year hit the ground running once he was the full-time guy in Glass City. He signed the conference’s top class twice, finished top 100 nationally every year he was there, and then once he got to Ame, his first two classes finished 55th and 52nd respectively. The 37-year old head man is winning and recruiting well considering where he is currently coaching at. No disrespect to folks from Iowa, but most teenagers probably couldn’t find it on a map, much less want to go play football there.

His overall record in a year and a half at ISU is 8-11 and 5-8 in the Big 12, but the body of work is there and the improvement is following closely behind. His offenses have been ranked 48th and 45th respectively by S&P+ and his defense made a tremendous jump from year one to year two (93rd to 29th). We have discussed several times about the importance of defense and we all know that Ole Miss could use a shot in the arm and then some in that department.

He has a humongous opportunity to continue to impress this weekend when the Cyclones host Gary Patterson and the TCU Horned Frogs at Jack Trice Stadium. If he can follow up his upset of then-No. 3 ranked Oklahoma with another upset over No. 4 TCU, his ‘clones will be on top of the Big 12. Campbell is an incredibly intriguing candidate that is young and already showing promise of being dynamic. But, will he be available for the Rebs or will he move on to bigger and better things?

Jason Candle
Head coach at Toledo
Speaking of Toledo, here is another Rockets coach to know. And Ole Miss better move fast if they’re going to give him a call because the hype is real. Hell, Candle’s team dropped 30 points on undefeated Miami’s top 25 defense. On the road.

The former Geneva College and Mount Union wide receiver is only 37-years old(!) and took over the Rockets program when current Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell bolted for the Big 12. Despite his young age and lack of experience, the dude knows how to win, as a player AND a coach. At Mount Union, he was on two national championship teams as a player and four national championship teams as an assistant/coordinator/associate head coach.

As a member of the Purple Raiders staff, he coached NFL wide receivers Pierre Garçon and Cecil Shorts and while on the staff at Toledo, he coached 13 current NFL players, including current Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt. In Candle’s two seasons as offensive coordinator, the Purple Raiders went 29-1, losing to D-III juggernaut Wisconsin-Whitewater in the title game in 2007 and winning the national championship in the 2008 rematch against those same Warhawks.

His players earned nine All-American honors under his tutelage as offensive coordinator, most notable, QB Greg Micheli was honored in 2008 with the Gagliardi Trophy a.k.a. the Division III Heisman Trophy. While operating as offensive coordinator at Toledo, his offenses have ranked in the S&P+ rankings as 57th, 38th, 31st, and 41st respectively. His final year as OC, the Rockets finished 10-2 and led the MAC in rushing, averaging nearly 208 yards per game, and ranked No. 2 in the nation in fewest sacks allowed (five).

Despite being in the MAC, he is no stranger to recruiting. He was recognized as one of the top 10 recruiters in the country among "non-Big Six" conferences by Rivals.com, named the MAC “Recruiter of the Year” by Scout in both 2011 and 2012, and his first full class as head coach finished second in the conference and 88th nationally according to 247Sports. His 2017 class is currently 79th nationally and tops in the MAC.

Obviously the SEC West is a completely different monster, but he has shown the ability to do a lot with very little (16-5 career record, 9-2 in conference). That will surely be a hurdle for whoever the new coach is because of self-imposed sanctions and scholarship reductions, but maybe Candle is up for the challenge since he’s already convincing Alabama and Florida recruits to come attend school in Ohio and play in the MAC.

Tennessee
5) Mike MacIntyre, Colorado head coach
MacIntyre's career win-loss record won't wow you (39-56) but he has turned around programs at both Colorado and San Jose State. He led the Buffs to the Pac-12 Championship Game last season, and they're off to a 4-3 start this year. Tennessee isn't a rebuild, but MacIntyre has proven he knows how to get the most out of his talent. The Vols considered him in 2012 and may very well do so again.

4) Les Miles, former LSU head coach
Miles is in the booth with FOX Sports this season, and while his tenure had run its course at LSU, there's no denying how successful he was during his time in Baton Rouge. He went 114-34 in 11 years, including a national championship and two SEC titles. There may be some reservations about pursuing him given LSU's offensive struggles over the last few years, but he's a proven coach who has a desire to get back to a high-profile program. Tennessee may just give him a chance.

3) Jim Bob Cooter, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator
Cooter played at Tennessee and served as an assistant under Phillip Fulmer before moving to the NFL. He has since become one of the most successful coordinators in the professional ranks, putting him in line for a head coaching job at some point in the near future. Cooter may be inclined to stay in the NFL and wait for a head coaching job there, but going home to Tennessee could be enough to sway him to return to college. He's the only guy on this list major connections to the program which could put him even higher on this list.

2) Chip Kelly, former Oregon/NFL head coach
Kelly is going to be the hot candidate for every college opening following the season. Following a one-year stint with the 49ers, Kelly returned to the college game as an analyst for ESPN. With no NFL head coaching opportunities on the horizon for Kelly, it's almost guaranteed that he'll be back in college next year. Tennessee certainly has the resources and pedigree to appeal to him - and they'd be willing to back up the Brinks truck for him. Will they be able to outbid other suitors?

1) Jon Gruden, former NFL head coach
Gruden, who started his career as a grad assistant for the Vols, was wooed by Tennessee after their head coaching job opened up following the 2012 season, and it seems like he has a tinge of regret over not accepting the position. He called coaching the Vols his "dream job," and if Jones is gone, Gruden will be the first guy Tennessee calls. If he does return to coaching and to the college game, this seems to be the position he would do it for.

Florida
10. Bob Stoops, former Oklahoma Head Coach
Florida fans would love this, as a Twitter or message board search can confirm. After all, Stoops was the DC at Florida under Steve Spurrier and those two are still friends. Plus, maybe Stoops could get the Ol' Ball Coach to help him out? While it's a nice dream, it's only a dream. I'll be stunned if it happens. 

9. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State Head Coach
Surely there's no way Gundy will leave his alma mater, where he's had a ton of success, to coach at Florida, right? You'd think, but he also chased the Florida job last time. There have been rumors that Gundy doesn't get along with mega-booster T. Boone Pickens, which could help spur a move. While Gundy might have changed his mind, it's an option worth mentioning. Plus, the mullet totally works in Florida. 

8. Mike MacIntyre, Colorado head coach
MacIntyre's career win-loss record won't wow you (38-52) but he has turned around programs at both Colorado and San Jose State. He led the Buffs to the Pac-12 Championship Game last season, and they're off to a 5-4 start this year. Florida isn't a rebuild, but MacIntyre has proven he knows how to get the most out of his talent. He should draw interest from more schools if Colorado closes strong and makes a decent bowl. MacIntyre was born in Miami, played at Vanderbilt and coached at Ole Miss, so there are SEC ties. However, his poor handling of a domestic violence incident could scare Florida off.
 
7. Neal Brown, Troy Head Coach
At just 37 years old, Brown is on the rise in the coaching ranks. He went from four wins to 10 wins in year two at Troy and managed to upset LSU in Baton Rouge this year. He does have some ties to the SEC, having coached and played at Kentucky. Someone will give Brown a promotion soon, it's just a matter of which program. At 6-2, Troy is going bowling again this year. 

6. Jeff Brohm, Purdue Head Coach
Brohm made the jump from Western Kentucky to Purdue this year. Before losing to Rutgers, Brohm had been generating coach of the year buzz from other Big Ten coaches. Brohm's done an impressive job taking a Purdue team that won nine total games under Darrell Hazell to a 3-4 mark so far this year. 

5. Scott Frost, UCF Head Coach
Frost has quickly emerged as a coveted head coach candidate. He's led the Knights to a perfect 7-0 record this year, after UCF went 0-12 in 2015 before hiring Frost. That's a hell of a turnaround. The reason he's not at the top like some Florida fans want? Frost is a Nebraska alumnus and the Cornhuskers will go after him hard if/when Mike Riley is canned. 

4. Matt Campbell, Iowa State Head Coach
Campbell is just 37 years old with few ties to anywhere outside of Ohio, but that didn't stop him from taking the Iowa State job after the 2015 season. Iowa State won just three games last year, but is 6-2 this year. The ranked Cyclones have already beaten TCU and Oklahoma, both top 10 teams at the time. Not having any ties to the SEC or Florida could hurt Campbell, but few coaches are as hot as Campbell right now. 

3. Mike Norvell, Memphis Head Coach
Norvell has already been connected to the Florida job and for good reason. Just 36 years old, Norvell left his OC position at Arizona State to take over the Memphis head coaching gig last year. After an 8-5 season in year one, the offensive-minded Norvell has guided one of the most electric offenses in the nation. The Tigers are 7-1, with their lone loss coming to undefeated UCF. 

2. Chip Kelly, former Oregon/NFL head coach
Following a one-year stint with the 49ers, Kelly has returned to the college game as an analyst for ESPN. If there's no NFL interest next year, Kelly might elect to head back to the college ranks where he had so much success. And that success is why his name will be mentioned for every notable college opening, with Florida near the top. He's already been linked to the Gators and if the program pays him, they might actually be able to land him. There's been buzz that Kelly doesn't want to coach in the SEC, but the SEC East is much different than the SEC West. 

1. Dan Mullen, Mississippi State Head Coach
Mullen was not considered among the candidates when McElwain was originally hired. So why would the former Florida OC be at the top this time around? For starters, Mullen continues to produce quality teams at MSU, no easy task in the SEC West. While there is some doubt about whether Mullen would want to go coach at Florida (there's a lot of pressure that comes with being the UF coach), don't forget who is now the AD at Florida. It's Scott Stricklin, the former Mississippi State athletic director. So provided Stricklin believes in Mullen and wants to work with him again, he's an obvious fit.

Texas A&M
Chad Morris
Coaching record: 7-17 (all at SMU)

Several in college football believed Morris never considered the Baylor job seriously because he was waiting for this one to open. Considering he is an Aggie alum, Morris seems like a natural candidate for the job.

At face value, Morris’ two-year record doesn’t appear successful. SMU has won seven games over the last two years. But considering the mess Morris inherited after June Jones’ untimely departure, the quick ascent is impressive. If Morris can make a bowl game with SMU next season, he will become more attractive as a candidate.

Larry Fedora
Coaching record: 74-44 (40-25 at North Carolina)

Count Fedora among the most underrated coaches in the sport. Granted, being 15 games above .500 in the weaker ACC doesn’t seem impressive. However, Fedora has been producing consistently at the school for years.

Fedora would have made a bowl every year in Chapel Hill if not for a bowl ban during his first season. The Tar Heels also had a scholarship reduction his first three years. It did not slow him down. In 2015, North Carolina posted its first 11-win season since 1980.

Considering Fedora grew up in College Station, the opportunity to move home must be appealing.

Chip Kelly
Coaching record: 46-7 (all at Oregon)

Kelly opted to hold off this offseason and wait for the right job to open. While his connections are more on each coast, Texas A&M would be a tremendous opportunity for him to reestablish himself in the college coaching world.

After a failed stint in the NFL, Kelly appears ready to move back to the college level. It’s easy to forget, but Kelly was a college head coach for four years. During that stretch, he won double-digit games and appeared in a BCS bowl every year. That’s a heck of a run.

It remains to be seen whether he would be a good cultural fit, but it’s a gamble worth taking.

Mike Gundy
Coaching record: 104-50 (all at Oklahoma State)

Consider Gundy to be a wild card, but the Oklahoma State coach deserves an opportunity to shine in the SEC if he wants it. With Bob Stoops’ retirement, Gundy becomes the longest-tenured coach in the Big 12 (not counting Gary Patterson, who mostly coached TCU in the Mountain West). I called Fedora one of the most underrated coaches in the country – Gundy might top that list.

The results are good. In 12 seasons, Gundy has qualified for 11 bowl games. For perspective, the Cowboys qualified for 16 bowl games in the first 92 years of the program combined. He led Oklahoma State to double-digit win seasons five times, including three of the last four years. Obviously, the success came in the Big 12. That said, Texas A&M has more resources to win at the highest level.

Gundy is an Oklahoma State alum, but reportedly does not have the greatest relationship with lead booster T. Boone Pickens. If Texas A&M can take advantage of the rift, it would be foolish not to.

Joe Moorhead
Coaching record: 38-13 (at FCS Fordham)

Moorhead had a nice run at Fordham as head coach, but he is better known as the architect that transformed Penn State’s offense last season into one of the most explosive in football. Granted, the other coaches on this list have some level of Texas ties – Moorhead would be an outsider to the landscape.

However, Moorhead’s results are hard to argue with. The Nittany Lions improved from No. 62 to No. 18 in S&P+ offensive performance per Football Outsiders. He helped transform quarterback Trace McSorley and running back Saquon Barkley to two of the best play makers in the sport.

Hiring a coordinator from outside the region would be a risk, but Moorhead does have head coaching experience. If the Nittany Lions have another outstanding offensive season, the athletic department might decide it’s worth a shot.


Arkansas
5) Lane Kiffin, FAU head coach
Kiffin rehabbed his image enough while serving as the offensive coordinator at Alabama to get a head coaching chance. He was a candidate for several Power 5 head jobs last year before going to Florida Atlantic, and if he can have success with the Owls this year, Arkansas may be willing to give him a call. They're on the verge of beating Old Dominion this week, which would put them at 3-3 and in bowl game position. 

4) Bryan Harsin, Boise State head coach
Harsin has maintained Boise State's high level of success since taking over the program, going 33-11 in his three-plus seasons at the helm - including a Fiesta Bowl victory in 2014. He also has experience in the state of Arkansas, serving as Arkansas State's head coach in 2013 before taking the Boise job. The Broncos are only 3-2 this year, and if he decides to look elsewhere, the Razorbacks could give him a call.

3) Dave Aranda, LSU defensive coordinator
At only 40 years old, there might not be a better defensive coordinator in college football than Dave Aranda. The former roommate of Tom Herman (no, seriously), Aranda has had success as a DC at Utah State, Wisconsin and LSU. If a program is looking for a young defensive mind to take over, they can do no better than Aranda. It's only a matter of time before he gets a head job, and Arkansas may be willing to offer him one.

2) Les Miles, former LSU head coach
Miles is in the booth with FOX Sports this season, and while his tenure had run its course at LSU, there's no denying how successful he was during his time in Baton Rouge. He went 114-34 in 11 years, including a national championship and two SEC titles. There may be some reservations about pursuing him given LSU's offensive struggles over the last few years, but he's a proven coach who has a desire to get back to a Power 5 program. Arkansas may just give him a chance.

1) Mike Leach, Washington State head coach
There's already a petition to bring Mike Leach to Arkansas. No, seriously. And there's a lot to like about Leach. He has turned a downtrodden Washington State program to one that's consistently ranked every season, going 20-9 in the last two-plus years. That, of course, comes on the heels of a wildly successful stint at Texas Tech that ended in controversy. If he can win big at those places, imagine what he can do with the resources of a SEC school like Arkansas. His offense would certainly be more exciting.