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Mizzou Football: Head coaching job among best vacancies

By Cullen Jekel

LITTLE ROCK, AR - NOVEMBER 29: Barrett Banister #11 of the Missouri Tigers signals first down after catching a pass during the first half of a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at War Memorial Stadium on November 29, 2019 in Little Rock, Arkansas (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
LITTLE ROCK, AR - NOVEMBER 29: Barrett Banister #11 of the Missouri Tigers signals first down after catching a pass during the first half of a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at War Memorial Stadium on November 29, 2019 in Little Rock, Arkansas (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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Head coach Matt Rhule of the Baylor Bears  (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Head coach Matt Rhule of the Baylor Bears  (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

Hopefully, Mizzou football can zero in on a favored target and land him soon, because there could very well be more college football head coaching jobs coming open in the following weeks.

While not all of them may be as attractive as Missouri, some might challenge the Tigers. But before we get to that, here’s how I rank the current ten head coaching vacancies:

  1. Florida State Seminoles
  2. Missouri Tigers
  3. Ole Miss Rebels
  4. Arkansas Razorbacks
  5. South Florida Bulls
  6. Boston College Eagles
  7. UNLV Rebels
  8. New Mexico Lobos
  9. UTSA Roadrunners
  10. Old Dominion Monarchs

Other schools will join that list. The Memphis Tigers could lose Mike Norvell to a better job as could the Florida Atlantic Owls with (may God help the school who does this) Lane Kiffin. That Memphis job is a good one, and for all of Kiffin’s warts, he’s built Florida Atlantic into a winner. Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell could also be on the move up.

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Then there’s USC. The Trojans just named a new athletic director, and head coach Clay Helton hasn’t won big there. But USC has yet to make an announcement on Helton’s future. If that job opens, it jumps to the top of the list of vacancies.

Will any head coach jump to the NFL? Last year, the New York Jets interviewed Baylor Bears head coach Matt Rhule before turning their attention to Adam Gase. That’s gone well for Rhule, but not the Jets. Will another team look at him?

Let’s not forget about some of the teams currently vying for the four spots of the College Football Playoff, either. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day could presumably make the jump to the pros (Bengals? Browns?) as could Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley (Cowboys?).

Would Clemson’s Dabbo Swinney make that move? Seems less likely, but all it takes is one desperate owner to promise team-wide roster control and a boatload of money to change somebody’s mind.

And what about Nick Saban? The Alabama Crimson Tide dynasty is no more, long live the Alabama Crimson Tide. I don’t see Saban going to a different school or even the pros. What if he’s worn down, much like Washington’s Petersen or Urban Meyer? Could Saban be done?

Any one of Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, or Oklahoma would jump to the top of the list if that job came open. (Baylor, not so much.) That would be bad news for the likes of the Missouri Tigers.

Next. Mizzou Football: Six Potential Successors to Barry Odom. dark

Thankfully, Jim Sterk got a jump on things. He should have his next coach lined up while other teams are still concentrating on meaningless bowl games. And before any Blue Blood school gets poached by the NFL.

Right now, it’s Florida State, then Missouri, then the rest.

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