So who’s next?
Who will replace Terry Allen as Kansas University’s head football coach, assuming interim Tom Hayes will not ultimately get the job?
Pat Hill, head coach at Fresno State, could be Kansas athletics director Al Bohl’s leading candidate.
Hill was hired by Bohl at Fresno State, where the coach has built a strong program which was ranked in the top 10 earlier this season. Hill, in fact, is one of the country’s hot coaches, but his star has faded a bit since the Bulldogs’ losses to Hawaii and Boise State.
Several “name” coaches are out there, and some might be available with a hefty price tag.
Former KU aide John Cooper, who was fired at Ohio State after the 2000 season, is without a job. Terry Donahue, another former KU aide, is in the San Francisco 49ers’ front office. There is no reason to believe he’d want to take on a KU rebuilding job. Former Auburn coach Terry Bowden is now a TV commentator.
Former Pittsburg State coach Dennis Franchione is now first-year coach at tradition-rich Alabama. It’d be unprecedented for a school like Kansas to lure somebody from a major football power, even a major power staggered by probation of the previous regime.
Jim Donnan, who has been head coach at Marshall and Georgia, was replaced at Georgia after last season.
Former Oklahoma coach Gary Gibbs is now an assistant at LSU under Nick Saban, who was hired by Bohl at Toledo.
Former NFL quarterback Doug Williams has received lots of positive publicity for his work as Grambling head coach.
Current head coaches who might want to move up: Gary Darnell, Western Michigan and former Kansas State assistant; Bob Pruett, Marshall; John L. Smith, Louisville; Jeff Bower, Southern Mississippi; Steve Logan, East Carolina; Sonny Lubick, Colorado State; Watson Brown, Alabama-Birmingham; Paul Johnson, Georgia Southern; Gary Nord, UTEP.
There are plenty of assistants who could be on Bohl’s wish list.
Bill Miller, Michigan State’s defensive coordinator, is a native of Hutchinson who played at Hutchinson CC and knows the state. Miller, 44, has also worked at Oklahoma State, Miami and Minnesota.
Other assistants: Carl Reese, defensive coordinator at Texas and former KU aide; John Chavis, defensive coordinator, Tennessee; Ricky Hunley, Florida defensive line; Tim Lappano, Oregon State offensive coordinator; Scott Linehan, Louisville offensive coordinator; Noel Mazzone, Auburn offensive coordinator; Randy Shannon, Miami defensive coordinator; Charlie Strong, South Carolina defensive coordinator; Jeff Tedford, Oregon offensive coordinator; John Thompson, Arkansas defensive coordinator; Kevin Wilson, Northwestern offensive coordinator.
Assistants in Big 12 country could get a look.
They include Phil Bennett, Kansas State defensive coordinator; Mark Mangino, Oklahoma offensive coordinator; Mike Stoops, Oklahoma defensive coordinator; Greg McMackin, Texas Tech defensive coordinator; Chuck Long, Oklahoma quarterbacks coach; Jonathan Hayes, Oklahoma tight ends coach/special teams coordinator; Turner Gill, Nebraska quarterback coach; Greg Davis, Texas offensive coordinator.
Bohl could consider NFL assistants. Ex-Jayhawk Nolan Cromwell is currently Seattle Seahawks’ receivers coach.
