Ohio State Football: Candidates to replace Urban Meyer if he is let go
By Chris Bruns
National Talent
A program as prestigious as Ohio State should garner interest from nearly any coach in the country, with the aforementioned Saban being one of the few exceptions. Could Gene Smith tap an up-and-coming talent from another program?
Matt Campbell — The Iowa State head coach turned heads last year with several high-profile upsets, coaching the cyclones to a 5-win improvement in his second year on campus. Campbell could fit in the Ohio Men category as well, having grown up in Massillon and coached at Toledo.
The 38-year-old is certainly a coach on the rise like Ryan Day but with head coaching experience. Should Day falter, Campbell could get a call.
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Jeff Brohm — Brohm might not be the sexiest hire, but he’s been successful everywhere he’s coached — and anyone who can win at Purdue can flat-out coach. He grew up just south of Ohio in Kentucky, has NFL credibility and the chops necessary to continue OSU’s Big Ten dominance on the recruiting trail.
Justin Fuente — Virginia Tech’s head man rose to prominence with a big year at Memphis, but he’s more than a one-hit wonder. Taking over a Hokies’ squad that had lost a bit of luster in Frank Beamer’s twilight years, Fuente has kept his team in the national conversation each of the past two seasons.
Other — Ryan Day is nice, but his mentor Chip Kelly might be even sweeter. The UCLA coach was often mentioned in the same breath as Urban Meyer and Nick Saban before he left Oregon for the NFL — but would he leave Los Angeles after just one season?
Next. Dark cloud over football program. dark
Like fellow Big Ten coach Mark Dantonio, Penn State head man James Franklin could be a target, but he has Penn State rolling and doesn’t seem likely to leave.