Bruce Feldman names candidates to watch at Oklahoma

One of the best jobs in the country came open in the Oklahoma Sooners when Lincoln Riley left for USC. Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports and The Athletic put together a list of potential candidates, naming seven options for the Sooners.

Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell – Once considered the hottest name on the coaching market, Oklahoma presents an interesting opportunity for Matt Campbell. Still technically a job in the midwest, the SEC move could play a factor. Campbell has long preached five-star culture instead of five-star talent. With the Sooners, he would have the opportunity to have both.

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin – If Campbell was the hottest name in the market, the title now belongs to Lane Kiffin. The Ole Miss head coach just had one of the best seasons in program history, winning with stunning offensive play. That sounds quite similar to what Riley was doing in Norman. LSU will be a huge factor here as well.

Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach – The second half of the Egg Bowl’s coaching duo, Mike Leach jumping back into the Big 12 would be an interesting one. Not only was he the head coach at Texas Tech but he was Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator for one season under Bob Stoops. His air raid offense would similar to one Riley went, meaning players would not have to learn a whole new system.

Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops – Something about an Oklahoma head coach with the last name Stoops feels right. Mark Stoops, who has built the Kentucky program from the ground up, could follow his brother Bob to become the next great Sooner headman. Stoops has been linked with the LSU job as well, potentially setting up a battle between the future SEC opponents.

Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning – No group has dominated this season more than Georgia’s defensive unit. At the same time, no serious College Football Playoff contender has struggled more on defense than Oklahoma. The two could be a perfect match the fix the issues in Norman. The only issue? Lanning will not be available until January 1 at the very earliest. He would fall behind in recruiting, something the Sooners cannot afford at the moment.

Texas A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko – Rivaling Georgia for the best defense in the SEC this season has to be Texas A&M. Defensive coordinator Mike Elko has done a great job turning the Aggies into the No. 4 scoring defense in the country. An advantage for Elko is his familiarity with recruiting the area for Oklahoma. They would not miss a beat there, but the defensive turnaround the Sooners need could be led by Elko.

Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables – Since he got into coaching in 1993, Brent Venables has been at three different schools. Kansas State (1993-1995), Oklahoma (1996-2011), and Clemson (2012-present). The latter two have been as the defensive coordinator, showing Venables is not one to just make a move. His former school could present an intriguing opportunity, giving the long-time assistant his first head coaching job.