Texas A&M coaching search: Pete Thamel releases 8 names to watch to replace Jimbo Fisher

Jimbo Fisher is out as Texas A&M‘s head coach — and the early list of names to take over the vacant position has now been revealed.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel provided the initial list, which includes eight top names in the college football coaching industry. The head coaching candidates range from the SEC to G5, according to the initial list.

Below is the roup of names Thamel has provided:

Lane Kiffin

Lane Kiffin had Ole Miss in prime positioning to make its first College Football Playoff before falling to Georgia 52-17 on Saturday. His success in the SEC as of late is certainly attractive to the Aggies moving forward.

Kiffin is a name that pops up when most top-level jobs become open, and given the fact that he was heavily rumored to have been interested in the open Auburn job last season before the Hugh Freeze hiring — Kiffin is a name that should certainly be considered heading into the offseason.

Mike Elko

Mike Elko led Duke to a 28-7 win over No. 9 Clemson to begin the season, and ever since — Elko has become a name that every open Power Five job will consider this offseason. Now, Elko has quickly made himself one of the top coaches in the ACC.

After leading Duke to its first nine-win season since 2014 last year, Elko had his team bowl-eligible after nine games this season. After nearly defeating No. 24 North Carolina 47-45 on Saturday, it’s clear that Elko’s group can hang with the big boys in the ACC.

Mike Norvell

Florida State is three wins away from making a College Football Playoff, but despite this — could Mike Norvell leave Tallahassee after this year?

There wouldn’t be many places that would be able to pay Norvell the type of money he’d be looking for to leave the secure, championship-level seat he occupies currently — but Texas A&M is one of those few programs. Texas A&M has already led one former FSU head coach to College Station. Who’s to say they can’t do it again?

Dan Lanning

Dan Lanning burst onto the college football head coaching scene last year after being hired as Oregon‘s head coach. Through nearly two seasons, Lanning has led the Ducks to a 19-4 record over the past two seasons.

At 37, Lanning is young, one of the top defensive-minded head coaches in the country and has a proven resume making him one of the top candidates for any open SEC head coaching position. Given the fact that he helped lead one of the best defenses in recent college football history to a national championship at Georgia in 2021 makes him all the more attractive to the suits at Texas A&M.

Jeff Traylor

Traylor has been the head coach at UTSA since 2020, and has a 36-13 record over that span. He led his squad to become a two-time C-USA Championship winner over the past two seasons, and was named the conference coach of the year in both seasons.

At 6-0 in conference play, UTSA has a good shot at winning the conference again — and if he can, it only adds to what is already an impressive resume for Traylor.

Chris Klieman

After Chris Klieman led Kansas State to a Big 12 Championship over TCU last season, many believed Klieman would be hot-shotted to the top of every college’s list to occupy their vacant head coaching position.

Instead, he returned to Manhattan for another season and heading into Week 11, has the Wildcats ranked in the College Football Playoff rankings with a 7-3 record. He has a 109-36 record as a head coach and has four FCS Championships under his belt from his time as headman at North Dakota State.

Kliff Kingsbury

The former head coach of the Arizona Cardinals has spent the 2023 season as an offensive analyst for the USC Trojans. After what was basically a year off, is it time for Kingsbury to return to the head-coaching scene?

Kingsbury is known as a sort of quarterback guru, having a hand in developing quarterbacks like Johnny Manziel, Baker Mayfield, Patrick Mahomes, Kyler Murray and Case Keenum. Kingsbury hasn’t been a head coach in college since his tenure at Texas Tech between 2013 and 2018.

Kalen DeBoer

Kalen DeBoer has put together one of the most exciting offensive rosters in the country at Washington over the past couple of seasons. Excitement has been lacking in College Station as of late — it seems like it would be a perfect marriage.

With a 100-11 head coaching record, the reigning Pac-12 Coach of the Year will be at the top of every vacant head coaching list in the country this offseason. If Texas A&M doesn’t zero in on DeBoer, another team will.