Arizona Head Coach Hot Board: Top candidates to replace Jedd Fisch

Jedd Fisch is leaving Arizona for Washington. And it’s possible a lot of the Wildcats who helped him go 10-3 in 2023 are heading for the transfer portal. So what does Arizona do now? Here’s a list of coaches who could restock the roster and get the Wildcats ready to make their Big 12 debut.

Barry Odom, UNLV head coach

Odom showed in his first year in Las Vegas that he can turn a team into a winner quickly. The Rebels went 5-7 in 2022 and Odom led them to nine wins and the Mountain West title game in year one. If he can bring along offensive coordinator Brennan Marion, that’s a bonus. (Marion would be a good choice for UNLV’s head coach if Odom leaves.) In the new Big 12, a head coach from the defensive side might be helpful. In an age of hot young offensive coordinators, Odom is a stalwart from the other side of the ball who could build something in the desert.

Garrett Riley, Clemson offensive coordinator

The younger brother of USC coach Lincoln Riley was one of the hottest coordinators in the country after guiding TCU’s offense during the Horned Frogs’ run to the national title game in 2022. His first season at Clemson didn’t go as planned, but the younger Riley remains a rising star in the business. He knows how to succeed in the Big 12, and if he’s running the show, then he’s going to be willing to take players out of the transfer portal (unlike his current boss at Clemson). 

Scott Frost, former Nebraska and UCF coach

Frost failed at Nebraska, but he also went undefeated at UCF. After a year away to examine what went wrong in Lincoln, Frost is ready to return to the field. His offense could be very successful in the Big 12. And he’ll recognize quite a few of the teams that he was beating up on in the American Athletic Conference as UCF’s coach. If Frost can diagnose the issues that affected him at Nebraska while also doubling down on what made him successful at UCF, Arizona could be getting a bargain.

Jake Dickert, Washington State head coach

Dickert has done a fine job in Pullman since taking over following the firing of Nick Rolovich, but Washington State’s situation has changed dramatically. Washington State and Oregon State were the two programs left behind after the Pac-12 imploded. Beavers coach Jonathan Smith already has moved on to Michigan State, and Dickert would be a good candidate for a power conference school on the west coast that needs a proven steady hand that also happens to belong to a passionate, charismatic coach who just turned 40.

Will Stein, Oregon offensive coordinator

The 34-year-old former Louisville quarterback’s rise has been fairly meteoric, and it would be interesting to have the last two Oregon OCs coaching the two sides of the Territorial Cup rivalry. (Stein’s predecessor at Oregon was current Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham.) Stein is originally from Kentucky, but he learned to coach in Texas. After joining former Cardinals coach Charlie Strong for a year at Texas, Stein worked at Lake Travis High in Austin before joining Jeff Traylor’s UTSA staff. Stein’s recruiting connections in the Lone Star State are excellent, which would be big for a new Big 12 program. 

Brent Brennan, San Jose State head coach

Brennan was in the mix for the Arizona job when Fisch got it, but it could work out better the second time around. Brennan is 26-19 in the past four seasons in one of the toughest jobs in America. He can recruit the west coast, and he wouldn’t be intimidated that Arizona isn’t exactly the best resourced program in the Big 12.

Kasey Dunn, Oklahoma State offensive coordinator

Dunn has been at Oklahoma State since 2011, so his Big 12 bona fides are clear. But the former Idaho receiver spent much of his early career on the west coast — including a stint as Arizona’s running backs coach from 2004-06. Dunn has contributed quite a bit to Oklahoma State’s outsize Big 12 success during his time there, and he would bring an intimate familiarity with the league and with how to win at a similarly situated program.

Jason Candle, Toledo head coach

Candle succeeded former Mount Union teammate Matt Campbell as the Rockets’ head coach and has done an excellent job there, but the fit has never been quite right for Candle to ascend to a power-conference head-coaching job. Perhaps this is the time. Candle would bring to Arizona a similar philosophy to the one Campbell uses at Iowa State. That philosophy has allowed Iowa State to outpunch its weight in the Big 12, and that’s exactly what Arizona needs to do.

G.J. Kinne, Texas State head coach

Kinne spent one year as head coach at Incarnate Word of the FCS (going 12-2) before going to Texas State prior to the 2023 season. It would be great to see how Kinne operates year to year, but if Arizona officials interview the 35-year-old son of an accomplished Texas high school coach, they’re going to be intrigued. Kinne, who played professional football until 2017, is still relatively new to coaching. But he put the coaching world on notice when he took Texas State to the first bowl game in program history (and then won said bowl game) in year one. Going 8-5 in San Marcos is not easy, but Kinne did it immediately. Plus, Kinne likely will get a ringing endorsement from former Philadelphia Eagles teammate (and former Arizona great) Nick Foles.