Washington State's potential Nick Rolovich replacements

Who could possibly take over and bring stability to Pullman?

The 11-game Nick Rolovich era in Pullman is over, as Washington State dismissed the successor to Mike Leach on Monday. School president Kirk Schulz and AD Pat Chun made the move after the 42-year-old head coach failed to comply with the state of Washington’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate for employees.

Washington State will now once again search for a longtime program builder, but there is no doubt that this is one of the more challenging FBS gigs for a variety of reasons, including its location and lower budget. But we have seen this program have success under the right leadership, and finding a new face of the program will be the top priority after dismissing a head coach who was just hired in January 2020.

Going after a new coach with an offensive background is most likely because of the nature of the job, but one thing is certain: the next head coach will need to be vaccinated.

Who could Chun, who once hired Lane Kiffin at FAU, be looking at? Here are some possible candidates for this Pac-12 gig:

Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun: The longtime face of the Falcons could be ready to move on from Colorado Springs after coming aboard in 2007. He has compiled a 107-73 record, including an 11-2 mark in 2019, during his tenure and has his team 6-1 and in the mix for a potential Mountain West title game this fall. Calhoun also has NFL coaching experience and could be a stabilizing leader that Chun seeks.

Fresno State head coach Kalen DeBoer: The Cougars would do very well if they were able to snag an offensive-minded coach like DeBoer. After capturing three NAIA championships and accruing only 3 losses across 70 games at alma mater Sioux Falls, he made his mark as a coordinator at multiple schools before becoming the Bulldogs’ head coach after previously serving as their OC. The 46-year-old has Fresno at 5-2 this season, including a victory at the Rose Bowl over UCLA.

Nevada head coach Jay Norvell: After serving as a longtime assistant at multiple power programs as well as in the NFL, the 58-year-old finally received a head gig in Reno. He has compiled a 22-14 mark in five seasons with the Wolf Pack and has them positioned for a potential Mountain West title game appearance behind future NFL QB Carson Strong. He has worked at Pac-12 programs UCLA and Arizona State and could do well on the recruiting trail for a program that has its challenges in that area.

Oklahoma DC Alex Grinch: If Chun rolls the dice on someone who has not been a head coach at this level, he could look to Grinch. He ran the Wazzu defense under Leach and appears ready to oversee his own program. The 41-year-old knows the area and has been around high-powered offenses having defended them in practice every day in Norman.

Oregon OC Joe Moorhead: He will get another shot as a head coach after a short, uneven stint at Mississippi State. The 47-year-old is enjoying a revival in Eugene, overseeing an offense that is clicking just as it was during his time at Penn State. Perhaps his next head gig is on the East Coast, but he is becoming more familiar with the Pac-12 and could be a fit at a place that loves offense.

Eastern Washington head coach Aaron Best: The in-state Eagles are flying high in the FCS, averaging well over 50 points and 600 yards per game this season. The 43-year-old Best is a Washington native, 7-0 in his sixth year and has EWU ranked No. 2 behind Sam Houston State. He’s an EWU lifer who deserves a shot at the FBS level.

Weber State head coach Jay Hill: He was a longtime assistant at Utah from 2005-13 before becoming the head coach of the Wildcats in 2014. He’s compiled a 54-34 mark and has made the FCS playoffs four straight years, winning at least 10 games in every season from 2017-19.

Texas assistant HC Jeff Banks: He may not have the head-coaching experience that Chun may prefer (though he served as interim HC at Texas A&M at the end of the 2017 season following the firing of Kevin Sumlin), but the former Wazzu punter is a very strong recruiter who knows the difficulty that this job entails. He worked at Alabama for three seasons before joining Steve Sarkisian in Austin, where he also oversees tight ends and special teams. He knows the state of Texas very well, and that’s an area that Wazzu will have to mine, among others, on the recruiting trail.

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