By: Mike Huesmann
The inevitable happened, as I wrote about last week, and Jonathan Smith has left a team with no conference for a team with a pretty stable one. With Smith off to Michigan State, this leaves a vacancy in Corvallis. I think attracting a coach here where the pay isn’t great, relative to P5 standards, and the conference instability could be prohibitive but there still will be known names on the list. This team was very good this year and, I hear, the campus and town are top-notch. Here are five options from the coaching carousel that could be in play.
Bronco Mendenhall
Former Head Coach, BYU and Virginia
Bronco boasts an outstanding 135-81 overall record as a head coach between the two schools. He had some good years at Virginia before a few 500 seasons led to his exit. He had five seasons of 9 or more wins at BYU, an impressive haul. He knows the landscape out West and was quite consistent in that part of the country.
Mendenhall is also a candidate who could navigate the conference uncertainty and MWC issues they have now. He’s a guy who is almost universally considered a candidate for this job.
Ryan Grubb
Offensive Coordinator, Washington
Grubb has been Kalen DeBoer’s right-hand man since their days in NAIA and there’s no one he trusts more, especially to polish Michael Penix Jr. Stops at FCS power South Dakota State, (then) NAIA power Sioux Falls, Eastern Michigan, and Fresno have all seen offensive increases and a dynamic output with Grubb in charge.
Last fall in year one with the Huskies, his offense led the nation in passing yards per game and first downs per game. 2023 sees them undefeated and with Penix as a Heisman contender. A head coaching job almost certainly comes this offseason for Grubb. Look for him to be a candidate at Indiana and Washington (if DeBoer leaves), as well.
Bryan Harsin
Former Head Coach, Boise State and Auburn
Harsin was always a bad fit for the SEC and the Auburn boosters tried to run him out of town almost immediately. He was doomed to fail, partly because of himself and partly because of the culture. He was a resounding success in his previous seven seasons at Boise, going 69-19 with a bowl game every year except the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season.
His success there has been quickly forgotten in the wake of Auburn, it shouldn’t be. He’ll coach again somewhere in the Pacific or Mountain time zone and probably do a good job. I don’t know if this is the one for him but he checks a lot of boxes. Sometimes the best ability is availability.
Nick Rolovich
Former Head Coach, Hawaii and Washington State
Rolo was a pretty good coach at Hawaii and had two very good years before bolting to Wazzu. He had them looking solid in 2021 before his unceremonious exit where, in my opinion, both he and the Wazzu administration got it wrong. But that is behind us and time heals all wounds, or at least this one.
He knows the PWN, is a successful offensive-minded coach, knows the financial limitations, and has won in this region before. Because of the politicized nature of his Wazzu firing some people will hate him unreasonably and some will see him as a martyr of sorts. These sides are both wrong, he’s a solid head coach who’d be a good fit.
Trent Bray
Defensive Coordinator, Oregon State
We know that Smith wants Bray in East Lansing. We also know that he has announced much of his staff and Bray wasn’t on the list. That tells me Bray wants this job and is all in for it but will probably join Smith if he doesn’t land the Beavs head job.
Bray is an OSU alumnus who has coached there, Nebraska, and Arizona State. He is well-liked in the facility and community. He has to be viewed as a legitimate candidate at this time.
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