College Football: 10 Coaching Candidates to Replace Ryan Walters at Purdue

Purdue is the latest college football team looking for a new head coach after Ryan Walters was dismissed on Sunday. The Boilermakers went 5-19 in just two seasons under Walters. After going 4-8 last year, Purdue finished 1-11 overall and 0-9 in the Big Ten in '24.

Purdue is a tough job in the Big Ten, but coaches have won here before at a high level. Although there are challenges, the Boilermakers should be able to hire a quality head coach and get the program back on track in '25 and beyond.

Who could replace Walters at Purdue? Here are a few names to watch in the search:

Purdue Football: 10 Coaching Candidates to Replace Ryan Walters

Tim Albin, Head Coach, Ohio
Albin is 32-19 at Ohio and guided the program to a trip to the MAC title game in '24 despite major roster turnover coming into season. After a 3-9 debut, Albin has won at least nine games in each of the last three years. He also worked at Northwestern Oklahoma State (1997-99), going 25-8 over three seasons as the program's head coach.

Jason Candle, Head Coach, Toledo
Candle is one of the top Group of 5 coaches in college football and is 72-40 as the program's head coach since taking over the top spot in the 2015 Boca Raton Bowl. Toledo has won two MAC titles and also has two seasons of 11 victories under Candle's watch. 

Jake Dickert, Head Coach, Washington State
Although Washington State's conference future was secured with Pac-12 expansion, a move to Purdue would be a step up the ladder for Dickert. The Wisconsin native is 23-20 since taking over the program during the '21 season. The Cougars have two winning records under Dickert's watch, including an 8-4 mark this fall. 

Tyson Helton, Head Coach, Western Kentucky
Helton's name popped up the last time this job was open and could be someone to watch in this search. He's 48-30 with the Hilltoppers since 2019 and guided the program to an appearance in the Conference USA title game this fall. WKU has won at least eight games in each of the last four years. 

Charles Huff, Head Coach, Marshall
Despite a 31-20 record in his Marshall career and a Sun Belt East Division title in '24, Huff does not have a contract beyond this year. In addition to a successful stint with the Thundering Herd, Huff previously worked as an assistant at Penn State, Mississippi State, and Alabama. 

Andy Kotelnicki, Offensive Coordinator, Penn State
After hiring a coordinator last time, Purdue may opt for head-coaching experience this time around, which would certainly impact Kotelnicki's candidacy. The Minnesota native has no previous experience as a head coach but has been a successful play-caller at Buffalo, Kansas, and Penn State. 

Dan Mullen, Former Florida/Mississippi State Head Coach
Is Mullen interested in a return to the sidelines after working the past three years at ESPN? Although Mullen was dismissed at Florida, he still compiled a 34-15 mark from 2018-21 and won the SEC East title in ’20. Prior to the stint in Gainesville, Mullen went 69-46 at Mississippi State from 2009-17. Mullen's name could pop up in searches at North Carolina and UCF. 

Barry Odom, Head Coach, UNLV
Under Odom’s watch, UNLV has emerged as one of the top Group of 5 teams in the nation. The Rebels are 19-7 over the past two years and played for the Mountain West title in ’23 and has a return trip coming this season. This stint at UNLV marks Odom’s second head-coaching gig at the FBS level, as he previously went 25-25 at his alma mater (Missouri) from 2016-19.

JaMarcus Shephard, Wide Receivers Coach, Alabama
Shephard previously worked at Purdue from 2017-21 as the program's wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator. He has no prior experience as a head coach but has been a successful assistant at high-profile programs - Washington and Alabama - and certainly knows the landscape in West Lafayette. 

Will Stein, Offensive Coordinator, Oregon
Stein is a rising star in the assistant ranks and it's only a matter of time before the former Louisville quarterback is a head coach. Since the conclusion of his playing career with the Cardinals, Stein has been on a fast rise through the coaching ranks. He worked as an off-field assistant at Texas (2015-17) and later spent time at UTSA (2020-22) before going to Oregon in '23. Under Stein's direction, the Ducks have assembled one of the nation's top offenses in back-to-back years.