Alright ladies and gents, here's the latest we're hearing on the coaching search and where things stand.
Dana Holgorsen
Houston's top target in Dana Holgorsen has been targeted by Houston to replace Tom Herman, there's been a lot of traction on this throughout the week. News broke that there was an agreement in place to stay at West Virginia and sign an extension, but last I heard as of two hours ago it has not yet been signed. Working to confirm that it still has not been signed.
I was also hearing that Oregon entered the mix when they elected to let Mark Helfrich go, but everything I was hearing as of a few days ago was still indicating there was a good chance he could end up in Houston. That seems less likely today than it did just a few days ago, but again I won't say he's completely out of the picture as last I heard two hours ago the deal has not yet been signed.
The timing on the news being released was pretty interesting as it broke during West Virginia's game with Baylor, which could be viewed as buying other parties time to act.
We'll update you as we hear more, as of now it appears he may stay at WVU but again, last I heard two hours ago the deal hasn't been signed and as we all know, nothing is final until it's signed.
Next Top Targets?
Still trying to get some information on who Houston's next top target would be if indeed they aren't able to lure Holgorsen to Houston, not really any new names in the mix that isn't out there. But here are the top names we've been hearing would get serious looks.
Todd Orlando - Houston's current defensive coordinator and a Houston fan favorite. He actually may be the guy to beat if Holgorsen signs the extension with WVU. He's got a solid reputation with the Houston administration and brings a very respected defensive scheme to the table.
Major Applewhite - Houston's current offensive coordinator. Seems his best shot to stay on staff at Houston might hinge on whether or not he gets the job. He'll get a serious look from Houston administration, but I tend to believe if the hire is internal it would be Orlando that gets the nod.
Lincoln Riley - Current offensive coordinator at Oklahoma. His name continues to be brought up in conversations as a potential hire if they elected to go the same route they did when they hired Herman. Riley is a young (33 years old) rising prospect among the coaching ranks. He's been the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma since 2015. Oklahoma finished their regular season today with a 38-20 win over Oklahoma State.
Lane Kiffin - I continue to hear that Lane Kiffin wants the Houston job and would take it if offered. He may eventually end up at LSU if he's not hired as Herman's successor as I continue to hear that his future ultimately depends on the outcome with Houston. He has a bit of a spotty head coaching record to put it nicely, though many believe he has what it takes to be a head coach even more-so now that he has matured. I do think Kiffin would have success in the AAC, but I don't really view him as a long-term candidate that the administration at Houston has expressed a desire to have. He will interview however, so anything can happen.
An interesting note on Kiffin, if hired by Houston they will have to wait until Kiffin's run with Alabama comes to an end as Kiffin has expressed his desire to stay with Alabama through their CFP run. So if he ends up being the guy he'll start roughly around the same time that Herman did two years ago.
Other Names
All of these have been discussed here previously but I continue to hear Brent Venables name brought up, I just don't think that he's got quite the traction as some of the others.
Guys like Phillip Montgomery, Blake Anderson and Neal Brown have not been ruled out. Some folks keep bring up Les Miles who is expected to get an interview, but I haven't heard his name nearly as much I would have expected, though he could be a name to watch if Holgorsen falls through.
Art Briles
This news is already out there, but for anyone that may have missed it. Houston VP for Athletics Hunter Yurachek issued a statement on Art Briles' consideration for the vacation head coaching position at Houston.
Here's Yurachek's statement.
“Earlier this week Art Briles expressed interest to me regarding the Houston head coach position. After discussion with University of Houston leadership, we developed a list of candidates to be interviewed that did not include Art. At this time, we will have no further comment on potential candidates or timeline.”
This is a fluid situation and as with any coaching search things can change. We'll continue to share what we're hearing to try and keep you up to date on everything that's going on with the coaching search.
Dana Holgorsen
Houston's top target in Dana Holgorsen has been targeted by Houston to replace Tom Herman, there's been a lot of traction on this throughout the week. News broke that there was an agreement in place to stay at West Virginia and sign an extension, but last I heard as of two hours ago it has not yet been signed. Working to confirm that it still has not been signed.
I was also hearing that Oregon entered the mix when they elected to let Mark Helfrich go, but everything I was hearing as of a few days ago was still indicating there was a good chance he could end up in Houston. That seems less likely today than it did just a few days ago, but again I won't say he's completely out of the picture as last I heard two hours ago the deal has not yet been signed.
The timing on the news being released was pretty interesting as it broke during West Virginia's game with Baylor, which could be viewed as buying other parties time to act.
We'll update you as we hear more, as of now it appears he may stay at WVU but again, last I heard two hours ago the deal hasn't been signed and as we all know, nothing is final until it's signed.
Next Top Targets?
Still trying to get some information on who Houston's next top target would be if indeed they aren't able to lure Holgorsen to Houston, not really any new names in the mix that isn't out there. But here are the top names we've been hearing would get serious looks.
Todd Orlando - Houston's current defensive coordinator and a Houston fan favorite. He actually may be the guy to beat if Holgorsen signs the extension with WVU. He's got a solid reputation with the Houston administration and brings a very respected defensive scheme to the table.
Major Applewhite - Houston's current offensive coordinator. Seems his best shot to stay on staff at Houston might hinge on whether or not he gets the job. He'll get a serious look from Houston administration, but I tend to believe if the hire is internal it would be Orlando that gets the nod.
Lincoln Riley - Current offensive coordinator at Oklahoma. His name continues to be brought up in conversations as a potential hire if they elected to go the same route they did when they hired Herman. Riley is a young (33 years old) rising prospect among the coaching ranks. He's been the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma since 2015. Oklahoma finished their regular season today with a 38-20 win over Oklahoma State.
Lane Kiffin - I continue to hear that Lane Kiffin wants the Houston job and would take it if offered. He may eventually end up at LSU if he's not hired as Herman's successor as I continue to hear that his future ultimately depends on the outcome with Houston. He has a bit of a spotty head coaching record to put it nicely, though many believe he has what it takes to be a head coach even more-so now that he has matured. I do think Kiffin would have success in the AAC, but I don't really view him as a long-term candidate that the administration at Houston has expressed a desire to have. He will interview however, so anything can happen.
An interesting note on Kiffin, if hired by Houston they will have to wait until Kiffin's run with Alabama comes to an end as Kiffin has expressed his desire to stay with Alabama through their CFP run. So if he ends up being the guy he'll start roughly around the same time that Herman did two years ago.
Other Names
All of these have been discussed here previously but I continue to hear Brent Venables name brought up, I just don't think that he's got quite the traction as some of the others.
Guys like Phillip Montgomery, Blake Anderson and Neal Brown have not been ruled out. Some folks keep bring up Les Miles who is expected to get an interview, but I haven't heard his name nearly as much I would have expected, though he could be a name to watch if Holgorsen falls through.
Art Briles
This news is already out there, but for anyone that may have missed it. Houston VP for Athletics Hunter Yurachek issued a statement on Art Briles' consideration for the vacation head coaching position at Houston.
Here's Yurachek's statement.
“Earlier this week Art Briles expressed interest to me regarding the Houston head coach position. After discussion with University of Houston leadership, we developed a list of candidates to be interviewed that did not include Art. At this time, we will have no further comment on potential candidates or timeline.”
This is a fluid situation and as with any coaching search things can change. We'll continue to share what we're hearing to try and keep you up to date on everything that's going on with the coaching search.
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