The Coaching Carousel - GoldenGrumpyGrams Edition!

1. Nick Saban Alabama HC

Yeah I know what you're thinking. Saban is always a hot name thrown about when NFL openings are available. He's won pretty much everything you can win in college. At the end of the day though, there's little chance he goes pro because he desires control over the entire program and in the NFL, you just can't have it. The brief experience as a NFL HC provided him the insight that he's an excellent college coach and the pro game just isn't for him, there's no shame in that though.

2. Pat Fitzgerald Northwestern HC

A little known name in national circles due to the relative obscurity of the Northwestern football program (heck of a school for aspiring journalists though). He's a good coach that has NW competitive annually despite its many shortcomings in the Big 10. He's a NW lifer just like Munchak is a lifer in the Titans/Oilers organization (He played LB in the 90's for the school.) There's a better chance that a big time school hires him away than he goes pro.

3. Kirk Ferentz Iowa HC

Another guy who usually gets his name into the discussion as well. He's a good coach that has kept Iowa from being completely useless and competitive also in the Big 10. Ferentz's star has fallen though, thanks to scandal (allegedly the Iowa staff worked the players hard in the summer to the point that half the team had to be hospitalized) and repeated losing years of late. He has a better chance of getting fired this year than getting hired by the league.

4. Rich Rodriguez Arizona HC

RR is a guy who's enjoying a career rebirth at Arizona after failing miserably at Michigan. He was the guy that put West Virginia on the map in the late 90's and early 2000s with lots of offensive fireworks. I'd like to see what he could do with Locker and company here. The chances of him going pro are very slim however as he is in his first year at Arizona. He's one of the guys I want to replace Jimbo Fisher at FSU, should he leave for Auburn to become Saban's chew toy.

5. Chip Kelly Oregon HC

Like SuperHorn, This is my favorite candidate from the college ranks to get the Titans job should Munchak get fired. Kelly's offense is all world impressive and then some. The things he could do with Locker would be amazing. CK is a great offensive mind that gets other coaches to visit Eugene every offseason. He would be a good pro coach. Kelly might be looking forward to leaving Eugene as the specter of NCAA sanctions loom though, however light they may be. There is a great chance he leaves because of last year's "heavy petting" with the Bucs.

6. Bill O'Brien Penn State HC

A darkhorse candidate for coach of the year the way he has Penn State competitive after the NCAA laid the hammer down for the much talked about child sex abuse scandal at the school. He's gone into an impossible situation fully aware that PSU won't be any good for a long time. O'Brien has some pro coaching experience within the Patriots organization before being hired at PSU. There's some chance that he comes back to the NFL if a team comes calling with a HC job. It will be a decade or more before Penn State is relevant again on the field. He should jump on the next flight out should the chance provide itself.

Super Sleeper:

Mike Gundy Oklahoma State HC

The guy of the "I'm a Man!! I'm 40!!" fame is actually a good coach that took over when Les Miles left for LSU. He has a good offensive mind. Gundy has expanded on Miles' success and took the program to unprecedented heights. Of course it helps to have an old rich guy (T.Boones Pickens) backing the program as well like Oregon has with Phil Knight. MG like Fitzgerald is a lifer at his school having played QB for them. The only way he leaves Okie State is if a bigger name school (SEC, I'm looking at you) comes after him. Gundy is also a guy I'd like to see coaching FSU if Jimbo leaves. It seems like he has little interest in going to the NFL.