The coaching carousel continues to spin, and more jobs are opening across college football.<\/p>\n
Oregon State<\/a>\u2019s search for its next head coach is entering its second week. The Beavers (1-7) picked up their first win of the season this past Saturday against Lafayette, and are on a bye this week with time to think more about the future.<\/p>\n On that note, here are six of the top candidates for the OSU job:<\/p>\n Brent Vigen (HC, Montana State)<\/p>\n Vigen sat atop our first list of candidates<\/a>, and for good reason: Montana State made it to the FCS national title game last year after going 15-1 \u2014 Vigen\u2019s second trip to that game. A move to a program like Oregon State in need of a rebuild seems like the logical next step in his career.<\/p>\n Vigen is 52-12 with the Bobcats. He is widely respected around the sport as a program builder and someone capable of getting the most out of his players. This is a hire that could set your program up for the long-term, too: he\u2019s spent five seasons at Montana State without jumping ship yet.<\/p>\n Brennan Marion (HC, Sacramento State)<\/p>\n One name generating some buzz behind the scenes is Marion, in his first year leading the Hornets.<\/p>\n While Sacramento State started the season 0-2, those losses were against powerhouse South Dakota State and a narrow one on the road to FBS side Nevada. Marion and company have won 3 of 4 since, and the 38-year-old has an inspirational story having climbed up the coaching ranks over the past decade.<\/p>\n Marion is described as a brilliant offensive mind who is young, charismatic and relates well with his players. The cowboy hat worn by the Tulsa alum would make for good marketing material, too. His presence in Corvallis could be just the jolt of energy the Beavers need.<\/p>\n Marion was a candidate for the OSU job last time around. Time to circle back?<\/p>\n Paul Chryst (Former HC, Wisconsin)<\/p>\n On the other side of the experience coin is Chryst, who was also among the candidates for the OSU job last time around before the Beavers settled on Trent Bray. Don\u2019t underestimate the power of a pre-established relationship in a process like this, especially for an OSU athletic department not known for making out-of-the-box hires.<\/p>\n Chryst was 67-26 at Wisconsin, and would have a chance to restart his career with the Beavers after being fired by the Badgers in 2022. A 6-1 bowl record and three finishes in the Top 11 in the AP poll are impressive, but that\u2019s in the Big Ten with more resources than he might have at OSU.<\/p>\n Bryan Harsin (OC, California)<\/p>\n The Beavers witnessed Harsin\u2019s offensive prowess firsthand in the season opener, when Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and the Bears carved them to pieces from the opening whistle. Much of that falls on OSU and its preparedness, but still.<\/p>\n Harsin was the longtime head coach at Boise State who went 69-19 with the Broncos but flamed out as the head coach at Auburn in less than two seasons. His is a name that has been floated to lead the Beavers and reset his career.<\/p>\n Harsin has a track record of success at Boise, but OSU would have a lot to answer for making this hire. Harsin\u2019s tenure at Auburn was marred by significant recruiting failures, and former Auburn and Oregon quarterback Bo Nix described his time playing for Harsin as \u201cmiserable.\u201d<\/p>\n Nix wasn\u2019t alone in that assessment. There was an inquiry into the Auburn program under Harsin, with one former player saying he \u201ctreated us like dogs.\u201d That, along with Harsin occasionally wading into politically controversial topics, could make this a tough sell.<\/p>\n Ed Orgeron (Former HC, LSU)<\/p>\n Speaking of outspoken, a report last week tied the former LSU coach Orgeron to the OSU job. According to Pete Nakos of On3, the fiery personality from the bayou is interested.<\/p>\n Our columnist Bill Oram thinks the Beavers should geaux get him<\/a>. There are certainly risks involved, and Orgeron had his own off-field issues in his final years at LSU, but this is a guy who led one of the best college football teams of all time to a national championship in 2019.<\/p>\n The marketing machine OSU could build around Orgeron is significant. Think of the merchandise alone. And he has deep recruiting ties which could help build a serious roster. His name recognition and personality could help bring in much more on the NIL front than OSU currently has to work with.<\/p>\n It could also end up as a gimmick that spirals into failure, putting the program back at square one. Think Herm Edwards at Arizona State. OSU would need more than just Orgeron to make something like this work; a solid institution around him is a necessity.<\/p>\n Jason Eck (HC, New Mexico)<\/p>\n Eck was one of the hottest names on the coaching market after his New Mexico team beat UCLA earlier this season. While it\u2019s been up and down since then with road losses at San Jose State and Boise State, there is still buzz about Eck as an option for the Beavers and other programs around the country with openings.<\/p>\n While Wisconsin has publicly stated it is sticking by head coach Luke Fickell, that is a job some have speculated as a fit for Eck. But regardless of whoever else has interest, he fits the mold of an ascendant former FCS head coach capable of elevating the OSU program.<\/p>\n Other contenders:<\/p>\n Jonathan Smith (HC, Michigan State)<\/p>\n With each passing week, it seems like Smith isn\u2019t long for East Lansing. Some Beavers fans still recoil at the idea of Smith\u2019s return, and feel he betrayed his alma mater. But if you\u2019re OSU, he might be your best option when the dust settles on the coaching market this winter.<\/p>\n Jerry Neuheisel (Interim OC, UCLA)<\/p>\n The hype around the 33-year-old refuses to die down. The Bruins are winners of three straight and he\u2019s making inspirational locker room speeches. A lot of risk for OSU here, though, especially if they don\u2019t put enough around Neuheisel.<\/p>\n Brent Brennan (HC, Arizona)<\/p>\n If the Wildcats choose to move on after this season, Brennan would be a solid fit at OSU. He was the wide receivers coach for the Beavers from 2011 to 2016 before taking the San Jose State head coaching job. And there was interest in Brennan at OSU before Bray\u2019s hiring.<\/p>\n Bronco Mendenhall (HC, Utah State)<\/p>\n A third straight former Beavers player taking the reins in Corvallis? Some OSU fans might roll their eyes at the suggestion, but Mendenhall could assert himself among contenders for this job when all is said and done. The question is, is he interested?<\/p>\n Ryan Grubb (OC, Alabama)<\/p>\n Grubb has Pacific Northwest ties, having served as offensive coordinator for both Washington and the Seattle Seahawks. He is part of the Kalen DeBoer coaching tree and was among OSU\u2019s candidates last time around.<\/p>\n Tim Plough (HC, UC Davis)<\/p>\n Plough is another young, offensive mind coaching at the FCS level. If you can\u2019t get someone like Marion, there is certainly something similar to build on with Plough.<\/p>\n Nick Rolovich (Former HC, Washington State)<\/p>\n Rolovich is a senior offensive assistant at Cal, working alongside Harsin, and previously served as the head coach at Hawaii and WSU. Like Harsin, there would be questions for OSU to answer about previous player treatment and Rolovich\u2019s off-field controversies. Rolovich was fired from WSU for his refusal to comply with the state\u2019s COVID-19 vaccination requirements.<\/p>\n Robb Akey (Interim HC, Oregon State)<\/p>\n Akey wants the job.<\/a> Whether or not he is actually in the running remains to be seen. Even if the Beavers go undefeated the rest of the way, it feels like they would still want a fresh start. It is certainly what fans seem to want.<\/p>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. 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