This is not something I was thinking I will make today, but here I am.
I will link my last three candidate lists below this text. I know not many people are reading my lists because it's super long but this more for me and my enjoyment of covering the coach carousel.
Virginia Tech
UCLA
https://fanspo.com/nfl/s/college_football/p/r9a69cGM-6s-Ai/my-ucla-coaching-candidate-tier-list
Stanford
https://fanspo.com/nfl/s/college_football/p/Pvro24vgI1xMZd/stanford-coaching-candidate-tier-list
Unlike the UCLA and Stanford jobs, and more like the Virginia Tech job, this is one of the most intriguing jobs available. If you are a coach who was born in the state of Texas, you wanted to become a Big 12 head coach and not the SEC. Times have changed now and with the NIL and conference tv deals, not many of the top assistants or G5 coaches will not want the Oklahoma State or Virginia Tech job right away and will want a SEC or Big Ten job. They are willing to coach a middle of the road SEC school instead of one of the top Big 12 or ACC schools. But, there are still a handful of coaches I think the AD and boosters will go after.
Top Of The List
Zac Robinson, Atlanta Falcons (OC; 2024-?)
An intriguing name as he was one of Gundy's first QB as head coach of his alma mater. If the Falcons keep going on track they seem to be going, he could be offered a head coach job in the NFL he wants to. The fact that this is his alma mater makes it compelling for him to go to the college ranks with zero coaching experience in college.
G.J. Kinne, Texas State (2023-?)
A hot, young, fresh name. Coached Texas State to their first two bowl games ever and was rumored to leave San Marcos after his first year to coach Mississippi State, but ultimately decided to stay. With Louisiana on life support, it looks like Texas State and Southern Miss may run away with the Sun Belt West Division. I expect him to improve from the two consecutive 8-5 seasons and win 10 games and head to a P5 school.
Barry Odom, Purdue (2025-?)
He may not leave, but just because he is a Oklahoma native is why he is on this list. Former Missouri head coach, was pretty decent, coached Drew Lock and recruited Brady Cook. He is also the guy who jump started Josh Heupel's career as he hired him as his OC after he was let go by Oklahoma as their OC. Heupel obviously went on to coach UCF and now at Tennessee. He was fired after the school got a bowl ban for academic miscounduct. Everyone thought his career was over until he went to Arkansas as their DC and brought life into what everyone thought was a dumpster fire of a program. He was hired by UNLV in what everyone thought was a shocker and a bad move. In his two years there, he lead them to two back to back Mountain West Championship game berths. Left UNLV for Purdue and is now seeming to go in the right direction.
Jon Sumrall, Tulane (2024-?)
Almost every P5 school that has aspirations of a playoff berth will have Sumrall on their list as he brought Troy back from the dead and then quickly rebuilt Tulane after their head coach left for Houston and took all of the staff and most of the starters with him. Like I said in the other posts, there is a certain SEC school that he went to school that he is obviously waiting on as he could had left after 2023 to a P5 school of his choice, but chose Tulane instead.
Makes A Good Case For The Job
Dana Holgorsen, Nebraska (OC; 2024-?)
I think I would be dumb if I don't add him to my list. Former Oklahoma State OC who was there for one season until he left for West Virginia as the head coach. He was wasn't that bad of a coach. Had one of the best offenses, brought Will Grier in from Florida (before the transfer portal became what it was and he had to sit out a year) and the team was clicking and they could had been one of the best teams in the Big 12 if they would had prioritize defense. Holgorsen is credited as one of the coaches in the Big 12 who ignored doing much with the defense as long as he had a flashy offense that can win games. Mountaineer fans got tired of him and ran him out of town and he took a job at Houston and slowly built them into an American powerhouse. The second they moved to the Big 12, they went down the drain and he was let go. I would not be shocked if OK State gives him a second shot at redemption.
Jeff Traylor, UTSA (2020-?)
One of the top coaches in the American. He can win, that's really all he has done at UTSA. Back to back Conference USA Champions in the last two seasons there, then back to back bowl champions the last two seasons. He also can recruit the state of Texas really, really well. He is a former Texas High School coach which helps with connections being able to get to hear the hottest commodities first and able to recruit them before anyone else does. Outside of the two years in the Chad Morris era in Arkansas, he has never coached outside of Texas and that could be a red flag for Oklahoma State depending on what they are looking for.
Doug Meacham, Oklahoma State (Interim; 2025)
When it comes to the interim's of that school, I am more biased to let him finish the season then let him walk and find a new job once the season is complete. Meacham on the other hand, he is a Oklahoma State alum, one of Gundy's first staff members when he took over, and left to work with people like Gary Patterson and Sonny Dykes. He came back the off season to be the OC after a lackluster for Oklahoma State. He could bring in a different energy to the team similar to what Sonny Dykes did when he went to TCU. The fact that he is 60, and will turn 61 in December also makes this an unlikely hire, but still realistic enough to happen.
Other Names To Consider
Clay Helton, Georgia Southern (2022-?)
The former USC head coach could return to the P5 ranks and take over in Stillwater. He had two stints as interim for the Trojans and he finally took over the reins full time in 2016. Had a solid start competing for the conference title with Sam Darnold under center. When Darnold left, they went from Pac 12 champs to 5-7. Bounced back and later competed for the Pac 12 Championship once again. After a loss to Stanford in 2021, USC pulled the plug on Helton and he later bounced back and went to Georgia Southern and turned a triple option team into a pass heavy team overnight, and it worked.
Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky (2019-?)
The brother of Clay Helton, is the long time head coach at Western Kentucky being their for seven seasons. Most people would had thought he would be gone by now and have a better job, but it may take Oklahoma State for him to move up. Since he has been there, he has had one of the best offenses every single year and his OC's keeping moving getting better jobs (Bryan Ellis, Zach Kittley, Ben Arbuckle, and Will Friend to name a few). This could be his job, or he could stay put, who knows at this point.
Ben Arbuckle, Oklahoma (OC; 2025-?)
Former Tyson Helton assistant who is now the Offensive Coordinator of Oklahoma State's biggest rival could see himself coaching in Stillwater. At the age of 30, he could be the right guy Oklahoma State wants hoping he could be their long term guy like Gundy was or he could just boost them up and then leave and let his associate head coach take over when he leaves. But the fact that he is coaching Oklahoma right now will not sit well with State fans.
Eric Morris, North Texas (2023-?)
I'm not that high on Morris like everyone else is as he hasn't had a winning season yet at North Texas, and I feel like it will take him some time to get the success he wants and I feel Oklahoma State needs a win now guy more than anything. Though, he is on a hot streak starting the season 4-0, he is just more of a wait and see kind of guy.
Collin Klein, Texas A&M (OC; 2024-?)
The former Kansas State Quarterback and 2012 Heisman finalist. I am mostly shocked that he has not gotten the opportunity to be a HC yet. He did a fantastic job as QB coach, and later OC, for his alma mater coaching guys like Skylar Thompson, Will Howard, and a true freshman Avery Johnson. He left Kansas State to be the highest paid OC, and is doing a fantastic job developing Marcel Read.
Will Stein, Oregon (OC; 2023-?)
Built a name for himself when he was in college as Teddy Bridgewater's backup, later became a Charlie Strong assistant. Has done a fantastic job with three different QB's in three different years with the more developed Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel, and the young, still learning Dante Moore who may still be there next season if he chooses to stay and not go to the draft. He has also maintained a top 15 offense each year since becoming OC at Oregon.
I hope you enjoy this list! If you read through all of it, leave a comment. I kinda had an idea of some of the coaches I thought would work and compared it to what every else in the media is saying and it seems that two or three of them are what everyone is saying, I just don't see many of them talking about the Helton's or Jon Sumrall really, which I feel like they would be considered for the job.