This post was supposed to come out yesterday, but I walked away from my computer and my computer died and I lost everything. I then tried it all over again and fell asleep writing tier 2 and. Again. Lost everything.
This is my seventh coach candidate list. Below, you can catch up and read the other posts.
https://fanspo.com/nfl/s/college_football/p/ehkeG_1Wbo6Yb-/coach-candidate-tier-list-links
I know they are starting 0-7, but I did not expect Oregon State to let go of Trent Bray. The former Oregon State linebacker who returned to Oregon State as a coach under his former coach Mike Riley. He followed Riley to Nebraska and found his way back to Oregon State as a LB coach for Jonathan Smith. There was a point where Oregon State's defense was so bad that Jonathan Smith's job was on the line. Smith fired their DC during the season and promoted Bray. They turned things around. He became the permanent DC the following season. After the 2023 season, Jonathan Smith left for Michigan State and Oregon State had only one name one their list. He came trying to right the ship that is the new Pac 2 while they transition to the new Pac 12 for 2026. Last season they failed to make a bowl game, and with Maalik Murphy coming we all expected them to be a 8-4 team. Things went down fast, and they had issues blowing leads. The main issue is the fact he stayed loyal to his DC after blowing leads like Houston and Wake Forest.
To replace Trent Bray, Oregon State may look at a few ways. They can either hire a FCS coach like Washington State did last season. They could hire an up and comer that can build his career to boost his stock for bigger jobs. They could hire a former P5 coach that needs a shot at redemption. What we know is that the last three of the four head coaches have OSU ties before being hired. With that being said, here is my list.
Top Names
Brent Vigen, Montana State (2021-?)
The top name in every MWC job may go all the way to the top to the Pac 12 (who I still consider a P5 school cause it is built as a smaller Big 12). Vigen is a longtime Craig Bohl assistant who is known to be the OC at Wyoming for Josh Allen who stunned everyone when he left Bohl's staff for Montana State. Since he has been there, they have made it to two FCS Championship games, a semis, and a second round exit in a rebuild year. Again, he has been talked about for mostly every West Coast jobs that don't have much realistic chances of getting a first round bye in the CFP so I am kinda feeling like he may stay.
Brennan Marion, Sacramento State (2025-?)
If you hear Vigen's name thrown for Mountain West jobs, you also heard Brennan Marion. Former UNLV OC for Barry Odom's first staff who was a last minute hire having to replace Bobby Petrino in the spring after he abruptly left UNLV's OC job two or three months in to be Arkansas' OC. Marion brought the Go Go Offense with him that former Virginia and current William & Mary head coach Mike London plays, and he had massive success. Since then, Marion was considered and interviewed for various jobs in the last two coaching cycles like Tulsa, San Diego State, Nevada, San Jose State, Southern Miss, Washington State, and UNLV. He somehow not getting any of these job and found himself at Sacramento State who has desperately tried to transition to the FBS to no avail. I feel like he may have something wrong with him that we might not know or he is just a bad interviwee.
Jason Eck, New Mexico (2025-?)
He turned one of the worst FCS schools into a mainstay in the FCS Playoffs and nearly beating Oregon earning my respect instantly. He then leaves for New Mexico and has a signature win against UCLA and forced them to fire DeShaun Foster. The Offense is old school and their defense is nothing to ride home about, but his teams manage to win games as well coached and grit goes a long way. Eck would be my top choice for the job, but I have a sneaky suspicion that he have a Big Ten school in mind if they call.
Jump From OC to HC
Ryan Grubb, Alabama (OC; 2025-?)
Imagine a home run hire like this. Grubb has followed Kalen DeBoer everywhere he has gone from Sioux Falls to Eastern Michigan to Fresno State. But he decided to stay at Fresno State as the OC when DeBoer left for Indiana showing a sign of maybe he is fixing to branch off. The next season, Jeff Tedford retired for the first time (long story) and then DeBoer becomes the head coach and retains Grubb. Then he follows him to Washington. After DeBoer leaves for Alabama, he seems like he is following, but instead goes to the NFL at the Seahawks showing yet another sign of branching off. Seattle doesn't go as planned and he goes back to Alabama. With all of that being said, is Ryan Grubb ready to commit to another position not under Kalen DeBoer and succeed without falling back into his lap?
Marcus Arroyo, Arizona State (OC; 2024-?)
I really like this hire because he was the head coach at UNLV during their rough patch trying to find their identity and he only got 2 wins in his first two seasons. He then went 5-7 with a 3-5 conference record and... Got fired. He then revived his career as Sam Leavitt's OC and made it to the CFP last year.
Brian Lindgren, Michigan State (OC; 2024-?)
Former Oregon State OC for Jonathan Smith who followed him to East Lansing. He had DJ Uiageleili look like a day 2 pick for him in his sole year and then he left for Florida State and proved Clemson fans correct. He is doing a fantastic job with Aidan Chiles and working with him. The only thing is, they already tried it with Smith's DC. Why try the OC?
The Beaver Connection
Blue Adams, Michigan State (Secondary; 2024-?)
Another Jonathan Smith assistant. Everyone is bringing his name up like he is the next big thing and I am like "what's the big deal?" He was the secondary coach when Trent Bray was the DC and followed Jonathan Smith instead of staying, he doesn't bring a lot to the plate as I had hoped for outside of being a big name.
Kefense Hynson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (PGC; 2025-?)
Yet another Jonathan Smith assistant. This time, he was actually the interim after Jonathan Smith left and Trent Bray took over. Instead of handing the reins to the guy they eventually hired they gave it to the guy everyone believed will follow Smith, but was instead stuck with Oregon State for another year with Bray as HC this time. He then left to become the Passing Game Coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who has probably the best WR room and the possible NFL MVP. The idea Oregon State could swing big like that would be major for their team.
Paul Chryst, former Wisconsin head coach (2015-22)
Not a Jonathan Smith assistant, but instead his OC in 1998 in Corvallis. He went on to coach Pitt and later Wisconsin where he was a three time Big Ten West Champion and had Wisconsin in the top 25 year after year. Wisconsin missed the Big Ten Championship two years in a row and after a 2-3 start and an expected oust of the Big Ten Championship game once again, they thought they can do better with someone else. They were wrong and Chryst got an analyst role at Texas the following year, left, and is now silent. Is Oregon State his path back to coaching?
There Is No Way He Will Leave
Bronco Mendenhall, Utah State (2025-?)
Many reports I have seen is that Oregon State should have him as a candidate. If anyone has kept up with knows that he is a Utah guy who was the long time BYU coach who shockingly left for Virginia across the other side of the country. He had the most success the school had ever had and then retired after one bad year to move closer to home. He stayed out of coaching until New Mexico called getting him back on his saddle. But once Utah State opened in the summer, everyone knew he was heading home. Now, there is only one school that he will leave for and that is BYU.
Hope you enjoyed this list! Let me know your thoughts. Kent State may be next. I had them and UAB ready to go but I now have to throw the UAB list away and restart after new revelations. Also, expect the Titans list Virginia Tech part 2 next week.