Here’s what five Mizzou coaching candidates would bring to Tigers football
It’s been just a few days since Missouri athletic director Jim Sterk embarked on his first football coaching search Saturday. Sterk stressed “confidentiality” throughout the process, keeping to his tight-knit group mostly as there have been few leaks.
He pointed the spotlight on himself after firing former coach Barry Odom, who amassed a 25-25 record in four years. Sterk has stressed he wants a top-25 football program, especially after the recent south end zone renovations to improve facilities.
But this hire likely cements Sterk’s Mizzou legacy. A successful coach rids the program of the shadow cast by the NCAA’s ruling to deny Missouri’s infractions appeal. Additional losing drives attendance even lower around Faurot Field.
There’s plenty of competition, including rival Arkansas and another SEC school in Mississippi. There’s also Florida State, a program that has won a national championship this decade.
Sterk said he hopes to have his coach within two weeks, so a hire by next week isn’t out of the question. With the early signing period from Dec. 18-20, Sterk hopes to have a coach in place for the recruits.
“We have the necessary resources for this program to be successful at the highest level,” Sterk said. “We strive to achieve excellence and we expect to consistently play in the postseason and compete for championships while representing Mizzou in the right way.”
Here’s a look at five possible coaching candidates and what they’d bring to the table.
Bryan Harsin, 43, Boise State
Harsin’s an intriguing candidate, especially because he keeps on winning. He’s wrapping up his sixth year at Boise State and all but one of his teams have reached double-digit wins. He has some experience in the area with one year of coaching at Arkansas State.
Harsin’s Boise State teams take low-ranked recruits and develop them to fit his scheme. That sounds like what Missouri can do to win instead of fighting for highly ranked recruits.
Will Healy, 34, Charlotte
Healy’s the youngest guy on this list, but he’s done well in his limited history.
He turned around an Austin Peay program with one win in four years to an 8-4 mark in 2017. Charlotte also qualified for its first ever bowl game in 2019 as Healy coached them to a 7-5 record in his first year. The obvious drawback is his limited head coaching experience.
When Mizzou hired Odom, he was promoted from defensive coordinator to Gary Pinkel’s successor. There were some bumps in the transition, especially after what was a disastrous 2015 season in Pinkel’s last year. Sterk may want to go with someone with a bit more experience — though many signs point to Healy being an up-and-coming talented coach.
Jim McElwain, 57, Central Michigan
McElwain’s name should be familiar to Mizzou fans; he coached at Florida from 2015-17 before an abrupt mid-season firing.
After a short stint with Michigan as wide receivers coach, McElwain transitioned to Central Michigan, where he’s in his first year. McElwain has flipped the Chippewas’ fortune, going from 1-11 to 8-4 this year and a berth in the Mid-American Conference championship game.
He brings some familiarity with the SEC and the annual matchup against Florida is a small perk. He’s plenty experienced, which might draw Sterk to McElwain. Given his age, there’s also a chance he rides out the rest of his career at Mizzou should he find success.
Willie Fritz, 59, Tulane
If Sterk wants experience, Fritz has exactly that. He coached at Central Missouri from 1997-2009 before moving on, so he knows the state’s landscape well. Fritz has coached at a number of levels, from high school to junior college to FBS.
Fritz has spoken to Arkansas and is set to interview with Missouri, according to CBS Sports. He would bring a long record of legitimacy, including what he considers a “dream job” in Missouri.
Though in four years at Tulane, he’s amassed a 22-27 record, a clip worse than when Odom was fired after four years at Mizzou. Fritz wouldn’t be a splashy hire. But he offers a chance at stability and knows Mizzou’s culture well.
Lane Kiffin, 44, Florida Atlantic
Kiffin would be the flashiest hire of the names floating. He’s known as a great recruiter with a brilliant offensive mind.
But Mizzou isn’t necessarily the only school interested. Arkansas has reportedly spoken to Kiffin and Mississippi might give him a long look. There’s also Kiffin’s history, which includes a rocky finish at USC. He has rehabilitated his image the past few years after a stint as Alabama’s offensive coordinator and his years at Florida Atlantic.
There’s no guarantee he stays at Mizzou long-term. But he’s a talented guy who might quell fans and Sterk’s itch for winning.