Here’s a look at the four Mizzou football coaching candidates on AD Jim Sterk’s list
There’s no concrete end date for the Missouri Tigers’ search for their next football coach. But there are some names we canfor now examine closely.
On Thursday, Missouri athletic director Jim Sterk informally discussed candidates with a few school officials and Board of Curators members, a source confirmed to The Star. Sterk is tasked with finding a new head coach after recently firing Barry Odom after four seasons at Mizzou
According to the source, there were four coaches on the list: Arkansas State coach Blake Anderson, Louisiana Tech coach Skip Holtz, Army coach Jeff Monken and Nevada coach Jay Norvell.
Those names don’t exactly inspire confidence — especially for a program replacing a Mizzou lifer in Odom. But the candidates offer some insight into what type of coach Sterk is seeking.
Other names have been discussed, including Charlotte coach Will Healy, Central Michigan coach Jim McElwain, among others.
Here’s a look at who Sterk was looking at to fill the head football coach spot.
Blake Anderson, 50, Arkansas State
Anderson became a realistic option in the past few days, and a a source confirmed that Mizzou has reached out to him. There’s interest from both sides.
The seventh-year coach at Arkansas State has compiled a 46-30 record there, winning two conference championships. He knows the area and could add a layer or two to the Battle Line Rivalry. Arkansas, too, is conducting coaching search.
Anderson’s background is offense-focused. He was previously the offensive coordinator for North Carolina for two years before he moved on to Arkansas State. His family dealt with tragedy this year as his wife, Wendy, died of breast cancer shortly before the season started.
Jeff Monken, 52, Army
Monken’s name has popped up since Nov. 30, when MU’s coaching search began. He guided Army to an impressive 2018 campaign with an 11-2 record. Army regressed to 5-7 this year, though the Black Knights nearly pulled an upset at Michigan. In six years, Monken is 40-35 at Army.
While Monken is an offense-first coach, a notable wrinkle is the type of offense he runs: the triple option. He’d likely has to change that philosophy at Mizzou. Recruiting is also a question mark. It’s fundamentally different at service academies, where the pitch isn’t the same compared to a school like Mizzou.
Skip Holtz, 55, Louisiana Tech
The son of coach Lou Holtz has a record of success at Louisiana Tech. He’s 55-36 in seven years since he took over before the 2013 season. Holtz has the Bulldogs bowl eligible for the sixth straight year at 9-3. Louisiana Tech has also won its last five straight bowl games under Holtz.
Holtz is another offense-minded coach. He’s spent stints as offensive coordinator at South Carolina and Notre Dame, his alma mater. Holtz has coached at East Carolina and South Florida in the past.
Jay Norvell, 56, Nevada
The Norvell name should look familiar, as early chatter pointed to Memphis coach Mike Norvell as an option. However, Nevada’s Norvell has emerged as the more realistic option.
Through three years at Nevada, Norvell has amassed an 18-19 record. After a 3-9 season in his first year, Norvell led the Wolfpack to winning records in 2018 and 2019, including an Arizona Bowl victory over Arkansas State.
Like the other names on this list, Norvell’s specialty is offense. In bouncing around positions, he’s been an offensive coordinator and offensive positional coach. Norvell also reportedly took over more play-calling duties in 2019.