Not so ... Hot Board
The Oklahoma job is one of the most coveted in football. Athletic director Joe Castiglione will have plenty of guys to vet. There will also be some unbelievable names attached to this opening.
That being said, here are some names that will be thrown around that are highly unlikely due to fit, baggage, or personal history.
Josh Heupel, Tennessee Head Coach
The breakup when Stoops fired him after the 2014 season was as ugly as it gets. We were around it. Heupel is bitter about the firing. OU is bitter about things becoming a big enough mess that Stoops had to fire him. Those attaching Heupel to the OU job just prove they don’t know much about the program.
Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss Head Coach
OU isn’t interested in the schtick. This is a place where a coach can put down roots for the rest of his life. There are people that have lived in dorm rooms longer than Kiffin is typically at a job. Castiglione won’t tolerate Kiffin’s act.
Bob Stoops, former OU head coach
Stoops has all of the qualifications, but he retired in 2017 for a reason. Serving as the interim coach for the bowl game is due to his loyalty to the program. He will play a big part in the search and will likely serve as a consigliere to the new hire, but Stoops is not returning to the sideline full time. He made that abundantly clear on Monday.
Jay Norvell, Nevada Head Coach
There wasn’t been the same kind of animosity as Heupel when Norvell was fired following the 2014 season, but this is highly unlikely. Norvell didn’t show he could recruit at an elite level during his time as an assistant. He’s done a good job at Nevada in recent years. But his next job will likely be in the Pac-12.
Urban Meyer, Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach
This is a no-go for Castiglione. Meyer is a proven winner with an undefeated season at Utah, two national titles at Florida, and one at Ohio State. Sure Meyer might want to get back in college football after one season in the NFL, but this seems unlikely. The move to Jacksonville seemed like the end of Meyer’s college coaching career.
Kliff Kingsbury, Arizona Cardinals head coach
Kingsbury checks a few of the boxes. But he spent six seasons at Texas Tech — three of them with a generational quarterback — and reached two bowl games. Plus, I think OU would like to get away from the head coach/offensive coordinator/quarterback coach model. Riley proved this season how quickly that can get off track when there’s a distraction. Adam Schefter’s Tweet on Sunday likely proved what we already knew — there’s nothing Schefter won’t do to help an agent when it comes to contract negotiation
Art Briles, former Baylor head coach
The former Baylor coach seems to be toxic for just about anywhere other than remote Texas high schools. Success aside, Castiglione isn’t going anywhere near this. In fact, Briles’ toxicity might be enough to prevent Ole Miss offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby — an OU alum — from getting a serious look. Lebby is Briles’ son-in-law.