Just when we thought the college football coaching carousel was over, there was an unexpected twist: Miami coach Mark Richt announced his retirement on Sunday.
Although Richt was being heavily criticized for the Hurricanes' 7-6 finish, including an ugly 35-3 loss to Wisconsin in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, athletics director Blake James expected Richt to return for a fourth season at his alma mater.
With Richt out, who could take over? Oregon's Mario Cristobal? Syracuse's Dino Babers? Or what about FAU's Lane Kiffin? Andrea Adelson and David Hale joined me to discuss The U.
How good is the Miami job?
Schlabach: The Miami folks aren't going to want to hear this, but I really don't think it's a very attractive job right now. Until Miami fans understand that Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson -- and Michael Irvin, Warren Sapp, Ray Lewis and Bennie Blades -- aren't walking through that door, any coach who takes the job is going to face unrealistic expectations. Yes, Miami doesn't have to leave the 305 area code to recruit players. Yes, Richt did a good job in raising money to begin improving Miami's facilities, which have fallen behind other ACC programs. But there are a lot of things about Miami that aren't that attractive right now.
Hale: Richt's three seasons with the Hurricanes showed that there's still a fertile recruiting base in South Florida that views Miami as a destination, and he did a solid job of reestablishing a brand for the school that has top recruits wanting to stay close to home while still playing on a big stage.
Adelson: As the ACC title game showed last season, the talent gap between a championship-caliber program in Clemson and Miami is immense. Expectations surrounding the program are also unreasonable given the results since the last championship in 2001, and former players are vocal when things don't go right, and that doesn't help matters.
The candidates
Mario Cristobal, Oregon head coach
Schlabach: Cristobal was born in Miami, played at the U and worked as an assistant coach there. He was an offensive lineman on two of Miami's national championship teams in 1989 and 1991. In 2007, he became the first Cuban-American head coach in the FBS when he was hired as FIU's coach. He went 27-47 with the Golden Panthers and probably never should have been fired. He coached under Nick Saban and Willie Taggart before he replaced the latter as Oregon's coach. The Ducks are 8-4 in his first full season, and quarterback Justin Herbert just announced he's coming back in 2019.
Hale: He checks virtually all the boxes. Cristobal is a Miami alum and has spent a good portion of his coaching career as an assistant there. He knows the terrain. He's an excellent recruiter, recently landing ESPN's No. 1 overall recruit, Kayvon Thibodeaux, for Oregon. He's been a head coach at both nearby FIU and at a Power 5 school this season at Oregon. And at 48, he's established but not closing in on retirement. The big red flag is that Cristobal is 35-52 in his career as a head coach, and his one-year stay at Oregon didn't necessarily do much to bolster his credentials as a winner.
Schlabach: Here's the biggest potential road block with Cristobal: his five-year contract at Oregon has a massive buyout. He'd owe the school $10 million if he left before Jan. 31; the buyout decreases $2 million each year after that. The Ducks wanted to make sure their coach didn't jump ship after Taggart left for Florida State after only one season. Unless Miami can find a wealthy benefactor to pay it, that seems like a hefty sum for an athletics department that is reportedly short on cash.
Butch Davis, FIU head coach
Schlabach: Davis, a former NFL coach and ESPN analyst, will have the support of a lot of fans and former players. He inherited a Miami program saddled by NCAA probation in 1995, cleaned up the program and restored it to national prominence. The Hurricanes went 51-20 in his six seasons under Davis before he left for the NFL. He assembled some of the most talented rosters in the sport's history; Larry Coker guided the Hurricanes to a national title in 2001 with many of the players Davis recruited. He has done solid work at FIU, guiding the Golden Panthers to a 17-9 record in two seasons. FIU won nine games for the first time in school history this past season.
Hale: Davis helmed Miami during its dynasty era, and there's little doubting his credentials as a winner. He's done wonders at FIU in the past two seasons, injecting life into a down program. He's a good recruiter who knows the territory and enters with all the relationships and name recognition he'll need already in place. Still, Davis is 67, so he may not be a longterm fit, and he has his share of baggage following NCAA issues during his tenure at North Carolina.
Adelson: He was a candidate when Richt took the job. But I think Miami needs to chart a new direction, and should not go backwards in time to try and fix its problems.
Schlabach: I'm not sure how much of an issue it will be, but the end of Davis' tenure at North Carolina might be a concern for some in the Miami administration. He was fired by UNC's chancellor in July 2011, only a week before the start of preseason camp, after a long NCAA investigation into UNC players accepting improper benefits from agents and academic misconduct by tutors. Three Tar Heels players were suspended by the NCAA for accepting improper gifts from agents. Davis was never accused directly of NCAA violations, and he later called the chancellor's decision an "overreaction."
Mark Stoops, Kentucky head coach
Hale: There's a lot to like about Stoops. He's got a Miami background, having coached DBs there from 2001-03, and he enjoyed a successful turn as defensive coordinator at Florida State under Jimbo Fisher, so he's familiar both with recruiting the state of Florida and what it takes to win in the ACC. He's also done a tremendous job making Kentucky relevant. The question is whether Miami is a good enough job to lure him away from Lexington. If the money's right, the path to a conference title certainly would seem easier in the ACC Coastal than the SEC East.
Adelson: He coached on the 2001 national championship team, so he understands the dynamic at Miami, and he's done a terrific job at Kentucky. But Kentucky gave him time. He won't get that type of patience in South Florida.
Greg Schiano, Ohio State defensive coordinator
Hale: Schiano was the defensive coordinator for Miami in 1999 and 2000, so he understands the expectations for the program. He's got ample head-coaching experience at Rutgers and in the NFL. He was nearly tabbed for the Tennessee job last year, and his status at Ohio State is a bit in flux with Urban Meyer's impending retirement. Still, the same issues that kept him from getting the Vols job could resurface in Miami, but here he'd likely have support from a lot of heavy hitters he coached during the Canes' heyday.
Adelson: Yes, he was the defensive coordinator in Miami in 2001, but he's got too much baggage. Ask Tennessee.
Schlabach: I think a lot of that "baggage" was manufactured by Tennessee fans who didn't want him coaching the Vols.
Dino Babers, Syracuse head coach
Adelson: His track record at Syracuse should be reason enough, but his quarterback development and offensive scheme are two more slam-dunk reasons he needs to be on this list. Plus, he's got the perfect personality for the job.
Hale: Babers has worked wonders at Syracuse, leading the Orange to 10 wins this season and making a moribund program relevant again. His style of offense is exciting enough to keep fans happy even during a rebuilding stage, and his personality has endeared him to recruits. The idea of going to a place with a far better recruiting base to pick from than Syracuse would no doubt be intriguing, but Babers also just signed a new long-term contract extension with the Orange in December.
Lane Kiffin, FAU head coach
Hale: There will no doubt be a segment of the Miami fan base that would love to see this happen. Kiffin has the south Florida ties from his time at FAU to recruit. He's got the brash swagger that fits perfectly with the culture Miami cultivated during its glory days. And his credentials as an offensive playcaller are impeccable.
Still, there's the obvious baggage that comes with Kiffin. He's flamed out at numerous high-profile jobs, and he'd be a risky proposition for power brokers at Miami. It's also worth noting that, after a stellar 2017 campaign, FAU missed a bowl game this year.
Schlabach: I still don't think he's done enough to deserve a job like Miami. He won at FAU in Year One by building a roster full of FBS castoffs. I think that might a recipe for disaster at a place like Miami. "Joey South Beach" does have a nice ring to it, though.