Things took a turn for the worst at Texas in last week’s stunning overtime loss to Kansas and it was a surprise to no one when the rumors of Charlie Strong’s inevitable dismissal started to spread. While a number of players spoke out against the move, it appears as though Athletic Director Mike Perrin and his staff will make an official announcement following the Longhorns’ season finale against TCU this week. With Strong likely to be fired, there has been a lot of talk about who his potential replacement could be. Here is a look at the five best potential replacements for Charlie Strong as the head coach at Texas.
Tom Herman
Houston Cougars Head Coach
The Cougars appear poised to finish off a rollercoaster of a season on a high note following last week’s big win over Louisville but Herman will be a hot commodity on the coaching market – regardless of how things play out. Herman has done an excellent job recruiting and developing talent at Houston and perhaps most importantly he has gotten results with a 22-3 record over the last two seasons.
Herman has pretty much maxed out all he can get in Houston. They had an opportunity to make the College Football Playoff this year as Herman had his best roster. However, they faltered and while they had a good season, it’s unlikely to get better from this point for him. That’s why it won’t surprise anybody if Texas hands Herman a massive contract offer this offseason. He’s in Houston already, so he knows the Texas landscape and he’s the hottest commodity on the coaching market. It would make a lot of sense for him to land at UT at the end of this season/early on in 2017.
Larry Fedora
North Carolina Tar Heels Head Coach
Fedora will be another name of interest if Longhorns can’t convince Herman to take the head coach gig this offseason. The veteran coach has put together a 40-23 record in almost five seasons at North Carolina and he posted a 34-19 record as the head coach at Southern Miss before that. The Tar Heels aren’t a top-10 team the way they were a year ago but they do have notable wins over Florida State and Miami. Fedora will once again be a popular head coach candidate and Texas should be interested if they miss out on Herman.
Mike MacIntyre
Colorado Buffaloes Head Coach
The Buffaloes are one win away from a Pac-12 Championship game appearance and MacIntyre is the biggest reason for the turnaround in their fortunes over the last couple of years. Colorado is 19-29 in his four seasons as head coach but they are ranked in the top-10 this season and that is a testament to the job MacIntyre has done turning things around. The Buffaloes’ offense is one of the best in the country and their defense has been respectable this season. He might not be the most popular name out there but MacIntyre would be an underrated hire for Texas.
Lane Kiffin
Alabama Crimson Tide Offensive Coordinator
Kiffin failed to capitalize on opportunities as the head coach at both Tennessee and USC and that’s going to turn people off. But he has spent the past couple of years learning from one of the best ever in Nick Saban and the results they have produced should be enough for him to earn another chance. There is no denying he’s an outstanding offensive coordinator but the question is whether he can thrive as a head coach. Texas might not be the most appealing option when it comes to potentially leaving Alabama but the Longhorns would be smart to consider Kiffin an option.
Les Miles
The former head coach at LSU could be one of the hottest free agents on the market this offseason after being fired this season. Miles is the type of coach that could completely turn things around at Texas with his recruiting power but the question is whether or not he would be willing to coach the Longhorns. Considering his overall resume and the fact he is the only name on this list that doesn’t currently have a job, Miles should be considered a potential candidate to replace Strong at Texas.
