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5 replacements for Gary Pinkel at Missouri

By Cody Williams

Nov 5, 2015; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Gary Pinkel looks on prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Faurot Field. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 5, 2015; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Gary Pinkel looks on prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Faurot Field. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 10, 2015; Mount Pleasant, MI, USA; Toledo Rockets head coach Matt Campbell yells at a player during the first quarter against the Central Michigan Chippewas at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 10, 2015; Mount Pleasant, MI, USA; Toledo Rockets head coach Matt Campbell yells at a player during the first quarter against the Central Michigan Chippewas at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Matt Campbell

Matt Campbell has been the head coach of the Toledo Rockets since the 2012 season after earning the interim tag at the end of the 2011 season. Since then, Campbell has taken the Rockets to three consecutive winning seasons, including nine-win seasons in 2012 and 2014. The Rockets are also 8-1 through their first nine games of the 2015 college football season.

Given his success in the Mid-American Conference at Toledo, you have to imagine that Campbell will be one of the guys that bigger schools such as Missouri will be giving a look during their coaching search. Even if he’s never had another head-coaching job outside of Toledo, you can’t argue with building a culture of success. There’s a pretty proven track record of coaches from non-Power 5 schools who have gone to bigger programs and had a positive impact, though there are also examples where that hasn’t worked like there is with virtually any coaching hire.

However, the underrated aspect of this is the fact that, when Missouri hired Pinkel back in 2001, they lured him away from his head-coaching job to do so. That gig that the Tigers lured him away from: head coach of the Toledo Rockets. While that could easily just be deemed as coincidence and not mean anything 14 years later, the fact that Missouri has looked the Rockets’ way when looking for a new head coach is at least somewhat important. And considering the success of that hire with Pinkel, you can’t dismiss the possibility that they would look that way again with this hire.

Next: No. 4 Tom Herman

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