Arizona football: 5 candidates to replace Rich Rodriguez

Rich Rodriguez has been fired as head coach at Arizona, so here are five candidates to replace him.

On Tuesday night, a report from USA Today suggested Arizona was considering firing Rich Rodriguez. The move quickly came to fruition shortly after that initial report, in the aftermath of an investigation into sexual harassment and/or a hostile work environment within the Wildcats’ football program. But the firing was cited to be strictly for football reasons, after a 3-9 season in 2016 and four losses in five games to end the season.

Arizona will now undergo a late search for a new football coach, at a point on the calendar where it will prove challenging for a number of reasons. But the Wildcats have an early 2018 Heisman Trophy candidate in quarterback Khalil Tate, and overall it’s a pretty appealing situation in Tucson.

It’s unclear which direction Arizona will go in the search for a new coach, toward rising coordinators or toward more proven names with head coaching experience. But there are some noteworthy options out there right now, and here are five candidates to be the next head coach at Arizona.

5. Mike Yurcich – Oklahoma State offensive coordinator

Yurcich just finished his fifth season as Oklahoma State’s offensive coordinator, with top-10 passing offenses in the country in each of the last three seasons.

Frustrated by losing offensive coordinators so quickly, Mike Gundy found Yurcich, then the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Division II Shippensburg, via an internet search in 2013. It’s safe to say that outside the box move worked out nicely.

Yurcich has been in the mix for recent head coaching vacancies at Tulane and Kent State, and Gundy has acknowledged it’s a matter of time before Yurcich leaves to be a head coach. Arizona could be the right opportunity at the right time.