Arizona football: 5 candidates to replace Kevin Sumlin as Wildcats coach

1. Steve Sarkisian, Alabama Offensive Coordinator

After being closely linked to the job openings at Colorado and Mississippi State a year ago, and turning down other opportunities, it’s a matter of when, not if, Sarkisian becomes a head coach again. It’s not out of the question he’ll get looks from NFL teams, so it may come down to his preference regarding the college game or the pros. It’s easy to tab him as strictly a college coach, but he recently spent two seasons as offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons.

Sarkisian is in his second season running a prolific offense at Alabama. But don’t forget his Pac-12 roots are deep. He was an assistant and eventually the head coach at USC, with five seasons (2009-2013) as head coach at Washington in between. In six-plus total seasons as a permanent head coach, he has a 46-35 record with five bowl appearances. A personal issue led to his exit as USC head coach five games into the 2015 season.

In his current boss Nick Saban and Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, Sarkisian has name-brand advocates ready to champion that he’s ready for his next head coaching job. He shares USC roots with Kiffin, so it’s safe to assume the two are close.

Sarkisian will have options to become a head coach again if he wants them this time around. Arizona should advance themselves on his list of options, as they consider biting the proverbial financial bullet and firing Sumlin.

For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.