4. Josh Gattis – Michigan Wolverines offensive coordinator
If the Huskies want someone who has been able to make the Michigan Wolverines a pretty fun team to watch offensively, Josh Gattis would be someone worth calling. Gattis is younger than many other coaching candidates, at 37-years-old, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have valuable experience on his resume.
Gattis has coached all over the country. Prior to making it to Michigan, Gattis was with Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide as the co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach in 2018. Before that, Gattis helped then Penn State Nittany Lions offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead make James Franklin’s team explosive on offense.
Gattis has also coached at Vanderbilt, Western Michigan, and North Carolina. He’s been all over the place.
Right now the Wolverines are 8-1 and their offense is a big reason for that success. Michigan is averaging 451.4 yards per game and scoring 36.2 points per game. He may not be proven as a head coach just yet, but his offense is fun and helps make his teams considerably better.
3. Blake Anderson – Utah State Aggies head coach
Utah State Aggies head coach Blake Anderson made a pretty drastic move when he left the stability of the Arkansas State Red Wolves to coach the Aggies, but it has paid off. Will bigger programs like Washington take notice and give Anderson a shot?
Right now, Utah State is 7-2, scoring 31.8 points per game, and is competitive. This comes a year after the Aggies were abysmal, as they only managed to go 1-5 in 2020. In 2019, Utah State struggled to a 7-6 record.
Anderson has a history of sticking around as he was with the Red Wolves for the better part of a decade. Who knows if he’d be willing to up and move after just one season, but he’s someone that can provide stability, bring in an exciting offense, and win over a long period of time. Few programs can afford to look past that sort of sustainable model of success.
While he would be new to the West Coast, he is a winner, and that’s what matters. Anderson has often had to do more with less and he consistently found ways to win in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Now he’s doing it again in Logan, Utah. Could he do that in Seattle?