3 Jonathan Smith replacements Oregon State should have on speed dial

2. Dan Mullen could be leaving the ESPN studio to live that Corvallis life

After spending the last two years working for ESPN as a college football analyst, it seems as though Dan Mullen is getting the itch to get back into coaching. The former Florida head coach saw it go to hell in a handbasket for him in Gainesville in 2021, but we all know how good of a coach he is from his days at Mississippi State before that. He is the ideal candidate to take over at a lower-tier P5 school.

Even if the Beavers were to go down a level, that should not matter in Mullen's potential candidacy for the gig. What got him fired at Florida was his inability to recruit to the Gators' standards. Not to say that he cannot recruit, but going to a place that is not so overly demanding like Florida was in the end could be to his advantage. When it comes to X's and O's, few college coaches are as savvy as Mullen.

However, there is another job out there Mullen may want over Oregon State. He has been tied to Syracuse for the better part of a day now. Mullen could be a serious candidate to replace Dino Babers as the face of the Orange's football program. Since Syracuse is not leaving the Power Five over in the ACC, that might give him a bit more confidence to take over the Orange rather than at Oregon State.

Mullen would be a home-run hire for the Beavers, but there are other jobs that he might want more.