Scott: What I Like About These Four Potential Oklahoma State Coaching Candidates

The Cowboy coaching search is nearing 40 days.

Given it’s smack-dab in the middle of football season, it makes sense as to why it’s been a little over a month, but I thought it’d be a good time to refresh my thoughts on some of Oklahoma State’s potential candidates.

I’ve got four names here, but I’d imagine the pool of suitors is much deeper than this. I think any of these four would be slam-dunk hires for the Pokes. Here is what I like about each of them and some questions about each that shouldn’t be over looked.

This list is in no particular order.

Zac Robinson

Current Role: Atlanta Falcons Offensive Coordinator

What I Like: There’s obviously a ton to like about Robinson.

For starters, he is an OSU guy. I’m in the camp that OSU should hire the best available coach, but if that is what Weiberg and Co. view Robinson as, him being familiar with Stillwater is the cherry on top.

On top of that, he comes from the Sean McVay tree. McVay is the youngest head coach hired in NFL history, the youngest head coach to reach the super bowl and the youngest head coach to win a super bowl.

There for a while, it felt like if a coach met McVay for lunch one day, that guy fell into a major job. Robinson had more than lunch with McVay, as he was on his staff for five seasons, working his way up from assistant quarterbacks coach to the outright quarterbacks coach and the Rams’ passing-game coordinator.

The Falcons’ results this year have been a bit of a rollercoaster, but there a have been good things happening, particularly with Bijan Robinson. In the short term, it’d be fun to see if he could do the college version of that with Rodney Fields Jr.

Questions: The obvious questions about Robinson revolve around the fact that he has been in the pro game and hasn’t been a head coach. I think a lot of that could be nullified with a solid, experience staff around him, but if putting together such a staff was so simple, everybody would do it.

Collin Klein

Current Role: Texas A&M Offensive Coordinator

What I Like: A lot of stuff to like here, too.

For starters, Klein knows the Big 12 inside and out, as he was a Kansas State quarterback from 2008 to 2012 before spending another seven seasons on the Wildcats’ staff — the final two being the program’s offensive coordinator.

In his two-year stretch as K-State’s OC, the Wildcats total offense number improved by 83.8 yards per game. K-State’s 2023 touchdown-conversion rate of 78.7% led the country.

Then he took over as the Aggies’ OC and helped lead A&M to its first 5-0 start in SEC play in Klein’s first year. And now in his second year, the Aggies are up to No. 3 in the AP Poll at 8-0, and they rank in the Top 25 nationally in total offense and scoring offense while playing an SEC schedule.

I also like that Klein has been the A&M OC for the past few years. He recruited Texas as K-State’s OC, but something tells me a lot more Texas high school coaches and players would want to get to know the A&M offensive coordinator on a little bit deeper level.

Lastly, think about all the “elite” head coaches in college football right now. Dan Lanning was hired as a coordinator. Kirby Smart was hired as a coordinator. Ryan Day was hired as a coordinator. Marcus Freeman was hired as a coordinator. There are other examples of guys being hired as head coaches (Curt Cignetti, Mike Elko, etc.), but that’s a significant number of hired coordinators who turned out to be high-level head coaches.

Questions: The other side of that is he hasn’t been a head coach. Similar to Robinson, hiring a good staff to help him adjust would be big.

He’s also only 36 years old. That might be a positive in the modern era as opposed to a negative, but Mike Gundy’s “I’m a man, I’m 40!” rant came in 2007. He went on to coach OSU for about 18 more years.

Of Note: Klein, like many of these coaches who appear on all the hot boards was asked this week about his candidacy for vacancies.

“It’s an honor, and it means you’re doing something right,” Klein said. “It’s a credit to our players and our entire staff here of what we’ve been able to do. There’s a lot of season left and a lot of big things ahead of us.”

He was also asked if he had goals of being a head coach.

“Absolutely,” Klein said. “It’s been a dream and a goal of mine, but it’s about being with the right people at the right time. That’s here, right now. And again, a long way to go (this season).”

Alex Golesh

Current Role: USF Head Coach

What I Like: Well, he went to The Swamp with USF and beat Florida a week after clobbering a Boise State squad that was a lot of people’s preseason pick to be the Group of Five representative in the College Football Playoff. So, there’s that.

The three years before Golesh got to USF, the Bulls went a combined 4-29. USF went 7-6 in his first two seasons and are up to 6-2 this year.

On top of that, he passes the high-level coordinator test, spending 2021 and 2022 as Tennessee’s OC. His 2022 Vols offense ranked first nationally in scoring, yards per game, points per possession and yards per play. That’ll certainly do.

A lot has been made about the fact that Golesh was a GA at OSU. I don’t put a ridiculous amount of weight into that, as it was just one year, but it might make a transition back to Stillwater a tad smoother.

Questions: There honestly aren’t a ton.

With all the jobs that are opening, competition for a guy like Golesh could ramp up a bit. Based on a lot of reports, Lane Kiffin is at the top of Florida’s and LSU’s lists, but only one of those teams could get Kiffin and there’s obviously a real chance that neither do. Would one of those schools value Golesh? If not, what domino effect would those hires set off. Say Florida gets Kiffin. Now Ole Miss is open. Would Ole Miss be interested in Golesh? What if Ole Miss hired another sitting head coach? Would that school be interested in Golesh?

That’s a question that could obviously apply to Klein or our next entry, as well, so like I said, there don’t seem to be a ton of obvious concerns for hiring Golesh. That doesn’t necessarily mean it would work out in Stillwater, but it feels like a safer hire than just about any other guy on this list.

Eric Morris

Current Role: North Texas Head Coach

What I Like: Do you like points? I sure do. North Texas is scoring 46.1 of them a game, which leads the country.

Meanwhile, the Mean Green ranks fifth nationally in total offense, averaging 495.8 yards a game. You know when the last time OSU gained 495 yards in one game was? The Texas Tech game last November. OSU has hit that mark just twice in the past two seasons, and North Texas is rolling out of bed averaging that number.

Other things I like about Morris is the fact that he is familiar with the Big 12, having played at Texas Tech and been on staff in Lubbock for four seasons. And he’s deeply tied to the state of Texas. He’s from Littlefield, Texas, went to Texas Tech and has been on staffs at Houston, Texas Tech, Incarnate Word and North Texas.

Morris is developing a bit of a quarterback whisperer label, as well.

North Texas QB Drew Mestemaker is a redshirt freshman and ranks second nationally in passing yards (2,468) and fourth in passing touchdowns (21). For reference, the Cowboys have thrown for 1,293 yards and four touchdowns this season.

Morris found and coached Cam Ward at Incarnate Word. Ward would later transfer to Miami and become the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft.

He was Patrick Mahomes’ OC at Texas Tech, and he recruited John Mateer to Washington State. That’s a lot of hits in a relatively short amount of time.

Questions: Like with Golesh, not a ton.

He hasn’t been a head coach at a Power Conference level, but his talent evaluation and ties to Texas speak for themselves in a lot of ways.