DISCLAIMER: This is just a preliminary list of coaches to get the conversation going, written with no inside information whatsoever. Leave your thoughts in the comments section.
Hot Shot College Coordinators
Bob Diaco, Defensive Coordinator, Notre Dame -- Diaco is the current defensive coordinator at Notre Dame, having held that position since 2010. The Irish D has steadily improved in each of his seasons in South Bend. Diaco currently has the Irish D ranked in the top 25 nationally in each of the four main statistical categories -- scoring defense (T-1st), rushing defense (6th), passing defense (25th) and total defense (8th). Prior to his current role in Brian Kelly's staff, Diaco made career stops at Cincinnati, Virginia, Central Michigan, Western Michigan and Western Illinois. He played LB at Iowa, where he led the Hawkeyes D in tackles in both 1994 and 1995. Diaco finished his career as the seventh-leading tackler in Iowa history with 334 career stops.
Pat Narduzzi, Defensive Coordinator, Michigan State -- Narduzzi is in his sixth season as the defensive coordinator at Michigan State. Last season, Narduzzi's D led the Big Ten in rushing defense (100.5 yards per game), total defense (277.4 ypg.), interceptions (18) and third-down defense (.337). Like Diaco, Narduzzi spent time at Cincinnati as Mark Dantonio's defensive coordinator. Interesting fact: he worked briefly under Brad Bates at Miami as the RedHawks DC in 2003, helping the program win the MAC and finish the season ranked in the top 10. Narduzzi has also made career stops at Northern Illinois and his alma mater, Rhode Island, where he was a three year starter at linebacker (1987-89).
Kliff Kingsbury, Offensive Coordinator and QB Coach, Texas A&M -- Perhaps you've heard of this kid Johnny Football? Kingsbury's career has followed that of his star QB Johnny Manziel, a meteoric rise through the college football ranks. Kingsbury was a college QB only a few years ago, playing at Texas Tech from 1998-2002. He was drafted in the 6th round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, winning a Super Bowl with the Pats in a back-up role. Kingsbury got his collegiate coaching start at Houston implementing a version of Leach's "Air Raid" offense. The knock on Kingsbury is that he still cutting his teeth a bit as a college coordinator. A San Antonio native, he also doesn't have many ties to the Northeast other than his brief career with the Patriots.
Rising College Head Coaches
Charlie Strong, Head Coach, Louisville -- Strong, the Cardinals HC since 2010, has served as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator for 27 years, helping win two National Championships while at Florida. In three seasons with the Cardinals, Strong has led the program to a 23-13 record, 12-7 Big East overall. This season, Louisville started the season a perfect 9-0, earning a midseason top 10 ranking. Strong played collegiately at Central Arkansas. If Strong ever does leave Louisville, he seems destined to catch on with an SEC program.
Steve Addazio, Head Coach, Temple -- In Addazio's first season with the Owls, he led the program to a 9-4 record with a win over Wyoming in the New Mexico Bowl -- the program's second ever bowl win and first since the 1979 Garden State Bowl. Dive Master Addazio knows the Northeast well growing up in Connecticut and having made career stops as an assistant at Syracuse, Notre Dame and Indiana. Imagine if BC hires Addazio and he brings back OC Ryan Day and QB coach Kevin Rogers?
Dave Doeren, Head Coach, Northern Illinois -- Doeren might want to try to be a little more subtle, don't you think? The second year NIU coach has led the Huskies to a 21-4 overall record, including a 9-1 (6-0 MAC) mark this season. Prior to his stint in DeKalb, Doeren made career stops at Wisconsin (DC), Kansas (LB), Montana (LB), USC (GA) and his alma mater Drake (LB). Montana won the I-AA National Championship in 2001 and compiled a 28-3 record during Doeren's two seasons there. A Midwesterner, Doeren appears destined to land a job in the Big Ten, though I'd imagine he'd jump at the opportunity to coach in a power conference anywhere. The knock on Doeren is that he's only been at Northern Illinois for a short time and he didn't exactly inherit an awful situation following in the footsteps of Jerry Kill, now at Minnesota.
Darrell Hazell, Head Coach, Kent State -- A three year start at Muskingum University in Ohio, Hazell is the current head coach at Kent State having served as the Golden Flashes HC since 2011. In two seasons, Hazell has compiled a 14-8 overall record, 10-4 in the MAC. Hazell has the Flashes at a perfect 6-0 in conference play this season and in position to win the MAC East with wins over Bowling Green and Ohio in their final two regular season games. A native of Cinnaminson Township in southern New Jersey, Hazell has experience coaching in the Northeast with stops at Penn (RB), Army (WR/TE), West Virginia (RB) and Rutgers (WR, assistant HC). The Ohio background also would help Boston College's recruiting efforts in the Midwest.
Mike MacIntyre, Head Coach, San Jose State -- MacIntyre, the Spartans HC since 2010, has a long career as an assistant coach and coordinator in both college and the NFL. Last season, MacIntyre lead San Jose State to a 5-7 record, the school's highest win total since 2008. Prior to his stay at San Jose, MacIntyre has kicked around at both the college and professional level, serving as the Dallas Cowboys RB coach from 2003-06 and the New York Jets DB coach in 2007. Immediately prior to taking the top job in San Jose, MacIntyre was the DC at Duke. He is the son of former Vanderbilt head coach George MacIntyre. Bates and MacIntyre's stays in Nashville overlapped for only one year (1985), Bates first year with the Commodores Athletics Department.
Tim Murphy, Head Coach, Harvard -- If there's a sort of outside the box candidate for the soon-to-be vacant Boston College football position, Tim Murphy seems to fit the bill. Murphy has been the head coach at Harvard since the 1994 season, previously serving as head coach at Cincinnati (1989-93) and Maine (1987-88). He's also made stop at Maine, Boston University (BU football LOL), Lafayette and Brown. Sure he's coaching across the river at Harvard, but by all measures this guy knows how to win in the Ivy League. Murphy has led the Crimson to six Ivy League championships and hasn't finished worse than third in the conference since 1999. In 19 seasons at Harvard, he's compiled a 126-62 record including a 92-42 mark in Ivy League play. Murphy might be a stretch given it's been quite a few years since he's had to worry about handing out scholarships and I don't know about you, but I'm a little gun shy about BC hiring Springfield College alums these days. Then again, why can't Boston College be Harvard Monday through Friday and Harvard on Saturday, too?
Butch Jones, Head Coach, Cincinnati -- If nothing else, hiring Jones would make for a good storyline whenever Boston College faces Notre Dame (whenever that may next be). Jones is in his third season with the Bearcats, having followed in Brian Kelly's footsteps at both Central Michigan and Cincinnati. In only his second season with the Bearcats, Jones won Big East Coach of the Year honors, leading UC to a 10-3 record and a victory in the Liberty Bowl. This season Cincinnati is again on the Big East's stronger programs with a 7-3 record and a 5-2 mark in conference play. The Saugatuck, Michigan native played college ball at Ferris State.
Sonny Dykes, Head Coach, Louisiana Tech -- Dykes has been the head coach in Ruston since 2010, compiling a 22-13 record (14-5 WAC) in the now extremely watered down WAC. Dykes took over for Derek Dooley, who left Louisiana Tech for Tennessee in December 2009. The Big Springs, Texas native is the son of Spike Dykes, the all-time winningest football coach in Texas Tech history. Prior to Louisiana Tech, Dykes served on the staffs at Kentucky, Northeast Louisiana, Texas Tech and Arizona. Not sure he has any interest in coming north and the Air Raid doesn't exactly scream Boston College football. It also seems far too early to make a move with Louisiana Tech poised to join Conference USA for the 2013 season.
College Coaches w/ Boston College ties
Al Golden, Head Coach, Miami -- Whether Golden decides to leave Coral Gables after this season has a lot to do with Miami's next A.D. hire and the NCAA's ruling on the Nevin Shapiro scandal. Golden served as Boston College's Linebackers Coach from 1997-1999 under Tom O'Brien. Post BC, Golden made stops at Penn State (LB), his alma mater and Virginia (DC), before landing the head coaching job at Temple. A Red Bank, N.J. native, Penn State grad and Temple Owls coach, Golden knows the Northeast and is known as a strong recruiter.
Randy Edsall, Head Coach, Maryland -- Edsall, Maryland's coach since 2010, served as the Eagles Defensive Backs Coach under Coughlin from 1991-1993. I don't think Edsall is coming to Boston College either, but perhaps this would give him a second chance at landing his "dream job."
Don Treadwell, Head Coach, Miami (Ohio) -- Treadwell served as Co-OC/QB/WR coach for the Eagles during the 1997-1998 seasons under O'Brien. After his stay at the Heights, Treadwell made career stops at N.C. State (RB), Michigan State (WR), Ball State (OC/WR), Cincinnati (OC) and Michigan State (OC) before (who else but) Brad Bates gave him his first head coaching gig with the RedHawks. Though Treadwell and Bates have a relationship and he previously spent some time on the Eagles coaching staff, Treadwell is a Miami alumnus and hasn't had a great deal of success over his first two seasons (8-14, 6-8 MAC).
College Coaches We Would've Been Talking About A Year Ago
Mario Cristobal, Head Coach, Florida International -- Cristobal's name has been brought up for a number of major conference program jobs over the past few years, but he's elected to stay in Miami. He's the first ever Cuban-American Division I-A college football coach and played his college ball at the U, winning two National Championships as a player in 1989 and 1991 (back when Miami was actually pretty good). Following an 8-5 (5-3) season, Cristobal was the talk of the college football coaching carousel in 2011, mentioned for both the Pittsburgh and Rutgers vacancies. This season, however, FIU is just 2-8 overall and 1-5 in the Sun Belt.
Ron English, Head Coach, Eastern Michigan -- English's record at Eastern Michigan isn't much to look at, but once you realize that he is coaching at Eastern Michigan, it doesn't look all that bad. In 2011, English lead the Eagles to a 6-6 record and bowl eligible! This season, however, Eastern Michigan is 1-9 overall and winless in MAC play. English previously spent time on the staffs at Arizona State, San Diego State, Michigan and Louisville -- a decent-enough resume -- but he has little to no experience coaching in the Northeast.
Hot (or Not) Shot NFL Coaches
Pat Shurmer, Head Coach, Cleveland Browns -- When, not if, Shurmer is fired as head coach of the Browns, he'll likely be looking for a soft landing spot. Only 47 years old, Shurmer has already kicked around the NFL for a number of years as Philadelphia's tight ends coach and quarterbacks coach as well as the Rams' OC. Prior to making the jump to the pros, Shurmer was the tight ends coach at Michigan State (1990-97) and the offensive line coach at Stanford in 1998. He played collegiately at Michigan State, playing guard and linebacker as a freshman and starting at center the next three seasons. O-Line U!
Kevin Gilbride, Offensive Coordinator, New York Giants -- The New Haven, Connecticut native currently serves as the Giants OC, earning two Super Bowl wins on Tom Coughlin's staff. Gilbride hasn't served on a college staff since he was the offensive coordinator at East Carolina in 1988 and it's unclear whether he has any interest in returning to the college game. In addition to playing at Southern Connecticut State, Gilbride has coached at Tufts, AIC and his alma mater as head coach. Of note, Gilbride is only four years Spaz's junior.
Greg Roman, Offensive Coordinator, San Francisco 49ers -- Roman is the current OC of the 49ers, serving under Jim Harbaugh. Roman followed Harbaugh to the NFL, having previously served on his staff at Stanford in 2009 and 2010. Prior to Stanford, he kicked around the NFL holding coaching positions at Carolina (1995-2001), Houston (2002-2005) and Baltimore (2006-2007). The Ventnor, New Jersey native is a three-year letterwinner and two-year starting defensive lineman at John Carroll University from 1990-93.
Pete Carmichael, Jr., Offensive Coordinator, New Orleans Saints -- Carmichael Jr. is in his fourth year as the New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator, taking over when Doug Marrone took the Syracuse head coaching gig. He has been linked to a number of NFL head coaching gigs so not sure just how much interest he has in returning to the college game, though his alma mater probably has some swap. A Framingham native, Carmichael was a four-year letter winner at Boston College.
Mark Whipple, QB coach, Cleveland Browns -- You know your second favorite Jersey Guy will bring this name up several times over the next few weeks. TROLLOLOLOLOL.
Jack Bicknell Jr., OL coach, Kansas City Chief -- Bicknell Jr. is the current OL coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. The former Boston College center is son of the former Eagles' coach of the same name. Bicknell Jr. did two separate stints with the Eagles in 1986 as a grad assistant and in 2007-08 as BC's OL coach. From 1996-2006, he served as the head coach at Louisiana Tech.
You Really Can Go Home Again
Tom O'Brien, Head Coach, N.C. State -- The rumor of the week is that TOB could be out in Raleigh at season's end. Though I very much doubt either party has any interest in renewing ties.
Tom Coughlin, Head Coach, New York Giants -- How about the TC reunion tour? A guy can dream.
Jeff Jagodzinski, WR Coach, Ave Maria University -- Jags was 20-8 during his two seasons at Boston College and was one of many casualties of the Gene DeFilippo era. Whether or not you'd take him back seems to hinge on your opinion of his recruiting efforts and the shape he left the program in. The latter question is a bit clouded by four years of Spaz ball and really boils down to whether or not you think the program would have underwent the same precipitous decline it has under Spaziani.
Steve Logan, Radio personality, 99.9 The Fan and 620 The Buzz -- Logan didn't get the job in 2009, but has head coaching experience in 11 seasons at East Carolina. Following the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-12 campaign in 2011, head coach Raheem Morris and his entire staff were fired. Logan hasn't coached since and joined Raleigh, N.C.'s 99.9 The Fan and 620 The Buzz as a radio host/expert. Miss you, Steve.