slides: Ten Coaches Who Could Replace Mike Riley at Oregon State

Tuesday, December 09, 2014

Taya Alami, GoLocalPDX Reporter

After Mike Riley split from his head coaching gig in Corvallis for the greener pastures in Lincoln, many Beaver fans have been asking themselves the question, who’s going to be the new guy?

Ryan Kostecka has been covering Pac-12 football for two years. He said he’s expecting Oregon State to fill its head coaching vacancy with an assistant coach or coordinator.

“Oregon State almost seems like they’re going to completely redo their program,” Kostecka said. “With Riley leaving, there goes his legacy — there goes their style of play. They need to bring in a guy who's going to make the program his own.”

Bringing in an established, big-ticket head coach can do a lot to calm a fan-base, but it often has the opposite effect on a school’s boosters. When an athletic department recycles a head coaching name, like Brady Hoke from the University of Michigan, athletic directors are much more ready to press the dump-button than they would be if they had hired someone as a first time head coach, because they don’t want to waste time.

During Riley’s tenure in Corvallis, other Pac-12 schools went through transitional periods. Now that Oregon State is about to start navigating a coaching search of its own, it will be interesting to see if the Beavers take a cue from their regional rivals and follow their hiring strategies.

Take the University of Washington, for example. When Tyrone Willingham was fired by Notre Dame, the Huskies pounced on the high-profile head coach. Needless to say, it didn’t work out, and first-round draft pick Jake Locker never reached his full potential in college. The school had to hire two more head coaches (and fire an entire coach’s staff of assistants) before it could finally find a long-term fit in Chris Petersen.

Not being too reactive in a head coach search often lends the athletic departments some patience, as ADs generally give more time for new coaches to develop, because they’re not eagerly waiting to see the same finished product a coach has created before.

“If they’re going to bring in (an established) head coach, then he better succeed,” Kostecka said.

Whomever the Beavers chose to hire as their next coach, he’s going to be facing some unique obstacles; namely when it comes to recruiting. The Oregon State campus is arguably the second least desirable location in the conference to choose to play college football, behind Washington State University in Pullman.

“Not very many (recruits) are going to go to Corvallis to play football,” Kostecka said.

That certainly doesn’t mean that you can’t recruit to Corvallis — just look at James and Jacquizz Rodgers.

It does mean, however, that the overall budget of the program, from recruiting to uniforms, is significantly lower than their in-state rival Ducks.

Related Slideshow: Ten Coaches Who Could Replace Mike Riley at Oregon State

Here's a list of ten coaches who could possibly replace Mike Riley at Oregon State:

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Scott Frost

Offensive Coordinator, Oregon

Frost has been an assistant coach at Oregon for six years, and was promoted from wide receivers coach to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach prior to the 2013 season.

He also played several seasons in the NFL.

When Oregon named Frost wide receivers coach, the Duck offense suddenly gained some toughness and effectively became a “power” team with its receivers laying blocks downfield.

His background — playing under Belichick, coaching under Kelly — inspires enough confidence for athletic directors to give Frost an interview. The success of his primary protege — Marcus Mariota — is enough to give him a deal.

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Brady Hoke

(recently fired) Head Coach, Michigan

When athletic directors hire coaches like Brady Hoke, they’re hiring him for the coach he could be — not for the coach he just was before he was fired.

Hoke has West Coast experience: he coached San Diego State in the Mountain West before taking his dream job at Michigan. He was even an Oregon State assistant from 1989 to ‘94.

Hoke may be a good coach, and he may understand the landscapes of recruiting out West.

However, his resume makes him look like one of those guys who never stops looking for the bigger, better job.

Any success at Oregon State, and the Beavs may see him running for greener pastures.

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Beau Baldwin

Head Coach, Eastern Washington

Beau Baldwin is rumored to be on an interview shortlist for Riley’s job.

He’s had moderate success at the FCS level, which has gained legitimacy in the Pac-12 since Chip Kelly came out of New Hampshire.

Like Kelly, Baldwin is thought to be an offensive innovator. After years of jet sweeps, fan in Corvallis are thirsty for new ideas that can compete with the team down the road.

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Dennis Erickson

Running Backs Coach, Utah

Erickson coached Oregon State during one of the better times of Beaver football. He’s in a lowly position now at an unglamorous job.

That means Oregon State could sign him on the cheap.

Because of his implosion at Arizona State, the Beavers may not be expecting an aging Erickson to be able to instill a winning culture.

They will be expecting him to bring in a quick influx of Chad Johnson-level talent, which may be enough to make him worth the hire.

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Steve Coury

Head Coach, Lake Oswego High School

Coury is a wildcard pick to replace Riley. Sure, it may seem crazy to think a major school would hire a high school coach; but just a few years ago, Auburn Head Coach Gus Malzahn was coaching Springdale High School in Arkansas.

Steve Coury has been the head coach at Lake Oswego high school since 1992. During his tenure, his team has been a perennial power and many of his players have gone on to play college football (a number of them have payed at Oregon State).

Coury has the personality and the youth to lead a program. He understands the landscape of high school football in Oregon well enough that he can at least win the in-state recruiting battle against the Ducks, which used to be annual gimme for OSU.

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Ed Orgeron

Before being passed over for the USC job, Orgeron was the highest paid assistant coach in the nation. When he filled in as USC’s head coach for a fired Lane Kiffin last year, he led the team to a 6-2 record, including an upset win over Stanford that sent gamblers into a tailspin.

Coach O has been the highest paid assistant coach in a nation for a reason: his players love him.

Although he was fired as the head coach at Ole Miss, keep one thing in mind — that was at Ole Miss, and it was a different time. He hardly stood a chance.

Coach O could be a big get for OSU.

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Don Pellum

Defensive Coordinator, Oregon

Pellum may not be interested in a head coaching job, but that doesn’t mean Oregon State shouldn’t interview him. Pellum is a talented coach who gets his players to respond to him.

Before he was named defensive coordinator he was Oregon’s linebackers coach. At that position, he cultivated NFL players out of mid-level recruits; and that’s a skill OSU will need if it wants to be successful.

If Oregon State wants its new coach to bring a new level of intensity and build a program in his own image, it should strongly consider reaching out to Pellum.

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Bronco Mendenhall

Head Coach, BYU

Bronco Mendenhall has also been rumored to be on Oregon State’s short list.

That’s for good reason — he’s a former Oregon State player.

He’s experienced moderate success at Brigham Young and in the wake of conference realignment, he’s found his team in a no-man’s land.

However, BYU coaches rarely choose to make lateral movements.

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Mike Norvell

Offensive Coordinator, Arizona State

At just 33 years old, Norvell is young enough to catch a lower price tag than other prospective coaches.

Considered to be a great offensive mind, Norvell is rumored to be going somewhere soon.

What sets him apart is his ability to relate to recruits, especially in Texas and California, where OSU recruiting has significantly leaned on in past decade.