USF appears to have lost its head coach, but there are some big names being bandied about as potential replacements.
Wednesday morning, multiple reports surfaced that Willie Taggart has left as USF’s coach to take the same job at Oregon. Not long after, potential candidates to replace Taggart at a school emerged in the midst of very fertile recruiting territory.Charlie Strong, FSU co-OC Lawrence Dawsey, Alabama OC Lane Kiffin & Ohio State DC Greg Schiano top candidates at USF, sources told @ESPN
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) December 7, 2016
Two of those have been head coaches at schools that were Power Five programs while they were there -- Strong at Texas, where he was just fired earlier this year, and Kiffin at Tennessee and USC. Schiano, one-time head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was the head coach at Rutgers prior to the Scarlet Knights’ move to the Big Ten.
Schiano was also mentioned as a candidate for the Oregon before it went to Taggart. Kiffin is in play for the Houston job, although that program could be leaning toward Oklahoma offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley.
Strong, though, might end up being the best option for the Bulls.
Strong served four different stints at the University of Florida totaling 14 years. He has deep and extensive ties to the state both when it comes to coaches and recruiting. While his tenure at Texas has been deemed a failure, the USF job could be the perfect one for both sides, if for nothing more than to help Strong rehab his image while continuing to build upon the foundation laid by Taggart.
