If you're a Razorback blogger, it doesn't get much more fun than wildly speculating on possible football coaches. Although other sites, particularly the Hog Blogger, are all over this topic more than we could ever hope to be, we just couldn't stay out of the fray. So, with no regard whatsover to truth, accuracy or anything resembling journalistic standards, here's our quick (and probably completely incorrect) breakdown of the current candidates (or "candidates").
The Untouchables:
* Jimmy Johnson - Unless Jimmy can run practices from the Caribbean while sunning himself on the deck of his boat, there is absolutely no possible way this is happening. Still, I keep mentioning his name because it's a fun rumor to stoke.
* Butch Davis - Nope. To be honest, I'm very fine with that. I never quite saw the appeal of a guy who, over his last five seasons of coaching, went 3-8 with North Carolina and 24-33 with Cleveland. I know some people were seduced by the 'name', but I say we dodged an expensive bullet here.
* Tommy Tuberville - Just when it looked like it was time to cross him off this list, his name comes back in play. Maybe. Personally, I think it would be pretty sweet if he wound up with the Hogs but I'm not getting my hopes up...the smart money says he's angling for a raise and an extension at Auburn.
Head Coaches Maybe Looking to Make a Move:
* Lane Kiffin - When I first read about this one, my natural reaction was to scoff and think "no f'ing way!" But, rumors keep popping up, so who knows. I live in Oakland, and although I barely follow the Raiders, my impressions of him have been positive (despite the Butch Davis-esque 3-8 record). The San Francisco Chronicle had a brief report about the rumor today...also, for a fun read, check out this thread on some Raiders message board about the possibility.
* Mike Leach - Well, the guy certainly knows offense. Ironically, if he winds up with the job fans might be complaining in a few years that we don't run the ball enough. If you have some time on your hands, check out this very interesting and in-depth profile of Leach and his "thinking man's" approach to football from the New York Times magazine, written by acclaimed "Moneyball" author Michael Lewis (it's a couple of years old).
* Chris Peterson - Frankly, I don't know much about him other than that Boise State pulled out some crazy plays to upset Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl last year.
* Brian Kelly - I know even less about him, sorry. Hopefully you're not relying on Razorback Expats to be your sole source of news about the Hogs.
Up & Coming Assistants:
* Bo Pelini - Word is that he's a better fit for Nebraska. Personally, I can't get that excited about a guy who allowed the Hogs to roll through his defense for 50 points last week. I mean, I know we have a good running game and all, but come on! That's not much of an audition. Speaking of good auditions, though, what about this next guy...
* Will Muschamp - His Auburn defense shut down the Hogs more than any other team I've seen in the last couple of years. Assuming Tuberville passes, I think we should give him a long look. If he does roll into Fayetteville for an interview, though, let's hope for his sake that he looks a little less shell-shocked than he does in this video (starting at the 1:10 mark).
* Brent Venables - Again, I have to plead ignorance here (a common theme). The Hog Blogger likes him, so that counts for something.
* Gus Malzahn - Hmmm. Where have I heard this guy's name before? It definitely rings a bell, but I just can't place it...
Included for Humor's Sake Only:
* Coach O - Come on, it'd be fun! An old-fashioned coaching swap between us and Ole Miss. If nothing else, we would wind up with some awesome YouTube videos out of the deal.