Coaching Candidate Hot Board – 2.0 – Updated November 27, 2023

Written by T.J. Inman

The Indiana Hoosiers are moving on from Tom Allen. Who are the coaches that could be candidates for athletic director Scott Dolson? Keep in mind, this list is an attempt to identify coaches we believe IU may look at and might have a chance to hire. 

Most Likely “Finalists”

-Sean Lewis – Colorado (OC/QB)

Sean Lewis began the season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Colorado Buffaloes. After getting off to a rousing start, Deion Sanders stripped Lewis of play-calling duties following a loss to Stanford. The move was a curious one as it has been clear the offense is not the issue for the Buffaloes. Despite the “demotion”, Sean Lewis is going to be a head coach again soon. Lewis’ best work came as the offensive coordinator for Bowling Green and Syracuse under Dino Babers and then as the head coach for Kent State from 2018 to 2022. Kent State is one of the toughest jobs in the country and Lewis went 19-17 in conference play and 24-31 overall. Without context, that is not impressive but if you consider how bad the Golden Flashes were before and after Lewis, it is incredible. Lewis is a bright offensive mind and hiring him would seem to ensure that you would at least have a fun offense. Lewis is considered a prime candidate for the Syracuse job.

-Chuck Martin – Head Coach at Miami Ohio

Chuck Martin is the head coach for the Miami (OH) RedHawks. He’s 55 years old and played both football and basketball at Millikin before entering coaching as a Graduate Assistant for Mankato State in 1992. Martin has several stops before becoming the head coach at Grand Valley State from 2004 to 2009. The Lakers were 74-7 under Martin with pair of Division II titles. Martin moved to Notre Dame as a recruiting coordinator and then offensive coordinator for two seasons (2010-2013) before being hired as the head coach in Oxford, Ohio. The RedHawks were just 5-19 in his first two seasons before making a bowl game in 2016. After years of drifting between 5-7 and 8-6, Martin’s RedHawks are 9-2 (6-1) heading into the final weekend of the season. 

-Curt Cignetti – HC at James Madison

Cignetti is 61 and was born in Pittsburgh. He is a very experienced coach that played QB at WVU from 79-82. Stops at Pittsburgh, Davidson, Rice, Temple, NC State and was on the original staff of Nick Saban at Alabama as WR and recruiting coordinator. Head coach at IUP, Elon and James Madison. IUP was terrible prior to his arrival, going just 4-10 in last 14 conference games. Finished 12-2 in his first season, finished 53-17 at IUP with three playoff appearances. Moved to Elon who had gone through six straight losing seasons. In his first season, won eight games in a row and got as high as sixth in FCS. CAA Coach of the Year. Back-to-back playoff appearances for only time in history. Head coach at James Madison at end of 2018. Seven game improvement in first season, went 14-2 with appearance in national title game. JMU just moved to Sun Belt after going 19-3 in two separate 2021 seasons due to COVID. 8-3 in first FBS season and JMU is having a great 2023. Cignetti is emerging as a leading candidate for the Syracuse opening.

-Jon Sumrall – Troy Head Coach

The 41-year old Alabama native is in his second year as the head coach of the Troy Trojans and has amassed a 21-4 record (as of November 21, 2023). The Trojans went 12-2 in 2022 and won the Cure Bowl, finishing ranked 19th in the final AP Poll. They are currently 9-2 and in first place in the Sun Belt’s West division (as of November 22). Sumrall began his career as a GA at Kentucky before moving to coach at San Diego, Tulane, Troy and Ole Miss. He returned to Kentucky as the co-defensive coordinator in 2019 before being named the head coach at Troy prior to the 2022 season. Sumrall is known as a terrific recruiter and a strong defensive coach but the Trojans have put up some points so he’s not averse to having a strong offense. 

-Pat Fitzgerald – Former Northwestern Head Coach

Indiana fans will be quite familiar with the long-time Northwestern head coach. Fitzgerald is currently not coaching after being fired before the 2023 season amidst allegations of hazing within the Wildcats program. The positives for Fitzgerald are clear: the former Northwestern linebacker had five seasons with nine wins or more and he won the Big Ten West twice. The negatives are perhaps more pertinent though. Northwestern went 3-9 in 2019, 3-9 in 2021 and 1-11 in 2022 with 1-8 Big Ten records in each of those seasons. His teams had increasingly anemic offenses and he was openly hostile towards NIL efforts. The biggest strike against him is undoubtedly the ongoing and unresolved allegations of a pervasive hazing culture that ended his time in Evanston. Given his experience in the Big Ten and IU’s desire to have a coach with head coach experience, Fitzgerald could get a look.

-Tom Herman-FAU Head Coach

Herman is a hot name for IU right now. He has coached at Houston and Texas and has a career record of 58-30. However, he did finish the 2023 season 4-8 (3-5) with the Owls. Herman would bring experience and name recognition to the Hoosiers. He is 5-0 in bowl games, including 2-0 in New Year’s Six Bowls.

Paul Chryst – Former Wisconsin Head Coach

Another former Big Ten West head coach that is currently not a head coach, Paul Chryst is likely be examined by Scott Dolson. The 58-year old Madison native is currently a special assistant to Steve Sarkisian at Texas. He was fired from Wisconsin after a 2-3 start. Chryst was 67-26 in Madison but there appeared to be diminishing returns before his ouster. Chryst was 10-3 in 2015, 11-3 in 2016 and 13-1 in 2017. After another ten-win season in 2019, Wisconsin was 4-3 in 2020 and 9-4 in 2021. The Badgers won the Big Ten West three times in his seven full seasons and he was 6-1 in bowl games. The biggest concerns would be that Wisconsin relied on a physical smashmouth running game that is difficult to envision working in Bloomington. In addition, Chryst does not have a particularly engaging personality and he has not shown a willingness to adapt to a different style. If he learned some from Steve Sarkisian and hired a good offensive staff, Chryst could be successful.

-Jason Candle – Toledo Head Coach (added to Hot Board 2.0)

The current head coach for the Toledo Rockets should have been included on the first hot board but he was left off for one reason: most coaches at Toledo succeed at Toledo. It is a program with better resources and a bigger budget than every other program they face in the MAC. That said Candle has head coaching experience, his offenses perform well and at only 44 years old, he is a young and exciting option. Previous Toledo coaches Matt Campbell and Gary Pinkel were both successful after leaving the Rockets so there is a history of Toledo coaches performing well at their next stop. The Rockets are currently 11-1 and averaging more than 35 points per game. The concerns would be that Candle has spent his entire career in Ohio, might lack the ability to beat foes that have more resources than his program does and he has no experience as a head coach or as an assistant in a Power Five conference. 

How Big is the Budget? If IU Swings Big, These Candidates Could Be In Play

-Jeff Traylor – UTSA Head Coach 

Jeff Traylor began his coaching career as a high school coach in Texas. After several years, he made the jump to college as a special teams and tight ends coach for the Texas Longhorns in 2015. He was the associate head coach for SMU in 2017 and then the associate head coach and running backs in 2018 and 2019 at Arkansas. Traylor was given the opportunity to lead UTSA beginning in 2020 and has gone 37-13 (as of November 13) with the Roadrunners. They went 7-5 in 2020 and then took off in 2021, going 12-2 (1st in CUSA West) and 11-3 (1st in CUSA West) before jumping to the American Athletic Conference in 2023. After a slow start, the Roadrunners are now 8-3 and 7-0 in conference play. He has no experience anywhere near the Midwest but he is a winner with tons of charisma. Would he want to leave the state of Texas for IU? This would be a phenomenal hire and he’ll be a star in the very near future but it seems unlikely. 

-Willie Fritz – Tulane Head Coach

The biggest knock on Willie Fritz is that he is 63 years old. If the age is not a concern, Willie Fritz becomes a major candidate. He reportedly makes less than three million dollars per season and has won every place he’s coached. Fritz was a major success at Sam Houston State when they were in the FCS and coached Georgia Southern through its transition to the FBS, going 17-7. Fritz was hired by Tulane in 2016 with the Green Wave program in the pits. They improved each season from 2016 to 2019 before dropping down to 6-6 in 2020 and 2-10 in 2021. Fritz bounced back in spectacular fashion, going 12-2 with a win in the Cotton Bowl over USC in 2022 and they are 10-1 (as of November 22) in 2023. Fritz runs a fun offense and his teams are tough as nails. 

-Dave Clawson – Wake Forest Head Coach

It is unlikely Dave Clawson would leave Wake Forest for Indiana. That written, if IU is willing to offer him a huge salary and make promises to invest in the program in a big way, would Clawson listen? The Demon Deacons have had a down season, particularly on offense. Has he had banged his head against the ceiling enough in Winston-Salem? Is he ready for a new challenge? Clawson makes 3.6 million dollars at Wake Forest so if IU offers to add a bunch of money to his paycheck, it could be an interesting choice. Clawson won at Bowling Green before moving to Wake Forest in 2014. He has won been to bowl games in seven straight seasons before 2023 and won 11 games in 2021. His slow mesh offense is interesting and winning at Wake Forest is analogous to winning at IU in terms of needing to do more with less. 

-Jamey Chadwell – Liberty Head Coach

Tom Allen was once a rumored candidate for the open job at Liberty after Hugh Freeze left but the Flames hired Chadwell instead. The 46-year old is 11-0 in his first season there and is considered the man expected to get the Mississippi State head coaching position. If the Bulldogs do not hire him and IU is willing pay something like $7 or $8 million dollars annually, would Chadwell consider IU? If so, he’d be a grand-slam hire. Chadwell toiled in lower levels, winning everywhere he went before moving up to Coastal Carolina in 2017. He became the head coach there in 2019 and the Chanticleers went 5-7 in his first season before taking off in 2020. They went 11-1, 11-2 and 9-3 over the next three campaigns and showcased a unique and high-scoring attack. Chadwell’s offense would be a blast to watch and difficult for Big Ten opponents to prepare for plus it appears perfectly suited for a quarterback like Brendan Sorsby. Chadwell makes a reported four million dollars per season at Liberty.

Wild Card Candidates

-Justin Frye – Associate Head Coach for Offense/OL Coach at Ohio State (moved here from “finalist” category)

Frye is from Elwood, Indiana. He played at IU and is only 39 years old. He worked at Florida, Temple (OL), Boston College (OL) from 2013-2017, UCLA (OL and OC), OSU (2022). Temple was 7th in the nation in rushing yards at 256.5 yards per game. His BC OL paved the way for the nation’s top rusher (Andre Williams)…in 2014, 254.7 rushing yards per game with just 21 sacks surrendered and two NFL drafted linemen. 2016 was ACC leading time of possession and in 2017 they ran for 220.4 yards per game and only gave up 15 sacks all season. At UCLA, worked with Chip Kelly and helped turn around UCLA’s offense. The Bruins have not been particularly successful since he left. Frye would take the IU job with open arms and he’s known as a very good recruiter. The staff he hired, particularly at OC and on the defensive side of the ball would be important. Justin Frye does not have head coaching experience, something that could be seen as a major strike against him. In addition, Frye has worked at places with talent and resource advantages (most recently, Ohio State). He would face the exact opposite at IU. All indications point to IU hiring someone with previous head coaching experience. That makes Frye a longshot at this point in time. 

-Rod Carey – IU Offensive Coordinator (added to Hot Board 2.0)

Most IU fans will not be thrilled with the inclusion of Rod Carey but IU promoting Rod Carey from offensive coordinator to head coach is a possibility. There is no question Carey would love the opportunity to lead his alma mater and he did improve the offensive line during his stint as interim offensive line coach in 2022 and improved the offense since taking over for Walt Bell. Carey has head coaching experience at Northern Illinois and Temple with moderate success. It would be difficult to envision the hiring of Rod Carey as anything other than a sideways maneuver for IU football.

-Barry Odom – UNLV Head Coach

Barry Odom is a bit of a wild card candidate. He was born in Oklahoma and spent 15 years with Missouri as a player and a coach before becoming the head coach for the Tigers from 2016 to 2019. Odom was the Associate Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator for Sam Pittman at Arkansas before taking the UNLV job. The Rebels have rarely been good and they were 2-10 in 2021 and 5-7 in 2022. They have taken off under Odom, going 9-2 (as of November 21, 2023) and scoring a bunch of points under exciting offensive coordinator Brennan Marion. Odom has head coaching experience and could be an interesting option if he brought Marion with him. 

-Antwaan Randle El – Detroit Lions WR Coach

This will likely be the most controversial name on this list. For some, Antwaan Randle El should absolutely be the hire. For others, he’s a name that should not even be considered. For those that don’t know, Randle El is one of the greatest football players in IU history. He was simply electric as a quarterback and playmaker for the Hoosiers in the 1990s. Randle El was a successful wide receiver in the NFL, most notably for the Pittsburgh Steelers and he moved into coaching shortly after. He is now in his third season with the Detroit Lions under head coach Dan Campbell. The Lions were one of five teams to have six players record over 350 receiving yards in 2022. Randle El is charismatic and a terrific part of IU football history. He might connect very well with recruits and hire a good staff. The negatives are that he has never been anything higher than a position coach and he has absolutely no experience in the collegiate game. This would be a monumental risk for the IU football program and for athletic director Scott Dolson. 

-Dan Mullen – currently working on ESPN/ABC

Two questions: does Dan Mullen want to coach again? Would he be interested in Indiana? If the answer to both questions is “yes”, Indiana should call. Mullen is known as a bit of an odd personality but the results are undeniably attractive. He went 69-46 at Mississippi State and consistently developed fun offenses. In 2018, he went to Florida and won ten games followed by 11 games in 2019. Things slipped a bit in 2020 (8-4) and fell apart in 2021 (5-6) but the Gators have not been any better at all since he left. This might not a major long-term answer but it could be a splashy hire and in the era of the transfer portal, Mullen could rebuild the roster quickly.

-Will Stein – OC at Oregon

Will Stein is only 34 years old and he might not have near enough experience to be handed a Big Ten head coaching position. Particularly a head coaching job with the challenges Indiana faces. That written, Stein is going to be a head coach somewhere and it will happen sooner rather than later. He was a quarterback at Louisville before eventually becoming the offensive coordinator at UTSA and putting up big numbers. After Kenny Dillingham left Oregon for the head coaching job at Arizona State, Dan Lanning tabbed Will Stein and the results for the Ducks offense have been spectacular. The scheme Stein runs is unique and highly-effective. Could he manage a full program and how would he handle the defensive side of the ball? 

-Manny Diaz – DC at Penn State

Manuel Alberto Diaz, better known as Manny Diaz, is the current defensive coordinator for the Penn State Nittany Lions. He was previously a head coach for three seasons at Miami. Diaz is currently 49 years old and he has been terrific as the DC for James Franklin in two seasons at PSU. Diaz is a good recruiter and has ties to an area of the country Indiana has mined for talent. His time at Miami is difficult to evaluate as he went 21-15 and did not really get a chance to build his program before he was let go. If Diaz hired the right offensive staff, he could be a major success.

-Troy Calhoun – Air Force Head Coach

It’s probably unlikely that Troy Calhoun would accept the Indiana job. He seems quite happy at Air Force, has found success and really does not have a need to pursue a “high-major” job but Calhoun is now 57 so if he is to make a jump, the time is now. Calhoun has been the head coach for the Falcons since 2007 and he has things rolling in Colorado Springs. They have won double-digits games in three of the past four seasons and started 8-0 in 2023 before injuries crippled their season. They do run a triple-option attack but throw it more than the other service academies and using a unique offensive scheme that controls the clock could be an asset for Indiana. Calhoun’s teams play hard and are a really difficult opponent. If Calhoun happened to be interested, he’d be a good call to make and IU should at least make him say no. 

-Bob Chesney – Holy Cross HC

46 years old and 33-16 at Holy Cross, a very tough job. The Crusaders have won the Patriot League four straight times (something only accomplished by one other school and only once). Beat an FBS team in two straight seasons. He has been a head coach for a long time at lower levels and he’s done it at places with very few resources but found ways to succeed. There’s no flash and the jump from Holy Cross to the Big Ten is steep but he has a profile similar to a Lance Leipold figure and those types of winners tend to succeed.

-Brent Vigen – Head Coach at Montana State

Another long shot because of where he has spent his whole career but again, he wins and that’s all that matters, ultimately. He is 24-5 at Montana State in the Big Sky after playing at North Dakota State and coaching there for several seasons. He was the OC and QB coach while Josh Allen was at Wyoming and the Associate Head Coach for the Cowboys until 2021 when he left for Montana State. He’s turned Montana State into a top FCS program.