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Five realistic candidates for opening at Miami

CLASS OF 2019 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position

Mario Cristobal
Mario Cristobal (USA TODAY Sports Images)
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Miami head coach Mark Richt shocked the college football world on Sunday, when he announced his retirement after three seasons at the helm of his alma mater. Richt had come under fire from prominent Miami alums and fans following the team’s rough 2018 season, but he was expected back in Coral Gables for next season and beyond. Even though the news is still fresh, the search for the next coach is already underway. So where will the Canes turn? We take a look at five realistic candidates for the job.

MORE: Five schools who will benefit | Farrell says Miami needs to look West

MARIO CRISTOBAL - Head coach, Oregon

A Miami alum and a former assistant coach for the Hurricanes during their heyday at the turn of the century, Cristobal is the dream choice of many Miami fans. After an up and down stint as the head coach of Florida International led to his firing, Cristobal served as an assistant at Alabama for several years before leaving join Willie Taggart’s staff at Oregon.

Following Taggart’s departure to Florida State, Cristobal was promoted to head coach for the 2018 season, where he led the Ducks to an 8-4 record and recently signed the highest-ranked recruiting class in school history. With future first round pick and likely Heisman contender Justin Herbert recently announcing that he is returning to Oregon for his senior year, would Cristobal really leave to head back home to South Florida? Cristobal also has a lofty buyout that could factor into play.

LANE KIFFIN - Head coach, Florida Atlantic

There’s not a more polarizing name on the coaching market than Kiffin, the current head coach at Florida Atlantic who also had notable stints as the head coach at Tennessee and USC. Kiffin rehabbed his image while serving as the offensive coordinator at Alabama as he modernized the Tide’s offense and after leading to FAU to a 11-3 record in his first season in 2017. The Owls took a step back in 2018, going 5-7 and missing a bowl game.

Kiffin is well-known and liked among recruits, as evidenced by the number of high-profile transfers he has recruited to join him at FAU. But is he ready to take over a major program like Miami and can he impress the important decision-makers in Coral Gables?

MARK STOOPS - Head coach, Kentucky

The current Kentucky head coach has led an impressive turnaround in Lexington, leading the Wildcats to three consecutive winning seasons, including a 9-3 mark this year. Stoops worked his way up through the coaching ranks, including a three-year stint at Miami from 2001-04 as the school’s defensive backs coach. Those were some of the Hurricanes' best years in recent memory and having a tie to that era will be a plus to Miami’s decision-makers.

Because of the timing, Stoops is another candidate it would be tough to see leaving his current post, but the chance to jump to an elite program like Miami doesn’t come along often.

MANNY DIAZ - Head coach, Temple

The obvious heir apparent to Richt, Diaz recently left the Hurricanes to take the head coaching job at Temple. Many Hurricanes fans thought Diaz would head to Philadelphia for a few years and end up returning to South Florida to replace Richt. Is that still a possibility? Considering he just started the job at Temple in earnest this past week, it would be quite the move to spurn the Owls to return back to Miami.

Despite being unproven as a head coach, Diaz would provide a major boost in recruiting and his ties to the Miami area also make him an attractive option.

BUTCH DAVIS - Head coach, Florida International

The one-time Miami coach doesn’t get the same amount of attention as Kiffin, but he’s performed his own program turnaround in South Florida over the past two years. Davis, who was out of coaching from 2011-16, has gone 17-9 over the past two seasons at Florida International. It’s been nearly 18 years since Davis bolted Miami for the Cleveland Browns, but his resume with The U, including three Big East championships, is impressive. One mark against Davis is the sanctions levied against North Carolina following his departure, including the vacation of all the Tar Heels wins during the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

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