Who's next for IU football?

The question many want to know is, “Who will take over the IU football team?”
While IU Athletics Director Fred Glass has not verified direct contact with any potential coaching candidate yet, here are a few names of possible candidates that Glass may pursue.

Randy Shannon
Bio Former Miami head coach (28-22 record in four seasons, fired on Saturday)
Why At 44 years old, Shannon is a young, up and coming coach that took one of college football’s most historic programs to three straight bowl games.
Why not Shannon’s entire career as a player and coach ties to Miami, and he might want to take a year off coaching after being under such a microscope.

Brady Hoke
Bio Head coach, San Diego State (12-12 record in two seasons), previously had a 34-38 record in six seasons at Ball State
Why Hoke has turned around two programs and has already taken Bill Lynch’s job once at Ball State, why not another time?
Why not IU might not even have a shot at Hoke because of SDSU’s push to work out an extension and Minnesota’s effort to woo him back to the Midwest.

Phillip Fulmer
Bio Former Tennessee football coach (152-52 record in 17 seasons)
Why Fulmer’s resume is as impressive as any coach in the country with a national championship, 15 bowl games in 17 seasons and nine double-digit win seasons. Fulmer also interviewed for the Louisville head coaching vacancy after being fired by Tennessee, which shows that he still wants to lead a BCS program.
Why not The 60-year old Fulmer may not have the patience to rebuild a program, especially one outside the southeast.
 
Jerry Kill
Bio Head coach, Northern Illinois (23-14 in three seasons at NIU)
Why Kill has been a rebuilding machine at every place he has gone to. Kill has improved his team’s record in all but one season as a head coach, which would fit into what Glass will likely be looking for.
Why not Besides being under contract until 2015 at Northern Illinois, Kill also was diagnosed with kidney cancer, an issue IU dealt with all too recently in the tragic death of Terry Hoeppner.

Jim Harbaugh
Bio Head coach, Stanford (28-21 in four seasons)
Why The connections to IU and Indiana are deep for Harbaugh. A beloved former member of the Indianapolis Colts, Harbaugh is also the brother-in-law to IU basketball coach Tom Crean. Relations aside, Harbaugh’s Stanford team is on the brink of a BCS bowl game.
Why not Harbaugh might be the most-desired coach in the nation, and has been linked with taking the Michigan job while also having previously interviewed for NFL jobs. All seem to be more high-profile
than IU.

Mike Leach
Bio Former Texas Tech head coach, (84-43 overall)
Why Leach built the Red Raiders into a consistent force in the competitive Big 12, always producing winning seasons. A known offensive mind, Leach’s teams have set several NCAA passing records.
Why not Leach was fired from Texas Tech after an issue arose surrounding his treatment of a player with a concussion. Leach has since sued Texas Tech for wrongful termination with the case still pending. Such legal issues may make a nervous IU program avoid the coach.

Jon Gruden
Bio Current ESPN NFL analyst, former NFL head coach
Why Gruden has a small tie to Bloomington after attending Binford Elementary while his dad Jim was an assistant at IU in the 1970s. Certainly a big name for recruiting.
Why not Gruden has turned down several jobs in recent seasons and released a statement Sunday saying he wasn’t interested in the University of Miami (Fla.) opening.

Randy Edsall
Bio UConn head coach (12 seasons, 73-69 overall)
Why Edsall has his Huskies a win away from their first BCS bowl game in program history, quite the accomplishment for a school that was Division I-AA in 1999. He’s a program builder.
Why not It’s doubtful IU can lure Edsall with money alone. Edsall will make $1.55 million this season, a rate that rises to $1.7 million in 2012.

Kevin Sumlin
Bio Houston head coach (three seasons, 23-16 overall)
Why Sumlin went to high school in Indianapolis (Brebeuf Jesuit) and played for Purdue. He was turned down for the Purdue job in 2008 while offensive coordinator at Oklahoma, and last year produced a 10-win season for Houston.
Why not Purdue conflicts aside, Sumlin is also popping up on the radar for other teams with head coach openings. Houston also took a step back this season, finishing 5-7.

— Connor O’Gara and
Geoffrey Miller