My criteria is head coaching experience, success over an extended period of time, built one if not several successful programs, and probably most importantly, the big differentiator, has won at a place that is hard (if not impossible to win.)
1. Troy Calhoun - 57 years old Air Force - He's not on anybody's board except mine. He's the ultimate win at a hard place to win coach. He's had 13 winning seasons and four losing ones at a place that is really hard to win at. He's got an unconventional run heavy offense that is hard to defend and his defenses are always good. One of the most underrated coaches in college football. Averaged 9 wins a year over the last three years. At 57 he's still probably got a decade of good coaching left. His unconventional option offense probably eliminates him from most coaching searches which is exactly why Indiana might be able to get him.
2. Curt Cignetti - JMU - 63 years old - Would be hard to find a more seasoned successful coach. He's built programs multiple times, won everywhere he's gone, and just went undefeated with the worst talent in his conference while transitioning to D1. He's 63 and that's the downside. If he were 50 he'd be looking for a bigger job, but he's probably got five years left and Indiana would be a good spot to spend it. Does not seem to have suitors now likely do to his age.
3. Bob Chesney - 46 years old Holy Cross - Knock on Chesney will be his lack of power 5 experience but this guy is a really good coach who has now taken three programs that were terrible and turned them into high-level winners. When someone keeps repeating the process it means they are good and have a formula. He's won 70% of his games which is hard to do at any level. Syracuse is likely to beat Indiana to the punch.
4. Gary Patterson - 63 - Former TCU Coach - Hard to find a hall-of-fame coach that may have gas left in the tank and Patterson fits that bill. He had a small school competing for national championship for almost a decade. Had a few rough years that got him fired, and he was not happy about that and I suspect it's renewed his fire. TCU is not an easy place to win and he won big there.
5. Will Fritz - 63 years old - Tulane - Fritz has won everywhere he's been and he's been to a lot of places. Had the hardest time winning at Tulane which is very hard to win at yet he has now pulled that off going 11-1 and 12-2 in the last two years. Guy knows football.
6. Jason Candle - 44 years old - Candle is probably #1 on most lists and I think he could win at Indiana. He makes really good coaching hires including Brian Wright of Pittsburgh State who should be a candidate in his own right. My concern with with Candle is Toledo is not a hard place to win. It's probably the easiest school in the MAC to win at. That being said he's done at least as well as Matt Campbell and Campbell is exactly what Indiana needs. One other concern is he has an excellent DC and I suspect Vince Koehres would take over Toledo when he left. That would be a big hit to Candle's formula as Candle is an offensive guy and relies heavily on Koehres who he has had a relationship with for decades.
7. Chris Creighton - It's hard to win at Eastern Michigan. Creighton has not won as big as the other coaches on this list. He's a good coach, but he's down the list for me. Would be much better than Allen, but I would not be as excited as the guys at the top of the list.
Other that might be able to get to .500 at Indiana
Paul Chryst - 58 - Former Wisconsin - People are too down on Chryst. He's a high caliber coach. But Wisconsin in the Big Ten West has been an easy place for a good coach to win for the last decade. That being said, he did a great job there. He also would likely keep Bostad and maybe even Rod Carey as OC. Maybe Jim Leonard would even join him. His 19-19 record at Pitt is what I would expect if he coached Indiana not his numbers at Wisconsin.
1. Troy Calhoun - 57 years old Air Force - He's not on anybody's board except mine. He's the ultimate win at a hard place to win coach. He's had 13 winning seasons and four losing ones at a place that is really hard to win at. He's got an unconventional run heavy offense that is hard to defend and his defenses are always good. One of the most underrated coaches in college football. Averaged 9 wins a year over the last three years. At 57 he's still probably got a decade of good coaching left. His unconventional option offense probably eliminates him from most coaching searches which is exactly why Indiana might be able to get him.
2. Curt Cignetti - JMU - 63 years old - Would be hard to find a more seasoned successful coach. He's built programs multiple times, won everywhere he's gone, and just went undefeated with the worst talent in his conference while transitioning to D1. He's 63 and that's the downside. If he were 50 he'd be looking for a bigger job, but he's probably got five years left and Indiana would be a good spot to spend it. Does not seem to have suitors now likely do to his age.
3. Bob Chesney - 46 years old Holy Cross - Knock on Chesney will be his lack of power 5 experience but this guy is a really good coach who has now taken three programs that were terrible and turned them into high-level winners. When someone keeps repeating the process it means they are good and have a formula. He's won 70% of his games which is hard to do at any level. Syracuse is likely to beat Indiana to the punch.
4. Gary Patterson - 63 - Former TCU Coach - Hard to find a hall-of-fame coach that may have gas left in the tank and Patterson fits that bill. He had a small school competing for national championship for almost a decade. Had a few rough years that got him fired, and he was not happy about that and I suspect it's renewed his fire. TCU is not an easy place to win and he won big there.
5. Will Fritz - 63 years old - Tulane - Fritz has won everywhere he's been and he's been to a lot of places. Had the hardest time winning at Tulane which is very hard to win at yet he has now pulled that off going 11-1 and 12-2 in the last two years. Guy knows football.
6. Jason Candle - 44 years old - Candle is probably #1 on most lists and I think he could win at Indiana. He makes really good coaching hires including Brian Wright of Pittsburgh State who should be a candidate in his own right. My concern with with Candle is Toledo is not a hard place to win. It's probably the easiest school in the MAC to win at. That being said he's done at least as well as Matt Campbell and Campbell is exactly what Indiana needs. One other concern is he has an excellent DC and I suspect Vince Koehres would take over Toledo when he left. That would be a big hit to Candle's formula as Candle is an offensive guy and relies heavily on Koehres who he has had a relationship with for decades.
7. Chris Creighton - It's hard to win at Eastern Michigan. Creighton has not won as big as the other coaches on this list. He's a good coach, but he's down the list for me. Would be much better than Allen, but I would not be as excited as the guys at the top of the list.
Other that might be able to get to .500 at Indiana
Paul Chryst - 58 - Former Wisconsin - People are too down on Chryst. He's a high caliber coach. But Wisconsin in the Big Ten West has been an easy place for a good coach to win for the last decade. That being said, he did a great job there. He also would likely keep Bostad and maybe even Rod Carey as OC. Maybe Jim Leonard would even join him. His 19-19 record at Pitt is what I would expect if he coached Indiana not his numbers at Wisconsin.
Last edited:
