Looking at the three best candidates to replace Mike Bobo

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — The Mike Bobo era has officially come to an end. In this article, we go over the three best candidates to replace him, based on a variety of different factors.

Some of these guys have been head coaches before and others are up-and-coming assistants. What they all have in common is they each would make sense for CSU to target in their current coaching search.

Between location, facilities, academic success and overall commitment to athletics, CSU is easily one of the premier G5 jobs in the country. So there should be no shortage of viable suitors.

“I want someone who really understands the values of our institution,” CSU’s Director of Athletics Joe Parker said on Wednesday. “We try to be very balanced in our approach to academics and athletics. I want someone who really understands the extraordinary value of this entire community.”

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the best potential candidates to replace Bobo.

Tony Alford (Ohio State)

Tony Alford is one of the most obvious candidates. A “CSU guy” through and through, Alford certainly would bring a passion for the program that would be tough to match. He also likely has Urban Meyer in his corner, which can’t hurt his cause. That said, being an alum or a “CSU guy” really won’t matter that much in the search process —  Joe Parker confirmed as much at his press conference on Wednesday.

The other thing that hurts Alford is in his 26 years of coaching experience, he has never even been an offensive coordinator, let alone a head coach. Alford has been the assistant head coach for the offense at Ohio State for the last five years, so it’s not as if he has zero leadership experience. But with Parker being open about how he would prefer the next head coach to have already had experience in that role, it seems like Alford would have to really impress the CSU A.D. in the interview process.

“I think for us to be successful, we have to focus on someone who’s experienced at the right level,” Parker said. “I’m not going to limit that to a head coach, but I really feel that’s the ideal profile — someone who has been a head coach at the Division I level and has seen success.”

Strengths

Alford has recruited the region for years and would be deeply loyal to CSU. Not to mention that his success as a running game coordinator speaks for itself with players like Ezekiel Elliott (2015), Mike Weber (2016) and J.K. Dobbins (2017-18) each rushing for 1,000 yards under Alford’s guidance.

After a pair of down seasons for CSU in terms of running the football, Alford’s presence could be big for CSU. Assuming they all return, the Rams should have a trio of competent backs next season with Marcus McElroy (junior), Jaylen Thomas (freshman) and Christian Hunter (freshman). They just need someone to figure out how to take advantage of their strengths — maybe Alford can be that guy.

 Weaknesses

His most glaring weakness is his lack of head coaching experience. CSU is not in a position where it can afford to be patient, and really needs the next guy to hit the ground running. With that in mind, picking someone that hasn’t even been an offensive coordinator seems like a risky move.

Alford’s other issue could potentially be his obligations to Ohio State. With the Buckeyes having a legitimate chance to win the national title, Alford may feel that he needs to remain in Columbus, OH., until the 2019 season is officially over. If this is the case, it could rule him out completely as Parker was also adamant that the next coach will need to prioritize CSU immediately.

Grade (B)

Jim Leavitt (Florida State)

Jim Leavitt has had quite a bit of success as a defensive coordinator, including most recently at Colorado (2015-16) and Oregon (2017-18). After working as an analyst for Florida State this season, it wouldn’t be surprising if Leavitt was looking to get one last head coaching gig, though.

Leavitt was the inaugural head coach at South Florida and basically helped build the program from the ground up. After four successful years at the FCS level, Leavitt and USF made the jump to the FBS in 2001 and went 8-3 in their first season with the big boys.

In all, Leavitt was the head coach at USF from 1997-2009. He guided the Bulls to a record of 95-57 and had winning records in 11 of his 13 seasons with the program. Leavitt’s best season was in 2007 when the Bulls went 9-4, reached No. 2 in the polls and beat both Auburn and West Virginia on the road — both programs finished the season in the top 25.

Strengths

Leavitt has plenty of experience and his time at the University of Colorado would be beneficial for recruiting purposes. After spending the last decade primarily as a defensive coordinator and linebacker’s coach, Leavitt could make his return to head coaching in a great scenario.

The Rams have a lot of young talent on defense, which would be perfect for someone like Leavitt. The veteran could bring in an up-and-coming offensive coordinator or potentially even promote CSU’s current wide receivers coach Joe Cox. He, of course, could take care of the defensive responsibilities himself and find a staff to support him.

After taking over CU’s defense in 2015, the Buffs allowed 10.5 points less per game than the season before (27.5 vs. 39.0) — and by 2016, the Leavitt-led unit was only allowing 21.7 points per game (20th best in the country). Considering how CSU has fared against opponents like Air Force, Boise State, CU, and even Wyoming over the last half-decade, the Rams could use a defensive mastermind to take hold of the program.

Weaknesses

While Leavitt would be a decent hire on paper, at 63 years old, there’s always the question of how long he would be interested in holding the position. The other big concern is whether he would be able to evolve in the recruiting circuit, which as we all know, is changing by the year.

It should also be noted that in 2010, Leavitt was fired from USF after it was determined that he grabbed a player by the throat, smacked him and then lied to the university about it. Considering CSU has already gone down this path with Larry Eustachy, there’s a real chance that Parker would want to avoid someone with a problematic background. Personally, I think second chances can be earned — but the way his time at USF ended cannot be ignored either.

Grade (B)

Billy Napier (Louisiana)

Billy Napier is currently the head coach of the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns and has held that position since 2018. Over the past two seasons, Napier has led the Ragin’ Cajuns to a record of 17-9, including a 10-2 finish this year with a bowl game still TBD.

Throughout his career, Napier has worked for some of the nation’s finest football institutions. From 2006-2010, Napier was at Clemson and worked his way up to offensive coordinator by his final season. Napier then was hired as an offensive analyst at Alabama in 2011, and from there he followed Jim McElwain to Colorado State in 2012. In his one season with the Rams, Napier served as the quarterback’s coach and was also officially McElwain’s assistant head coach.

After returning to Alabama as a wide receivers coach for four seasons (2013-17), Napier took over as Arizona State’s offensive coordinator for the 2017 season. With Napier running the offense, the Sun Devils averaged 31.8 points per game. Quarterback Manny Wilkins really played well under Napier to boot, finishing the season with a 63-percent completion rate and 3,270 yards through the air.

At Louisiana, Napier took over a team that had gone 15-22 in the previous three years and led the Ragin’ Cajuns to a bowl in his first season. He’s taken things to the next level in 2019, though. Louisiana had its first 10-win season in at least the past 40 years, and Napier’s high scoring offense was a big reason why. The Ragin’ Cajuns scored 38.8 points per game and averaged 500.3 yards per contest.

Strengths

With multiple openings in the SEC, Napier may not even be interested in taking another G5 gig but if he is, CSU should pounce. Napier has a phenomenal resume and has proven that he is capable of leading a program to previously unreached heights. Plus, with a background in both quarterbacks and wide receivers, Napier is the perfect coach to help carry the legacy of ‘Wide Receiver U’.

Weaknesses

I’ve been told that Napier wasn’t particularly fond of CSU or Fort Collins during his brief time here under McElwain. Obviously, much has changed since 2012 but if Napier’s heart isn’t truly in it or he isn’t interested in leaving the south, it could make for an awkward situation at CSU. Not even in the sense that Napier would jump ship early — that’s always a risk with quality coaches. But more from the perspective that if you are not passionate about where you work, it’s tough to reach your full potential.

Grade (A)

Other names to consider

Steve Sarkisian (Alabama)

• Offensive coordinator  (2017-present)

Beau Baldwin (California)

• Offensive coordinator (2017-present)

Nick Rolovich (Hawaii)

• Head coach (2015-present)

Blake Anderson (Arkansas State)

• Head coach (2014-present)

Morgan Scalley (Utah)

• Defensive coordinator (2016-present)