It’s a weird family reunion of sorts for Rich Rodriguez and the West Virginia Mountaineers. After a few bumps in the road, Rodriguez resurrected his coaching career as he guided the Jacksonville State Gamecocks from the FCS to FBS ranks, culminating with a Conference USA title win in 2024.
Now Rodriguez is headed home to the place he belongs in West Virginia, and the Gamecocks are at a crossroads. Who are some candidates to replace Rich Rodriguez at Jacksonville State?
Replacement Candidates for Rich Rodriguez at Jacksonville State
It’s always hardest to peg replacements for a successful coach who moves to a bigger job. If we’re looking at replacements for a fired coach, we know the school will usually go in a different direction with his successor. If a coach retires, we can reasonably assume one of his assistants will have a chance to take over.
However, if a coach moves to a bigger school because of success at a smaller school, finding his successor is difficult for all involved. Will Jacksonville State look for someone similar to Rodriguez — an experienced head coach with years at a bigger school and a unique scheme — or go with an up-and-comer who does things differently?
I find it hard to think that Jacksonville State will completely abandon the blueprint that won the Gamecocks a Conference USA title. Rodriguez succeeded with a unique scheme that thrived with under-recruited athletes. The issue is Rodriguez’s scheme is truly unique, and that can’t be replicated.
However, I think the athletic department starts by looking at that basic blueprint. There’s not another Rodriguez out there, but there are several coaches with unique offenses. I think that’s where the Gamecocks start.
Brennan Marion (UNLV Offensive Coordinator)
There isn’t a scheme more unique than Brennan Marion’s “Go-Go” offense. He’s been passed over for some bigger jobs, but as Dan Mullen is reportedly headed to Las Vegas to coach the UNLV Rebels, Marion could get a few more looks for a head coaching position.
If there’s a team willing to pull the trigger, it could be Jacksonville State. Marion’s Go-Go scheme incorporates option and spread looks similar to the ones that the Gamecocks have had success with in the past few years. The two-back system is unique enough to succeed in Conference USA.
DJ Durkin (Auburn Defensive Coordinator)
Would the Gamecocks be bold enough to hire DJ Durkin, who has had his share of controversy in the past? I have doubts, as there are much safer hires from a public relations perspective. That being said, on a pure football coaching level, he has experience and has been a head coach at the Power Four level.
There are much simpler hires out there, but I would not be surprised if the Gamecocks at least looked into Durkin, given his proximity to the school as the defensive coordinator with the Auburn Tigers.
Robert Gillespie (Alabama Running Backs Coach)
Alabama Crimson Tide assistant head coach and running backs coach Robert Gillespie is an under-the-radar name, but he’s well-respected within the coaching industry. He’s been in the state of Alabama since 2021 and has been a running backs coach for some of the sport’s top teams.
Gillespie has been a recruiting coordinator with the Tennessee Volunteers and the running backs coach at programs like the South Carolina Gamecocks, Oklahoma State Cowboys, and West Virginia.
Bobby Petrino (Arkansas Offensive Coordinator)
Another hire with an interesting past, Bobby Petrino has successfully rebuilt trust within the coaching industry and has already gotten some head coaching interest in this hiring and firing cycle. His offenses have always been at the top of the sport, and he has nearly 20 years of head coaching experience.
Does Jacksonville State have the stability to lure Petrino? He’d like to be an FBS head coach again, and the Gamecocks could have the infrastructure to sway Petrino.
Casey Woods (SMU Offensive Coordinator)
SMU Mustangs offensive coordinator Casey Woods has engineered one of the top offenses in the country this season, leading the program to a College Football Playoff berth. He also has ties to the Yellowhammer State.
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Woods was the recruiting coordinator for the UAB Blazers in the mid-2010s and was the director of player personnel at Auburn before that. He has plenty of high-level experience, and if he’s interested in a head coaching job, Jacksonville State could be a good match.
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