http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/CampusW...or/175239/
Handicapping Syracuse’s coaching search
By Matt Gelb, Syracuse
1. Randy Edsall, Connecticut head coach
Yeah, we know what he said yesterday. But that's what the head coach of a team currently fighting for bowl positioning is supposed to say right now. He doesn't want the Syracuse job opening to be a distraction to his team and staff and Connecticut. Fair enough.
Coaches lie, though, and Edsall is included. Disinformation is part of this whole merry-go-round, so Edsall remains the favorite. He coached at Syracuse for 10 years after playing as a backup quarterback. He knows the Big East. He has the recruiting pipelines. And this is the opportunity to fix his alma mater. With help from some donors, SU could reach his asking price of $2 million-plus. ODDS: 10-1
2. Mike Locksley, Illinois offensive coordinator
He's young and he's probably one of the best, if not the best, recruiters in the nation. Locksley is reportedly interested in a head-coaching job, and at this point, he could be the best fit out there if Edsall sticks to his guns. He has constantly convinced the top players from the D.C.-metro area to go to Illinois, and that's enough credentials for us. The only drawback? No prior head-coaching experience. But he's ready for the gig. ODDS: 16-1
3. Turner Gill, Buffalo head coach
He fits the mold of Locksley, except he has head-coaching experience. Gill has turned Buffalo, the perennial doormat of Division I-A football, into a bowl contender. That in and of itself is miraculous. But, as SI.com's Stewart Mandel says, he might be overqualified.
”It's entirely possible Gill would be eager to jump from the MAC to the Big East. But here's the thing: Gill can do better. Much better.”
That being said, we think Gill takes a long, hard look at the Syracuse job. Still, he might be holding out for a return home to Nebraska and could just want to wait in Buffalo. ODDS: 25-1
4. Skip Holtz, East Carolina head coach
He was the darling of college football in the first three weeks of the season, when his East Carolina team was ranked as high as No. 15. But ECU has lost four games since (including a blowout defeat at the hands of Southern Mississippi last week). Holtz, 44, was the coach at UConn before Edsall, so he has the ties to this area. Holtz's dad, Lou, is apparently friendly with Syracuse athletic director Daryl Gross. But if Holtz can't compete in Conference USA, are there concerns of how good he really is? ODDS: 35-1
5. Mark Whipple, Philadelphia Eagles offensive assistant coach
Off the board on this one for a longshot. Whipple coached at Massachusetts for six years (1998-2003), winning a Division I-AA national championship. But he's been out of the college game since then, having served on the Pittsburgh Steelers staff as quarterbacks coach, and now the Eagles. But what if he comes with the recommendation of Donovan McNabb? Whipple, 51, grew up in White Plains. ODDS: 60-1
THE REST OF THE FIELD
Lane Kiffin, unemployed -- He's going to either Clemson or Tennessee. Cross him off. ODDS: 100-1
Steve Addazio, Florida offensive line coach -- Recommended by Rob Konrad and other SU alums. Problem is, he's not a Gross-kind-of-hire. ODDS: 80-1
Mike Leach, Texas Tech head coach -- Yeah, not a chance. ODDS: 250-1
Chip Kelly, Oregon offensive coordinator -- He coached at New Hampshire for years. His offense would do wonders inside the Carrier Dome. ODDS: 75-1
