The head coaching carousel doesn't typically begin spinning in mid-September, but the first domino fell on Monday, when USC fired Clay Helton just two games into the season after five-plus years at the helm.
Helton's exit will have a big impact on the hiring landscape, with USC remaining a coveted position within the coaching ranks. Already, media reports are surfacing about who will succeed Helton, while speculation on social media has produced at least a couple of its own candidates.
Here's a look at some of the names that have surfaced in the early going after the big shakeup.
Luck Fickell, head coach, Cincinnati Bearcats
The job will be Fickell's if he wants it, according to Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports. Now in his fifth year with Cincinnati -- where he was hired by former AD Mike Bohn, who is now USC's AD -- Fickell has built the team into a powerhouse in The American Conference. He was previously the longtime defensive coordinator with Ohio State, where he coached under both Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer.
Bob Stoops, former head coach, Oklahoma Sooners
Stoops could be "waiting in the wings" if things don't work out with Fickell, per Dodd. Stoops had a brief stint in the XFL before it was shuttered last year, but has otherwise been relegated to TV work since departing from Oklahoma after 2016. He won 10 or more games in 14 of his 18 years in Norman.
Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator, Kansas City Cheifs
Seemingly a perennial runner-up for head coaching gigs in the NFL, perhaps Bieniemy will make an end-around the waiting game by returning to the college ranks. Like Fickell, Bieniemy has ties to Bohn, according to J. Brady McCullough of the Los Angeles Times. Bohn hired Bieniemy as an assistant at Colorado back in 2010, McCullough reported.
Urban Meyer, head coach, Jacksonville Jaguars
We can thank social media for this idea, which is just crazy enough to be feasible. Meyer has been with the Jaguars for all of one regular-season game, so it's too early to make any bold predictions, but already things don't sound great. At least a couple reports have indicated internal discord after a shaky preseason for the Jags. In any event, Meyer has been tied to countless college job openings since he left Ohio State, for obvious reasons. He has a lot of baggage, which could turn off USC, and he might be too proud to bail on the Jags after one year, but if things go south in Jacksonville, it wouldn't be such a shocker to see Meyer pull a Steve Spurrier or Nick Saban.
James Franklin, head coach, Penn State
After a fairly unremarkable first couple years in Happy Valley for Franklin, the Nittany Lions have since peaked in the AP top 10 in each of the past six seasons, and averaged 10-plus wins from 2016-19. Franklin been linked to USC for years, according to SI's Pat Forde. Franklin doesn't seem to mind the apparent flirtations but nothing much came of them in the past, according to Dustin Hockensmith of Penn Live.
Bill O'Brien, offensive coordinator, Alabama
BOB has resurfaced in a plush role on Nick Saban's staff following his departure from the Texans last year. His two years with Penn State were mostly unremarkable, though it came under difficult circumstances following the exit of Joe Paterno. The Texans won four division titles and reached the playoffs five times in parts of seven seasons under O'Brien, which is his strongest selling point. A year of calling plays for one of the more talented teams in the SEC is likely to help O'Brien rebuild his stock a bit, and he's already "off to a very good start," according to Forde.
Greg Schiano, head coach, Rutgers
Like Meyer, the pro game wasn't especially kind to Schiano, whose no-nonsense act reportedly didn't go over well during a two-year stint with the Tampa Bay Bucs. He's since re-established himself in the college ranks, though, first as an assistant to Meyer with Ohio State and now for a second stint as head coach of the Scarlet Knights. He's no one's idea of a splashy hire, but he's proven he can build a successful college program, even with limited resources, according to McCullough.
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