Arkansas and Bret Bielema shocked the college football world when the Razorbacks hired him as their new head coach in December 2012.
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Bielema, then the 42-year-old seventh-year Wisconsin head coach, was a shocking hire after Mike Gundy was widely believed to be the overwhelming favorite (Gundy was also a leading candidate for the Tennessee job). Five years later, Bielema and his sub.-500 record are on their way out following the dismissal of athletics director Jeff Long.
Will Arkansas make another surprise hire or go after a popular pick? If they opt for the former, here are five outside-the-box names to watch.
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Jeremy Pruitt
Current Position: Defensive Coordinator — Alabama
Arkansas can't beat Jeremy Pruitt, so why not hire him?
Alabama is 8-0 against Arkansas with Pruitt on their staff, most recently losing the last two matchups with Pruitt as defensive coordinator. The 43-year-old Alabama native played for the Tide and spent the first 16 years of his coaching career in the state.
Saban's last defensive coordinator is doing OK at Georgia.
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Larry Fedora
Current Position: Head Coach — North Carolina
Larry Fedora interviewed for and was offered the Tennessee job in December 2012, days after the conclusion of his first regular season at North Carolina. It is not believed that has interviewed or actively expressed interest in leaving Chapel Hill since then, and with the Heels' recent swoon, it's unlikely many schools even want him.
Still, he did an incredible job at Southern Miss, tied North Carolina's single-season win mark (11) in 2015, spent three years in the SEC as a Florida assistant (2002-04) and has recruited throughout the region.
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Vance Joseph
Current Position: Head Coach — Denver Broncos
Vance Joseph is so far outside the box, he can't even see the box. Joseph would be one of the most shocking Power Five head coaching hires of all time.
The 45-year-old first-year Broncos' head coach spent his first six seasons as a coach in college, most recently as Bowling Green defensive backs coach in 2004. Joseph, a Louisiana native, has never even been a college coordinator and hasn't recruited in 13 years, but he's laboring through a brutal season in Denver and could maybe — maybe — be thinking about a change of scenery, especially if John Elway isn't feeling it.
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Charlie Strong
Current Position: Head Coach — USF
Charlie Strong is not far outside the box — if at all — but he won't be mentioned with the top candidates.
The 57-year-old Arkansas native and former Central Arkansas defensive back is still carrying the stench of three miserable seasons at Texas but is doing a nice job at USF and is just four years removed from being the hottest head coaching candidate in the nation.
He's spent significant time in the SEC and, like Fedora, has recruited everywhere in the south and southeast.
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Shawn Elliott
Current Position: Head Coach — Georgia State
Shawn Elliott is the 44-year-old first-year, first-time head coach of Georgia State. He spent 20 years at Appalachian State (1997-2009), his alma mater, and South Carolina (2010-16) before taking the Panthers' job last winter.
Elliott has already doubled Georgia State's win total from 2016 (6-3) and has them in contention for their first-ever Sun Belt championship.
