Houston fired head coach Major Applewhite on Sunday, one day after reports said the Cougars were considering a change.
"[S]ources said U of H boosters are evaluating all options, including considering bringing in West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen to replace Applewhite," FootballScoop reported on Saturday.
MORE: Applewhite's Buyout Isn't Huge
If Holgorsen doesn't leave West Virginia , who might Houston target?
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Neal Brown
Current Position: Head Coach – Troy
Neal Brown has been floated as a potential candidate for several Power Five jobs over the last two years, though, as noted here, it's rare for Sun Belt coaches to jump straight to the Power Five.
If Brown, who has significant P5 experience, is interested in a P5 job, this would be a great stepping stone — and pay raise (Applewhite's 2018 base salary was twice as much as Brown's).
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Kliff Kingsbury
Current Position: Offensive Coordinator – USC
USC hired Kliff Kingsbury not even a month ago. Would he bail on an opportunity that could be just as much of a stepping stone to another Power Five job as Houston?
He's a Texas native and former Houston assistant (2008-11) who could do well with a skilled Cougars' roster — and in a fertile recruiting area.
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Mike Elko
Current Position: Defensive Coordinator – Texas A&M
A decade after he was an unknown FCS coordinator, Mike Elko is one of the best assistants in the country.
Elko, 41, built a strong Wake Forest defense (2014-16) and has led improved units at Notre Dame (2017) and Texas A&M (2018). While he doesn't have extensive Texas ties, he landed several highly rated recruits in the Aggies' 2018 class.
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Gary Kubiak
Current Position: Personnel Adviser – Denver Broncos
Wild card, anyone?
Gary Kubiak hasn't coached college football since serving as Texas A&M running backs coach from 1992-93, his only college coaching job.
But would athletics director Chris Pezman, a Houston native and former Cougars football player roll the dice on the 57-year-old who's reportedly interested in a return to the sideline?
