Gus Malzahn of the UCF Knights
Would Gus Malzahn leave UCF for Mississippi State? He gets to coach in Orlando, is paid a pretty solid amount of money, and is competing against Big 12 teams that generally don’t focus on stopping the run.
If he’s willing to commit to the sort of offense he ran during his 2013 season at Auburn (I have the playbook, this offense is a ton of fun), then he could really win a lot of games where he’s at currently. Maybe it’s for the best for him to avoid the SEC?
But, well, if the Bulldogs are looking for someone who has proven he can win at a high level in the Southeastern Conference, found ways to beat Nick Saban on multiple occasions, and is the architect of fun and successful (and sometimes flawed, but exciting) offenses, then you’ve got to throw money at Gus Malzahn and make him say no.
He’s won 99 games throughout his career and posted six seasons of nine (or more) wins from 2012 to now. So far he’s 22-14 at UCF, but the jump from the AAC to the Big 12 hasn’t exactly been smooth.
His thrilling, hurry up no huddle offense drastically changed the way football was played in the SEC and he can put opponents on their heels in a hurry.
If the Bulldogs want to find a proven winner whose offenses can keep MSU in games, then Malzahn is a great guy to consider. There aren’t many other coaches out there with a resume as proven as his.