After another year with an interim coach leading the bowl game — and another coaching search — uncertainty has become an unfortunate constant for WSU football fans. Jimmy Rodgers took that difficult reality and still delivered a fun season. Here’s hoping the next hire can find similar success.
I’m not entirely sure where WSU sits in the eyes of coaching candidates when it comes to upward mobility. FCS and smaller-conference coaches will obviously view WSU as a step up, but how does the new Pac-12 compare to jobs in the Mountain West? That’s unclear, and this search might tell us a lot.
The biggest challenge in this entire process is that we currently do not have an official athletic director. Jon Haarlow is serving in the interim role, and making a head-coaching hire almost forces WSU to consider him for the permanent position. Asking a head coach to commit to an athletic department without a permanent AD — and asking a future AD to inherit a coach they didn’t hire — are both situations that top-tier candidates tend to avoid.
Now, let’s take a look at the most realistic replacement candidates.
JASON ECK — Head Coach, New Mexico | $1.75M Annual Salary Through 2030
If Jake Dickert had left earlier last year, there’s a real chance Jason Eck would already be in Pullman. After turning Idaho around, Eck led New Mexico to a 9–3 season and earned Mountain West Coach of the Year honors. The Lobos promptly rewarded him with a raise and extension — one that actually exceeds Jimmy Rodgers’ WSU salary.
It’s unclear whether WSU has the financial muscle to pry him away, but Eck has proven he can recruit the Northwest and build a program. He would be a home run hire.
BRYAN HARSIN — Offensive Coordinator, Cal
Harsin was once one of the fastest-rising names in the sport after an outstanding seven-year run at Boise State, where he kept the Broncos ranked annually and never won fewer than nine games in a non-COVID season. His two-year stint at Auburn didn’t work out — but almost nobody succeeds there.
Now at Cal as an offensive coordinator, Harsin has repeatedly shown he knows how to win at a school like WSU. If the Cougs can land him, he’d be a strong hire.
BRENT VIGEN — Head Coach, Montana State
Another name that surfaced heavily last year, Vigen has been one of the most consistently successful coaches in the FCS. He’s gone 57–13 at Montana State after working his way up through coordinator roles at North Dakota State and Wyoming (where he coached a quarterback you may have heard of — Josh Allen).
His track record shows he can build and sustain a program. Vigen should absolutely be near the top of WSU’s list.
JERRY MAC — Head Coach, Kennesaw State | $750,000 Annual Salary
This name may never even show up in mainstream rumors, but the job Jerry Mac did at Kennesaw State this season is worth noting. He took a team projected to finish last in Conference USA and led them to the top of the league in year one. There are no ties to WSU, but he appears to be a rising star.
TIM PLOUGH — Head Coach, UC Davis
Plough is a young coach with early success in the FCS — somewhat similar to the path that brought WSU to Jimmy Rodgers last year. He has bounced around as he’s moved up the ranks, with recent stops at Boise State and Cal before taking over UC Davis.
He does have some Division I experience, but with no FBS head-coaching track record and only two years leading an FCS program, there’s legitimate risk. This feels like a “swing” hire rather than a stabilizing one.
Final Thoughts
The carousel of names will only grow louder, as it always does when a job opens. My hope is that President Cantwell can land one of Eck, Harsin, or Vigen. If that happens, I’ll feel good heading into the new year.
What I don’t want to see is a young coordinator with zero experience running a program — like Ben Arbuckle, who keeps getting mentioned for reasons unknown. Has anyone watched Oklahoma’s offense this year? WSU needs an established head coach with several years of leadership under his belt. That should be priority number one.
It’s another tough pill to swallow at the end of a season, but WSU administration and fans have shown time and again that we never stay down for long. You’re allowed to be sad today and wonder what could have been with Jimmy Rodgers — but tomorrow, get up, regroup, and get excited for whoever leads the next chapter.
Go Cougs!