Jeff Scott won two national titles as a Clemson assistant and had strong ties locally, but he just couldn’t get any traction at USF and was fired Sunday after the Bulls were blown out by Temple. He went 1-19 in AAC play and just 4-28 overall at a program in one of the most fertile recruiting areas in the country. USF’s next hire will be interesting especially since, on paper, Scott made a lot of sense, and will have a profile similar to several candidates we expect will get some consideration for this vacancy.

Jason Candle, Toledo head coach

From what I’m hearing, USF would be more inclined to hire a sitting head coach rather than have a first-time head man learn on the job. Toledo’s Jason Candle has been a consistent winner in the MAC, going 51-30. The 42-year-old has recruited this area very well and has staffers with deep ties to the area. This is his seventh season at Toledo and he has never had a losing year. He’s a good offensive mind and a strong candidate for this one.

Jamey Chadwell, Coastal Carolina head coach

Coastal Carolina’s Jamey Chadwell should’ve been hired by a Power 5 program by now, but he’s still in the Sun Belt and he keeps winning big. He’s 30-4 in the past three seasons and has one of the most creative offenses in football. The 45-year-old from Tennessee led the Chanticleers to finish at No. 14 in 2020. With the speed he could recruit locally to his system, his teams would be pretty scary in the AAC.