Michigan Football: Top 5 Candidates to replace Josh Gattis

Tom Herman (Chicago Bears analyst)

Herman is the former head coach at the University of Texas, where he compiled a 32-18 record as head coach, but was ultimately fired after the 2020 season for the Longhorns to hire Steve Sarkisian as his replacement.

Herman’s had some strong offenses at nearly every stop he has coached at, going all the way back to Texas State in 2005, before jumping up to the Power 5 ranks at Iowa State in 2009. He was the offensive coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes back when they won a national championship in 2014, before becoming the head coach at Houston.

His style has always been a more explosive spread offense, but one appeal here is that Herman has historically still made it a point to incorporate the run game into his offensive approach, something that would help him fit nicely with Jim Harbaugh.

Dan Mullen (former Florida head coach)

An experienced offensive mind with ties to the Midwest? Former Gators head coach Dan Mullen could be an intriguing out-of-the-box candidate.

He was Urban Meyer’s offensive coordinator for several years at Florida, before becoming the head coach at Mississippi State. Historically towards the bottom of the SEC, Mullen helped revitalize the Bulldogs program, bringing them to winning seasons in seven of his nine years there, including a 12th-ranked finish in 2014.

He has helped produce some excellent quarterbacks over the years, working with Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow at Florida, and developing Dak Prescott into an NFL Draft pick during his time at Starksville.

At 49-years old, Mullen still has a lot of coaching left in him and could be an interesting addition for Jim Harbaugh.