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If Kevin Sumlin is gone, what are the five best head coaching options for Texas A&M?

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After all the drama and all the insanity at Texas A&M, is head coach Kevin Sumlin really in trouble?

Here’s the truly crazy part – if A&M wants him gone, it can probably just wait and let him take over one of the NFL gigs to open up soon. Sumlin is still considered a hot prospect at the next level considering his demeanor and skills fit the pro game even more than the college world.

He’s still an elite head coach at the collegiate level, but he had a bad week. Kyle Allen didn’t feel like he fit in with the overall plans, and Kyler Murray – depending on who you believe – either believes A&M doesn’t quite mesh with his view of himself, wants to play baseball, or just doesn’t like playing for Sumlin.

The speculation and rumors are rampant, so what if Sumlin is gone one way or another? If he’s bought out or takes off for the big leagues, who would be the five best fits for the Aggie program?
Here would be my wish list to fill the Aggie gig.

1. Tom Herman, Houston

All he has to do is move up the road a bit. He just signed a new five-year deal, but he’s just a rental. Yeah, he’s getting $2.8 million a year, but Sumlin is getting $5 million. Herman might not get quite that, but he’s the hottest head coaching prospect in the recent mix and can pick his gig. Get him, and the offense will be exactly what Aggie fans are hoping for out of Sumlin’s attack.

2. Larry Fedora, North Carolina

This would be assuming Fedora could bring in a Gene Chizik-like defensive coordinator to make sure that side of the world doesn’t slide. Fedora was born in College Station and cut his coaching teeth at Baylor and Florida – he can do Texas and SEC without a problem. After bringing North Carolina to within an ACC title win of being in the playoff discussion, he’s red hot right now and could blow up with the bigger gig and the massive opportunity.

3 Gary Patterson, TCU

He’s been courted many, many times before, but this would be the right move to the right conference at the right time. At 56 when the season starts, he likely has one big move to make if he ever decides to leave Fort Worth, and he’d be an instant player for an A&M program that loves next-level defenses to go along with the wide-open offensive style. The TCU over the last few years is what A&M wants to be. But if you can’t get Patterson …

4. Doug Meacham, offensive coordinator, TCU

It might be a bit of a reach and a relatively tough sell out of the box, but the 51-year-old knows how to crank up the offense doing big things with Oklahoma State and Houston before taking over the co-coordinator duties at TCU. At the very least, he’d be an easy sell for Texas recruits. He’s worth the interview.

5. Lane Kiffin, offensive coordinator, Alabama

I’m just going to put him down for every reasonable big-time coaching search. If Will Muschamp can get another gig, Kiffin deserves to get another shot considering his overall resume and with what he’s been doing with the Alabama offense. He might be maligned at times for his play-calling, but he knows what he’s doing. And besides, what’s Texas A&M without a little bit of consistent drama?