Remember way back when Michigan beat Washington in the National Championship? 

It seems like years have passed since the Wolverines handled the Huskies in Houston. In reality, it hasn’t even been a week. But so much has happened since and the college football landscape already looks much different than it did on Jan. 8. 

Nick Saban is out after 17 seasons in Tuscaloosa, announcing his retirement after coming up short in the College Football Playoff for what we didn’t know would be his final season in Alabama. 

Now another CFP participant is on the move to fill his shoes. 

Washington’s Kalen DeBoer is reportedly set to take over with the Crimson Tide, leaving the Huskies after compiling a 25-3 record over two seasons in Seattle. 

And just like that, Washington is without DeBoer and star quarterback Michael Penix as it prepares to move to the Big Ten in 2024. The timing isn’t ideal, obviously, for a program that had so much momentum. But a solid foundation is now in place and the Huskies should be able to attract a few top candidates as they look for DeBoer’s replacement. 

Next Washington Head Coach Odds

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The important thing to remember here is that Washington’s dream list probably looks different than the realistic list. It’s an excellent program, for sure, with one of the best gameday atmospheres anywhere in the country. 

But even Alabama struck out on its presumed top choice, with Oregon’s Dan Lanning staying on board with the Ducks. Same with Florida State’s Mike Norvell and Texas’ Steve Sarkisian. 

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The most realistic option we see out there is Iowa State’s Matt Campbell. He was one of the hottest names on the market two years ago and got things back on track for the Cyclones this year with a 7-6 campaign and a Liberty Bowl appearance. He’s only 44 years old, and he’d certainly be interested in a step up here in terms of resources. 

If the Huskies want to stay in-house, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb orchestrated one of the top offenses in the nation over the past two seasons and has been working with DeBoer for more than a decade. If a smooth transition is the goal, look no further than Grubb. 

The next tier might fall more in line with a wish than a realistic hope – Arizona’s Jedd Fisch, Kansas’ Lance Leipold and Utah’s Kyle Wittingham. Fisch and Leipold have completely turned their programs around after inheriting very little, while Wittingham has been one of the most successful long-term coaches in 19 years with the Utes. 

Then we have the just-might-be-crazy-enough-to-work candidates in Pete Carroll and Deion Sanders. Carroll is out with the Seahawks and wouldn’t have to re-locate if he still has the itch and wants another crack in the college ranks. Sanders would bring a ton of eyeballs to the program and he could probably recruit better talent at a school like Washington. 

It’s still early in the search, but we don’t expect the Huskies to wait long given how the coaching dominoes have already started to fall.