Ole Miss Football: Houston Nutt's Top 5 Replacement Candidates

The Ole Miss Rebels were embarrassed for the second time in three weeks this season when they were trounced 30-7 by perennial SEC cellar-dweller Vanderbilt on Saturday.

After a disappointing 4-8 season in 2010 and a dismal start to the 2011 campaign, is head coach Houston Nutt's job in jeopardy?

Here are five possible replacements if the Rebs decide to make a change. 

Pat Fitzgerald

In college football circles both north and south, the Northwestern head man is widely regarded as one of the top young coaches in the country.

Thrust into a precarious situation after the sudden and tragic death of his predecessor, Gary Walker, Fitzgerald has done nothing but win at a school known more for academic success than football glory. 

Mike Leach

Believe it or not, former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach is still looking for a job.

Dismissed from Lubbock after a string of ugly incidents, Leach was widely rumored to be first in line for the Maryland job before it went to Randy Edsall.

If nothing else, the architect of the Air Raid offense would bring some excitement to Oxford.

Skip Holtz

The son of coaching legend Lou Holtz, Skip has enjoyed a meteoric rise through the head coaching ranks.

After finding success at East Carolina, Skip was hired to continue building South Florida into a powerhouse after the ugly departure of Jim Leavitt.

The Bulls are on the verge of greatness, and South Florida is a nice place to call home, but it would be hard to resist the call of college football's premier conference. 

Paul Chryst

The Badgers' offensive coordinator presides over one of the top attacks in all of college football, and he has long been at the top of the coordinator-to-head coach list.

Chryst has turned down a number of promotions to stay in Madison over the years, but the chance to run his own team in the SEC might be too hard to pass up. 

Urban Meyer

Every fan in Oxford will wish it, so why not discuss it?

Meyer has a proven track record of success in the SEC and elsewhere, and he was largely considered the top coach in college football during his tenure at Florida.

While it's unlikely Meyer is ready to leave the broadcast booth for the sideline so soon, it doesn't hurt to dream.