10 Most Attractive Head Coaching Jobs That Could Be Open After 2013 Season

As we saw at the end of last season, it doesn't take long for a school to get fed up and fire its head football coach. There are more than 30 new head coaches entering the 2013 season, and there will be plenty of other guys shown the door when the season eventually comes to a close.

The cycle never ends in this business.

The interesting thing about the end of the 2013 season is that there are several top-notch coaching positions that could open up. While last year's openings included many non-BCS schools and schools without much history, we could soon see some of the big boys in college football looking for new guys to run their teams.

While none of these are guaranteed, here are some of the best coaching spots which may by open when the 2013 season is over and done with.

10. Maryland

Unless Maryland ends up reaching a bowl game this season, there is a great chance head coach Randy Edsall will be looking for a new job at the end of the year. Struggling to compete in the ACC and winning a combined six games in the last two years is not what this program thought was going to happen when this hire was made.

It is now Edsall's third season and unless a drastic improvement is made, this job will be open by the end of the 2013 year.

Maryland isn't the most attractive job in the world, but you can win coaching the Terrapins. This is a school that has managed to win four conference titles since 1983 and has reached four bowl games dating back to 2006. Maryland will also be moving to the Big Ten in 2014, which should only help expand recruiting.

The Terrapins football team is still trying to break out of its basketball shadow, but this is a solid gig where the right coach could consistently qualify for bowl games.

9. Illinois

Tim Beckman has only been with Illinois for one season, but he has the fanbase calling for his head after a 2-10 record. When you lose every game in the conference schedule and show no signs of improvement from week to week, you aren't going to be around very long.

Assuming that Beckman is shown the door at the end of his second season, Illinois would be an attractive option for a head coach that is looking to break into a BCS school on a little bit of a smaller level.

Illinois has a large recruiting territory that allows for the ability to snag many under-the-radar players that few pay attention to. Also, Illinois' stadium was renovated back in 2008, making it one of the most up-to-date venues in the Big Ten.

The Fighting Illini have struggled for quite some time to become a serious competitor in the Big Ten. If a coach is able to step in and get the job done, he will be treated like an icon and likely get paid like one as well.

8. Iowa

According to this website, head coach Kirk Ferentz is on one of the hottest seats in the country. I guess that is what happens when the win total decreases the last three seasons and things hit an all-time low with only four victories last year.

Ferentz has done a good job of building the program, considering that he has coached the Hawkeyes since 1999, but the journey may finally come to an end if there isn't a drastic improvement from a year ago.

The good thing about Iowa is that it is still considered the top team in the state. There is also proof that you can win with the Hawkeyes, as they have won five Big Ten titles dating back to 1981. The downside is that recruiting isn't the easiest, so you will need to be a terrific recruiter or have a powerhouse coaching staff that can do an above-average job.

With it looking like Michigan and Ohio State are both on pace to control this conference once again, winning with Iowa may be difficult moving forward, but this is still a quality program that should receive many offers if the coaching seat becomes vacant.

7. Georgia Tech

If there isn't a significant turnaround this season with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, head coach Paul Johnson is probably going to be fired.

Sure, 16 straight bowl games for the second most popular school in the state would be good for most programs, but when that state happens to be Georgia, the fanbase expects a little bit more.

Georgia easily produces some of the top talent in the country each and every season, and having yet to really turn the corner is a sign that things need to change. It also doesn't help that the Yellow Jackets have lost the last four games to the Georgia Bulldogs. Maybe some of it has to do with that old-school triple-option that Johnson refuses to get rid of, which certainly plays a part in not recruiting consistent top-tier athletes.

Whatever the reason for the mediocre success, Georgia Tech is a place where you are surrounded by talent and actually has a fairly decent history, which does include four national titles.

Winning here and turning this program into a legit contender in the ACC wouldn't be a problem with the right head coach calling the shots.

6. Missouri

Gary Pinkel is another head coach who had been around for quite some time, but Missouri is on the verge of being swallowed whole by the rest of the SEC. One season or not, five victories and a 2-6 conference record is not what most Tigers fans had in mind. Things don't get any easier in this conference, and it certainly doesn't take long before you become the bottom feeder and struggle for decades to climb out of that dark hole.

This is not what Missouri left the Big 12 for.

The benefit of taking this job is that you can use the SEC to your advantage. Regardless of the record, kids want to play against the toughest competition, and Missouri is still an SEC program at the end of the day. There is also an above-average recruiting territory back home in Missouri that allows for landing some talented under-the-radar players.

No matter who is coaching this program, winning won't come easy.

However, this program does have potential and could become a dark hose in the SEC East with a little bit of tweaking.

5. Washington

I firmly believe that head coach Steve Sarkisian has the goods to take this Washington program to new heights. The problem is that this may be his last chance, as many believe just barely getting by isn't good enough for a fan base that wants things to be taken to another level.

Sarkisian is considered to be on the hot seat entering the upcoming season.

If this position opens up, it would be one of the more underrated coaching positions on the open market. Besides the school being in the middle of Seattle, this is a school that did manage to win a national title back in 1991.

Washington has a great city, respectable tradition and a program on the brink of turning the corner. A new head coach would have no problem coming in and providing the Huskies with the push they needs.

4. Miami

Is Al Golden really here to stay for the long term?

He may tell you he is, but ever since he has taken the Miami job, his name has been in the rumor mill, including last season for the Wisconsin coaching job. With that being said, it isn't farfetched to believe that the Hurricanes will be searching for a new head coach at the end of the 2013 season.

Filling up this opening wouldn’t be that difficult. The possible NCAA sanctions should be taken care of quickly with the school recently taking things to court.

You may say the Hurricanes are living in the past, but you can't count five more schools that have better recruiting territories. It also happens to be Miami, which has more than enough selling points to convince many guys to leave their current locations.

Believe it or not, the Miami Hurricanes football team is still an elite coaching job.

3. Penn State

While I believe it would be a crime if head coach Bill O'Brien was to leave Penn State, the reality remains that there is a possibility it could happen. Things will likely get worse before they get better, and the Nittany Lions head coach was already exploring his options during the offseason.

With the sanctions ready to kick in and Penn State likely going to suffer over the next several years, O'Brien leaving for an NFL job is not totally out of the question.

For a head coach that would possibly end up having to replace O'Brien, this job certainly would not be easy. Overcoming scholarship reductions and convincing kids to play for you knowing bowl games are out of the question is also difficult.

However, there aren't many schools that have the tradition that Penn State has. With two national titles since 1982 and a fan base as passionate as they come, Happy Valley is still an attractive detestation.

Again, it would take a special head coach to walk into this situation, but if somebody is willing to stick it out, it could pay off in a big way.

2. USC

Do we absolutely have to explain why there is a good chance USC may have a vacant position at the end of the 2013 season?

Lane Kiffin is on the hottest seat in the country due to last season’s failures and the continued distractions he causes off the field. If the Trojans aren't contending for a BCS bowl game this season, don't be surprised if there is a new head coach roaming the sidelines in the beginning of the 2014 season.

So why would somebody want this job?

USC is still a program that speaks for itself. From the history to the two recent national championships and the ability to recruit elite-level talent with the snap of a finger. This is a school that is still the best job in the Pac-12 and doesn't have to travel far to recruit kids, as California has a bunch of talent floating around.

No matter what the Trojans may look like now, it wouldn't take much to get things back on the right track.

1. Texas

Texas is starting to lose ground to the Texas A&M Aggies. Head coach Mack Brown seems to be losing some of his coaching magic, and he really isn't getting any younger. If things don't turn around this season, the school may be forced to look elsewhere for a change.

However, Brown could end up making the decision himself due to the disappointment and life quickly catching up to the 61-year-old.

However this opportunity opens up, almost any coach in the country would have his eyes on this job. Unless you are coaching at USC, Alabama or some other top-tier school, Texas should be considered a major upgrade.

You are in a gold mine as far as high-school talent is concerned, and the tradition speaks for itself. Recruiting is as easy as it gets in Texas, as recruits will always line up outside the door to play for the Burnt Orange and White.

Life doesn't get any greater than that for a college head coach.

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