Texas A&M Football: Who Are Remaining Candidates for Aggie DC Position?

Texas A&M football head coach Kevin Sumlin dismissed defensive coordinator Mark Snyder on November 28, per Jerry Hinnen of CBS Sports. The Aggies have been searching for the right defensive coordinator to fix their struggling defense since that date, and they have a number of qualified candidates still available. 

The fact that multiple coaches have been hired in the past couple of weeks has whittled the potential list down some. Former Florida head coach Will Muschamp accepted an offer to return to Auburn as the defensive coordinator, per Brandon Marcello of AL.com. 

Missouri defensive coordinator Dave Steckel took over the Missouri State program as its new head coach, per Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports. Former Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini decided to return to his Ohio roots and took the head coaching job at Youngstown State, per Sam Cooper of Yahoo Sports.

There is no definitive timetable set for when the Aggies will announce their new hire. Sumlin and the football administration seem intent on taking their time to ensure they make the correct hire.

This is a look at some of the top candidates remaining for the Texas A&M defensive coordinator position.

Bud Foster

Steve Helber/Associated Press

Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster appears to be the top candidate on the Aggies' list. Foster has led the Hokies defense for 15 years. 

Foster has always produced very good defenses. In 2005 and 2006, the Hokies led the country in total defense. His defenses focus on stopping the run and then forcing the opposing quarterback to make mistakes. 

Foster is one of the truly elite defensive coordinators in the country. If the Aggies could lure him away from Virginia Tech, it would represent a major coup. 

The SEC is defined by its big, physical defenses that stop the run. Foster would be able to create that kind of defense in Aggieland.

Greg Mattison

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

Greg Mattison is the defensive coordinator for the Michigan Wolverines. Michigan had the No. 10 defense in the country in 2014 under Mattison's leadership. 

Mattison was the defensive line coach at Texas A&M from 1989 to 1991. He was the co-defensive coordinator at Florida in 2006 when they won the national championship. 

Mattison has NFL experience, as he coached for the Baltimore Ravens from 2008-2010. From an experience and success standpoint, he may be the strongest candidate available for the Aggies to hire as a defensive coordinator. 

There are very few candidates out there who have coached in the NFL and have earned a national title ring. Mattison has had success coaching defenses in the SEC at Florida and in the Big Ten at Michigan. He is a solid candidate.

D.J. Durkin

John Raoux/Associated Press

D.J. Durkin was the defensive coordinator at Florida under Will Muschamp. He will not be retained in that capacity when Jim McElwain takes over the Gators, per the Miami Herald. 

Durkin's defense finished No. 9 in the country in 2014. There are some questions about how much of the Gators defense was Durkin and how big of a role Will Muschamp played on that side of the ball. 

Durkin is only 36 years old and would be an excellent recruiter in Aggieland. He's had previous coaching stops at Bowling Green and Stanford. The question is whether he can coach a successful defense without Muschamp looking over his shoulder.

Bob Shoop

USA TODAY Sports

Bob Shoop is the defensive coordinator at Penn State. The Nittany Lions were the No. 2 defense in the country under Shoop's tutelage in 2014. 

Shoop has been a defensive coordinator at various schools for a total of 15 years. He coached the Vanderbilt defense under James Franklin from 2011 until Franklin left for Penn State. 

Penn State has the top rush defense in the country in 2014. With his experience in the SEC and his ability to build an elite defense, Shoop is a very desirable candidate.