Mike Stoops Fired: Top 4 Candidates to Take over as Arizona Coach

Mike Stoops wasn't very successful at Arizona during his seven-and-a-half years at the university. His 50-41 mediocre record wasn't good enough, and a 1-5 start to this season with a talented team definitely was not.

Stoops was fired after a 10-point loss to the Oregon State Beavers last Saturday that was the Beavers' first win of the season.

The Wildcats will finish this disappointing season under defensive coordinator Tim Kish as interim head coach. They will more than likely hire a head coach to replace Stoops once this season concludes. 

Here are four potential candidates that can replace former head coach Mike Stoops.

Rich Rodriguez

Rich Rodriguez couldn't handle the pressure of a big school like Michigan but thrived at a school like West Virginia. He could be a good fit for Arizona if he is given the chance.

Rodriguez is an offensive mind like no other and masters the no-huddle offense. The Wildcats have more than enough weapons on offense but only average 27 points per game. Rodriguez could easily change that and get the most out of his players on the offensive side of the ball.

He is currently a analyst for CBS Sports but is itching to get back into coaching once the right opportunity opens up. 

Could Arizona be it?

Chris Petersen

There have been talks about the Boise State Broncos possibly joining the Big 12 or maybe even the Big East. If that doesn't happen, Petersen could be looking for a job elsewhere.

No other coach in college football has a better record than Peterson's 66-5 during the last five-and-a-half seasons. He has put Boise State on the map and led them to five straight bowls, while winning three of them. He is doing all of this with players, who couldn't play for a lot of other teams.

There is only so much Peterson can do at Boise if they stay in the Mountain West Conference. If the school doesn't move to an Automatic Qualifying conference, then eventually Peterson will.

Mike Leach

This move may be unlikely because of his history with mistreating players and the question of whether you can trust him or not.

But despite the off the field issues, you can't deny his coaching record and his offensive mind. Leach posted a 84-43 record at Texas Tech and never had a losing record during his 10 years at the university. He is known for putting together some great offenses, and several of his quarterbacks have broken NCAA records.

He is currently an announcer for CBS College Sports Network but wants to return to coaching, considering he was supposed to take the Maryland job before Randy Edsall did.

Tim Kish

Tim Kish is considered an interim head coach until they find a more permanent replacement, but if Kish does a good job he may be in the running to stay as head coach. 

The Arizona Wildcats have a talented team but couldn't win under Stoops. If Kish is able to turn things around and possibly lead this team to a bowl game, he has to be given a second look.

He has 19 years of experience in the conference and has been a top recruiter for this university for a long time now.

I'm sure Arizona is going to want a big-name coach but if Kish can provide the Wildcats with wins, it's hard to argue with that.

Bleacher Report is your home for college football for the 2011 season. From scores, news, analysis, live blogs and updates on your favorite teams and the big national games every week, keep it on Bleacher Report for the very latest in college football news.