Kyle Whittingham Signs Extension with Utah: What Does Arizona State Do Now?

Does anybody want to become the head coach of the Arizona State Sun Devils?

It seems like every coach that has been in the rumor mill to take over has slowly dropped out.

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham was the latest who many thought was going to Arizona State. But now, it appears that he will stay at Utah as the Utes are putting a couple more million dollars in his contract.

So what does Arizona State do now?

Here are a few suggestions as the coaching search continues.

Possibly Hire Gary Andersen?

Gary Anderson has helped rebuild the Utah State football program and has made the Aggies bowl eligible for the first time since 1997. He's worked under Urban Meyer and Kyle Whittingham.

Sure, his 15-21 overall record isn't attractive, but with better recruits and playing in a better conference, you may get better results.

Stay in House with Noel Mazzone?

The Sun Devils as a team have been extremely inconsistent, but the offense for the most part has done well.

That's why offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone could be worth a look. The Sun Devils offense is ranked 25th in the country in points scored and 11th in the country in passing yards. 

He may not have any head-coaching experience, but he's had success with the Sun Devils.

That's hard to ignore.

Give Dave Christensen a Call?

Dave Christensen has done a fabulous job at Wyoming the last three seasons, taking them to a bowl game twice already.

He's a great offensive coach as he was responsible for those high-flying offenses in Missouri all of those years.

He was also an offensive line coach in Washington, so he does have a little bit of experience dealing with the Pac-12.

Paul Chryst Could Be a Good Fit

Paul Chryst has had success nearly everywhere he has went, and his resume just got that much better with Wisconsin reaching the BCS Rose Bowl.

He's a fantastic offensive coordinator and has the ability to run that flashy style of offense in the Pac-12.

He did work with Oregon State for a couple of years, so he does have experience in the Pac-12 as well.

Mark Helfrich Returns to the Sun Devils as Head Coach?

Mark Helfrich is currently running the show at Oregon as he's the offensive coordinator for that high-scoring offense. He's spent several years in the Pac-12, including a few years as the quarterback coach for the Sun Devils.

It may take a nice paycheck to get him to leave, but if Arizona State wants to go with a young, talented coach, Helfrich may be that guy.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail]