Four days after playing for a national championship, Washington is looking for a new coach.
Kalen DeBoer is off to Alabama after rapidly elevating Washington to elite status. DeBoer went 25-3 in two seasons with the Huskies, winning every matchup against a ranked opponent until Monday's title game loss to No. 1 Michigan. He inherited talent, supplemented it through the portal with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and others, and used a dynamic offense and a close-knit team culture to propel Washington back to the national stage.
Washington now must act quickly but intelligently to maintain its trajectory without DeBoer, and most likely several key assistants and staff members who could follow him. The Huskies will enter the Big Ten this coming season but must replenish their roster after key departures, especially on offense.
The school hired athletic director Troy Dannen from Tulane in October to ideally keep DeBoer or find a strong successor. Dannen made a home-run hire with Willie Fritz at Tulane and has led athletic departments since 2008, when he took over at Northern Iowa, his alma mater.
He will survey a candidate pool that includes several strong internal options who can maintain continuity, as well as successful coaches outside the program who could guide Washington's Big Ten transition.
Here's a look at eight possible options for Washington as it seeks DeBoer's replacement.
