Sam Houston is hiring a football coach for the first time since 2014 after news broke that K.C. Keeler was accepting the job at Temple. Keeler’s buyout is $1.3 million and he made $625,000 in 2024. He was 97-39 in 11 seasons in Huntsville, capturing three conference title and a national championship.

Sam Houston athletic director Bobby Williams has hired three coaches in his long tenure for the Bearkats, and he’s hit on two of three. His first hire was Todd Whitten in 2005 after Ron Randleman stepped away. His next two hires were Willie Fritz, now head coach at nearby Houston, and Keeler. Fritz and Keeler combined for a 137-54 record since 2010. 

That suggests the Bearkats will lead a search to find an experienced, veteran replacement with head coaching experience, even if that’s at a lower level. On the other hand, this is a new time for Sam Houston. Now an FBS program, the Kats could look for a young upstart like Eric Morris (North Texas), G.J. Kinne (Texas State), and Scotty Walden (UTEP). 

BIG SWING 

Jake Spavital – The former head coach at Texas State has helped resurrect Dave Aranda’s tenure at Baylor. The Bears found a quarterback in Sawyer Robertson and ended the regular season on a six-game winning streak. He’ll be a hot commodity as a coordinator, and maybe the current climate suggests P4 coordinator is preferred by most to G5 head coach, but if Spav wants back in the head coaching chair, Huntsville could be an option. Other in-state coordinators could include names like Kendal Briles or Casey Woods. 

Matt Wells – He has Texas experience after three years at Texas Tech. Wells was 44-34 in six seasons at Utah State, winning at least nine games three times. He’s 57-51 overall as a head coach and is currently the associate head coach and co-offensive coordinator at Kansas State. 

REALISTIC 

Keith Patterson – He’s led Abilene Christian to two conference titles in three years. The Wildcats are 9-4 in 2024 and into the second round of the FCS playoffs after a victory over Northern Arizona. Patterson, 60, is a defensive coordinator by trade, making a name for himself at stops like West Virginia, Arizona State and Texas Tech.  

Kris McCullough – Only 29, McCullough is one of the best young offensive coaches in Texas. He became a head coach in 2022 at East Central before taking the job at UT Permian Basin. The Arkansas native went 10-2 in 2023 and is 7-4 this year ahead of the Heritage Bowl against Centra Missouri. 

Pete Rossomando – The current head coach at Lamar fits the recent Sam Houston profile. Rossomando, 52, was a successful coach at the non-FBS level at New Haven and then Central Connecticut. He’s 13-10 in two seasons at Lamar – one of the toughest jobs, on paper, in the Lone Star State. 

Clint Killough – Athletics can be a copy-cat business. UIW is becoming a breeding ground for future FBS coaches. Eric Morris leads North Texas. G.J. Kinne heads Texas State – both are bowl eligible in 2024. Killough, 31, is next in line. He’s a native Texan with an 18-4 record in two seasons as a head coach. He’s worked with some of the best young offensive minds in the game. 

Tim Daoust – The coaching veteran is currently the defensive line coach at Pitt in the ACC. He was the special teams coordinator and defensive end/outside linebackers coach at East Carolina from 2021-23 and was at Syracuse for five seasons starting in 2011. His tie to Sam Houston dates to 2019-20 when he was the assistant head coach in Huntsville while leading a defensive line that helped the Bearkats lead the FCS in run defense, third-down defense, and tackles for loss. 

DCTF PICK 

Ryan Carty – Carty spent 2018-21 as the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at Sam Houston under Keeler, his college coach. He returned to his alma mater, Delaware, to become a first-time head coach ahead of the 2022 season.  Carty, 41, is 26-11 in three seasons as the head coach of the Fightin’ Blue Hens. Keeler once left Delaware for Sam Houston. Maybe his star pupil follows suit. 

WILDCARD 

Skyler Cassity – He became the FBS’s youngest defensive coordinator (30) when Keeler hired him to lead the Bearkats defense in the offseason. His unit carried Sam Houston down the stretch and into Conference USA contention in Year 2 as an FBS team. If the administration wants continuity and believes this roster can compete for a CUSA title in 2025, maybe Cassity gets a chance.