A&M Regents To Address Football Coaching Vacancy Thursday

HOUSTON, TX — The Texas A&M Board of Regents plan to meet Thursday to plan the future leader of the Aggies football program after they fired Kevin Sumlin last weekend. Sumlin took over the program prior to the school's first year in the illustrious Southeastern Conference, but steps toward a championship have spiraled downward since that first season.

Playing in the SEC means having top talent and, subsequently, the top teams in the best conference in college football. It also means having to be willing to shell out serious money for top coaching staffs. The name that surfaced first after Sunday was Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher, who has his own flaws — he needs a win over Louisiana-Monroe this week just to become bowl eligible.

This has become the most-watched vacancy in college football now that Florida and UCLA have filled their spots. Texas is known for its fertile high school recruiting grounds and unparalleled traditions. Texas A&M is no longer a springboard to a bigger job. The Regents will certainly have their hands full.

Patch whittled a possible field of great candidates to six (clockwise from top left). Here's why they'd be a good fit for Texas A&M.

Gary Kubiak

Pedigree: Former Houston Texans head coach and Super Bowl-winning head coach of the Denver Broncos.

Why he works: Kubiak is an Aggie and still lives in nearby Plantersville. He played high school ball at St. Pius X in Houston, was an all-SWC player at Texas A&M and served as longtime backup to John Elway for the Broncos. Kubiak began his career as an assistant at A&M before going into a highly-successful pro career. He's the only pro coach on this list.

Dabo Swinney (Clemson)

Pedigree: Played at Alabama and won a national championship at Clemson last year. His Tigers are currently the No. 1 team in the country.
Why he works: The bling in his national championship ring says it all. It gets him into any discussion he wants. Swinney — the original dabber — got Clemson over the hump and into the national title game twice, winning it all last season. And, after all, it's about competing with Saban and Alabama. Should Saban retire, then Dabo would be a first choice for A&M's SEC West foe. A&M would need to be prepared to write checks for more than $7 million a year, though.

Jimbo Fisher (Florida State)

Pedigree: Took Florida State back to prominence and won the 2013 national title.
Why he works: Because, well, he has national championship pedigree. Fisher ended the SEC's run of seven-consecutive national championships when his Seminoles took down Auburn. He took over the program from Bobby Bowden and quickly brought it back to national prominence, mostly with Florida talent. Let's see what he could do with Texas athletes.

Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State)

Pedigree: Has turned the Cowboys into a perennial contender in both the Big 12 and national scene.
Why he works: Coach Mullet has been a model of consistency over the last 12 years after taking over for Les Miles. Mundy has won big games with lesser talent.

Gary Patterson (TCU)

Pedigree: Multiple Conference Championships, top-tier bowl games
Why he works: Patterson brought stability, and championships, to Fort Worth. He's won five championships (Conference USA, 3-time Mountain West, Big 12) in his 17 years at TCU, where he's the all-time winningest coach in school history. He knows Texas, he builds great defenses and he knows how to win — all things the Aggies need moving forward in the SEC.

Chad Morris (SMU)

Pedigree: Another A&M graduate who's had success as a Texas high school coach and as an assistant under Swinney in Clemson's resurgence. He's helped turn around the SMU program.
Why he works: His offensive style fits perfectly with A&M's personnel and recruiting. As a former high school coach in Texas, he has endless connections with coaches all over the state and already knows the lay of the land. Aggies faithful may be cautious of hiring another coach from a non-Power 5 conference, but Morris might be the next up-and-comer and the school doesn't want to swing and miss. But if they want to check out successful coaches making the jump from high schools and eventually to Power 5 programs, then look no farther than Auburn's Gus Malzhan, and former coaches Art Briles (Baylor) and Hugh Freeze (Ole Miss).

Photos via Getty Images/Graphic by Scott McDonald (Patch staff)