MTSU coaching candidates: Where do the Blue Raiders turn?

MTSU is in the market for a coach for the first time in 18 years.

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Middle Tennessee State is the 15th opening of the coaching cycle, after parting ways with Rick Stockstill.

Stockstill had been with the Blue Raiders since 2006 and was 113-111 overall but went just 4-8 this season. MTSU was a conference contender under Stockstill, winning the Sun Belt in his first year and regularly finishing near the top of Conference USA.

With an AD in his 19th year in Chris Massaro, and a vacancy to replace a coach who was there for 18 years, this job should be attractive to the right coach.

Let’s take a look at some potential candidates.

Mike Denbrock, LSU OC. Denbrock is a Broyles Award finalist and leads the nation’s No. 1 offense, which has the potential Heisman winner in Jayden Daniels. The 59-year-old is a pro’s pro who has long been a trusted coach on Brian Kelly’s staffs, with a detour to work for Luke Fickell in-between at Cincinnati, which made the Playoff in Denbrock’s final year. He has coached every position except for running backs and DC, and he could be an ideal candidate at a place that values a steady hand.