3. Dave Aranda, Baylor head coach
This might not be all that realistic, but Dave Aranda is one of the hottest young names in college football right now. If all the top programs are landing big names, why wouldn’t the Ducks be able to make a run at one of their own? Aranda would have a tough time saying no to Oregon money because you know Phil Knight is willing to pay whatever to get a good coach.
And it’s not like Oregon is in a bad spot, either. The Ducks are one of the top teams in the country and made their third straight Pac-12 title game before losing to Utah.
Aranda turned Baylor around quickly so just imagine how much success he’d have with a loaded Oregon roster and incredibly strong recruiting pipelines. Most top recruits want the chance to play at Oregon so I don’t think Aranda would have a tough time selling the program.
This has been a huge year for Aranda and I’m honestly surprised he hasn’t been offered by the likes of LSU, Oklahoma, Florida, or Notre Dame because he’s arguably the national coach of the year. He turned a 2-7 Baylor team around into an 11-2 Big 12 champion in just one season.
Oregon would hit a grand slam with this hire — oh, and Aranda is from the West Coast.