The Tulsa job is open. Kevin Wilson was fired on Sunday after a 63-30 loss to South Florida to drop to 3-8 on the season.
Wilson went 7-16 in two seasons, including 4-8 last year. The Golden Hurricane went 3-12 in AAC play under Wilson, who was previously the offensive coordinator at Ohio State. But firing a coach before the end of his second season is a sign of a need for immediate change for new athletic director Justin Moore, who arrived from Texas A&M in the summer.
So how good is the Tulsa job? Who could get in the mix? Based on conversations with industry sources, here’s how the Tulsa job breaks down and who could get in the mix.
Recent history/tradition: C
There is a strong history at Tulsa, but much of it is in the far past. The program has a winning record all-time and claims 35 conference championships, including six consecutive Missouri Valley titles in the 1980s, but the Golden Hurricane have just two championships since 1986 and one since 2012. More recently, the program reached 12 bowl games in 19 years from 2003 to ‘21, but it has won more than seven games just once in the last decade, and it has six losing seasons in the last eight years. Tulsa was 10th in the American in attendance last season and eighth this year.
On-field outlook: C-
The roster needs help. It doesn’t have a top-15 rusher in the AAC. Quarterback play hasn’t been good, and talented receiver Kamdyn Benjamin is an outgoing senior. The defense is also led by seniors. Redshirt freshman quarterback Kirk Francis won the starting job out of camp but has been benched multiple times this season. Tulsa is 10th in the AAC in 247Sports’ Team Talent rankings based on high school recruiting, and its 2025 recruiting class currently ranks eighth in the league.
Money matters: C
Resources have been an issue. Former head coach Philip Montgomery took a pay cut in 2018 to help the athletic department. There is no indoor practice field. Wilson’s salary wasn’t public as Tulsa is a private school, but it’s believed it was a bit south of $2 million, which would be middle-of-the-pack in the AAC but could be enough to draw a Power 4 coordinator. Moore, the new AD, has a vision to expand funding for the program, which is desperately needed. He wrote to fans on Sunday, “We need world-class facilities, expanded operational budgets, an increase in support staff, and, in today’s landscape, the ability to share revenue with our student-athletes and support them in NIL opportunities.”
University stability: C
Tulsa is the smallest school in the Football Bowl Subdivision, with an enrollment of less than 4,000 students, though its freshman retention rate hit an all-time high this year. Moore comes from Texas A&M with a good track record as the chief operating officer, but he has work to do. A small private school make for a small alumni and donor base. It’s not a great sign when the athletic director has to publicly say football is and remains a priority.
Coach pool: B-
UNLV offensive coordinator Brennan Marion is a former Tulsa player who had two prolific seasons in 2007 and 2008, twice leading the nation in yards per catch. He has played an integral role in UNLV’s resurgence over the last two seasons, an 18-7 record with different starting quarterbacks in each season.
Kansas State co-offensive coordinator Matt Wells grew up in Oklahoma and has head coaching experience at Utah State and Texas Tech. He nearly got the New Mexico job last cycle. He also coached as a Tulsa assistant from 2002 to ’06 and spent the last two years as an Oklahoma analyst. Wells went 44-34 at Utah State, including two 10-win seasons, but he was fired midway through his third season at Texas Tech, exiting with a 13-17 record.
Incarnate Word head coach Clint Killough is 18-4 with the Cardinals and has a top-five FCS team in San Antonio. The previous two UIW head coaches have had success at North Texas (Eric Morris) and Texas State (GJ Kinne). Could the trend continue? Killough is also just 31 years old.
Former UAB head coach Bill Clark retired in summer 2022 due to back issues, but industry sources believe he’s ready to get back onto the sidelines. Clark went 49-26 at UAB with two conference championships, most of that success coming after the program was rebuilt from nothing after being shut down following his first season. But Clark doesn’t have ties to Texas or Oklahoma.
USC offensive coordinator Josh Henson is an Oklahoma native and Oklahoma State graduate and former assistant. He previously coached at Texas A&M when Moore worked there. He has developed multiple offensive lines that were semifinalists for the Joe Moore Award since 2020.
Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson coached at Houston from 2019 to ’22, and he’s now directing one of the best offenses in the country. The Hurricanes lead the nation with 44.7 points per game, led by quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate Cam Ward.
Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley is a West Texas native with plenty of ties in the state from his time at TCU and Texas Tech. This year’s Clemson offense ranks 11th nationally in scoring, up from 52nd a year ago. Riley already makes more than $2 million, so he would likely have to take a pay cut if he’s interested.
Kansas State cornerbacks coach Van Malone coached at Tulsa from 2010 to ’11 and Oklahoma State after that. The Houston native has been at K-State since 2019 and has been in the mix for head coaching jobs in recent years.
SMU defensive coordinator Scott Symons was a finalist for the Troy job last year. The Mustangs finished 11th nationally in scoring defense in 2023 and are 10-1 overall and set to play in the ACC Championship Game this year.
SMU offensive coordinator Casey Woods helps direct an offense that is fifth nationally in scoring this year. Woods has also coached at Missouri, UAB and Auburn.
Texas State head coach GJ Kinne is another former Tulsa player and was in the mix for this job last time, but ultimately went to Texas State instead and is taking the Bobcats to their second consecutive bowl game. He just signed a new contract at Texas State, making a reunion here very unlikely.
Overall grade: C
There’s still some tradition here, and the job can pay well. But resources elsewhere in the program have been hard to come by. If the new athletic director can improve the financial situation, there is some upside.
(Photo: Bob Levey / Getty Images)
