The list of potential candidates for the vacant Mississippi State football head coach job has included multiple names since the firing of Joe Moorhead last Friday.

You can add Washington State Cougars head coach Mike Leach to that group, according to a report from ESPN radio host Bo Bounds. The host, during an appearance on the Paul Finebaum Show on Wednesday, said that Mississippi State athletic director John Cohen interviewed Leach earlier this week in Key West, Fla. Leach owns a vacation home there.

In addition to Leach, Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, Louisiana head coach Billy Napier, Louisiana Tech head coach Skip Holtz, Florida defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, Army coach Jeff Monken and Air Force coach Troy Calhoun have been among the names connected the Mississippi State search.

Leach has compiled a 55-47 record in eight seasons at Washington State, and he is the third-winningest coach in Cougars history behind Babe Hollingbery (93-53-14) and Mike Price (83-78). This season, Leach became the first Washington State head coach to lead the Cougars to five straight bowl games. He also passed Price for the most bowl appearances (6) in program history.

The Mississippi State football program initially decided to retain Moorhead after a disappointing 6-6 finish to the 2019 regular season, but athletic department administrators reversed course after a 38-28 defeat to the Louisville Cardinals in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl on Dec. 30. The loss, combined with multiple off-field issues that included starting quarterback Garrett Shrader missing the bowl game due to a fight in practice, resulted in Moorhead's firing after two seasons in Starkville.

"My family and I will always cherish our time in Starkville," Moorhead said in a statement released after his termination. "Part of us will always bleed Maroon and White. We wish the program nothing but the best moving forward. As my Grandma would always say, 'It's never good bye, it's always see you later.' See y'all later. God Bless and Hail State."

Cohen provided reasoning for the decision in a press conference last Friday. The Bulldogs athletic director will make his second football hire in a little over two years. Former Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen left for Florida following the 2017 season.

“In consultation with President Mark Keenum and after a thorough review and evaluation of all aspects of our football program, I have decided that a change in leadership is in the best interest of our team and university,” Cohen said in a press conference on Friday. “I want to thank Coach Moorhead for the hard work he has done with our football program. I wish Joe and his family success in the future.”

"Based upon the responses we have gotten thus far, there will be some interesting candidates,” the athletic director added. “We will find the right guy.”