By Ryan Dunleavy and Keith Sargeant | NJ Advance Media

Chris Ash navigated the slippery slope of losing his offensive coordinator before the inaugural early signing period without a single Rutgers decommitment on that side of the ball.

On to the next challenge.

Ash needs to make the right call on his third offensive coordinator hire in three years -- and the ninth in nine years under three head coaches at Rutgers. The revolving door has been going on for so long that two former Rutgers offensive coordinators are in the mix for the job again.

Ash's first hire made sense at the time -- a young Drew Mehringer to employ an Ohio State-like offense. So did his second -- a veteran Jerry Kill who could be "head coach" of the offense as Ash took care of one billion other concerns.

But neither worked out as planned for a multitude of reasons, and Kill retired earlier this month due to recurring seizures. He detailed his trying year at Rutgers in a 1-on-1 with NJ Advance Media.

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John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Ash's hiring profile includes candidates with a resume as a developer of players and coaches, high character, the ability to connect with young players, alignment in offense philosophy, a history of developing quarterbacks and a track record of winning. It does not matter whether relatively young or old, or from college or the NFL ranks.

"I'd like to have it done sooner than later," Ash last week as he unveiled a 19-member recruiting class. "It's not tomorrow. It's not necessarily next week. I'm not in position yet to hire a guy, but getting closer and closer as we continue to move forward."

With that profile in mind, Rutgers beat writers Ryan Dunleavy and Keith Sargeant have compiled a list of names to know.

Salary info is included when known. Kill was hired on a three-year deal with a starting salary of $600,000 and annual $25,000 raises. There is concern that athletics might face internal pushback if it tried to go far beyond that school-record range with the next hire, sources told NJAM.

You might recognize some from years goneby, but we've put the "hottest" names toward the top: Can Rutgers land another big fish like Kill or former play-caller Ralph Friedgen by dipping into the retirement pool or luring away another Power Five offensive coordinator?

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NEW NAMES TO KNOW

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Mark Arnold | AP

Rhett Lashlee

It might not sound sexy to to Rutgers fans to hire UConn's offensive coordinator, but what if it was framed this way: A 34-year-old former SEC quarterback considered one of the bright young offensive minds in college football and a former quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for four years at Auburn.

Lashlee has spent almost his entire career under the wing of Gus Malzahn, including stints at Arkansas, Arkansas State and Auburn. He also coached at Samford before leaving Auburn and taking an unexplained pay cut -- from $600,000 to $350,000 -- to go to UConn in 2017.

Lashlee is thought to be a candidate for South Carolina's offensive coordinator job, too.

Malzahn's run-based spread offense is similar to what Ash envisions at Rutgers.

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Thankful for many things ... extremely thankful and proud to be part of this INCREDIBLE journey with these young men and the rest of this team! This program is becoming something special! 🔵⚪️⚫️ #BeTheChange pic.twitter.com/moxqyAefdn — Travis Trickett (@CoachTTrickett) November 23, 2017

Travis Trickett

Trickett is the offensive coordinator at Georgia State, after one in the same role at Florida Atlantic and five seasons at Samford including three as the play-caller.

If Ash wants to vet Trickett, he won't have to try very hard because his close friend, Charlie Partridge, was the FAU coach who hired Trickett. In 2016, the program set school records for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.

As a graduate assistant, Trickett worked for Nick Saban at Alabama and both Bobby Bowden and Jimbo Fisher at Florida State. He is making $178,449 at Georgia State.

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STILL HOT

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William Perlman | The Star-Ledger

John McNulty

UPDATE: McNulty spoke with Ash over Christmas weekend when the Chargers were in town to face the Jets. Ash also has received several recommendations on McNulty, including one from a prominent former player.

No one has had more success as Rutgers offensive coordinator than McNulty, whose three-year run (2006-08) produced record-breaking stats in a pro-style attack. In 2007, Rutgers became the first FBS team in history to have a 3,00-yard passer, a 2,000-yard rusher and two 1,000-yard receivers.

It's a chicken-and-the-egg scenario -- did he get the most out of Kenny Britt, Tiquan Underwood, Mike Teel, Ray Rice and many others or did their talent make him look great? -- but there is no arguing that he would be a celebrated hire with fans and young alums alike.

McNulty has been in the NFL since leaving Rutgers, including jobs as quarterbacks coach for Tampa Bay and Tennessee. He is the Los Angeles Chargers tight ends coach in 2017.

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Todd Fitch

UPDATE: Fitch dropped 51 points on SMU in a bowl game with a run-pass balance -- a good audition if Ash was watching.

Fitch was on Iowa State's staff with Ash as quarterbacks coach from 2004-06.

Since then, he has been the offensive coordinator at East Carolina, South Florida and Boston College before landing at Louisiana Tech in 2016. Under Fitch, Louisiana Tech's offense ranked No. 63 nationally in scoring offense (28.8 points per game) and No. 57 in total offense (406.8 yards per game) in 2017, slipping from No. 2 and No. 9 in those respective categories during his first year calling plays.

Most of Louisiana Tech's success was pass-oriented -- as is the case throughout Conference USA -- but Rutgers' personnel is best suited for a balanced attack that leans toward the ground game even as the roster shifts without three of last season's top four running backs.

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Ole Miss Rebels | YouTube.com

Phil Longo

UPDATE: It could be difficult personally for Longo to leave Ole Miss after just getting settled for one season, but would he take the risk to return home? He seems to be an ideal fit for Ash.

Longo is believed to be a serious candidate who has talked with Ash ... and for good reason. The 49-year old New Jersey native is currently the offensive coordinator at Ole Miss. While he appears settled in his position after Matt Luke was hired last month as the Rebels' head coach, Ole Miss — unlike Rutgers — was handcuffed by major sanctions from the NCAA for the next few seasons.

In addition to a bowl ban in 2018, Ole Miss’ roster figures to be decimated by a string of transfers (the NCAA gave players the freedom to transfer without sitting out a year) and a total number of 13 scholarships lost over a period of years.

In other words, this might be the perfect opportunity for Ash to land Longo, a former quarterback/running back at Rowan who engineered a historically prolific offense while helping lead Sam Houston deep in the FCS playoffs from 2014-16.

Longo’s untraditional path to coaching began at Parsippany Hills High School, where he was the winningest coach in school history during his four-season run in the late 1990s. After earning N.J. Coach of the Year honors from The Star-Ledger in 1999, Longo served as the offensive coordinator at William Paterson in the early 2000s.

Bringing Longo back to the Garden State probably won't come cheap. He reportedly earns $600,000 at Ole Miss, which, despite dealing with NCAA sanctions that included a bowl ban, managed to boast the SEC's fifth-best scoring offense (32.8 points-per-game) and third-rated offense in yards-per-game (462.3).

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The Football Nerd

Noel Mazzone

UPDATE: Mazzone's interest in the position is real, but his style might not match up to Ash's vision.

Mazzone was a name that gained traction during last year's search, but it was unrealistic that he would leave his $800,000 job as Texas A & M's offensive coordinator.

But Texas A & M just changed coaching staffs so Mazzone, who has been an offensive coordinator at multiple schools in the Pac-12 and SEC for more than 20 years, is already in touch with Ash.

His namesaked "N-zone" offense is run by multiple New Jersey high school football programs where he has visited to install it, so he knows the roadmap.

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STAY WARM

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Wesley Hitt | Getty Images

Dan Enos

The former Central Michigan head coach (2010-14) spent the last three seasons as offensive coordinator at Arkansas, where he worked under Ash's former boss and mentor Bret Bielema for $800,000 per year.

So it's no surprise that he and Ash have talked. It might require quick action, however. After Arkansas fired Bielema and eight of his assistants, Enos reportedly interviewed for a job as an assistant at Michigan.

The former Michigan State quarterback coached passers at multiple schools, including his alma mater. He worked for Mark Dantonio -- who Ash has great respect for -- at Cincinnati and Michigan State.

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John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Frank Cignetti

UPDATE: Cignetti would be interested in a return to Rutgers, NJ Advance Media has learned.

As long as the profile fits former Rutgers offensive coordinators with NFL experience who might want to return, Cignetti is sure to be on the open market. He lives in New Jersey and is the quarterbacks coach for the Giants, who are looking at a full regime change now that coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Resse were fired.

Cignetti was the Rutgers offensive coordinator during coach Greg Schiano's final season in Piscataway (2011) and tried to get the head job that ultimately went to Kyle Flood. Cignetti has bounded around the NFL since Rutgers, including a stint as offensive coordinator for the Rams.

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Kirby Lee | USA TODAY Sports

Jedd Fisch

This one makes sense on several levels, but it won't come cheap for Rutgers as Fisch reportedly earned $810,000 as UCLA's offensive coordinator this season. When UCLA fired coach Jim Mora, Fisch was promoted to interim coach and the 41-year old Livingston native is set to guide the Bruins in the Cactus Bowl.

A Hanover Park High School graduate, Fisch spent the previous two seasons at Michigan, where he served as the Wolverines’ quarterbacks coach, wide receivers coach and passing-game coordinator under Jim Harbaugh.

This season, he helped UCLA thrive offensively — one year after the Bruins ranked 11th in scoring and 10th in total yards in the Pac-12, they now rank fifth and third, respectively, in both categories.

After Chip Kelly was hired as UCLA's coach, Fisch's future is reportedly uncertain. It is believed that Kill and Fisch have a prior relationship.

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10 bold predictions for Rutgers in 2018

A national champion, a bowl berth and more

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COOLED OFF

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UT Rockets

Brian Wright

Wright was nominated for the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant this season as Toledo continued to set records under his watch as offensive coordinator. The Rockets ranked No. 8 in the nation at 509.9 yards per game, including 291.9 per game through the air, and No. 11 at 39.2 points per game at Wright's relative bargain rate of $146,500.

Wright previously worked at Florida Atlantic for four seasons as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, filling in as head coach for four games after Ash's close friend, former college teammate and colleague at Wisconsin, Charlie Partridge, was fired.

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Stephen D. Cannerelli | Syracuse.com

Bobby Acosta

A New Jersey native who played at Rowan and spent time coaching on the high school level at Marlboro and Monmouth Regional before coaching at Syracuse in 2014 and ’15, Acosta spent this season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Bucknell.

The Bison, under former Rutgers assistant coach Joe Susan, ranked fifth in the Patriot League in scoring and total yards en route to a 5-6 record this fall.

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Stephen D. Cannerelli | Syracuse.com

George McDonald

Currently the wide receivers coach at North Carolina State, McDonald served as Syracuse offensive coordinator in 2013 and for part of 2014.

McDonald, who stems from the Dave Doeren and Bret Bielema coaching trees (both friends of Ash), crossed paths briefly with Ash at Arkansas in late December 2012/early January 2013 before he abruptly left for Syracuse after working for the Razorbacks for about a month.

In 2012, McDonald was named by Rivals.com as one of the nation's best 25 recruiters in the country and he's considered to be especially strong in Florida after serving as Miami's wide receivers coach/passing-game coordinator in 2011 and '12.

He reportedly earns $334,050 as an assistant at NC State.

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Ryan Carty

Carty's name has been on versions of this list each of the last four years. He has been at FCS Top 25 program New Hampshire for 10 years, including the last five as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. During that time, the Wildcats' high is 451.5 yards per game (2012) and 36 points per game (2015).

The former Somerville High School star's father, Kevin, was a Rutgers assistant coach in the 1980s and his older brother, Ryan, played for Rutgers.

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NOT IN THE MIX

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Big Ten Network

Greg Davis

Davis, 66, retired after last season, which was his fifth as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Iowa to cap a 43-year career.

Since his stint as coach at Tulane (1988-91), he has called plays and coached quarterbacks at Arkansas, North Carolina and Texas, with a high point of winning a national title and winning the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach in 2005.

Rutgers has lured offensive coordinators out of retirement before (Kill and Friedgen) and Davis would be a home run because of his instant credibility and no aspirations of climbing the ladder. His Big Ten-crafted ball-control style and personality would be easy transitions from Kill's ways.

Rutgers running backs coach Lester Erb and offensive line coach A.J. Blazek have Iowa ties.

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Stephen D. Cannerelli | Syracuse.com

Les Miles

The former LSU coach is reportedly eager to return to the sideline, but the 64-year old Ohio native was shut out in the latest round of head-coaching maneuvers this month.

Would Miles — a successful play-caller at Oklahoma State before posting a 114-34 record and winning a national championship at LSU — consider reinventing himself as an offensive coordinator for a Big Ten program like Rutgers?

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Randy Sartin | USA TODAY Sports

Butch Jones

Jone has been a head coach since 2007, bouncing from Central Michigan to Cincinnati to Tennessee, where he was fired last month. He was offensive coordinator at Central Michigan (2001-03) and called plays at Ferris State and Wilkes earlier in his career.

Would Jones want to take some time off or hop back into coaching as an assistant? He was a graduate assistant at Rutgers from 1990-92 and his career has always seemed to run parallel to former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano.

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Bill Wippert | AP Photo

Greg Roman

A 45-year old Atlantic City native who starred at Holy Spirit in Absecon and coached at his alma mater in 2008 before landing his first big break as Jim Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator at both Stanford and with the San Francisco 49ers, Roman is currently the senior offensive assistant and tight ends coach with the Baltimore Ravens.

It’s perceived to be a step back after Roman served as the offensive coordinator under Rex Ryan with the Buffalo Bills in 2015 and ’16.

Roman was reportedly a finalist for the Penn State vacancy that was filled by Bill O'Brien in 2012.

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John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

AJ Blazek

Looking for an in-house candidate? Assistant head coach A.J. Blazek is the only member of the offensive staff who has held a coordinator title in his past -- offensive coordinator at Fort Hays State, co-offensive coordinator at Winona State and run game coordinator at Western Illinois.

The strength of Rutgers offense in 2017 was running the ball behind Blazek's offensive line.

But the smarter next move for Blazek might be to head coach at a smaller program, like longtime Greg Schiano lieutenant Joe Susan made when he left for Bucknell in 2010.

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Huskers

Danny Langsdorf

Langsdorf was Eli Manning's quarterbacks coach with the Giants in 2014, after a nine-year stint as offensive coordinator at Oregon State. He is on the market after spending the last three seasons as offensive coordinator at Nebraska, which just overhauled its coaching staff. He made $527,875.

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Twitter

Larry Scott

Scott was promoted from tight ends coach to offensive coordinator with a salary of $655,000 under Jones at Tennessee in 2017, but the Volunteers offense struggled and led to Jones' firing. Yahoo's Pat Forde recently named Scott one of the five worst coordinator hires in college football over last offseason, so it might not be a splash.

But Scott has deep Florida ties -- he coached at South Florida from 2006-12 and Miami from 2013-15 -- and Rutgers would be smart to re-emphasize its recruiting in the talent-rich state.

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Proud of these guys!!! Took back the wagon wheel! pic.twitter.com/B0SXsUqlpV — Luke Wells (@coachlukewells) September 30, 2017

Luke Wells

Wells has spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Utah State. He was offensive coordinator from 2013-16 (quarterbacks coach also in 2016) but was stripped of the title and moved to inside receivers and tight ends with a salary of $178,680 this season. He was colleagues with Ash at Iowa State in 2009.

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UNLV Athletics

Barney Cotton

Cotton played under legendary coach Tom Osbrone at Nebraska and later served as one-game interim head coach at his alma mater in 2014 after it joined the Big Ten. Cotton, who was offensive coordinator at Iowa State for three seasons when Ash was a defensive assistant there, has called plays at UNLV for the last three seasons. He earned $222,833 in 2017.

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Photos by John Munson, Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

NJ high school coach with Rutgers ties

When your first two seasons have featured offenses that ranked 127th and 121st nationally, perhaps it’s time to take a different approach. Yes, hiring a high school coach is radical thinking but two recent Rutgers graduates are worth considering for an offensive role on staff.

Dallas Whitaker, a former Rutgers walk-on who served as an offensive assistant for the Scarlet Knights in 2013 and '14, just completed his second season as offensive coordinator for a Somerville High School program that won the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III championship this fall.

Somerville's offensive production out of Whitaker's "Air Raid' attack has been astonishing. After averaging 46.3 points per game and scoring more total points than the previous three years combined in 2016, the Pioneers averaged 39.8 points en route to an 11-1 record this season. Included in that output were games in which they scored 50 (twice), 60 and 82 points.

Another name to consider? How about bringing former Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel – who struggled to a 2-8 finish in his first season coaching Don Bosco Prep – back to the staff after the Scarlet Knights' all-time leading passer served as the team's offensive graduate assistant in 2014. While Teel took over Don Bosco Prep under difficult circumstances, few doubt his offensive acumen.

Yes, we know hiring a high school coach to run an offense sounds crazy. But consider Kill was a Missouri high school football coach before he returned to his college alma mater, Pittsburg State, where he served as team’s offensive coordinator in the early 1990s.

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NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

LISTEN: Rutgers podcast Ep. 13

Ryan Dunleavy can be reached at rdunleavy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rydunleavy.

Keith Sargeant can be reached at ksargeant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ksargeantnj.