Who will replace Gary Andersen

With Oregon State football coach Gary Andersen's sudden departure this week, it's now up to Beavers athletic director Scott Barnes to lead a national search for Andersen's replacement. Here's a list of potential candidates who could be on Barnes' radar.

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Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images

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Bryan Harsin, Boise State head coach

Harsin is 34-11 in three-plus seasons leading the Broncos and is Boise through and through. He was born and raised in the city and played quarterback at Boise State from 1995-1999. He returned as an assistant coach for 10 years and took over the Broncos after Chris Petersen left for Washington. Boise State is off to an underwhelming 3-2 start in Harsin's fourth season, but he is familiar with the area, has an impressive overall record as a head coach and runs a creative offensive system. Taking over a long-term rebuild would be a new task.

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David Zalubowski/AP

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Mike Bobo, Colorado State head coach

Bobo has gone 18-14 at Colorado State and his Rams beat Oregon State 58-27 to open the 2017 season. The 43-year-old former Georgia assistant may be looking to ultimately go back to the SEC, like his predecessor Jim McElwain (Florida). But Bobo has found success out West and is regarded as one of the better offensive minds in college football.

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Mark Humphrey/AP

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Mike Norvell, Memphis head coach

Norvell went 8-5 in 2016, his first season as Tigers head coach, and his team is 4-1 so far this season. At 35 years old, Norvell is one of the youngest potential candidates out there. Yet he has experience in the conference after spending four years as the Arizona State offensive coordinator under Todd Graham. Norvell also earned an impressive 48-45 win over then-No. 25 UCLA early this season, one of many examples of his teams putting up points in bunches.

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Shannon Broderick/AP

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Craig Bohl, Wyoming head coach

Craig Bohl led North Dakota State to three consecutive FCS national championships from 2011-13 and is 17-26 in three-plus seasons at Wyoming. The Cowboys have not yet reached lofty expectations in Bohl's fourth year. However, the historic sustained success Bohl had at North Dakota State shows he's a proven winner. He won Mountain West Coach of the Year in 2016 and has brought in a top pro prospect in quarterback Josh Allen. Styles would clash, as Bohl runs a pro-style offense and 4-3 defense.

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Patrick Semansky/AP

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Troy Calhoun, Air Force head coach

Roseburg High School graduate Troy Calhoun has been head coach at Air Force since 2007, appearing in nine bowl games and compiling an overall record of 78-57. Calhoun was a quarterback at Air Force in the 1980s under legendary coach Fisher DeBerry and then took over for DeBerry in 2007. The Falcons are off to a 1-4 start but Calhoun's continued success with the complex triple-option offense under such unique circumstances make him an intriguing option.

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Patrick Semansky/AP

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Ken Niumatalolo, Navy head coach

As Navy's head coach since December 2007, Ken Niumatalolo has gone 82-42 and led the Midshipmen to a bowl game in all but one season. Media reports said Niumatalolo - a member of the LDS church - was BYU's first option for a new coach in 2015. He turned down the job, which ultimately went to then-Oregon State defensive coordinator Kalani Sitake. Like Calhoun at Air Force, Niumatalolo has found consistent success in a distinctive college situation by running a rare offensive system - the flexbone.

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Cory Hall, interim OSU head coach

The 40-year old former NFL defensive back will serve his first game as a Division I head coach Saturday against Colorado in the wake of Gary Andersen's sudden departure. Hall's first year of FBS coaching experience came as Oregon State cornerbacks coach in 2016, when he helped mentor future fifth-round draft pick Treston Decoud. Hall would need to orchestrate a major mid-season turnaround to earn consideration.

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Ted S. Warren/AP

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Jonathan Smith, Washington offensive coordinator

Former OSU quarterback Jonathan Smith is offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Washington. He previously held assistant coaching positions with Boise State, Montana and Idaho, and was a graduate assistant at OSU. Smith is a popular name with fans given his history as quarterback for Oregon State's Fiesta Bowl win in 2001. He could generate excitement with alums frustrated by recent seasons and his pedigree helping develop Washington quarterback Jake Browning amid the Huskies' resurgence gives him legitimate credentials beyond a feel-good homecoming story.

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Ted S. Warren/AP

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Jimmy Lake, Washington co-defensive coordinator

Lake, the co-defensive coordinator at Washington, also has coached defensive backs at Boise State, Montana State and Eastern Washington. He has NFL coaching experience with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Detroit Lions. The UW defense has been central to the team's rise back to the national stage and Lake's specialty working with defensive backs quickly has given him an impressive résumé. Three Huskies defensive backs were taken in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft and Washington ranks seventh nationally in passing defense this season.

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Alex Grinch, Washington State defensive coordinator

Alex Grinch has been Washington State's defensive coordinator since 2015. He previously coached defensive backs at Missouri (2012-14), Wyoming (2009-11) and New Hampshire (2005-08). Thanks to Grinch, the Cougars are no longer only known for Mike Leach's Air Raid and are a Pac-12 title contender. They rank 11th in total defense and have forced 15 turnovers, which ranks tied for fifth in the nation.

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Tony Ding/AP

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Jedd Fisch, UCLA offensive coordinator

Fisch is in his first season as offensive coordinator at UCLA. He spent the previous two seasons as passing game coordinator and quarterbacks/wide receivers coach at Michigan under Jim Harbaugh, and he has college and NFL coaching experience dating to 1999.

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Patric Schneider/AP

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Jake Spavital, West Virginia offensive coordinator

Jake Spavital (left) coached Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M. Spavital currently is offensive coordinator at West Virginia, and has also had college coaching jobs at Cal, Oklahoma State, Houston and Tulsa.

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Young Kwak/AP

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Beau Baldwin, California offensive coordinator

After serving as Eastern Washington head coach from 2008-16, Beau Baldwin now is in his first season as offensive coordinator at Cal. He also was head coach at Central Washington for one season in 2007, and before that was an assistant coach at Central Washington (1994-2002) and Eastern Washington (2003-06). Baldwin notably led Eastern Washington to an upset of then-No. 25 Oregon State to open the 2013 season.

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Tee Martin, USC offensive coordinator

Once best known as a member of the "Brady 6," Martin has worked his way up to offensive coordinator at USC despite turmoil at the top amid head coaching transitions between Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian and Clay Helton.

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Randy L. Rasmussen for The Oregonian/OregonLive

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Mark Helfrich, former Oregon head coach

Mark Helfrich was the Oregon Ducks' head coach from 2013-16, and served as Oregon's offensive coordinator from 2009-12. He also held assistant coaching positions at Colorado, Arizona State, Boise State and Southern Oregon. Now a television analyst for Fox Sports following an unceremonious exit from his previous job coaching the Beavers' rival, the Coos Bay native has obvious local ties and Pac-12 experience.

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Chip Kelly, former Oregon head coach

After coaching the Oregon Ducks from 2008-12, Chip Kelly left for the NFL in 2013. He spent three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and one with the San Francisco 49ers. Now a studio analyst for ESPN, Kelly previously held assistant coaching jobs at Oregon, New Hampshire, Johns Hopkins, Columbia and Nevada. A pipe dream? Yes. But after the success and excitement Kelly brought to the Ducks with his style of offense, his name will long be intriguing to those hoping to recapture that magic.