Utah State coach Gary Andersen is high on Colorado’s list to replace Jon Embree as football coach.

Sources say Andersen could be the No. 1 choice of athletic director Mike Bohn, who is also believed to be interested in recently fired California coach Jeff Tedford and first-year Fresno State coach Tim DeRuyter. Another coach believed to be on Bohn’s list is Northern Illinois coach Dave Doeren.

Andersen is the only candidate known to have had contact with Colorado, although that contact was informal, through his agent. Andersen led the Aggies to a 10-2 record in his fourth season this year, with the only losses at Brigham Young (a 6-3 score) and Wisconsin (16-14).

DeRuyter, a former defensive coordinator at Air Force, is known to be interested in the Colorado job. His name has also been connected with Cal, which fired Tedford last week. Andersen’s one advantage over DeRuyter is that DeRuyter has been a head coach only one year. However, he had an impressive first season, leading Fresno State to a 9-3 record and a share of the Mountain West title, as well as a 69-14 victory over Colorado.

Tedford left on a short vacation Wednesday and has not spoken publicly whether he is interested in Colorado, or any other program. It’s believed landing Tedford would be a longshot because he’s due to receive a $6.9 million buyout from Cal, and earnings from another coaching position would be subtracted from that buyout.

Also, he would take over a 1-11 program in worse shape than the 1-10 Cal team he took over in 2002, in both talent and facilities.

Doeren, meanwhile, led Northern Illinois to a No. 21 ranking and 11-1 season. NIU won the Mid-American West Division at 8-0 and meets No. 17 Kent State in the MAC Championship Friday in Detroit.

Doeren, 40, inherited an outstanding program from Jerry Kill, who landed the Minnesota job two years ago. NIU went 11-3 a season ago in his first year as the head coach, and defeated Arkansas State in the GoDaddy.com Bowl. He has a lot of experience at big-time programs. He was Wisconsin’s defensive coordinator from 2006-2010, and the Badgers made the Rose Bowl in his final season. The Shawnee Mission, Kan., native also was an assistant at Kansas from 2002-05, including co-defensive coordinator when the Jayhawks went 7-5, their first winning season in 10 years.

CBSSportsline.com and the Big Ten Network reported Colorado was in talks with former Kansas coach Mark Mangino. However, a source inside the athletic department said Mangino is not on CU’s list.

John Henderson: 303-954-1299, jhenderson@denverpost.com or twitter.com/johnhendersondp