Rutgers and Matt Canada make sense as the unexpected answers to each other's searches for stability.

Rutgers is looking for its ninth offensive coordinator in the last nine seasons and Canada is expected to soon be searching for a job in that very role at his fifth school since 2012.

Multiple reports surfaced before the Citrus Bowl that LSU coach Ed Orgeron planned to replace Canada with tight ends coach Steve Emsinger after just one season on a three-year contract because they have a fractured relationship.

Orgeron dodged questions on Canada's future after Monday's loss to Notre Dame. Not exactly a vote of confidence.

If the expected happens, Canada's strange odyssey of the last 24 months will include two firings sandwiched around one hiring as one of the hottest offensive coordinators on the market.

Canada -- who worked with Rutgers coach Chris Ash at Wisconsin in 2012 -- was dismissed after three seasons at North Carolina State in January 2016.

The 45-year-old Big Ten alum (Indiana) rebounded once already as a finalist for the 2016 Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach at Pittsburgh. The Panthers ranked No. 10 in the nation in scoring (42.3 points per game) and set a school single-season record for points.

That earned him a contract with LSU as the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the country in 2017. He earned $1.5 million, according to USA TODAY.

Rutgers certainly won't be swimming in that end of the pool for its hire.

Former offensive coordinator Jerry Kill, who had a salary of $600,000 plus $45,000 in bonuses, was the highest-paid assistant coach in school history. He was scheduled for raises of $25,000 each of the next two seasons but retired due to health concerns last month and walked away from more than $1.2 million in guaranteed money, a source told NJ Advance Media.

But it is common practice in college football for fired coordinators and assistant coaches who are owed money to take a new lesser-paying job under an agreement. The former school then saves some money by paying only the difference between the two salaries.

Rutgers had a similar arrangement with coaches fired from former coach Kyle Flood's staff after the 2015 season. It is unknown if LSU and Canada will reach such an agreement, but that could put him in play for Rutgers and other schools not able to pay at the top of the market like LSU.

Rutgers is expected to be able to offer its next offensive coordinator a starting salary between $600,000 and $700,000, NJ Advance Media has learned. Canada reportedly earned $560,000 in his final year at North Carolina State and his salary at Pittsburgh was never disclosed.

Canada and the defensive-minded Ash worked as coordinators on opposite sides of the ball at Wisconsin. They remain in the same coaching circle along with recently fired Arkansas coach Bret Bielema, North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren and Pittsburgh defensive line coach Charlie Partridge.

Canada certainly fits Ash's desire to have an offensive coordinator specialized in quarterbacks. He coached the position at Butler, Northern Illinois and Indiana early in his career, and kept quarterbacks under his wing as an offensive coordinator at Indiana (2007-10), Northern Illinois (2011), Wisconsin (2012), North Carolina State (2013-15), Pittsburgh (2016) and LSU (2017).

At least one passer at each of those schools enjoyed career-high numbers under Canada, according to Saturday Down South.

Kill announced his retirement two weeks ago, but Ash was in touch with potential candidates before then.

Other names who have been hot in the search but appear to have cooled off for various reasons include Ole Miss offensive coordinator Phil Longo, Los Angeles Chargers tight ends coach John McNulty (Rutgers offensive coordinator, 2006-08) and Connecticut offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee.

Ryan Dunleavy may be reached at rdunleavy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rydunleavy. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.