File this under the category of not unexpected, but still worth a worry. A report out of EagleAction.com, the Rivals’ Boston College affiliate, is reporting that Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco will interview for the Eagles head coaching job. Veteran scribe Mark Blaudschun, who has a great handle on the B.C. athletic department, thinks the interview will most likely happen on Monday.

The defensive coordinator of the No. 1 team in the country, and the architect of the nation’s top scoring defense, will always garner attention in the coaching market. And with a ton of high profile jobs still on the market, you have to expect a young, enthusiastic coach like Diaco to get some attention.

For reference, here’s a look at the open jobs on the market:

Arkansas

Auburn

Boston College

Cal

Colorado

Purdue

Southern Miss

Tennessee

USF

UTEP

Western Michigan

At this point, you can likely cross off any non-AQ jobs for Diaco. With his star on the rise, there’s no reason for Diaco to take a stepping stone job like the one at UTEP, Southern Miss or Western Michigan, though Diaco spent the 2004 season coaching special teams and linebackers for the Broncos.

Diaco is the antithesis of the SEC, so you can all but cross off Arkansas, Auburn, or Tennessee from this list as well. While Colorado and Cal are intriguing options — Bladschun mentioned that Cal met with Diaco in Chicago this weekend — the academic profile at Berkeley is a good fit, but a coordinator moving to their first head coaching job with next to zero experience on the West Coast would be a daring hire by Sandy Barbour.

That leaves Boston College and Purdue, both places that should take a long look at Diaco. With Diaco’s roots in the Northeast, he’s got a great grasp of the area and has had success recruiting the East Coast for the Irish. While the Eagles’ role in the ACC isn’t necessarily the strongest, and Boston College’s facilities aren’t up-to-snuff when compared to the rest of college football’s elite, it’s certainly a great first head coaching job, and the academic and spiritual aspects are a great fit for Diaco.

Of course, any reports of an interview are a long way from Diaco getting hired. As a first time head coach, Diaco might not be ready to be a major program’s CEO, and a major media market like Boston might take some shots at a coach that doesn’t always come off as eloquent in his dealings with the press.

No time is a good time to lose a key assistant coach, and the month of prep before Notre Dame’s first national championship chance in 24 years certaintly is no exception. But Diaco is certainly worth of an extended look, and credit new Boston College athletic director Brad Bates for checking on the Irish’s dynamic defensive coordinator.