Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens launched a contingency plan in the event he would have to replace his football coach a week ago. It officially went into action on Tuesday when Willie Taggart accepted the job at Florida State. And UO sources said, the AD huddled with close advisors and flew out of Eugene that very night.

"It should go very fast," a person with knowledge of the coaching search said.

Fast is good. But I'm hoping it also goes well.

Mullens has contracted with the same search firm that helped him land Taggart 12 months ago. He's also picked a centrally located hub to conduct the interviews, sources said. He used Dallas as the "interview spot" the last time, in part, because he was regularly there for the College Football Playoff Selection Committee meetings. And I'm told by multiple sources that there are only a few select candidates.

Here's what I know: Kevin Sumlin is a candidate. Confirmed. And if the Ducks can get him, he'd be an upgrade over what they just lost. But hiring Sumlin comes with a tricky caveat -- you have to make sure he'll stay or you risk a repeat of the saga UO just endured with Taggart.

Boise State's Bryan Harsin is a person of interest because he interviewed well with the Ducks a year ago. No telling if he'll get another formal interview. Cal coach Justin Wilcox is going to get a look from Mullens. He grew up in Eugene, and given that the last hire was a mercenary, would serve as a nice home-grown correction. Tricky, though, would the Ducks really do to Cal what Florida State just did to them?

One Pac 12 coach said of Wilcox on Thursday: "They're crazy if they don't hire him! He will stabilize them immediately."

The search firm is expected to call on Fresno State coach Jeff Tedford, as his body of work is there, but I'm not sure he can win this race. Also, Washington State's Mike Leach has some important people pushing for him. And before you ask, "Why would Oregon look at Leach?!?" understand that the Cougars coach has won everywhere he's been (122-80 record, 14 bowl games in 16 seasons) and has also beat the Ducks three straight times.

Beyond that, interim Oregon coach Mario Cristobal will get an interview for the head coaching position, and I'm told by multiple sources that Oregon players greeted him on Wednesday at a team meeting with a huge ovation when he walked into the room. Cristobal is super interesting. He's going to win someday as a head coach, and he wants the job in Eugene, but the sense I get from sources is that Cristobal has a shot, albeit as about an 8-to-1 bet to win the race.

Recruiting really is what this hire is about for Oregon. Mullens brought Taggart to Eugene because they knew he was the Pied Piper of four-star players. They lost him to FSU, but the Ducks brass is now addicted to the recruiting adrenaline it got in doses over the last year.

Cristobal's chance to get this job feels directly tied to holding Oregon's recruiting class together and with making a passionate pitch to Mullens. Cristobal is telling insiders that he can hold most of the class together. He understands how to build and sustain a program and he's worked in big-time football. But in order to get the job, he's going to have to crush the interview with Mullens and post some major wins in front of the early signing period.