By Ryan Dunleavy | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Rutgers fans hoping to have a new offensive coordinator as a Christmas present might have to settle for an early gift for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Chris Ash's search began with preliminary phone calls more than three weeks ago, before previous offensive coordinator Jerry Kill publicly announced his departure due to health reasons.

Ash has been deliberate in an attempt to identify the right mix of experience, offensive vision and commitment to staying at Rutgers for more than a year, all while staying within a reasonable budget.

This list includes most — if not all — of the last candidates standing, according to NJ Advance Media's various sources. It shows a second wind for candidates like Ryan Carty and Todd Fitch, who were on the initial hot board, as well as some names that were late additions.

Here are the pros and cons to each potential hire:

Don't Edit

Courtesy of New Hampshire athletics

RYAN CARTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

WHY HE IS A GOOD FIT: Put Carty under the category of "smart" hire. He has spent 10 seasons on New Hampshire's staff, including five as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach beginning in his mid-20s. He was initially hired by Chip Kelly — yes, that Chip Kelly — to be tight ends coach and he has coached running backs and quarterbacks as well.

So he checks the boxes for continuity, quarterback guru and versatility.

Don't Edit

The Carty name carries weight in New Jersey high school football, as his father, Kevin Sr., is a former Rutgers assistant under Dick Anderson who was far ahead of his time running a spread offense at Somerville High School in the 1990s and early 2000s. His oldest brother, Kevin Jr., is Hillsborough's football coach and his other older brother Sean played wide receiver at Rutgers for former coach Greg Schiano.

Don't Edit

WHY HE IS NOT A GOOD FIT: Don't put Carty under the category of "sexy" hire. Fans are expecting a bigger name than a FCS play-caller after a four-week search. And recruits might not respond to the New Hampshire resume — even if their coaches are on board — as they would a SEC resume.

Don't Edit

Carty has never been a FBS coach before — even though his name is brought up every year as a fit at Rutgers without gaining much traction — and Ash likes to be hands-off with his offense. Can he make Carty the head coach of the offense, as he did with former Big Ten Coach of the Year Jerry Kill?

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

TODD FITCH, LOUISIANA TECH OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

WHY HE IS A GOOD FIT: Fitch and Ash worked together at Iowa State in the mid-2000s, when the former was quarterbacks coach and the latter was defensive backs coach. They have remained close.

Fitch has been an offensive coordinator at Boston College (so he is no stranger to the Northeast), South Florida (so he is no stranger to Rutgers) and East Carolina before his current gig at Louisiana Tech. His stint with Boston College included two years as pass game coordinator and wide receivers coach and one (2015) as play-caller.

Don't Edit

In 30-plus years, he has never been a head coach so it is unlikely he is looking to make the move at this stage. And he has seen it all.

Fitch, who is making $150,000 per year, runs a spread offense — like virtually every team in Conference USA — that produced a Top 10 national ranking in both scoring offense and total offense in 2016. Louisiana Tech scored 51 points in a 2017 bowl win against SMU.

He has coached the likes of NFL Pro Bowl running back Chris Johnson and former South Florida quarterback B.J. Daniels — a name familiar to Rutgers fans.

Don't Edit

WHY HE IS NOT A GOOD FIT: How much of the credit for Louisiana Tech's offensive success belongs to Skip Holtz, who has been Fitch's boss at South Florida and Louisiana Tech? Holtz is the son of former Notre Dame coaching legend Lou Holtz and allegedly has a hand in play-calling.

Despite an extensive resume, Fitch isn't a household name or one that is going to have immediate recognition with recruits.

Don't Edit

Derick E. Hingle | USA TODAY Sports

MATT CANADA, LSU OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

WHY HE IS A GOOD FIT: He has worked with Ash before — and that comes with an understanding important for anyone on the list because Ash "won't let you not work hard," as Kill said. Canada and LSU coach Ed Orgeron reportedly clashed just one year into a three-year deal.

Don't Edit

Canada has a resume littered with Power Five stops — Wisconsin, North Carolina State, Pittsburgh and LSU — and a history of coaching quarterbacks to career years.

He likes to call his own shots, and the defensive- and special teams-minded Ash likely would let him. Canada's playbook also could be a match, with a mix of spread concepts and similar plays to what Rutgers implemented this year.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

WHY HE IS NOT A GOOD FIT: Canada was the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the country in 2017 ($1.5 million). That's about twice what Rutgers is willing to pay as long as the current administration is in place.

Canada was just fired at LSU with a buyout of $1.7 million guaranteed over two years that he can keep on top of the salary he earns at his next job. But that is not a guarantee he will come to work cheaply.

Canada will be looking for his fifth school since 2012. That’s not the kind of stability that Ash wants. His only stay longer than a year was at North Carolina State, under Ash’s friend Dave Doeren.

Don't Edit

Wade Payne | AP

JOHN MCNULTY, LOS ANGELES CHARGERS TIGHT ENDS COACH

WHY HE IS A GOOD FIT: McNulty, who was Rutgers offensive coordinator during a golden era from 2006-08, would be celebrated by fans, boosters and Schiano era Rutgers alums, some of whom have become disgruntled over being disconnected from the program.

To a lesser extent, he should be welcomed back by high school coaches, especially former Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel at Don Bosco Prep.

Don't Edit

McNulty was the wide receivers coach in 2004-05, so he was an active recruiter who helped land in-state Rutgers greats Kenny Britt and Tiquan Underwood.

McNulty has been in the NFL since 2009, mostly coaching quarterbacks and wide receivers — two areas where Rutgers desperately needs to improve production. And recruits generally love to feel that they are getting NFL-quality coaching.

Most of all, it is believed he truly wants the job. There is something to be said for that.

Don't Edit

WHY HE IS NOT A GOOD FIT: McNulty's success as a play-caller came using a pro-style offense and Ash still envisions a spread offense at Rutgers.

McNulty generated spread-like results — the first FBS offense ever with a 3,000-yard passer, a 2000-yard rusher and two 1,000-yard receivers in 2007 —but had an unreal collection of talent by Rutgers standards.

Don't Edit

There is nothing like Britt, Underwood, Teel, Ray Rice, Brian Leonard and Clark Harris in the cupboard right now, so how will he do with lesser talent?

Ten years ago is a lifetime ago in college football recruiting. A lot has changed since McNulty last had to woo high schoolers.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Mark J. Rebilas | USA TODAY Sports

JEDD FISCH, EX-UCLA OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

WHY HE IS A GOOD FIT: Though Ash is much more concerned with having the right schemer and gameday play-caller who can maximize talent than he is with geography, Fisch is a Morris County native who hasn't coached near home since the Arena League's New Jersey Red Dogs in 1998.

The time could be right for a homecoming.

Don't Edit

Like McNulty, the majority of Fisch’s experience is working with wide receivers and quarterbacks, so a theoretical boost for a passing game that needs a significant upgrade.

As arguably the biggest name still thought to be in contention — including Canada —hiring Fisch (and affording his salary) would be a signal across college football that Rutgers is committed to competing not just for bowl berths but with the brutal Big Ten East Division. He commanded $810,000 at UCLA.

Don't Edit

WHY HE IS NOT A GOOD FIT: Like Canada, Fisch probably isn't long for any assistant's job at this point, especially if he wants to be a head coach now that he has occupied the power seat. He reportedly interviewed last month at Missouri last week and was spotted at a bowl practice.

Could he be lured back to the no-recruiting life of the NFL after one season, like former Rutgers offensive coordinators Ben McDaniels, Frank Cignetti, Ron Prince and McNulty?

Don't Edit

11 people who will shape Rutgers football in 2018

Coaches, players, recruits and more

Don't Edit

What would potential grad transfer John Hilliman add to Rutgers?

BC running back on a visit

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Georgia State Athletics

TRAVIS TRICKETT, GEORGIA STATE OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

WHY HE IS A GOOD FIT: Trickett was the offensive coordinator at Florida Atlantic under former coach — and friend of Ash —Charlie Partridge after Brian Wright was fired.

Wright, who has found success as Toledo's offensive coordinator, is not a candidate at Rutgers despite other previous media reports. Trickett also followed Rhett Lashlee as offensive coordinator at Samford, after working as a position coach.

Lashlee interviewed for the Rutgers job, but his name cooled off and he left UConn to be SMU's play-caller earlier this week. If Ash liked Lashlee's offensive style, odds are Trickett's will appeal to him, too.

Don't Edit

At Florida Atlantic in 2016, Trickett’s offense set school records for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns while the Owls receiving corps produced seven 100-yard efforts.

At Samford in 2015, Trickett used two quarterbacks, and the duo led the nation in completion percentage (69.7 percent) while totaling for 3,662 yards and 22 touchdowns.

In other words, he has had success with run- and the pass-oriented playbooks. And he got his start as a graduate assistant at Alabama and Florida State, under coaching legends Nick Saban and Bobby Bowden, respectively.

Don't Edit

WHY HE IS NOT A GOOD FIT: Like with Carty, Trickett's job to the Big Ten would represent uncharted territory as a full-time assistant after coaching in FCS, Conference USA and the Sun Belt Conference.

Unlike Carty, he doesn't have New Jersey roots or a history of stability to fall back on, which means he might be a prime candidate for a one-year stint if a job closer to his home or with a former colleague opened up next December a la former Rutgers offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer.

Don't Edit

WATCH: RB Isaih Pacheco talks signing with Rutgers

Ryan Dunleavy can be reached at rdunleavy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rydunleavy.