According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, FAU plans on reaching out to two candidates since football coach Howard Schnellenberger announced he would retire at the end of the season: Mike Leach and Randy Shannon. Both are big names — with baggage.

After opening the season 0-6, every disappointing loss has added to the noise and intrigue about who his replacement will be.

“Coach Schnellenberger and his disciples are all that FAU has known,” said the voice of FAU football, Ken LaVicka. “A name sells itself. Name recognition is important to FAU.”

Leach was the coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders from 2000 to 2009. For each of his ten seasons with the school, he finished with a winning record and the Red Raiders quickly became known for a high scoring offense year in and year out.

However, he left the school amid a great deal of controversy. One of Leach’s players, Adam James, claimed that Leach ordered him to stand in a darkened garage near the Raiders’ practice facility after James had suffered a concussion. Leach claimed he only instructed James to get out of the light and did not follow up on where he was sent.

The incident led to Leach’s subsequent firing and he has since found himself on the outside of coaching circles in the NCAA. Leach finished his tenure at Texas Tech with an 84-43 record, going 5-4 in bowl games.

Shannon is the former coach for the Univeristy of Miami. He took over at UM in 2007, under heavy pressure to return the program to championship form.

Shannon’s first season saw him finish 5-7 and he failed to make a bowl game, however his 2008 recruiting class was ranked fifth  in the country, according to Rivals.com. Shannon never lived up to expectations and was fired in 2010 after going just 28-22 in four years with the Hurricanes, and 0-2 in bowls games before being let go.

Who is the man for the job?

If FAU wants to make a splash, then Mike Leach is the man for the job.

Nobody else in college football wants this loose cannon on their sidelines, and he would fit perfectly with FAU, a program in the early stages of development.

Texas Tech was known for getting beat every year by other Big 12 powerhouses like Texas and Oklahoma. Leach was able to recruit successfully and turn the tables.

Now, Leach could be coaching in what is nationally known as the college recruiting mecca: Florida.

Leach’s other commodity is his ability to put a show on the field for fans. FAU’s offense currently ranks in the bottom 10 for almost all offensive categories. Leach developed what was known as the “Air Raid Offense” and broke several NCAA passing records.

“Mike Leach is one of the most innovative offensive minds in college football,” said Jorge Sedano, the morning drive host on 790 The Ticket. “He is radioactive, but he has maintained his innocence about the Adam James situation and he will sell tickets right away.”

Sedano also maintains that FAU fans must trust athletic director Craig Angelos to make the right decision.

“Fans will need to place their trust in Craig Angelos,” Sedano said. “The stadium will only be a novelty for a short time. Fans will need to be level-headed and understand the circumstances surrounding the program.”

“If I were making the hire, though, it would have to be [Mike] Leach.”

Leach would bring excitement to the Owls’ sideline and put fans in the seats. He would bring a sense of hope to a program that is of its lowest in its existence.

Randy Shannon is a name all too familiar to South Florida football. He has been coaching at the collegiate level since 1991 and has deep ties to the Florida community.

Recruiting is Shannon’s strength and FAU’s weak spot this year.

“[Randy] Shannon is a recognizable name and he may not fill the stadium like Leach would, but Shannon would certainly fill out the roster with talent that in other cases would go to similar Florida schools like FIU and UCF,” said LaVicka.

Shannon would have less pressure to succeed than he did at UM. There, he was taking over a program desperate to regain national success. FAU is desperate for any success.

If Shannon can somehow build FAU into a team mentioned in conversations about Florida’s powerhouse football teams, he could end up creating his own legacy, much like Schnellenberger has done.

For a school that has had a big name attached to its bigger athletic programs (i.e. Schnellenberger for football, Mike Jarvis for basketball), it would make sense to continue the trend and bring back hope for FAU football’s fans and future.

Look for Craig Angelos to try to reel in the biggest name available by landing Mike Leach as the next coach for FAU’s football program.