Charlie Partridge.

That’s the name of the man rumored to be the third head football coach in FAU history.

The head coaching position opened up after former Head Coach Carl Pelini resigned on Oct. 30 amid drug allegations. He was absolved of the allegations, but later fired for failure to supervise his staff. Athletic Director Pat Chun placed then-offensive coordinator Brian Wright in the position of interim head coach.

According the Sun-Sentinel, Partridge interviewed for the position on Dec. 13 and multiple sources say he will be announced as head coach early next week.

Patridge superseded other coaches under consideration like Ohio State running backs coach Stan Drayton. Chun removed Wright from consideration for the job on Dec. 11, despite the fact that Wright led the Owls to four straight wins and bowl eligibility (although FAU was never chosen for a bowl).

Partridge is currently the associate head coach and defensive line coach at the University of Arkansas and has been for a year now. He also spent time working at University of Wisconsin and the University of Pittsburgh beforehand.

While at Wisconsin, he developed a solid rapport with talented recruits from south Florida and proved that he is one of the best in the nation at recruiting players from the talent-rich region.

According to FAU Owl Access, Patridge will sign a five year deal worth around 2.76 million dollars, plus incentives. The Plantation, Fla. native was the lead recruiter in south Florida during his time at Wisconsin and Arkansas, and his ties to the region will pay immediate dividends on the recruiting trail.

Wesley Wright is the Sports Editor for the University Press. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @NotEvenWes.