With Rod Carey off to Temple, the opening at Northern Illinois remains the only opening at the major college level right now.
Adam Rittenberg tweeted this morning that the three names he's heard most regarding the NIU job at Baltimore Ravens running backs coach Thomas Hammock, SMU defensive coordinator Kevin Kane, and Wisconsin offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph.
Our sources add that another name to keep an eye on is Matt Canada. Additionally we are told Huskies assistant head coach / offensive coordinator Mike Uremovich will interview this week for the job as well.
Northern Illinois athletic director Sean Frazier spent seven seasons working under Barry Alvarez before becoming the athletic director in DeKalb, so it makes sense that all the candidates laid out above have a history with the Badgers.
Hammock was an assistant head coach and running backs coach with the program from 2011-13, Kane served in a graduate assistant role and defensive quality control role with the Badgers to start his head coaching career before landing a full-time coaching job at Northern Illinois in 2011 where he ended up working with tight ends, linebackers and special teams. Rudolph coached the tight ends at Wisconsin from 2008-11 before following Paul Chryst to Pitt as offensive coordinator for a few seasons before their return to Madison.
Canada has head coaching experience on his resume after leading Maryland to a 5-7 mark on an interim basis this past season following the suspension, and eventual dismissal of DJ Durkin. Canada spent one season with Wisconsin (2012) as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Of Course, Canada went on to become the offensive coordinator at Pitt, LSU, and Maryland before being thrust into the interim head coach role this season.
Uremovich, who joined Rod Carey's staff in 2016 as offensive coordinator, previously was at NIU with Dave Doeren and then went to NC State with him as offensive line coach. Prior to joining Doeren's staff, Mike had served as head coach at University of St. Francis from 2005-11.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest as this one develops.