Washington coaching candidates: Chris Klieman, Matt Campbell among options to replace Kalen DeBoer

The next Washington coach has some big shoes to fill as the Huskies enter the Big Ten in 2024

By Barrett Sallee Jan 14, 2024 at 2:50 pm ET• 3 min read

Washington coach Kalen DeBoer will be stepping into the biggest spotlight in college football as the Huskies coach has taken the Alabama job, replacing the legendary Nick Saban. DeBoer is 104-12 overall in stops at Sioux Falls, Fresno State and Washington. He recently capped an undefeated regular season by leading the Huskies to an appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship where they lost 34-13 to Michigan.

With DeBoer gone, attention now turns to his replacement in Seattle. DeBoer was 25-3 in his two seasons leading the Huskies, and whomever gets the job will have some massive shoes to fill with the added pressure of leading the program into its first season as a Big Ten member in 2024.

Historically, Washington hasn't tried to make a big splash during its coaching searches. It promoted Jimmy Lake from within after Chris Petersen stepped down following the 2019 season and hired DeBoer from Fresno State after DeBoer went 12-6 in two seasons with the Bulldogs. 

Will athletic director Troy Dannen follow the same path? Or will Washington try to capitalize on its time in the national spotlight and hire a superstar as it begins a new conference era? Let's break down some of the potential candidates to replace DeBoer.