After three seasons in Calhoun County, Jacksonville State coach Rich Rodriguez is headed home.

The coaching veteran was officially announced as the next head coach at West Virginia on Tuesday, returning back to his home state and the program he coached for seven seasons.

He helped lead the Gamecocks to a 27-10 record across his three seasons in Jacksonville and through a transition from the ranks of FCS to FBS. In what would be his final game with the program, he keyed the Gamecocks to a 52-12 rout of Western Kentucky for the Conference USA championship.

The Jax State job profile is certainly different than when Rodriguez was announced as head coach in November of 2021, and the coach is a big reason for that. Along with updated player facilities and a new-look stadium, Rodriguez, his staff and players almost immediately gave Jax State a reputation as a top Group of Five program.

Who will take the reins as Jax State’s next head football coach? Here are a few potential candidates to replace Rodriguez:

Bill Clark, former UAB coach

Clark is eyeing a return to the sidelines, and this opportunity is sure to spark some interest for the coach. A Jacksonville State alum and Calhoun County native, Clark spent one season as the program’s head coach in 2013 before taking over at UAB in 2014. Clark, a color commentator for Jax State’s football ESPN+ broadcasts this season, told AL.com in November that he has made a strong recovery from back surgery and has received interest from programs this offseason. Could the experienced Clark make a return to Calhoun County?

Todd Bates, Oklahoma co-defensive coordinator

A longtime assistant under Brent Venables at Clemson and Oklahoma, Bates could be ready to take on his first head coaching gig and move closer to home. A Heflin native, Bates was a team captain at the University of Alabama in the final year of his playing career before beginning his coaching career at Talladega High in 2007; he also coached at Oxford from 2008-2011 and spent three seasons as Jacksonville State’s defensive line coach under John Grass.

Bryant Vincent, Louisiana-Monroe head coach

One of many on this list with deep ties to the state of Alabama, Vincent guided ULM to its hottest start in program history with a 5-1 start with a loss to then-No. 1 Texas; the Warhawks finished 5-7, its highest win total since 2019. He coached UAB for an entire season after Bill Clark stepped down and led the Blazers to a 7-6 record and a win in the Bahamas Bowl against Miami-Ohio. Along with being an assistant at UAB and South Alabama, he was a high school coach as an assistant at Charles Henderson and Spain Park before becoming head coach at Greenville and Spanish Fort.

Rod Smith, Jacksonville State offensive coordinator

While he’s likely follow Rodriguez to West Virginia, Smith is an experienced coordinator at every level and could be ready to lead his own program; he’s currently set to serve as interim head coach in the Cure Bowl for Jax State. Along with playing quarterback under Rodriguez at Glenville State, he’s been on his staff at multiple stops including West Virginia, Michigan and Arizona. He also had a stint as Illinois’ offensive coordinator under Lovie Smith and was interim head coach when he was fired in 2020.

Lance Taylor, Western Michigan head coach

While it may be viewed as a lateral move, Taylor could certainly be in play for this position to return closer to home. A native of Mobile County and graduate of Citronelle High School, Taylor was a walk-on receiver at Alabama before earning a scholarship and special-teams captain honors. In his second season, Western Michigan will face South Alabama in the Salute to Veterans Bowl for its first bowl appearance since 2021; the team also finished with five wins in conference play since 2019.

Casey Woods, SMU offensive coordinator

One of the top up-and-coming coordinator names, Woods has been a key part of helping lead SMU to a berth in the College Football Playoff. With SMU’s first-round matchup against Penn State being on Dec. 21, the availability of Woods may be a factor in this search. Still, he’s helped pace an offense that ranks No. 10 among all FBS teams in total touchdowns (56) and No. 20 in total yards per game (443.1). Before taking the reins of the Mustangs’ offense, the Starkville, Mississippi, native and former Tennessee receiver also spent time as an assistant at Auburn and UAB under Bill Clark.

Joe Craddock, Tulane offensive coordinator

Another coordinator who has drawn some attention, Craddock has keyed an offense for Jon Sumrall’s team that has averaged 37.15 points per game and racked up a season-high 71 points against a reeling UAB team. The 39-year-old assistant is a graduate of Briarwood Christian and a native of Chelsea, serving as an assistant at Briarwood before stepping into the college ranks; he’s also been an offensive coordinator at SMU, Arkansas and Troy, also having a stint as UAB’s tight ends coach.

Rod McDowell, Jacksonville State running backs coach

While McDowell’s only true assistant role has been running backs, he’s a favorite among players and has established himself as an excellent recruiter, especially in the south and in the state of Alabama. There’s an understanding that he loves being in Jacksonville and has enjoyed moving to the area. Similar to Rod Smith, he’s extremely likely to follow Rodriguez to West Virginia but should be a name to watch during this transition period for both Jax State and WVU.

Bryan Ellis, Alabama tight ends coach

Another position coach, Ellis was hired to join Kalen DeBoer’s staff as the tight ends coach in March. Before joining the staff with the Crimson Tide, Ellis was an offensive coordinator for three seasons at Western Kentucky and two seasons at Georgia Southern; he was also an offensive assistant at Southern California under Clay Helton, where he coached quarterbacks. He shined as a coordinator at the Group of Five level, with his 2022 Georgia Southern offense breaking almost every passing record in program history and his WKU offenses always ranking among the top of the Group of Five. Before getting into coaching, he was a quarterback at UAB and spent two seasons there as a graduate assistant with the quarterbacks.

Neal Brown, former West Virginia head coach

While it’s not too common that a fired head coach steps directly back into leading a program shortly after his departure, a head coach swap could be on the table for West Virginia and Jax State. Brown was reportedly in the mix for a handful of positions, with FootballScoop reporting he was a candidate for the Appalachian State and Charlotte jobs. Should he immediately step back into leading a program, Jax State could certainly be on the table for the experienced coach.