8 Texas A&M coaching candidates to replace Jimbo Fisher, from Mike Elko to Dan Lanning

Texas A&M took a big plunge Sunday, paying Jimbo Fisher's record-shattering buyout of $77.6 million to get out from under a regime that struggled after an initially promising start.

Fisher, hired away from Florida State in late 2017, went 45-25 as the coach of the Aggies and 27-21 in the SEC. The Aggies parted ways with him following a 51-10 win against Mississippi State, after which Fisher said he didn't find the Aggies' struggles "frustrating" but rather "disappointing."

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, Elijah Robinson is to serve as the Aggies' interim coach while the new head coaching search begins in earnest. Texas A&M boosters have put a lot of money into the program, and there is no reason to think they won't continue to be ambitious. That means no name is going to be off the table when it comes to speculation.

The early names to come up are from successful programs all over the country. From the East to West coasts, the Midwest, and Texas itself, plenty of names are being thrown out early. How realistic the names are will become clearer as time goes on. But here are eight potential names who Texas A&M may pursue as it looks to gain a foothold in the SEC:

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8 potential Jimbo Fisher replacement candidates

Mike Elko, Duke

Mike Elko is a reasonable name to look at when thinking about who could be next in College Station. He helmed a defense that got better every year from 2018 to 2021 with the Aggies, then went to a Duke program mired in mediocrity and led it to 9-4 and a win in the Military Bowl.

Despite Duke's struggles after a hot start this season, Elko has shown he can turn around a program. The job in College Station obviously has more earning potential, and he has ties to the Aggies.

In other words: It just makes sense.

Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss

There are a lot of roadblocks between Mississippi and Texas.

Kiffin was feuding with Fisher for over a year, and he clearly took issue with Texas A&M's aggressive approach to NIL. But the Ole Miss coach brings a flash and a flair with recent success that would appease Texas A&M's ambitious boosters and fans.

The coach has been edging his way up the college football ladder, finding success at Florida Atlantic before joining the Rebels in 2020. Would Kiffin go for it, knowing his recent history? If the price is right, perhaps. But Ole Miss has quite a bit of season to play out first following Saturday's loss to Georgia.

REQUIRED READING: Texas A&M football married Jimbo Fisher's mediocrity. LSU must be laughing | Toppmeyer

Dan Lanning, Oregon

A reach? Definitely. A hope? Of course.

Lanning has been extremely impressive after just a year-plus at Oregon, going 19-4 (13-3 Pac-12) and 9-1 (6-1) so far this year. Lanning became a household name leading up to the Ducks' game against Colorado this year, where the mutual respect between him and his players became clear.

Lanning was the defensive coordinator at Georgia from 2019 to 2021, which is quickly becoming the new kingmaker position in the college football world. Those SEC ties make him a fit from a recruiting and success standpoint.

Among the obstacles to this hire would be the Ducks' ties to Phil Knight. If any school can compete with the Aggies' money, it's Oregon. And after a $77.6 million buyout, who knows what Texas A&M is willing to pay to wrest away another coach.

Kalen DeBoer, Washington

Staying in the realm of Pacific Northwest wing and prayer picks, DeBoer has made Washington a contender in a season-plus in Seattle. The Huskies are 21-2 (14-2 Pac-12) under DeBoer.

Like Lanning, he's arguably in his best position with a program ready to join the Big Ten. If anything might incentivize DeBoer to leave, it's that he could cash out on a wildly successful run with Michael Penix Jr., who is looking primed to be a lottery NFL pick in 2024.

DeBoer, however, hasn't left the northern states as a coach, and might be comfortable where he is. Nevertheless, what he's done with the Huskies is going to tie him to every marquee position that opens up for the foreseeable future.

Lance Leipold, Kansas

Another regional mainstay, Leipold has led one of the most impressive turnarounds in the country of Kansas. Following Les Miles' brief tenure, Leipold brought Kansas to the Liberty Bowl in his second season last year and has the Jayhawks at 7-3 (4-3 Big 12) with a win over Oklahoma in 2023.

Leipold has spent his career thus far in the Midwest, which may be a hiccup. But there's no denying his pedigree when it comes to bringing a program around.

MORE: Jimbo Fisher vs. Kevin Sumlin: Comparing Texas A&M coaches' records, contracts and more

Jeff Traylor, UTSA

Traylor is among the more realistic names on this list alongside Elko.

He's a relatively local name who seems ready and able to make the Power Five jump. UTSA is 36-13, including a combined 25-3 conference record in Conference USA (20-3) and AAC (5-0) play. With Traylor at the helm, the Roadrunners have three bowl appearances and look primed for a fourth.

While for some Traylor will be conservative when being tied to the Aggies, he could be a galvanizing hire after the style over substance tenure of Fisher. Traylor is also familiar with the beast that is Texas recruiting, something that no other coach (except the next name down) can boast on the list.

He's a Texas native and graduate of Stephen F. Austin, cut his teeth coaching in the Texas high school arena (including 15 years at Gilmer High School) and has since taken on assistant roles at Texas, SMU and fellow SEC program Arkansas.

Kliff Kingsbury, USC analyst

If Kliff Kingsbury is ready to get back into a head coaching role, this could be the spot.

Kingsbury's tenure with the Cardinals was, frankly, not entirely dissimilar to Fisher's time with Texas A&M. But he found some success with Texas Tech, including two winning seasons and three bowl berths. What could he do with the Aggies' resources?

With Lincoln Riley in USC, Kingsbury has had a solid run with Caleb Williams. However, it's hard to figure Texas A&M would take a risk such as this one.

Glenn Schumann, Georgia defensive coordinator

As mentioned above, "Georgia DC" is becoming a role for prodigal hires. The Bulldogs' defense hasn't missed a beat since Lanning's departure, thanks in part to Schumann (and thanks in other part to its incredible talent).

Texas A&M's aggressiveness in NIL should bring in great talent, and Georgia's culture of coalescence could be exactly what the Aggies need in their locker room.

Schumann's name is another one that is going to emerge among many high-profile jobs. The former Nick Saban grad assistant knows the SEC stomping grounds, and he knows what it takes to win there. He'll undoubtedly be someone Texas A&M takes a hard look at.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Texas A&M coaching candidates: 8 options after Jimbo Fisher fired