Ranking the 10 college football head coaching vacancies

Oct 31, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; UCF Knights running back Dontravious Wilson (7) carries the ball on a handoff from quarterback Justin Holman (13) in the first half against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Nippert Stadium. The Bearcats defeated Central Florida 52-7. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

UCF has best job among the Group of Five college football programs currently in need of a new head coach. Despite a dumpster fire 0-9 start to the 2015 regular season, which resulted in the abrupt retirement of head coach and interim athletic director George O’Leary, the Knights have had tremendous success over the past decade, including four ten-win seasons since 2007 and a 12-1 mark in 2013 capped with a 52-42 victory over Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl.

Not having an athletic director is a concern, as is the instant erosion of a football team that was 9-4 in 2014, but the positives far outweigh the negatives. North Texas may not be TCU or Boise State, but UCF could be. The school paid O’Leary nearly $1.9 million last season, and the program built a new stadium in 2007. Plus, with an enrollment of over 50,000 students, the alumni base is huge. Simply put, UCF appears willing to spend money on football.

Also, the Knights’ Orlando location is a stone’s throw away from some of the most talented high school football players in America. Every team east of the Mississippi recruits Florida heavily, and even though Florida State and the Florida Gators largely have their pick of the best players in the state, there’s still plenty of high-quality talent available to UCF.

Furthermore, the American Athletic Conference has made a big splash this season with Memphis, Houston and Temple making noise on a national level (and Navy may join them very soon), which raises the prestige of the league itself and its members and should attract more players and money from donors and boosters. Or, it could attract the attention of larger, more powerful conferences.

The right head coach should get UCF back on its feet in no time, and if a Chris Petersen type comes along that wants to stay for a while, the Knights could become one of the crown jewels among Group of Five programs.

Next: Maryland