Stephen F. Austin's season ended on Nov. 15, but the Lumberjacks' head coaching search has been more or less ongoing since Aug. 6, when head coach Clint Conque resigned.
In conversations with sources, the SFA search can aptly be described as "Texas as hell."
Among the candidates in the mix at the Nacogdoches, Texas-based FCS school are Arkansas assistant head coach Jeff Traylor, Southern Miss wide receivers coach Scotty Walden, Texas A&M-Commerce head coach Colby Carthel and Austin Peay offensive line coach Joshua Eargle.
Traylor, an SFA alum, is an ultra-successful East Texas high school coach who did not join the college ranks until 2015, when he joined Charlie Strong's Texas staff. After that staff was fired following the 2016 season, Traylor joined Chad Morris' staff at SMU and then followed him to Arkansas, where he serves as associate head coach and running backs coach.
Walden is formerly the head coach at East Texas Baptist and rose to prominence when coordinating the NCAA's top offense as a 22-year-old at Division III Sul Ross State in West Texas.
Eargle is also a former head coach at East Texas Baptist. In fact, he handed the job off to Walden when he left to become the run game coordinator and offensive line coach at Austin Peay ahead of the 2016 season. Eargle also spent a season as the head coach at Hallsville High School in East Texas.
Carthel has been the head coach at Texas A&M-Commerce since 2013. He led the Lions to the Division II national championship in 2017 and guided the club to a 10-3 mark this fall.
Sources tell FootballScoop that TCU co-offensive coordinator Curtis Luper, also an SFA alum, was approached by SFA representatives but declined an opportunity to interview.
Other candidates could emerge as the search progresses, but that's who we've heard is involved to this point.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.