Michael Haywood officially resigned as the head coach at Texas Southern on Tuesday, and the search for the next Tigers coach is playing out quickly.
Sources told FootballScoop Wednesday that Clarence McKinney is the top target to be Haywood's replacement, and that the job is his if he wants it. McKinney is currently the associate head coach and running backs coach at Arizona and has been a top lieutenant of Kevin Sumlin dating back to Houston. Prior to that, McKinney was a successful head coach in Houston, going 30-8 in three seasons at Yates High School, and prior to that spent close to a decade as an assistant in the Houston area.
Texas Southern is located in central Houston, and the Tigers play in the MLS Houston Dynamo's BBVA Compass Stadium near campus. Texas Southern has won only one SWAC championship in the last 20 years, in 2010, but that title was later vacated. The Tigers' next-most recent SWAC crown came in 1968.
Should McKinney not take the job for financial or other reasons, sources indicated the search could turn to Jerry Mack.
Mack is presently the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Rice, and prior to that was the head coach at North Carolina Central, where he won three MEAC championships in four seasons.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.