Rutgers pulled the plug on the Chris Ash era, relieving him of his head-coaching duties after three-plus seasons on Sunday following the team’s 52-0 loss to Michigan. Ash’s squad was also shut out by Iowa this season.

The Scarlet Knights are 1-3 and will play Maryland next with tight ends coach Nunzio Campanile as the interim head coach for the remaining eight games. Along with Ash, offensive coordinator John McNulty was terminated as well.

Ash finished his tenure with an 8-32 overall mark, including a 3-26 record in the Big Ten. His best season came in 2017, when he led Rutgers to a 4-8 mark with three conference victories. But in 2018, Rutgers finished 1-11 and 0-9 in the B1G.

Rutgers is one of the most difficult jobs in Power Five football, but Campanile will have a chance to earn the permanent gig. However, athletics director Pat Hobbs is expected to go after someone with head-coaching experience after Ash disappointed as a first-time leader. Perhaps things would get interesting if Campanile rights the ship a bit and wins a few games. Maybe he’d even be able to bring his younger brother, Anthony, in from Michigan if he gets the permanent gig. However, it’s much more likely that Hobbs goes after someone new.

It’s never a good look for a school to let go of a head coach during a season, especially when the calendar hadn’t even flipped to October yet. But Hobbs wanted to get a head start on selecting a new program builder in Piscataway, and he is the first AD to enter the coaching carousel as he searches for a leader who can get the Scarlet Knights back looking like the team that went 8-5 in 2014 under Kyle Flood in the school’s first season in the Big Ten.

Let’s take a look at a few candidates who make sense outside of Greg Schiano, who may not even want to return to Rutgers even if Hobbs wants him. Schiano led the team to its dream season in 2006 when it went 11-2 and finished No. 12 in the country. But it’s hard to see him returning.

A Schiano-esque option could be Detroit Lions linebackers coach Al Golden, who was linked to this gig in the past. He would be a hit with New Jersey’s high school coaches.

Okay, onto a couple of coaches who make a lot of sense…

Lance Leipold, Buffalo head coach: He should be atop the list of any AD looking for a new head man for his football program. Rutgers fans should know him because his Bulls squad beat the Scarlet Knights on the road last year. Leipold claimed six Division III national titles in eight years at Wisconsin-Whitewater, and he led the Bulls to a 10-4 mark last year. He could also come relatively cheap — a bonus for Rutgers, which still has to pay Ash.

Jason Candle, Toledo head coach: The Rockets didn’t stumble too much following the departure of Matt Campbell to Iowa State. Candle has a MAC championship to his credit and won 21 of his first 28 games after replacing Campbell. He has lost three straight bowl games, but the Rockets are 3-1 this season following their win over BYU. The bottom line is that Candle will eventually get a Power Five gig because of his offensive reputation. He would need to really make his mark in the fertile recruiting area that is New Jersey, though — that’s certain for whoever is chosen, of course. But Candle has never played or coached outside of the state (except for a short playing stint at Geneva College in Pennsylvania). So it would be even more crucial for him to make inroads in the state with high school coaches.

Ohio State co-defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley: The Jersey native was an assistant for a short time with the Scarlet Knights, coaching current NFL players Duron Harmon and Logan Ryan in 2011 as the Scarlet Knights’ secondary coach. He has strong Northeast ties and is regarded as one of the best recruiters in the country. The lack of head-coaching experience, though, would be difficult to overcome. Plus, Ash came from Ohio State.