Ben Gross: Brandon, I’m putting you in the hot seat.

Brandon Mangia: All right.

BG: You’re Jim Phillips, athletic director of NIU. Who are you going to hire as the new NIU football coach?

BM: Right now, I’m looking at a couple of coordinators. I’m especially interested with ones who have ties to NIU. Two that stand out for me are Matt Canada and Scott Schafer. Schafer was the defensive coordinator at Western Michigan and now he has the same position at Stanford. Just this year, he lead a huge upset over USC. You can’t tell me the defense didn’t have a part in that win.

And Canada is the offensive coordinator at Indiana. Although the school isn’t known for football, if they are known for anything, it’s for producing an offense.

BG: Wow, you’re telling me that after a successful program has been built, you’re going to put it on the line with a coordinator that’s never been a head coach. No way. If I’m Phillips, I’m looking for a proven winner from Division I-AA. A guy such as current Ohio State coach Jim Trussel. In 14 years at Youngstown State, he won four national championships. Plus, with an overall record of 135-57-2, the Buckeyes knew they were getting a winner. That’s what we need.

BM: That’s a great story, but we can’t be dreaming. Plus, that was a job offer at Ohio State, not NIU.

Don’t forget that Joe Novak was a defensive coordinator before he landed at NIU. And look where he put this program.

Sure, it started with 23 losses in a row, but ever since they tore the goal post down in 1998, things have turned around.

BG: What happens if we bring in a coordinator and we have 23 losses in a row again? We can’t take that risk.

We need to bring someone in with experience. It’s like electing a governor president. They already have similar experience.

Why not look at Southern Illinois’ coach Jerry Kill? The guy is 11-1 this year, 54-31 at SIU and 103-56 overall. Plus, he’s a self-described overachiever. Exactly what you need at a mid-major to be successful.

BM: Yeah, he’s good. And sure, he beat NIU in the fourth quarter this season. But can he recruit?

A lot of Division I-AA teams get good because of transfers or guys just off the edge of making Division I-A programs. These players then choose to play at the top Division I-AA schools. I wonder if a coach like this can go out and recruit against the big dogs?

BG: Good point. He’s got no experience in recruiting. Why don’t we grab a Division I-AA coach who does have experience?

My dream pick is Jerry Moore from Appalachian State University. The win against Michigan this year wasn’t a fluke. Moore is 163-70 at ASU and in his 19 years, he won the DI-AA championship in 2005 and 2006, and he coached at Division I-A. From 1979-1980, he was head coach at North Texas, and took the same position at Texas Tech from 1981-1985.

BM: I think you forgot one thing: He’s 68. I don’t think he’s about to write a new chapter in his life. If anything, that book’s almost over. But if that’s your plan, why don’t you call Lee Corso? That way, he can wear the Huskies mascot on his head every game.