First of all, if Drake considers a coaching change this year, the AD should start by calling Rob Ash.  Discuss the situation with him, and hope that he shares some insight.  He knows stuff.

Aside from getting Ash's counsel, several current head coaches might/might not be available for '23.  I personally would like D to hire an experienced head coach.  To paraphrase Lou Holtz, you want someone who doesn't need to be trained in how to be a head coach.

Some possibilities:

--Steve Ryan, Head Coach, Morningside.  210-41 at Morningside; 3 NAIA national championships (and current #1 ranking).  20-some years ago, he was an assistant to Chris C at Ottawa University. He picked up a number of his former boss' unique methods.  If hired at Drake, he would continue the recent tradition of deeply religious head football coaches.  Does he want to finish his career at Morningside, or has he accomplished all of his goals in NAIA football?

--Aaron Keen, Head Coach, Washington U. St. Louis.  Prior to 2020, he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Chris C. at Eastern Michigan.  He was 7-4 last year with Wash U , including a bowl loss.  His resume includes two seasons, 2012-2013, as interim coach at Minnesota State. He was more than a placeholder for the (temporarily) suspended head coach...he took his team to the D-II playoffs both years, with a semifinal appearance in '12.  He's a Wash U. alumnus, so he might be thinking about keeping his current job for awhile.  Or not.

--Joe Woodley, Head Coach, Grand View.  A former Iowa State player, Woodley has been a longtime coach at Grand View -  the head coach since 2019.  His team lost in the '21 NAIA championship game to Ryan's Morningside squad.  He is the brother of former Bulldog assistant basketball coach Matt Woodley, who is now at Wake Forest.

--Jeff McMartin, Head Coach, Central.  McMartin has a .750 winning percentage in 18 seasons.  As with Keen, he's coaching at his alma mater.

An offensive minded is coach is what is needed… the Defense seems to do a good job year in and out, and realize there may be changes if a new HC comes in but the D staff if they stayed would be well suited to be paired w a HC with D1 experience and an OC that can find ways to spread the O and score points. Drake shoud not settle… aspire and find a coach that can elevate the program.

Is there anybody from Rob Ash's coaching staffs that might be available?  Time to break away from the Chris Creighton tree (Creighton-Fox-Stepsis).  Last two hires have been from within.

Here’s a former Rob Ash assistant who also worked with Bulldog alum Charlie Partridge.

https://pittstategorillas.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/brian-wright/579

Yes!

He wouldn't work for cheap...but as Dawgfootball said, Drake should not settle.  Agree that the Ash tree (pun intended) is preferable to Drake's current lineage. 

If Drake hired Brian Wright, he might bring Pat Cashmore with him as special teams coach.  Let Willie focus on D-line.

Pitt State is currently 2-0 and ranked #16 in the D-II coaches' poll.

He looks like a great candidate and at $102k a year (2020) I’d say more than affordable…

Not sure what Drake has been paying.  Morehead State's coach was making $120k a year in 2020. If Drake is paying a market salary, they should be in a position to give Wright a raise.

Dreamers' Update:

On Saturday, #7 Pitt State defeated #9 NW Missouri, improving to 6-0.

From what I've been told, Pittsburgh State is paying him far more than what Drake is paying Stepsis.

Yeah, I see his 2021 salary increased to $164,054 - about 60 percent more than the previous year.  It's reasonable to believe that he got an additional bump this year, and he's certainly earning a raise for next year.

Yet another option? ...bring someone with offensive coordinator/QB coaching experience back to the Midwest.

https://colgateathletics.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/brent-bassham/2104

Erik Link: whatd'ya think?

https://mutigers.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/erik-link/2312


Edit - He's making over 400k at Missouri, so....

McMartin's Central team lost its first game of the season last weekend, against Wartburg.  Wartburg head coach Chris Winter, like McMartin, is coaching at the school he attended.  Also, Winter's wife runs admissions and cheerleading at Wartburg.  I'd say the couple are Wartburg lifers.

Remember the team's worst home loss ever:  77-7 to South Dakota (2017)?  There were two notable coaches on the sidelines.  One was Drake defensive coordinator Todd Stepsis.  The other was South Dakota offensive coordinator/qb coach Ted Schlafke.

Schlafke resigned from South Dakota this week. 
He is in his 30s.  At one point he was (a very young) offensive coordinator at Western Illinois.

https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2022/10/13/usd-former-offensive-coordinator-ted-schlafke-part-ways/

So the head coach was dissatisfied with the team's offensive production against Kansss State, (fcs#1) NDSU, (fcs#2) Montana, and (fcs#3) SDSU?  Give me a freaking break.

Grand View is now 8-0.

Would Drake give Joe Woidley a reason to jump to a 0-8 team?  Would he be able to recruit student-athletes who qualify for academic financial aid at Drake?

I like this guy a lot:
https://tulanegreenwave.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/john-mcmenamin/4538

Could he be lured out of the Big Easy?  Who knows.  Maybe he's getting homesick for the Midwest.

I don't know what Tulane is paying him.  Would he be affordable? ...there was a time when USD hired Ron Caragher - then a position coach at Kentucky - as HC.  Also, look at who Butler hired this year.  It can be done, even at Drake.

Tulane is elite

Better academic reputation than D, yet they recruit football players with profiles similar to Drake's.

Moneywise, the school is not getting Power 5 revenue and doesn't pay Power 5 salaries.  Nor is Green Wave football particularly elite...although they've risen from a 10-loss season in '21 to a current #23 ranking.

However, McMenamin would have to really, really, want a D-I head coaching position to leave his Tulane gig for Drake.