Oklahoma State football: Five schools that might be a good fit for Todd Monken

Monken has made it clear that's his ultimate goal. And he's a legitimate candidate after directing a Cowboy offense that remained potent in 2012 despite losing two first-round draft picks in Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon, needing three starting quarterbacks and several injuries on that side of the ball.

But Monken's not going to leave Stillwater for just any head coaching job. It must pay more than the handsome $600,000 salary he makes at OSU, and provide him with a realistic chance to win and continue to move up the coaching ladder.

Of course, the coaching dominoes have not finished falling, as more jobs will come open as others are filled. But here are five current vacancies for which Monken would be a good fit.

Louisiana Tech

The Bulldogs certainly like their offense — and have already mastered the Air Raid system that Monken runs at OSU. Under former coach Sonny Dykes, who took the Cal job last week, Tech led the nation in scoring with more than 51 points per game. Monken also spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Tech from 2000-01. This is a program that spent time ranked in the top 25 this season and paid Dykes $760,000.

Texas Tech

Of course, Texas Tech has been a hub for the Air Raid spread for more than a decade, and Tech watched Monken's version shred the Red Raiders for 66 and 59 points the past two years. Additionally, Monken's familiarity with the Big 12 and the recruiting grounds in Texas could make him an attractive candidate.