For the first time in 13 years, the coaching carousel has returned to the Ohio State football program.After head coach John Cooper was shown the door following his tumultuous 13-year reign, one of the premier coaching positions in America opened up. Although OSU Athletics Director Andy Geiger won’t name any names, there is plenty of speculation about the possible candidates.”This is a great job,” Geiger said. “This is a great university which is on the move. There are things happening here with the new academic plan, new leadership, new energy that I see everywhere. Ohio State is an extraordinary place and we will find somebody that we think is outstanding to lead the football program. The search is absolutely and completely wide open. Let me emphasize that we will do this well. If we do it rapidly, that’s fine, but that’s not as important as doing it well.”A nine-member advisory committee, including Geiger, will immediately begin searching for Cooper’s successor.Here is a list of potential candidates who have been mentioned for the Buckeye head job:Walt Harris, University of Pittsburgh head coach. Harris was the quarterbacks coach at Ohio State in 1995 and 1996 and he worked wonders with Bob Hoying and Joe Germaine, playing an instrumental role in the development of each. Harris released a statement yesterday stating his happiness at Pitt, but he never came out directly and removed himself from contention for the OSU job.Harris took Pittsburgh to the Insight.com Bowl this season, finishing the season 7-5. The 1997 Big East Coach of the Year, he has led the Panthers to two bowl appearances since becoming head coach in 1997. Harris also has collegiate head coaching experience at Pacific, where he guided the program from 1989-91.Glen Mason, University of Minnesota head coach. The 1972 OSU alumnus and assistant under former head coach Woody Hayes became teary-eyed in the post-game press conference after his Gopher squad thumped the Buckeyes, 29-16, at Ohio Stadium Oct. 14. Known for his ability to rebuild programs, Mason has done so at all three of his head coaching stops, earning conference coach of the year honors at each as he became just the third coach in NCAA history to win conference coach of the year laurels in three conferences.Mason’s career record of 81-89-1 during his 15 seasons is less than spectacular, but he has guided the once-floundering Golden Gopher program to back-to-back bowl appearances, including the Micronpc.com Bowl this year.Gary Moeller, Detroit Lions head coach. A three-time letterwinner and 1962 captain for Ohio State, Moeller brings plenty of Big Ten coaching experience to the plate. Moeller served as head coach at Illinois from 1977-79 and Michigan from 1990-94. Moeller spent 24 years at Michigan in various coaching capacities.This year, he earned the head coaching job for the NFL’s Detroit Lions and posted a 4-3 record after Bobby Ross resigned midway through the season. Moeller served as an NFL assistant with Cincinnati and Detroit for five-plus seasons before stepping into the Detroit head spot. Fred Pagac, Ohio State assistant head coach. If OSU promotes from within, he’ll be the man. Pagac has 19 years of collegiate coaching experience, with all of it coming at OSU as an assistant. He also received a vote of confidence from Cooper, who voiced his support for Pagac during a press conference yesterday.Also an OSU alumnus, Pagac has been a huge factor in building the Buckeye defense to national prominence. The Buckeye defense was ranked near or at the top of the Big Ten in several categories this season, including scoring and rushing defense, this season.Chris Spielman, former Ohio State All-America linebacker. Spielman has openly campaigned for the head coaching position, but has stated he only wants the head job. With no prior coaching experience of any sort, he may be a long shot for the position, but he is the sentimental favorite of many Buckeye fans.Spielman’s fiery attitude and passion for the game has endeared him to OSU fans for years and could be a major asset in solving the punkish attitude which has been a major concern for OSU over the past few years. Spielman has been away from football since retiring from the Cleveland Browns in 1999 due to a serious neck injury.But the winner of the battle for the Ohio State coaching position is just as likely to come from a surprise entry. With its high-profile status, Ohio State has the ability to woo some of the big-name coaches from around the football world. Some interesting possibilities include Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops, a native of Youngstown, Ohio and South Carolina head coach Lou Holtz, also a native Ohioan and assistant under Woody Hayes.