Posted by: Pete Roussel on November 25 2012

The Tom O'Brien era is over at NC State.

After six seasons, O'Brien was dismissed as head coach on Sunday.

Athletic director Debbie Yow stated, "Coach O'Brien's service to NC State over the last six years has been sincerely appreciated by Wolfpack Nation. We especially appreciate his attention toward NCAA rules compliance, a value that will continue to be held by NC State. We wish him well in future pursuits."

Sources close to the situation tell me that Yow would like to hire Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin, but as I reported last week, don't be surprised to see Vanderbilt soon announce that Franklin has reached a new agreement that will keep Franklin in Nashville.

I have learned that Clemson offensive coordinator / quarterbacks coach Chad Morris is a strong candidate to replace O'Brien.  Morris is currently the highest paid assistant in college football, earning $1.3 million annually at Clemson.

Just two weeks ago, Clemson scored 62 points and totaled 754 yards against the NC State defense.

Before joining the Clemson staff, Morris served as the offensive coordinator / quarterbacks coach at Tulsa.

Don't be surprised if Colorado School of Mines head coach Bob Stitt enters the mix.

Bookmark the Coaching Search Ticker for all the latest transactions.

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