The stock market may be depressing, but with all the enthusiasm as Jim Cramer, I urge you to buy stock in Washington Huskies football. They are going to make a "big splash" with this next coaching hire and in four years compete with the top of the Pac-10.

University of Washington president Mark Emmert loves himself some football. He understands what a consistent, winning program can do for a school as a whole. If you think you've heard his name before, he was basically the guy at LSU that fired Gerry DiNardo and lured Nick Saban away from Michigan State. I heard that turned out well.

Now Emmert has his buddy Steve Woodward as Athletic Director and the two will be sure to make the right hire. They've been planning this move for some time.

Washington Football has a chance to become the most popular sports team in Seattle. At one time it was, back when Don James ran a successful (albeit potentially illegal) program in the 80's and early 90's, culminating in a 1991 National Championship.

The venue is beautiful, the administration is committed to football. Aside from not exactly having a fertile recruiting base, any coach would love to move to Seattle.

So who might UW be looking at to make a big splash?

Lane Kiffin I expect the Huskies to go with a younger coach, one who can provide a bored fanbase new enthusiasm about the future and hopefully convince the wealthier alumni that a new practice facility is a solid investment.  Kiffin could do this. He's recruited the West Coast while at USC and clearly has the perfect model in Pete Carroll to follow. Kiffin also has the necessary chip on his shoulder that will be needed to climb out of the deep hole the football program is currently in.

Steve Sarkisian Another USC guy, one who has actual coordinator experience would make a great hire. He might not have the big name appeal of Kiffin, but also doesn't have the black eye. There's no doubt Sarkisian knows offense, but can he be creative enough to get points on the board without all the blue-chip talent? I don't doubt Sarkisian could convince a few high school all-americans to buy into his program.

Jim Mora Jr.  We know he'd want the job, but he's already tabbed as the successor to Mike Holmgren. That's big NFL money to compete with, but don't be surprised if Emmert is willing to throw that down. Mora Jr. may also feel a commitment to his alma mater and there's no doubt his enthusiasm and vigor are perfect. I'd tab him as the early front runner.

Gary Pinkel Missouri's head coach is being thrown out there as a name, thanks to his assistant coaching tenure during the Don James era. While he has strong ties to UW and likes the area, I don't see why he'd leave what he has at Missouri. Unless he feels that this run can't continue after Chase Daniel leaves.

The Usuals: Pat Hill, Chris Peterson and Gary Patterson. Intriguing, but too risky in my opinion.

Surprise? How about Mike Leach from Texas Tech. You want excitement brought back to Washington football, how does 400+ passing yards and 40+ points a game sound? I think he'd be willing to leave Lubbock for this kind of opportunity and the money Emmert would throw at him. Still a longshot.

I think it's Mora's job if he wants it, otherwise Kiffin would be a tremendous fit and investment. Who do you think will end up in Seattle?