The committee appointed earlier this week to help find a replacement for John Mackovic as the UA's head football coach has a tough task ahead of it.

How do you find someone who can turn around a program that's become the laughing stock of the campus and the city?

Our advice to the committee: Find candidates whose personal records won't be liabilities, even if it means ruling out big names in favor of relative unknowns.

President Peter Likins has said that Mike Price, the former Washington State coach who lost his job at the University of Alabama after a strip club escapade in Florida, will not be considered.

He also said last night that Rick Neuheisel, a former University of Washington head coach, is out of the running.

Neuheisel got into trouble earlier this year after gambling on college basketball, a direct NCAA violation.

Likins has made wise choices in ruling these two men out. Despite their coaching prowess, their mere presence would be a distraction to a team that needs to rebuild.

What the UA needs is a coach who can bring in a strong group of recruits and who can lead a team that has reached college football oblivion back to competitiveness.

What the UA doesn't need is a coach who will make news off the field. Since Mackovic's tearful press conference and apologies for verbal abuse toward his players last year, UA football has been more of a circus act than a sporting event.

Besides, it could be in the team's best interest not to have a big-name coach like Price or Neuheisel. A lesser-known candidate might not generate the same interest right away, but if that person can start piling up wins, the fans won't care.

Clearly, a big-name coach isn't a panacea for a lousy program. Mackovic, who has decades of experience in the college and professional ranks, is the perfect example. When he came to campus less than three years ago, fans were hailing him as the savior of Arizona football.

Mackovic ended his tenure here on Sunday as anything but, and the search has begun for a new messiah. But we might have to find one where nobody's looking.

Opinions are determined by the Wildcat opinions board and written by one of its members. They are Kristina Dunham, Brett Fera, Caitlin Hall and Jeff Sklar.