James Franklin made the impossible happen at Vanderbilt, winning consecutive bowl games to cap nine-win seasons that each ended with the Commodores ranked in the final AP top 25 poll.
But now that Franklin has moved on to Penn State, Vanderbilt must find someone else to continue that upward trajectory.
Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris has been floated as an option, but Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney told GreenvilleOnline.com on Saturday, "We've got a great staff, they're all here, and I expect everybody to be back."
Another potential candidate, Louisiana-Lafayette head coach Mark Hudspeth, was already discussing a contract extension before the Vanderbilt job officially became available, TheAdvertiser.com reported.
Money will not be an issue, be it buyout or salary, Vanderbilt booster John Ingram told the Tennessean.
"We're looking for the best fit, and I'll think we'll have a lot to choose from," Ingram said.
"We're serious about this at Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt is on an incredible trajectory here academically and now athletically, and we're showing the world -- like Stanford and others -- they're not mutually exclusive."
Much like the Cardinal, Vanderbilt has enjoyed an uptick in recruiting -- Scout.com had the 2013 class ranked 19th in the nation, with four four-star signees -- by selling high-level academics with the opportunity to play high-level football to pull from a limited pool of prospects.
Franklin also did a stellar job developing the players he inherited, most notably with wide receiver Jordan Matthews. Matthews is the SEC leader in career receiving yards and enters the 2014 draft as the top senior at his position. Corner Andre Hal, safety Kenny Ladler and offensive tackle Wesley Johnson should also be selected in May, a testament to Franklin considering Vanderbilt hasn't had four or more players taken in the same draft since 1985, when there were 12 rounds.
The inherent challenge is not falling back into bad habits. Vanderbilt's most recent success before Franklin came with quarterback Jay Cutler leading the way, while Stanford had bouts of relevancy that usually coincided with a standout signal-caller like Jim Plunkett or John Elway. But head coach David Shaw's consecutive Pac-12 titles have come from stellar play at the line of scrimmage, building on what Jim Harbaugh established, while the Vanderbilt defense ranked fifth in the SEC in sacks and sixth in yards allowed this season.
Fundamental football is what allows a team like Vanderbilt to succeed. It can never match most of its conference foes in pure talent, but can make up for those deficiencies with stout, steady play.
Franklin's replacement will have to take those lessons into account if Vanderbilt is to remain a consistent winner.
Follow Dan Greenspan on Twitter @DanGreenspan.
