Florida Atlantic is reportedly considering Alabama assistant Mario Cristobal and Florida co-defensive coordinator Randy Shannon as potential head coaching candidates, according to FootballScoop.com.

Multiple sources tell FootballScoop AD Pat Chun would like to hire a coach with previous head coaching experience. Sources tell us among the candidates are both Mario Cristobal (assistant HC / tackles & tight ends / recruiting coordinator at Alabama) and Randy Shannon (associate HC / co-DC at Florida) but we also hear of other candidates, some with NFL experience. Will update as more is clear. Given the candidates, this one should play out after this weekend’s championship games.

Cristobal, who has served as Alabama’s offensive line coach since 2013, won 27 games as the head coach at Florida International from 2007-12, where he led the program to its first ever conference championship appearance*.

Shannon has spent most of his playing and coaching career in the state of Florida, with over 15 years experience as either an assistant or head coach for Miami. From 2007-10, he compiled a 28-22 record and led the Hurricanes to three bowl game appearances.

“We should be a Boise State, a Northern Illinois,” said FAU athletic director Pat Chun during a recent segment on ESPN Radio West Palm. “We believe, because of the high school talent locally, we should be a program that, once we get over that winning hump, we can sustain it because of the quality of student-athlete we can attract here.

“… We don’t want to be a visitor in a bowl game or a conference championship game. We want, every year, you can count on FAU being one of the top Group of Five programs in the country.”

The Owls haven’t participated in the postseason since 2008 and finished 3-9 for a third straight season in 2016.

For what it’s worth, Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports is hiring similar things regarding the FAU job:

* FIU was a member of the Sun Belt until a move to the C-USA in 2013