With Oklahoma's Bob Stoops following Steve Spurrier into retirement, the visor-wearing coach contingent has absorbed a pair of mighty blows during the past 22 months.

Still, rumors of the cap-less hat's demise has been greatly exaggerated. The visor is, in fact, alive and well -- but who will take the torch from Stoops as the preeminent wearer of the brim? We rank the candidates.

15. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma

Big Game Bob passed his program to Lincoln Riley who, like Stoops, has shown an affinity for the visor. Riley makes the list, but his inexperience costs him here. Rock the visor in a road victory at the Horseshoe against Ohio State and we can talk, Coach.

14. Mike Sanford, Western Kentucky

The head man at Western Kentucky is one of the young rising stars within the profession. The Hilltoppers propensity for hitting home runs when filling a head coaching vacancy would be impressive for any program -- let alone one within the Group of Five.

13. Chad Morris, SMU

Turning around Southern Methodist was no easy task, but Morris -- in spite of repeated injuries to what appeared to be a potentially transcendent quarterback in Matt Davis -- has all but conquered the uphill battle.

12. Lane Kiffin, Florida Atlantic

Hate him or love him, Lane Kiffin's ability to coach offense and make headlines is undeniable. A visor is a great look in Boca Raton, and the former Alabama offensive coordinator may have himself a JUCO transfer at quarterback who can make it look even better.

11. Kirby Smart, Georgia

Georgia's head ball coach doesn't go to the visor as frequently as it takes to move into the top 10 of this list, but he does coach the hell out of some defense, with or without it. Of course, visor-wearing coaches tend to have above average offenses -- which can't be a coincidence -- so maybe Smart should don one more often this season.

10. Troy Calhoun, Air Force

Calhoun also loses points for frequently going away from the visor, but coaching a service academy to nine bowl appearances in 10 years -- not to mention winning 10 games twice in the past three years -- is worth a lot.

9. Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M

Like many from the Stoops coaching tree, Sumlin maintains a commendable commitment to the visor. Unfortunately, Texas A&M is just 6-12 against SEC West foes over the past three seasons. If Sumlin wants to rank higher for not closing out his hat, he will need to close out the season stronger.

8. Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia

Holgorsen doesn't always go to the crown-less cap, but when he does, he's a perfect match. The visor has long been synonymous with points and personality, and the head Mountaineer provides us with plenty of both.

7. Larry Fedora, North Carolina

Maybe the visor is an Oklahoma thing. Fedora is one of six coaches on the list with previous coaching ties to the Sooner State, having served as the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State from 2005-07.

6. Willie Taggart, Oregon

Coach Taggart may find that the climate in the northwest part of the country isn't quite as favorable for uncovered heads as South Florida, but it's going to take far more than a chill in the air to derail his Gulf Coast Offense.

5. Gary Patterson, TCU

Patterson has taken TCU from a Group of Five curiosity to a perennial Power Five conference contender. The Frogs once won with defense. Today, they're an offensive power. Along the way, the one constant has been Patterson's preference for partially covering his head on game days.

4. Ken Niumatalolo, Navy

It would take far more than a paragraph to recite the number of things that are awesome about Navy's head football coach. Niumatalolo is the first ethnic Samoan college football coach and a member of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame. A Paul Johnson disciple, Niumatalolo played quarterback in Johnson's triple option attack at Hawaii. Oh, and the visor thing.

3. Gus Malzahn, Auburn

The former Arkansas high school football coach began wearing visors long before he patrolled the sidelines in Auburn, AL. Though he has occasionally gone to the traditional ball cap of late, topless headwear has served him well.

2. Dan Mullen, Mississippi State

One of the most underrated head coaches in the country, Mississippi State's head dog has turned his program into a perennial bowl team en route to becoming the second-winningest coach in school history. Mullen would be the perfect choice as the heir to the visor-wearing throne if not for…

1. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State

When it comes to rocking a visor, Mike Gundy's lettuce might as well be a PED. Business in the front, party in the back, Gundy's mullet is the best reason to opt for headwear that shades the brow while letting the hair flow freely.