Plough's name coming up as a possibility for Oregon State If Cal offers Plough, I would see him accepting it since if he really wanted, his family could stay in Davis or somewhere not far away. Cal finally appears like they are getting serious about football. Those of us who also follow Cal want Wilcox fired. Ron Rivera is righting the ship there in spite of Wilcox.
While coaches probably don't think this way, taking the Oregon State job has really no upside. They got relegated and Oregon is not a recruiting hotbed.
The benefit with hiring former players means they have connections to the school and it means if things are equal, they are happy where they are. Look at Hawk and Plough, but I won't fault him if he leaves on good terms. Just hope it is after the playoffs. On the other hand, Oregon State loves hiring old Beavs and that hasn't worked well for them.