If I was in charge of NBC's Today Show and was reeling with the loss of Matt Lauer, I would be placing a called to  Katie Couric. 

Let's be honest, Couric is the only one that can keep the Today Show ship on course and not have the show miss a beat. 

The former Yahoo Global Anchor is basically a free agent and she has the time to do it.

I'm not saying that she is Lauer's permanent replacement, I don't think Couric wants to go back to that grind. 

So, here's what I would do.

I would offer Couric a boatload of money to come back to Today and stay through at least the Olympics and maybe even the may book. 

The Today Show's ratings would stay strong and Couric could easily carry the show herself. Something that Savannah Guthrie cannot do. 

While Couric is there, I would try and figure out who would be the permanent replacement for Lauer and slowly work that person into the mix. 

Then by Summer of 2018, I name that person the new Today Show host. That way it is so far removed from the Lauer firing, the new host will not feel or get nearly as much heat and comparisons to Matt Lauer. 

If NBC took this advice, they could weather the storm and not take any sort of ratings hit. It also gets them through the Olympics and gets the show on track. 

That's what I would do, but we'll just have to wait and see how the Peacock plays it? 

Stay tuned....