Husker fans might be wary because Stoops appears to be a blend of Mike Riley and Bo Pelini, but somehow hes made it work in Lexington. The 11 games that explain the downfall of Nebraska football. Closing Comment: It would be interesting to see Hoke roam the sidelines in Lincoln, and he would almost certainly do a better job than Scott Frost, but there isnt much he can provide in the long term. Aranda probably wont be coming into the Big Ten with the same level of naive arrogance, shooting off his mouth about how the conference should adjust to him. How much support would he get? Why It Might Work: Hes a Husker who happens to be an NFL head coach, almost won a Super Bowl, and hes only 39. Jeff Schwartz (p) (402) 395-2134 How to Apply If you are interested , submit your application! Doerens time in Raleigh has been good but not great, and he hasnt lived up to the hype that came when he arrived after shocking everyone by going 12-2 at NIU. Aside from 2021, hes had an impressive coaching career and Nebraska should definitely consider him. There are many who would see this hire as a bit of a desperate move. Im sure youve heard of him. I hear his wife makes a mean plate of nachos. Creighton is 53. Oh, and his current OC is Tim Beck. And if that were to happen, Nebraska wouldnt be the only program interested. (Consider this: How many guys with statues on campus are firedduring the season?) Closing Comment: Its a huge if whether he leaves an NFL coaching gig in his prime when the Bengals have finally achieved liftoff. Closing Comment: Mickey Joseph would no doubt excite some Husker fans, and while I do get the argument for his upside, hes now 54 without a major head coaching gig. GP has plenty left in the tank at age 62 after a bitter departure from TCU. The former Washington head coach who led the Huskies to their only CFP appearance and who also built Boise State one of the Group of Fives top level programs, Petersen is currently retired and seems happy to be so. As soon as Matt Rhule was fired from the Carolina -Lance Why It Might Work: Hes still young at 47, and its not like his career has been a complete failure. Yes, fresh faces do seem to be chosen often over known entities, but given the state of Nebraskas program, they would probably be better suited to pursue at least a former head coach. He took a lowly Arizona program to the Pac-12 championship before losing to Oregon, proving hes capable of making a run in the right circumstance. But here it is as written around September 12, with minor edits.). Closing Comment: This seems like the safest pick. The question is whether Nebraska wants to face the price tag and stomach the baggage. So stay tuned. He will have many suitors. That changed when he brought in Tom Allen, who took over after Wilson was oustedpartly from clashing with the community, among other things. He fell behind at LSU and seemed to coast on his championship laurels. Here is a look at five early candidates for the vacant Nebraska head coaching job. You may think Nebraska needs to hire him immediately, or you may think that Nebraska should not touch him with a ten thousand foot pole. No, we need more. Well, it may surprise you to learn that Matt Entz has a Masters Degree in Education from Wayne State College in Nebraska. Anytime you nab a successful head coach from the SEC, its going to create buzz. Like Frost, he has a national championship ring (LSU, 2019). could be open soon, and in my opinion Chadwell would probably prefer to wait for one of those to come calling than any Big Ten offer. He didnt, but a lot of that was because he didnt have internal support. Closing Comment: He looks like a great choice for a bridge coach, which, considering where Nerbaska is right now, might be a strong strategy for the future. He knows the Midwest and the Big Ten well. Less what? Nebraska football coaching hot board: 21 candidates for the job Jimmy Watkins , Evan Bland , Sam McKewon , Luke Mullin Sep 12, 2022 Updated Sep 26, 2022 Why It Might Not: NC State still hasnt had the type of special season you would expect from someone who could be a great head coach. Closing Comment: It seems like it would take a lot to talk Petersen into coming to Lincoln. Kentucky had no expectations when they hired him. Why It Might Work: Johnson has quietly built up an impressive resume as a coordinator. Some argue that he left BYU for Virginia to prove he could coach and win outside the Mormon comfort of Provo, but even at the time it felt odd. Candidates. If youre looking for consistency, this might not be the best choice. In moving from the Big 12 to the Big Ten, the program lost its identity. There are some reports he prefers the job he has now and is settling in. Were less than two weeks away from the start of NFL free agency, which begins at 4 p.m. FCS champion coaches havent always done great with the jump to FBS, and Bohls time at Wyoming isnt anything to write home about (other than a certain quarterback). Why It Might Work: He has head coaching experience from his time at Indiana and is at least familiar with the challenges of running a Big Ten program. Traditional recruiting grounds in Texas and California were either ignored or eventually shriveled up. It would raise eyebrows if he came to the Big Ten. Klieman went 69-6 with the Bison and was hired by Kansas State in Dec 2018. Scott Frost has been fired. Hes never been a head coach but Johnsons acumen as an assistant makes him someone likely to get an offer soon. He flamed out of the NFLtwice. The Wisconsin stint in particular gives him Big Ten cred. It would appease all Husker fans who want to go back to that style from the Osborne days, and theres no better choice for that than Monken. He retired from both Florida and Ohio State for nebulous reasons. Nebraska is not the same quality of job it used to be. And would he stick around, even if things go well? While things can and will almost certainly change before the end of the regular season, these are five realistic names for the Nebraska opening among current Hes the current head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats. Why It Might Work: Hes a phenomenal recruiter and has demonstrated the ability to both scout and develop talent. Hes a household name and hes crazy. Has the Hes been under the big lights of a major college football program, and may be looking for another chance to be on that kind of stage again. That guy was Scott Frost. With little more than a single impressive season, there are reasons for skepticism. Theres a reason it isnt in vogue anymore. The former head coach at Indiana, hes now Ohio States offensive coordinator, and doing an excellent job there. And it begs the question, why has no one given him a serious look before now? He was a part of the Minnesota breakthrough in 2016 that set the runway for P.J. The coaching carousel is always fun. Okay, okay, in all seriousness, Grudens name gets floated only because hes so damn fun to watch. At most this would feel like a bridge coach. Stoops has produced double-digit win seasons, has his program regularly vying for an upper spot in the SEC East, and has sent multiple players to the NFL drafts early rounds. Why It Might Not: Taggart was presumably given every help and benefit at Florida State and his failure there was not just the result of impatient boosters. Malzahns record is proven but hes far from perfect. Chadwell racked up numerous Coach of the Year Honors for the job he's done recently. Northwestern has played in two of the last four Big Ten Championship Games. And yes, hes from the Stoops family and is an Iowa alumnus. This guy has been around. Why It Might Work: Like Jeff Monken, Calhoun is 55 and is an established head coach well-versed in the triple-optionwhich, again, is the most difficult scheme to prepare for. He won a national title in 2000 and racked up several conference championships during his tenure. Patterson knows Nebraska and its culture; he would come out of the box blazing on the recruiting trail. Closing Comment: Mark Stoops would be a solid hire. Nebraskas top three candidates for the open coaching job are Iowa States Matt Campbell, Kansas coach Lance Leipold and Alabama offensive coordinator Second tier is "May Generate Excitement." A competent athletic dept. Gary Patterson, Texas analyst: This makes so much sense. Matt Campbell, Iowa State coach: Several sources have told CBS Sports that Campbell is interested in Nebraska. Johnsons lack of experience in that area means every aspect of how hed run the program would be unknown until we see it. Why It Might Not: At 64, Bohl is definitely on the tail end of his coaching career, and it might be asking a lot for the guy to completely rebuild his alma mater into something respectable. Sure, but I feel like it would take a lot of rejection for Trev Alberts to dial his number. Hes a Youngstown State grad and famously served as Mark Dantonios aggressive DC at Michigan State. Some argue that he was the one who built that program into what it is todaywinning 3 FCS national championships while he was there, and posting a record of 104-32. He proved capable beyond that when he made the University of Buffalo more than just a scrappy program. Other FBS programs have gone after FCS champion coaches and the hit rate is usually low. Buy Colts Tickets. A former Husker quarterback (sound familiar? Some might find this hire head-scratching since these days the option is only run by service academies. Frost tried everything: changing coaches, changing approaches. Could that be the recipe? If fans could get over the personality hang-ups, this might be the answer. Why It Might Not: Urban Meyer is weird. That's the sort of sell job Frost needs to make. It might be worth going after him before another program can. He got all that and then some at USF, and good lord, what a disaster. Closing Comment: Its a risk. Scott Frost, offensive coordinator, Oregon. They'd be back. All eyes across the country would be tuning in to watch how he does with the Huskersand it could work. Closing Comment: All the places hes led seem to have unbreakable, hard ceilings and are traditionally basement dwellers. If you wanted to replicate Wisconsin at Nebraska, you couldnt do much better than this guy. A coach could conceivably come in and use the opportunity to take a step up the coaching rung toward a head coaching job in the near future. With likely more than two head-coaching jobs opening up, here are some of the very best coordinators in the NFL who could be up for leading a team of the Kellen Moore, Dallas Cowboys. Hed demand a hefty price and it seems highly unlikely that this marriage would happen. Why It Might Not: Wilsons stint at Indiana was a failure, perhaps unsurprisingly because its Indiana, but also in large part because of the ineptness of his defenses. 122. Previously he was a coordinator at Oklahoma, where he also did well. His turnaround of Eastern Michigan in particular was stunning, but that might be more attributable to the consistent failures of their previous hires. A lot can change over the course of the season. Before that he was Notre Dames offensive coordinator, and before that he was the head coach at Grand Valley State and won multiple Division II national championships, posting a record of 74-7. His unique motion-heavy style is sometimes difficult for quarterbacks to grasp, and there were times, as with all OCs, where the play-calling was suspect. Why It Might Not: Hokes failure at Michigan was widely publicized, and though he generally seemed to run a tight ship, theres been a fair amount of off-the-field controversy, which he is also dealing with now at San Diego State. Fleck has since elevated Minnesota to a level of competition that no one would have thought possible. You probably have an opinion on this person. His Big Ten familiarity is also a plus. Once considered a paltry candidate after floundering to 6-7 as Ohio States interim head coach in 2011, Fickell has since proven to have massive coaching chops by quietly building Cincinnati into one of the G5s powerhouses and crashing the CFP as the first non-Power Five program to do s Four candidates are vying for each of the other two district seats. Theres high-highs and low-lows. Its hard to say if hed consider Nebraska a destination. Monken has no Big Ten or Nebraska ties. Like many coaches of SEC blue bloods, he got run out of town when the results started to taper off. Why It Might Work: Its Jon Gruden. Interim coach Bo Pelini, the fiery, 36-year-old defensive coordinator in his first season at Nebraska, snuffed out the boycott discussion, walking in on a Dec. 16 players meeting. Maybe he could pull it off and be great, but thats a tall order. He might not have the same passion for Nebraska, and that could affect his performance. Hes coached as an assistant at Louisville, Minnesota, Georgia, Colorado, and is now Michigan States OC, where hes done well. There is some question whether he has the temperament to lead a program. This is probably the name every sports writer and your mom is going to mention for Nebraska or any major head coaching vacancy, because Matt Campbell seems to be the up-and-coming head coach du jour. Hes defensive minded and knows college footballs most fertile recruiting grounds. Creightons a lot younger but it might be tough to shake off the similarities. Craig Bohl, head coach, Wyoming. Husker message boards and Facebook groups are littered with Why It Might Not: Its a roller coaster ride with Fleck. He recruits well and has proven himself as a head coach at a Power 5 program. Hiring him would have the obvious potential of failing spectacularly. Closing Comment: Bringing Rich Rod back to the Big Ten would certainly create serious buzz. It would all but confirm that Nebraska is interested primarily in giving the reins to former Huskers. At the end of each candidate I include a Closing Comment, which is basically my personal take on what I think of the candidate. If Nebraska missed on Matt Campbell but wanted a similar type of coach, Candle is as close as you can get without the turnaround job at Iowa State. Kill has decades of experience as a head He hasnt interviewed for any vacancies since his retirement. These are the head-explode, spit-take hires that the college football world would probably lose its mind over if Nebraska pulled it off. Mike Locksley, Lane Kiffin, and Luke Fickell all got another chance after doing some "rehab" at a successful program. Would he be able to get the talent needed to win at a high level? Gruden hasnt even sniffed, let alone showed interest, in a college head coaching job in his entire career, but that wont stop people from pounding the table for him. But more important than nostalgia is how disciplined his teams are. KSU hasnt had a breakthrough season yet. How quickly can they learn his style and become competitive? Why It Might Work: Canada did a remarkable job as Marylands interim HC. Nebraska coaching candidates to replace Scott Frost, Report: Big 12 in recent contact with Pac-12 schools, Rules committee proposes change to speed up games, Saban unhappy over proposed permanent rivals, USC coach Lincoln Riley builds the perfect QB. Closing Comment: This would be a bizarre marriage if it happened. These are guys who might be a bit of a longshot fit-wise, or who have some issues, or would take a bit more convincing to get people on board. He has also seen what it takes to win, thanks to being inside Ohio States program. That cost Meyer a three-game suspension at the beginning of the 2018 season, his last with the Buckeyes. This seems like a long shot, but anythings possible. He modernized Penn States offense and recruited at a high level despite limitations. How would he fit? He would be a top candidate at any program. The Black Knights havent been this good since the 1940s. The 3 leading candidates to replace Frost were revealed by Bruce Air Force has been up and down but theyre generally solid. Why It Might Not: There are so many reasons. Candidates who do this well for this longand who dont have a record to count as a negativeusually get a chance to make it as a head coach. A steady decline in play resulted in losses piling up and he got the boot. Like Frost, Joseph worked his way up the coaching ladder most recently at LSU where he developed what some say is the best group of wide receivers in history. Jon Hale is the University of Kentucky football beat writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader. Not every place is going to be set up like that. At this point his work at Louisville may be seen as the outlier. His culture, tireless work ethic and no-nonsense approach would appeal to Nebraska. Georgia Southern's Clay Helton was the first coach fired last season at USC. It could be possible for him to employ a similar turnaround at Nebraska. Overall the body work from Martin appears only slightly above average. Closing Comment: This would be intriguing but Taggarts status and resume isnt as hot as it was seven years ago. He tried his hand in the NFL with Jacksonville and face-planted so hardexacerbated by a truly staggering amount of off-the-field dramathat the owner fired him before he could even complete his first season. Both are filled at the moment. Why It Might Not: It would be a serious gamble. Why It Might Work: Absolutely no one expected UTSA to go 12-2, but the fact that the Roadrunners did has to count for something. Plus, he discovered Josh Allen. Why It Might Not: Its Jon Gruden. He also has a fiery disposition like a certain former coach and Husker fans find that generally off-putting. All Rights Reserved. Meyer can coach college, but can he keep from becoming the focus for all the wrong reasons? Why It Might Work: Arandas Bears came out of nowhere to win the Big 12 in 2021 and beat Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl. The fact that he was scooped up almost immediately by UCF shows that he was and will continue to be a hot commodity. And yeah, Im ranking thesebased on how appealing I think they are, the kind of fit theyd be, and how much energy or excitement their arrival would inject into the program. ), he was the Big 12 offensive player of the year in 2006. It's certainly more highly resourced than Iowa State, especially with the Big 12 moving down in the pecking order with the forthcoming departures of Texas and Oklahoma. Closing Comment: A perhaps-soon-to-be-former NFL coach whos done very well in college seems like a good choice on paper. He might be better suited for a rebuild situation where he has time to work out the kinks. There may be a candidate who emerges who is not on this list, something thats very likely to happen. This could be the best time in his career to go after him. WebA Day in the Life of an Account Analyst Intern. Why It Might Work: At every stop, Creighton has left the place better than hes found it. And yet he says he's not done coaching. Who should replace Scott Frost at Nebraska? After Mike Riley was fired in 2017, Bill Moos had one target that lined up with the consensus and all he had to do was get him. Nebraska football has a new head coach and heading into the 2023 season, here are three breakout candidates for the Huskers. Nebraska WBB Loses to Michigan State 67-64, Nebraska Baseball Weekend Preview: Cambria College Classic, Nebraska WBB vs Michgan State Big Ten Tournament Preview and Game Thread. Closing Comment: I was big on Charlie Strong and thought hed kick butt at Texas. It would be a jarring cultural change for him to come to Big Ten country. Wilsons biggest knock might be his personality. The program was plagued by the scandal involving Joe Paterno and Jerry Sandusky, most big-time recruits and players jumped ship, and OBrien took the job with no previous head coaching experience and under the auspices of a two-year bowl ban. Could it be interesting? His departure from Oregon also doesnt sit well and he seems to prefer the Florida region of the country. Nebraska's coaching search entered its second week with three candidates have reportedly pushed to the front of the Huskers' crosshairs, sparking media reaction on the possibilities. WebCareer Services. You may also remember him as the former OC of the New England Patriots once upon a time. Nebraska after Scott Frost: Huskers coaching job pluses, minuses and candidates. Blackshirts? Why It Might Not: Kentucky demonstrated tremendous patience through his early years developing the program, when his record was 12-24 (4-20 in conference) after 3 seasons. The decline in his fourth season was truly stunning. Taylor is now the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL and brought them all the way to the Super Bowl, before losing to the Rams. Kansas was willing to take a chance, and it very much felt like throwing anything at a wall to see what sticks. Even his one year at Oregon looked promising.