Closing Comment: Only the most butthurt Iowa-hating Husker fans would be against this. Why It Might Work: The jobs he did at Temple and Baylor were nothing short of spectacular. He had an up-and-down career thats been mostly down, at least at the head coaching level. So it seems like hes got the head coaching chops, and his coordinator experience at LSU and Wisconsin make him very familiar with how big programs operate. This seems like a Southern-oriented guy. Both are filled at the moment. Nebraska coaching candidates Mark Stoops, Kentucky coach: Stoops has spent a decade methodically developing the Wildcats into an above-average, competent Hes now back at San Diego State for a second stint. Nothing against Stoops, but no one is beating Georgia anytime soon. The timing of Scott Frosts firing three games in gives him a head start over everyone else in the coaching carousel cycle, and its still extremely early. How would the fan base react? 6-keys: media/spln/collegefootball/reg/free/stories, at The former head coach of Penn State and the Houston Texans is now enrolled in Nick Sabans rehabilitation program as an assistant coach for the Crimson Tide. Why It Might Work: He's got an impressive record, and to have the country talking about Coastal Carolina when most people have never even heard of them is quite an accomplishment. Why It Might Not: But didnt Scott Frost supposedly understand a winning culture too? A lot can change over the course of the season. That guy was Scott Frost. He also beat Michigan in the Alamo Bowl. As soon as Matt Rhule was fired from the Carolina -Lance 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. Stoops may be even better than that without the baggage. While he wasnt spectacular in the SEC, he might find an easier time in the Big Ten. 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. After going 32-18, way below the Longhorns standards, he got the boot. Jon Hale. Then he became Houstons head coach and kicked butt in year one. His two turnarounds at Ball State and San Diego State (in his first stint) were impressive, considering what they were before he arrived. If youre going for the veteran guy that no one else is looking at, this is a low-key option that has the potential of working out big time. By Chris Vannini. He was one of the Big Tens most underrated offensive coordinators, running a unique pro-style system that confused defenses with several motions. You cant find a more aggressive, out-of-his-mind competitor beyond him other than possibly Jim Harbaugh. At this point his work at Louisville may be seen as the outlier. Why It Might Work: Its not easy to beat Nick Saban, but Malzahn is one of the few people to do itmultiple times. Why It Might Not: Theres not a lot to knock, but theres not a lot to get excited about, either. Why It Might Work: Mendenhall quietly did an amazing job at BYU when they transitioned to an FBS Independent, but how he managed to find success in the salvage project he undertook at Virginiawhich had only 3 winning seasons in 10 years before he arrivedis even more impressive. They'd be back. Why It Might Not: Urban Meyer is weird. Candidates. Hes now at Wyoming, where his record is more mediocre. Closing Comment: As far as fall-back options go, this isnt bad. Any questions please reach out to Jeff Schwartz or Ethan Larsen @ 402-395-2134 or email at Applications will be accepted via email (jschwartz@boonecentral.esu7.org) or mail. Closing Comment: Like Matt Campbell, Fickell chose not to take any bigger job opportunities. Hes done a decent head coaching job at two different programs with limited resources, and hes turning 51 in December. Narduzzi seems comfortable where he is and it would take a hefty offer to make him pack his bags for Lincoln. Because Air Force is not exactly a headline-grabber in college football, some may find hiring Calhoun to be underwhelming and head-scratching. Nebraska education officials are one step closer to axing the basic skills test that keeps some new teachers out of classrooms. He has shepherded locker rooms accustomed to winning championships each season. Craig Bohl, head coach, Wyoming. Thats impressive for a guy with no guarantee of longevity beyond a single season. Hes a Husker and currently serving as interim coach. And yes, hes from the Stoops family and is an Iowa alumnus. Also, could Nebraska convince him to leave Baylor? It didnt happen. Hes probably done coaching and no one is really looking at him. 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. But regardless, this is a candidate that needs to be addressed. He orchestrated Cam Newtons Heisman season when serving as Auburns OC in 2010. Nebraska football has received three crystal balls total for Raiola, but Wiltfong, the lead expert for 247 sports, still has his crystal ball on Georgia. Why It Might Not: It felt incestuous when Muschamp fell into the job at South Carolina, but such things are common in the SEC. Closing Comment: All the places hes led seem to have unbreakable, hard ceilings and are traditionally basement dwellers. Nebraska football fired head coach Scott Frost following their difficult start to the 2022 season. Bill O'Brien, Alabama offensive coordinator: "Obie" already has Big Ten experience as the first Penn State coach in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Another former Big Ten head coach, Hoke ran Michigan with mixed results. Traditional recruiting grounds in Texas and California were either ignored or eventually shriveled up. A steady program builder with no flash means that hed be a complete unknown when it comes to recruiting. Obviously he wasnt ready for the big job in Austin, but maybe Nebraska might be a better fit. He was Ohio States stellar OC on their national championship team in 2014. He hasnt pursued head coaching gigs very much and might be more comfortable as an assistant. Could it be interesting? Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell Campbell has built Iowa State into a consistent winner. Why It Might Work: Monkens teams practice great fundamentals and rarely if ever beat themselves, which would be a welcome change from the Scott Frost era. Both BYU and Virginia had overall low expectations relative to Nebraska's, but at the same time he'd be taking over the program when those expectations are at their lowest in nearly half a century. Campbell (10-7 in his last 17 games) may have simply hit his ceiling at Iowa State. 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. Im sure youve heard of him. Id be over the moon if Nebraska hired him. And it begs the question, why has no one given him a serious look before now? It could be fun. Why It Might Not: Well, for starters, hes in his late sixties. 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. Entz could be riding on the coattails of North Dakota State, which finds it rare to not win the FCS national title. Oh, wait, you mean yeah, okay. And even though hes now saddled with one of college footballs toughest projects at Kansas, many believe he has the Jayhawks headed in the right direction. Why It Might Not: Its Jon Gruden. Mostly known in Big Ten country for his three years at Michigan, Rich Rodriguez has actually been a head coach for a really long time and has a, shall we say, eclectic list of stops. Why It Might Work: Joseph loves Nebraska, so hes got that going for him, right? If Nebraska were to target him, the thinking would be that they want to get a guy before he breaks out. Hes an Ohio guy who loves Ohio. Nebraska after Scott Frost: Huskers coaching job pluses, minuses and candidates. LINCOLN, Neb. It would be a jarring cultural change for him to come to Big Ten country. Now that Frost is gone our focus turns to who Trev Alberts will hire to be Nebraskas next coach. Patterson knows Nebraska and its culture; he would come out of the box blazing on the recruiting trail. His return to San Diego State has seen the program maintain its play at a high level in the Mountain West. This seems like a long shot, but anythings possible. Why It Might Not: Canada clashed a bit with Ed Orgeron at LSU, leading some to believe that he was holding the offense back. Hes not wowing you unless you live in Ypsilanti. Closing Comment: This would be a bizarre marriage if it happened. 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. Hes probably not going to win immediately, and how many more struggling seasons can Husker fans take? Known for building Temple and Baylor into double-digit win teams despite difficult circumstances, Rhule is now trying to do it in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers. Why It Might Not: Moorhead might be wary of leading a big-time college football program after what happened at Mississippi State. Youre going to hear a lot of names. Why It Might Work: Stoops had a fantastic record at Oklahoma and set the program up for long term success. But as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. (They probably dont.). Closing Comment: Mendenhall is a really good candidate on paper. Monken is the current head coach at Army, a notoriously difficult place to recruit D-1 competitive athletes. Taylor is a young coach who caught fire in one season (sound familiar? With little more than a single impressive season, there are reasons for skepticism. A longer track record of head coaching success would make him a slam dunk. His teams at both places have generally shown well against Big Ten opponents. Lets start with why he flopped at Michiganhis defense and special teams. Kentucky had no expectations when they hired him. Aside from 2021, hes had an impressive coaching career and Nebraska should definitely consider him. would be inclined to hire him. For right now Ive got three basic tiers. He might be just the thing for a program weary of misses and failed press conferences. Hes certainly a good coach, but is he elite? Mickey Joseph, Nebraska interim football coach Joseph, 54, was named Nebraska's interim coach Sunday. Meyer, a three-time national championship coach at Florida and Ohio State, was responsible for hiring OSU assistantZach Smith, whose wife accused him of abuse. He could be one of college football's most unsung program builders. Make no mistake: if Nebraska were to pull this off, it would be utterly stunning. An Air Force grad who is coaching Air Force, Calhoun is in his 16th season there and has a record of 111-75 after 15 of them. Apply here. Make of that what you will. 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. The break from Virginia was equally confusing, and Mendenhall gave the now-typical "spend time with family" line as the reason. After taking over the sturdy foundation built by Jerry Kill, P.J. Strong was quickly given a chance to redeem himself after Texas, and it could not have gone worse. Oh, look, another former North Dakota State head coach. He was BYU's head coach from 2005 to 2015, going 99-43, and so it was a surprise when he left that job for a flailing Virginia program, which he promptly turned around and had them going to bowl games. Even if there are some benefits, the hire would reek of nepotism. His turnaround of Eastern Michigan in particular was stunning, but that might be more attributable to the consistent failures of their previous hires. Fine, lets talk about it. Trev Alberts now has to embark on the long process of finding his replacement. First, Moorhead probably isnt leaving Akron after one year. Almost all of his coaching career has been in the state of Ohio. Closing Comment: This is a classic swing-for-the-fences, boom-or-bust type. At the very least, like Jon Gruden, he knows the kind of player that the NFL prefers. 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 then went on to win two national championships at Florida. He would also bring continuity to the program. Closing Comment: He seems due for a second stint as a head coach, and hes as good as any top coordinator candidate. Hes still fairly young at 46. Assuming he agreed to come to Lincoln, how would he get on? Nothing worked to the point Georgia Southern sealed the deal Saturday night by gaining 642 yards in hallowed Memorial Stadium where Heisman Trophy winners and national champions used to dwell. For many, the shine has certainly worn off. Closing Comment: Despite some Husker fans pounding the table for Chadwell, I think he more than likely ends up in the SEC or ACC. That cost Meyer a three-game suspension at the beginning of the 2018 season, his last with the Buckeyes. 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. Could that be the recipe? His next gig has to be the absolute right fit. The question is whether Nebraska wants to face the price tag and stomach the baggage. Okay, okay, in all seriousness, Grudens name gets floated only because hes so damn fun to watch. Everyone has their favorites. Hes very much an old-school style coach and appears more stubborn than most. At both places he was ultimately a disappointment. This seems like a name fairly low on the totem pole and would likely signal desperation. This isnt a Harbaugh-and-49ers situation, where the coach and ownership are on rocky terms. He didnt, but a lot of that was because he didnt have internal support. Patterson's skills were on display Saturday as he teamed with Longhorns defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski to limit Alabama to its fewest points in a true road game since 2017. Texas snatched him up two years later, hoping for a return to greatness. Three Potential Big 12 Candidates to Replace Scott Frost at Nebraska By Matthew Postins Posted on September 11, 2022 Now that Scott Frost is out at Nebraska, speculation will naturally turn to who will succeed the A program at the level of Nebraska seems above his competency, and at his age hed be seen as nothing more than a bridge coach. After seven years, Candle hasnt taken over the MAC or done the things you would typically like to see from a young head coach ready for a big opportunity. He was a tough, hard-nosed coach who got his teams at Louisville to punch well above their weight and made them think they could be champions. Hiring him would have the obvious potential of failing spectacularly. Fickell famously turned down Michigan State to stay at Cincinnati, where he has pilfered their best recruit targets over the last half-decade. 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 Does Nebrsaka really want to try that again? Why It Might Work: At every stop, Creighton has left the place better than hes found it. Its not for everybody. Hes currently "coaching" the Dallas/Arlington Renegades in the XFL, a relatively low-profile job. His heyday at North Dakota State is tough to overlook, and his ties to Nebraska are very appealing. Hes had other stops including LSU and is now the OC for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Can the Huskers rebound? Hell soon be looking for another chance to lead a program. Closing Comment: Its odd that Campbell didnt make a jump to a better job after last season. Anytime you nab a successful head coach from the SEC, its going to create buzz. To no ones surprise, hes doing well as Alabama OC and can now boast having coached a Heisman-trophy winner. Theres no question he knows how to coach and recruit. He might be all flash. Iowa) ties and solid coaching, theres some question as to whether he could handle the style of the Big Ten. Why It Might Not: Was Fickells rejection of MSU a signal he wants to stay put long term, or is he leery of Big Ten competition and high expectations which he knows all too well? But isnt that what Nebraska tried with Mike Riley? It would all be judged on his staff. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) In the Market: 2023 NFL Draft QB prospect superlatives after the season by Scott Rogust. Hes now being talked about for bigger jobs, but was he a one-hit wonder? A competent athletic dept. He was reportedly Michigans second choice if they didnt land Harbaugh in 2014. Why It Might Work: It would be something of a coup to nab one of the hottest commodities in coaching right now. Why It Might Work: Taggart did well at a place with low expectations. Now he doesnt seem to have the ambition to go after a big job with big expectations. From Ottawa (KS) to Wabash (IN) to Drake (IA) and now EMU, Creighton has literally been around the Midwest. Why It Might Work: Hes a Husker who happens to be an NFL head coach, almost won a Super Bowl, and hes only 39. 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. Theres some question as to whether hed leave as hes turned down previous job offers from better college programs. Why It Might Not: His stops at East Tennessee State, Delta State (Mississippi), and the Charleston-Greenville schools put him firmly in a region of the country far from Nebraska, so he lacks regional ties. Thanks to his time as an assistant at Navy and Paul Johnsons Georgia Tech, he is also one of the most well-versed coaches in the triple-optionone of the toughest schemes to prepare for. And hes kind of an oddball. He would be a top candidate at any program. Georgia Southern's Clay Helton was the first coach fired last season at USC. The former head coach at Indiana, hes now Ohio States offensive coordinator, and doing an excellent job there. Iowa States 2021 season, where they started ranked No. Nebraska is not the same quality of job it used to be. It took some convincing to get Kentuckys athletic dept. I do like the potential if he were to bring his Florida recruiting cache and mix in his Stanford-Harbaugh style from his early coaching career. Nebraska has no natural rival in the Big Ten, as much as some want to make Iowa that team. Why It Might Not: No Nebraska or Big Ten ties. If fans could get over the personality hang-ups, this might be the answer. You may know him as the former OC who helped Penn State to their Big Ten championship in 2016. After the scandal that forced Jim Tressel to leave Columbus, Meyer moved in and promptly started kicking the entire Big Tens ass. But similarly I try to look at how each one might work. Why It Might Work: Theres no doubt in Bohls ability to coach and win. Jon Hale is the University of Kentucky football beat writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader. Why It Might Work: Hes still young at 47, and its not like his career has been a complete failure. Well see if that changes. Hes a Penn State grad with strong Midwest recruiting ties, and was considered for the job in State College. Fleck, and hes one of the reasons Mel Tucker has found success at Colorado and MSU. So stay tuned. Plus he got axed from the Raiders on his second stint because of controversial emails sent a decade ago. Plus hes another triple-option coach. Creightons a lot younger but it might be tough to shake off the similarities. Why It Might Work: Surprisingly Martin is only 54 and has stayed at the same spot for going on eight years. Why It Might Not: Obligatory NDSU caveats. Closing Comment: Yes, his second year as a head coach was unexpectedly good, so the comparisons to Frost are there. ), but its unclear if he could be great in the long term. Closing Comment: I could get on board with this, if not be super excited, and honestly, itd be an excellent hire. There is no doubt in his ability as a head coach. His departure from Oregon also doesnt sit well and he seems to prefer the Florida region of the country. Even his one year at Oregon looked promising. Come on. One need look no further than his performance at WI-Whitewater, where he went an astounding 109-6 in FCS Division III, including six national championships. Why It Might Not: Air Force is his alma mater and thats a big hurdle when hes doing well there. Why It Might Work: Canada did a remarkable job as Marylands interim HC. After 15 seasons, Calhoun has yet to win the Mountain West. And to be fair, though there is potential, his head coaching tenures with both the Nittany Lions and the Texans were not exactly spectacular. Since Nebraska is going into the bye week, I figured I might as well wait until after all the post-game articles before posting this. Regionally, itd be a good fit. Why It Might Work: Moorhead was an outstanding offensive mind at Penn State and the job he did there was the key in elevating the Nittany Lions to the next level. Frost tried everything: changing coaches, changing approaches. Scott Frost pulled him from LSU to coach wide receivers and almost everyone in the fan base loves him. 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. He has decent ties to the state and the Midwest which make him familiar with the local recruiting grounds. Wilsons biggest knock might be his personality. Some might find this hire head-scratching since these days the option is only run by service academies. His Big Ten familiarity is also a plus. When you hire an FCS coach, even one of the leagues best, youre rolling the dice. You know who he is. A former Husker (who youve probably heard of), Bohl was the head coach at FCS powerhouse North Dakota State from 2003 to 2013. So putting him in that position as the full-time Nebraska head coach, barring an Ed Orgeron-like interim season, would be a total crapshoot. Going 8-5 at KSU is apparently the equivalent of going 11-1 to some, and the record from NDSU predictably makes people salivate. Nebraska has fired Mike Riley after three seasons with the program. The 11 games that explain the downfall of Nebraska football. He seems like a guy who prefers to build a program rather than jump to a better job at the earliest chance. Is this a championship-caliber coach? There is no healthier coaching tree from which to pick a coach: Bill Belichick and Nick Saban. Could he follow NCAA rules? And unlike Frost, he has no Nebraska ties to save him if he starts losing early. The meltdown in Minneapolis would be legendary. Many believe he was one of the original architects of the spread offense. Look at the teams against which they have lost. Why It Might Not: The pressure he felt at Boise was nothing compared to Washingtonwhich is not even one of college footballs biggest blue bloodsand it clearly weighed on him. Trev Alberts would probably prefer someone who knows what hes doing. Web/real-sports/ncaa-football/nebraska-cornhuskers-coaching-candidates Why It Might Not: Everything went south in the second half of the 2021 season and Mullen got the ol ax from the Florida boosters. 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. That kind of price tag in hindsight is laughable. Four candidates are vying for each of the other two district seats. His record at Mississippi State, while not enough to impress its athletic director, was far from terrible and showed signs of progress, especially in the SEC West. He was doing well at Arizona until off-the-field allegations made them show him the door. Nebraska needs a new football coach. It would be fascinating, though. He retired suddenly after a disappointing 8-5 record in 2019 and hasnt sought any coaching opportunities since. 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 0 The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported. Corn Nation, a Nebraska Cornhuskers community, By Silantro 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. The Huskers have added 39 new scholarship players via the transfer portal and the 2023 recruiting class. He has solid Midwest ties and knows how to recruit gems. If Im being honest I cant see Calhoun leaving his alma mater, but if Nebraska wants to do something different and go for a triple-option head coach, hes the next best choice after Jeff Monken. 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. That changed when he brought in Tom Allen, who took over after Wilson was oustedpartly from clashing with the community, among other things. He flamed out of the NFLtwice. His culture, tireless work ethic and no-nonsense approach would appeal to Nebraska. Five Heart Podcast 318: Nebraska Basketball, Spring Game Attendance and a new Memorial Stadium? Prior to this development, insiders were saying Campbell was interested in only two jobs: Ohio State and Notre Dame. It took the Raiders committing $100 million to lure him away from Monday Night Football. 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. He also greatly benefited from Texas falling off and a Big 12 in flux with Missouri, Nebraska, and Texas A&M all leaving for other conferences. The decline in his fourth season was truly stunning. At 63 with not much upside he is unlikely to be in high demand. Closing Comment: The appeal of hiring a coach with the achievement of his second season aside, this doesnt seem like a great fit on the surface. The general thinking is if he can go to a conference championship with practically nothing at Iowa State, imagine what he could do at Nebraska. By the time it got resolved, it was Thursday before the Oklahoma game. Kansas was willing to take a chance, and it very much felt like throwing anything at a wall to see what sticks. So Ive compiled an exhaustive list below of virtually every coaching candidate I think Nebraska could pursue. Why It Might Work: Its Jon Gruden. He might not have the same passion for Nebraska, and that could affect his performance. 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. He has also seen what it takes to win, thanks to being inside Ohio States program. +, (Introductory note: So, I initially had this written and ready to post last week, but there was a technical glitch with the New Fanpost button which I had to contact SB Nation support about. Coastal Carolina's head coach captured the nation's attention when he came out of nowhere to go 11-1 and win the Sun Belt in 2020, given then-undefeated BYU its only loss. Then he went to Kansas and did the same as every coach who went to Kansas after Mark Mangino. If youre looking for a Husker with head coaching experience who is likely to take the job and do at least moderately well, this is it. You probably have an opinion on this person. Closing Comment: Okay, full disclosure: Jeff Monken is my favorite of this whole bunch. That would not be the case at Nebraska.