Closing Comment: This seems like the safest pick. As one of the SECs historical have-nots, the Bulldogs were a bottom feeder who Mullen steadily transformed into a team that came close to beating Alabama. on Sep 19, 2022, 8:38am CDT Nebraska football coaching options after Scott Frost led by five He knows how to coach up players, and most importantly, he knows how to run the damn ball, damn it. He had an outstanding first season, going 11-2 with a BCS bowl victory. Hes coached as an assistant at Louisville, Minnesota, Georgia, Colorado, and is now Michigan States OC, where hes done well. 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 got all that and then some at USF, and good lord, what a disaster. Admittedly there would be some excitement, but now with the controversy thats attached to him, its probably just not worth it. Closing Comment: Yes, his second year as a head coach was unexpectedly good, so the comparisons to Frost are there. He flamed out of the NFLtwice. I try to make the case for each one. He might be better served as a coordinator. Auburn is not an easy place to win but Malzahn might be itching to get back into the SEC like Lane Kiffin before him. Why It Might Work: Hoke knows the Big Ten and the Midwest very well. Everyone has their favorites. Can the Huskers rebound? Why It Might Not: Theres not a lot to knock, but theres not a lot to get excited about, either. He could bring that recipe to Nebraska, which would afford him the necessary resources. Patterson knows Nebraska and its culture; he would come out of the box blazing on the recruiting trail. He won a national title in 2000 and racked up several conference championships during his tenure. 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. Just imagine the press conferences. Nebraska 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. Meyer can coach college, but can he keep from becoming the focus for all the wrong reasons? Oh, look, another former North Dakota State head coach. Why It Might Not: No Nebraska or Big Ten ties. Hes been doing well at Toledo for seven years. He went 11-2 at Army in 2018. Klieman went 69-6 with the Bison and was hired by Kansas State in Dec 2018. Plus he got axed from the Raiders on his second stint because of controversial emails sent a decade ago. And would he stick around, even if things go well? A steady decline in play resulted in losses piling up and he got the boot. Nothing against Stoops, but no one is beating Georgia anytime soon. Why It Might Not: Its Jon Gruden. He did the obligatory rehab-at-Alabama thing. Five Heart Podcast 318: Nebraska Basketball, Spring Game Attendance and a new Memorial Stadium? He retired from both Florida and Ohio State for nebulous reasons. A former Husker (who youve probably heard of), Bohl was the head coach at FCS powerhouse North Dakota State from 2003 to 2013. How would he handle expectations in a much tougher environment? Here is a look at five early candidates for the vacant Nebraska head coaching job. Why It Might Work: Its not easy to beat Nick Saban, but Malzahn is one of the few people to do itmultiple times. Despite some down years, hes done exceptionally well at Air Force and they have no desire to see him leave. Yeah, remember him? Hes probably not going to win immediately, and how many more struggling seasons can Husker fans take? The question is whether Nebraska wants to face the price tag and stomach the baggage. If youre looking for consistency, this might not be the best choice. 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. He is obsessed with winning and is known for relentless coaching, sometimes to unhealthy levels. Sure, but I feel like it would take a lot of rejection for Trev Alberts to dial his number. Why It Might Not: OBrien bolted for the NFL at the earliest opportunity. His recruiting ties to the Midwest (Ohio) make him a good fit for the Big Ten. coaching search that changed Nebraska All Rights Reserved. Doeren might be the most underrated coach in the Power 5. The latest were internal issues with Jacksonville Jaguars players last season. And hes still young at 47. Creighton has taken his programs as far as they realistically could go, so he could be worth a look. If Trev Alberts were to poach him from Lawrence, Leipold would suddenly be under a lot more pressure. Rodriguez is notoriously stubborn and has been in the business long enough that theres a fair amount of baggage coming with him, which is why a small program like JSU was the only option he had as a head coach. Then he got booted for off-the-field allegations from his time at LSU. Before being Michigans head coach, he was the head coach at Ball State and San Diego State, where he turned around both programs. There is some question whether he has the temperament to lead a program. 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. 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. Mickey Joseph, Nebraska interim football coach Joseph, 54, was named Nebraska's interim coach Sunday. Its highly unlikely anyone else was considered. Seven candidates ran in the Democratic primary. While his program has yet to reach the level of Georgia or Alabama, hes built them to be competitive in the SEC, which is saying a lot, since Kentucky is generally considered a basketball school. It might be worth going after him before another program can. Iowa) ties and solid coaching, theres some question as to whether he could handle the style of the Big Ten. 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. These are the head-explode, spit-take hires that the college football world would probably lose its mind over if Nebraska pulled it off. Closing Comment: Its a risk. Ah, yes. At this point his work at Louisville may be seen as the outlier. Trev Alberts would probably prefer someone who knows what hes doing. Anytime you nab a successful head coach from the SEC, its going to create buzz. candidates Why It Might Work: Narduzzi seems tailor-made for the Big Ten. He proved capable beyond that when he made the University of Buffalo more than just a scrappy program. Why It Might Work: Doeren runs the ball Big Ten style at NC State, and theyre very good at it. Less what? What gives? Why It Might Not: Air Force is his alma mater and thats a big hurdle when hes doing well there. Why It Might Work: I think people are more excited by the work hes done at Kansas State, which is to essentially make the program feel like moving on from Bill Snyder is possible. He may have bitten off more than he could chew with the FSU job, but he was also succeeding Jimbo Fisher, one of the programs most successful coaches. At 63 with not much upside he is unlikely to be in high demand. Matt Campbell, Iowa State coach: Several sources have told CBS Sports that Campbell is interested in Nebraska. Campbell (10-7 in his last 17 games) may have simply hit his ceiling at Iowa State. Almost all of his coaching career has been in the state of Ohio. There are many who would see this hire as a bit of a desperate move. He seems like a solid head coach, but its hard to project him being either wildly successful or a disappointing failure. He may have reached his ceiling. Would he be able to get the talent needed to win at a high level? 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 might be the defensive version of Scott Frost. Nebraska Cornhuskers Coaching Candidates - msn.com He was a bad fit in Austin, but his messaging was sound and seems like the perfect thing Big Ten programs would want. Nebraska coaching candidates Coming off one of his biggest wins Saturday at Florida, there is evidence Stoops may have peaked with the Wildcats. He might not have the same passion for Nebraska, and that could affect his performance. This isnt a Harbaugh-and-49ers situation, where the coach and ownership are on rocky terms. Johnsons lack of experience in that area means every aspect of how hed run the program would be unknown until we see it. He certainly proved capable as head-coaching material, in the right situation. The 3 leading candidates to replace Frost were revealed by Bruce He had an up-and-down career thats been mostly down, at least at the head coaching level. 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 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. Were less than two weeks away from the start of NFL free agency, which begins at 4 p.m. Scott Frost fired at Nebraska: Coaching candidates to lead He then went on to win two national championships at Florida. Nebraska Football: Mike Rileys Breakout Group Comments At Big Ten MediaDays, The 2007 Nebraska Football Season: Booing, Big Holes, and BrokenHopes, Flakes: Auto Play Videos Should BeBanned, Nebraska Football: Mike Rileys Remarks At Big Ten MediaDays, Shawn Eichorst: Nebraska Obliged To Do One Home Friday Night Football Game Every ThirdYear, Nebraska Baseball: Bolts Boys Knock Off #7 Vanderbilt 5-3, Nebrasketball: Iowa Hawkeyes Game Preview, Nebraska Baseball Brunch Date with #7 Vanderbilt Game Thread, Wrestling: Your Big Ten Championships Primer, Friday Flakes: Turner Gill Played Some Shortstop for Nebraska and Ernest Schackleton. Why It Might Not: Assuming he actually took the jobwould he really leave the NFL?Nebraska might be wary of doing a second take of the "former Husker to save program" thing immediately following the Scott Frost debacle, and the last time Nebraska hired an NFL head coach who had nearly won a Super Bowl, it was Bill Callahan. Make no mistake: if Nebraska were to pull this off, it would be utterly stunning. 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. Closing Comment: This is a classic swing-for-the-fences, boom-or-bust type. candidates Would he be up to it? Monken is the current head coach at Army, a notoriously difficult place to recruit D-1 competitive athletes. How would he jive culturally? Poaching him from the NFL would be a similar coup that would grab headlines across the country. It took some convincing to get Kentuckys athletic dept. Quite the opposite, actually. This guy has been around. Closing Comment: This would be a bizarre marriage if it happened. The Top Candidates Who Could Take Over As Nebraska 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. Why It Might Work: Taggart did well at a place with low expectations. Like Frost, he has a national championship ring (LSU, 2019). Nebraska after Scott Frost: Huskers coaching job pluses, minuses and candidates. Finally, aside from Bowling Green and Utah, hes mostly been at places with an advantage for success thats practically built-in. Is he worth hiring? Chadwell followed it up by posting another 11-win season in 2021. 1. The 58-year-old coach has deep roots in the state of Nebraska as a former analyst at Nebraska-Omaha and assistant under Frank Solich with the Huskers. How would he fit? Herman quietly served as an analyst for the Chicago Bears last year and is now looking for a job. Hes the former head coach of the Florida Gators and, before that, the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Pernell: A Shortlist for He didnt, but a lot of that was because he didnt have internal support. If fans could get over the personality hang-ups, this might be the answer. While his teams arent on Clemsons level in terms of talent, they are always competitive. 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. Hed demand a hefty price and it seems highly unlikely that this marriage would happen. Nebraska coaching Toledos head coach, he took over when Matt Campbell left for Iowa State. Curriculum development and delivery of adult education courses. There were a number of missteps, including a radical change in offensive philosophy and a lack of attention to the offensive line, which fell apart in a hurry. 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. It didnt happen. 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. He was reportedly Michigans second choice if they didnt land Harbaugh in 2014. Nebraska Cornhuskers coaching candidates Jeff Monken, Army Black Knights head coach Jeff Lebby, Oklahoma Sooners offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, Jeff Schwartz (p) (402) 395-2134 How to Apply If you are interested , submit your application! 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. Why It Might Not: Lincoln might be outside his comfort zone. Native son Scott Frost was fired Sunday having gone 16-31 three games into his fifth season. WebCareer Services. Desperation seems to find guys like Meyer whose winning percentage has to be ultimately balanced against off-field issues. candidates 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. Nebraska Here are some candidates to watch: Nebraska Football: Coaching Candidates to Replace Scott Frost. He produced Dak Prescott for the Dallas Cowboys and his first three seasons at Florida were very good. How they do in replacing him will According to one report, a former FBS head coach and long-time defensive coordinator will be joining the Tigers for the 2023 season. Frost is a Husker legend who would surely be a popular hire with Nebraskas loyal fan base. Plus, he discovered Josh Allen. His experience working under Chip Kelly and Mark Helfrich at Oregon, as well as a vote of confidence from Here are some coaches who could be a fit at Nebraska, listed in alphabetical order. 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. 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 Nebraska But the legal tampering window opens two days before that on March 13, where teams will be able to negotiate with free agents before the official start of the 2023 season. Closing Comment: I could get on board with this, if not be super excited, and honestly, itd be an excellent hire. His best season was 2016 when he went 12-2 and lost to Georgia in the CFP. His time at Ohio State gives him an edge in recruiting knowledge, and at Texas he had no problem pulling in top classes. He was Ohio States stellar OC on their national championship team in 2014. Going 8-5 at KSU is apparently the equivalent of going 11-1 to some, and the record from NDSU predictably makes people salivate. If Nebraska were to target him, the thinking would be that they want to get a guy before he breaks out. Hes generally seen as past his prime, and despite his Midwest (i.e. Its an exciting time, right? He also would not be completely new to the Big Ten and might be more prepared in his second go-round. Barring a stunning breakthrough this season, hes just about reached the end of his rope and is likely to return to the field of college coaching. He severely clashed with the athletic department and school officials, who were apparently looking for a reason to get rid of him. Hes now the head coach at Jacksonville State in Alabama. Why It Might Not: Despite the love for Mickey Joseph, which is understandable, hes light on head coaching experiencehe led Langston University, an HBCU, for two seasons from 2011-2012, with a record of 13-7. Closing Comment: Given all the candidates out there with head coaching experience, even the flawed retreads, it would almost seem disappointing to pick an unproven coordinator instead. Even his one year at Oregon looked promising. The 11 games that explain the downfall of Nebraska football. Leonhard is a brilliant defensive mind, but does Nebraska want to put all its eggs in the basket of a hot assistant who had never assembled a staff or been responsible for recruiting? For right now Ive got three basic tiers. Entz could be riding on the coattails of North Dakota State, which finds it rare to not win the FCS national title. He regularly punches above his weight and has out-schemed and out-coached Nebraska on multiple occasions. Meyer didn't even make it through a full season in 2021 with the Jags. Previously he was a coordinator at Oklahoma, where he also did well. Hiring him would have the obvious potential of failing spectacularly. I may do a follow up article as the year goes on. Fleck has since elevated Minnesota to a level of competition that no one would have thought possible. Does Nebraska really want to take a chance on someone with that kind of baggage? The move ended weeks of speculation about Ventrones status with the organization and left a significant void to fill both on the field and in the locker room. He also lacks significant regional ties and seems more geared for the Pacific Northwest and Utah-Colorado areas. 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 He went an unexpected 5-7, including 3 conference wins, and nearly beat Urban Meyers Buckeyes in overtime. How would the fan base react? Why It Might Not: On the flip side, maybe hes stayed at the same place for eight years because his phone isnt exactly ringing off the hook. 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. First, Moorhead probably isnt leaving Akron after one year. The feeling right now: If O'Brien goes anywhere, it's back to the NFL perhaps to replace Belichick one day. 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. He has decent ties to the state and the Midwest which make him familiar with the local recruiting grounds. 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. 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. Closing Comment: Okay, full disclosure: Jeff Monken is my favorite of this whole bunch. He might be all flash. 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. Weve seen him be an aggressive recruiter and theres no reason to think that would not continue if he were the head coach. He hasnt interviewed for any vacancies since his retirement. He also occasionally does TV analyst work for Fox Sports, and he stepped in to coach the Sooners for a bowl game when Lincoln Riley bolted for USC. Hes now back at San Diego State for a second stint. 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. How quickly can they learn his style and become competitive? It took the Raiders committing $100 million to lure him away from Monday Night Football. A lot can change over the course of the season. Also, reportedly, he has a bit of a temper. Iowa States 2021 season, where they started ranked No. 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.