4 potential Nebraska coaching candidates to replace Scott Frost 225 Nebraska Union Lincoln, NE 68588-0451 402-472-3145 careerservices@unl.edu Thats why its fun. A lot can change over the course of the season. 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. With little more than a single impressive season, there are reasons for skepticism. Texas snatched him up two years later, hoping for a return to greatness. Oh, look, another former North Dakota State head coach. 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. Why It Might Work: Narduzzi seems tailor-made for the Big Ten. Fine, lets talk about it. Before being Michigans head coach, he was the head coach at Ball State and San Diego State, where he turned around both programs. Why It Might Work: Hes got a lot of energy for someone in his late sixties. 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. How could it not? His head coaching record is an impressive 87-42, but that wasnt enough to satisfy championship-hungry Auburn boosters. Why It Might Not: Stoops is 61, an Iowa grad, and he sometimes faltered under the pressure of a big game during his time at Oklahoma. This could be the best time in his career to go after him. Apply here. 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. Also, reportedly, he has a bit of a temper. 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. And would he stick around, even if things go well? 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.
Nebraska football coaching hot board: 21 candidates for the job 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. 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. February 26, 2023 4:11 pm ET. 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. His stints at Toledo (where he succeeded Tim Beckman) and Iowa State have been impressive relative to their place in the college football pecking order. A similar implosion if he were to come to Lincoln cant be ruled out. The 11 games that explain the downfall of Nebraska football. Why It Might Not: OBrien bolted for the NFL at the earliest opportunity. Why It Might Work: Petersens record at Boise State was 92-12. Four candidates are vying for each of the other two district seats. He modernized Penn States offense and recruited at a high level despite limitations. 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. Hes dug them out of the doldrums and turned them into a solid program that has produced multiple seasons of double-digit wins. He seems like a solid head coach, but its hard to project him being either wildly successful or a disappointing failure.
Scott Frost fired at Nebraska: Coaching candidates to lead 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. The head coach of Eastern Michigan has a long tenure of getting the most out of teams and programs with very little. In both cases, he made them successful by his third season. He has also seen what it takes to win, thanks to being inside Ohio States program. How they do in replacing him will Its not for everybody.
candidates But Campbell has to get to a certain level this season to be in the mix. You may know him as the former OC who helped Penn State to their Big Ten championship in 2016. 1. A 54-22 record is solidly in the plus category, and he went 5-0 in bowl games as a head coach. He was one of the Big Tens most underrated offensive coordinators, running a unique pro-style system that confused defenses with several motions. The head coach of the Pittsburgh Panthers won the ACC in 2021 and has his team rolling toward a bright future. The guy who led his offense, Barry Lunney, left to be the OC at Illinois. Creightons a lot younger but it might be tough to shake off the similarities. Maybe he could be worth considering, but rest assured there would be a lot of skeptics. Nebraska Cornhuskers coaching candidates Jeff Monken, Army Black Knights head coach Jeff Lebby, Oklahoma Sooners offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, Almost a year to the day, he had a hand in beating Nebraska and ousting Frost. There is some question whether he has the temperament to lead a program. Bring him in, allow him to restore some semblance of competitiveness, and then when he retires (in 5 to 7 years), go after the elite guy. Closing Comment: This would be intriguing but Taggarts status and resume isnt as hot as it was seven years ago. Going 8-5 at KSU is apparently the equivalent of going 11-1 to some, and the record from NDSU predictably makes people salivate. He retired suddenly after a disappointing 8-5 record in 2019 and hasnt sought any coaching opportunities since. Feldman believes Campbell, Leipold, and Chadwell are the leading Nebraska football head coaching candidates to replace Scott Frost. Why It Might Work: Hes still young at 47, and its not like his career has been a complete failure. Dont sleep on his football knowledge, either. There may be a candidate who emerges who is not on this list, something thats very likely to happen. A big paycheck might make him reconsider. It took some convincing to get Kentuckys athletic dept.
Pernell: A Shortlist for Could that be the recipe? Im sure youve heard of him. Mickey Joseph, Nebraska interim coach:Joseph has a lot of support as Frost's associate head coach and a fellow former Huskers quarterback under Osborne. Why It Might Not: No Nebraska or Big Ten ties.
candidates He hasnt interviewed for any vacancies since his retirement. From Ottawa (KS) to Wabash (IN) to Drake (IA) and now EMU, Creighton has literally been around the Midwest. Florida Atlantics head coach has seen an up-and-down career where he was once considered one of the hottest commodities in college football. Theres high-highs and low-lows. The Redhawks were a complete tire fire when he took over, and hes made them relatively competitive in the MAC, which always seems like auditioning grounds for Big Ten jobs. 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. Plus hes another triple-option coach. Hes never worked west of Illinois, and hed be asked to live west of Iowa in the Great Plains. She secured an endorsement from University of Nebraska athletic director Bob Devaney, revered in Nebraska for his success as the coach of the university football team. Seems entrenched in Texas. Why It Might Not: Well, for starters, hes in his late sixties. Why It Might Work: Doeren runs the ball Big Ten style at NC State, and theyre very good at it. ), but its unclear if he could be great in the long term. If Nebraska were to target him, the thinking would be that they want to get a guy before he breaks out. Trev Alberts now has to embark on the long process of finding his replacement. Why It Might Work: A lot of people attribute Tom Osbornes success to his degrees in educational psychology. All eyes will be on his performance as the interim coach. While he wasnt spectacular in the SEC, he might find an easier time in the Big Ten. Hes got a national championship ring as a head coach. If Nebraska is facing rejection from experienced candidateswhich itself would be alarmingthis is a solid emergency option, assuming he takes the call. Its an exciting time, right? Scott Frost has been fired. Could he be a Husker version of Jim Harbaugh? 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. He'd have much better access to the Big Ten Championship Game (as opposed to the SEC Championship Game) playing in the Big Ten West. 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. But lets be honest, Gruden was really overrated. Why It Might Not: Canada clashed a bit with Ed Orgeron at LSU, leading some to believe that he was holding the offense back. Closing Comment: Mullen isnt coaching anywhere right now, so hed be available. 2 Related. Chadwell followed it up by posting another 11-win season in 2021. 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. (Tom Brady). Is he more cut out to be a coordinator? To no ones surprise, hes doing well as Alabama OC and can now boast having coached a Heisman-trophy winner. A former Husker quarterback (sound familiar? But now, Frost is done, and we have no idea what direction Nebraskas going to go. Auburn is not an easy place to win but Malzahn might be itching to get back into the SEC like Lane Kiffin before him. Hes the current head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats. 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. Nebraska coaching candidates Mark Stoops, Kentucky coach: Stoops has spent a decade methodically developing the Wildcats into an above-average, competent He will have many suitors. Quite the opposite, actually. I try to make the case for each one.
Nebraska coaching search: 17 potential Mike Riley replacements Hes not wowing you unless you live in Ypsilanti. Fleck, and hes one of the reasons Mel Tucker has found success at Colorado and MSU. The current head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks, Leipold had a stellar record at Wisconsin-Whitewater and built the Buffalo Bulls into a contender in the MAC. 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. 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. Closing Comment: I was big on Charlie Strong and thought hed kick butt at Texas. Closing Comment: Nebraska would certainly tell everyone where they stand in the Big Ten pecking order by poaching the dynamic head coach of a division rival, who also happens to be one of the best recruiters in the conference. 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. The former Raiders and Bucs head coach is one of the sports biggest characters, and also one of the most controversial. Is this a championship-caliber coach? Why It Might Not: The Huskers have had mixed results with first time head coaches who needed to learn the job on the fly.
Nebraska coaching candidates NC States current head coach was formerly Wisconsins DC and crashed the BCS party in his second year as a head coach at Northern Illinois in 2012, when they went 12-2. He has solid Midwest ties and knows how to recruit gems. And hes still young at 47. 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. This guy has been around. In addition, while his teams have done well overall, there are times when his ability as a play-caller has been costly. Closing Comment: Its odd that Campbell didnt make a jump to a better job after last season.
Coach Hes had other stops including LSU and is now the OC for the Pittsburgh Steelers. How much support would he get? He also lacks significant regional ties and seems more geared for the Pacific Northwest and Utah-Colorado areas. Theres no question he knows how to coach and recruit. Traylors offense was among the best in the country in 2021 and they steamrolled through most of their schedule, stumbling in the regular season only to North Texas. Closing Comment: All the places hes led seem to have unbreakable, hard ceilings and are traditionally basement dwellers. Second, Im bugged by the Mississippi State thing. There are many who would see this hire as a bit of a desperate move. 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. If you look deeper than his 47-42 record, you see a program builder. 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.
1990 Nebraska gubernatorial election Georgia Southern's Clay Helton was the first coach fired last season at USC. Iowa States 2021 season, where they started ranked No. Nebraska would be a decidedly new horizon. Strong was quickly given a chance to redeem himself after Texas, and it could not have gone worse. Hes never even interviewed for a head coaching job in college. At 41, Fleck is still a very young head coach, and although his full potential is still somewhat unproven, all the signs are there that this is a guy who could be next-level great. When he was there, he managed to recruit some NFL talentnot easy to do, given the football programs history and Indianas reputation as a basketball school. Why It Might Work: Canada did a remarkable job as Marylands interim HC. Another guy who had a surprising breakout 12-win season in year two as a head coach, Traylor and UTSA had a magical year in 2021. The Black Knights havent been this good since the 1940s. Hes now in his fourth year, and the Wildcats are firmly looking like a bowl team, which theyve been in at least two of Kliemans seasons thus far. He would also bring continuity to the program. Why It Might Not: Its Jon Gruden. Look at the teams against which they have lost. Taking on the Nebraska job would place him squarely in the limelight. He is easily the best head coach on the market, from a purely football perspective. Hes a Penn State grad with strong Midwest recruiting ties, and was considered for the job in State College. Instead, it's seen a far-flung outpost in a league that suddenly boasts a presence in New York, Chicago and soon Los Angeles. The feeling right now: If O'Brien goes anywhere, it's back to the NFL perhaps to replace Belichick one day. Closing Comment: This is a classic swing-for-the-fences, boom-or-bust type. Why It Might Work: Muschamp, now 51, was once one of the most sought-after coaching candidates, briefly considered the head-coach-in-waiting to Mack Brown at Texas before he took the Florida job to replace Urban Meyer. 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. 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? A former Husker (who youve probably heard of), Bohl was the head coach at FCS powerhouse North Dakota State from 2003 to 2013. Recall that he inexplicably lost to a bad Bowling Green team in 2021, in a season when Minnesota finished 9-4. He got all that and then some at USF, and good lord, what a disaster. The meltdown in Minneapolis would be legendary. He flamed out of the NFLtwice. 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. Meyer also does not appear to be the most ethical coach in the world, and theres a general sliminess about him that seems to come with the cost of winning. Matt Campbell (Iowa State) Dave Clawson (Wake Forest) Chris Kliemen (Kansas State) Jonathan Smith (Oregon State) Lance Liepold (Kansas) PJ Fleck Nebraska Book Co. in Lincoln shutting down; 114 to lose jobs; In a van outside OUs Lloyd Noble Center, Doc Sadler lives out another season in 45 years of 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. 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. According to one report, a former FBS head coach and long-time defensive coordinator will be joining the Tigers for the 2023 season. That would give him a serious advantage in recruits living rooms, if he can also win games. He might be better served as a coordinator. Why It Might Work: It would be something of a coup to nab one of the hottest commodities in coaching right now. Ah, yes. For the seventh time since Tom Osborne's retirement in 1997, Nebraska is looking for a coach. His record going into 2022 was 90-54, having coached at a couple spots at the FCS level. Why It Might Work: Taggart did well at a place with low expectations. He went an unexpected 5-7, including 3 conference wins, and nearly beat Urban Meyers Buckeyes in overtime. These are the head-explode, spit-take hires that the college football world would probably lose its mind over if Nebraska pulled it off. Hed demand a hefty price and it seems highly unlikely that this marriage would happen. That guy was Scott Frost. Why It Might Not: It felt incestuous when Muschamp fell into the job at South Carolina, but such things are common in the SEC. Why It Might Work: Joseph loves Nebraska, so hes got that going for him, right?
Nebraska Closing Comment: This is who you hire if you want championships. The decline in his fourth season was truly stunning. Johnsons lack of experience in that area means every aspect of how hed run the program would be unknown until we see it. 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. Theres a reason it isnt in vogue anymore. Nebraska Book Co. in Lincoln shutting down; 114 to lose jobs; In a van outside OUs Lloyd Noble Center, Doc Sadler lives out another season in 45 years of coaching