Nebraska can turn its program around quickly; it just hasn't done so as of late. Frost studied under coaching legends, knew the Nebraska program inside and out, had two years of head coaching experience, and still failed. 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 At most this would feel like a bridge coach. 122. He brought Western Kentucky out of the basement and did the same at USF. Just imagine the press conferences. Poaching him from the NFL would be a similar coup that would grab headlines across the country. He fell behind at LSU and seemed to coast on his championship laurels. to get more serious about football, but now that they have, the results are showing. But as caveats go, thats fairly small. He is 1-5 in the Cy-Hawk trophy game, leading many to question his ability to handle the defense-heavy Big Ten. The current steward of North Dakota States juggernaut program in the FCS, Entz has an unsurprisingly great record of 37-4 going into the 2022 season. Oh, look, another former North Dakota State head coach. Fickell famously turned down Michigan State to stay at Cincinnati, where he has pilfered their best recruit targets over the last half-decade. There are some reports he prefers the job he has now and is settling in. Yes, the SEC is cutthroat, but youd think a guy with Moorheads acumen would be able to weather it. Assuming everyone could get past the controversy, it would be utterly fascinating to see Gruden coach on the sidelines in the Big Ten west. Some might find this hire head-scratching since these days the option is only run by service academies. His best season was 2016 when he went 12-2 and lost to Georgia in the CFP. His record at Washington is a somewhat less stellar 55-26, but he finished (or tied) first in the Pac-12 north division for three straight years, and won the conference championship twice. Web/real-sports/ncaa-football/nebraska-cornhuskers-coaching-candidates Because Air Force is not exactly a headline-grabber in college football, some may find hiring Calhoun to be underwhelming and head-scratching. Why It Might Not: Theres no question that the shine has worn off of Tom Herman. At the very least, he understands a winning culture. 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. This guy has been around. So without further ado, lets get into it. Trev Alberts has the rest of 2022 to find the right guy. But as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Why It Might Work: Hes got a lot of energy for someone in his late sixties. He was very successful as Louisvilles head coach, having discovered Teddy Bridgewater. Does FSU or any ACC power actually have options? Why It Might Not: It remains to be seen how hell finish in Carolina, but if he were to wind up in Lincoln, there may be the sense that this is a low-bar retread hire. Would he be able to get the talent needed to win at a high level? That would not be the case at Nebraska. It would all be judged on his staff. He won a national title in 2000 and racked up several conference championships during his tenure. Is he waiting for Ryan Day to leave Ohio State? Im sure youve heard of him. Theres no question he knows how to coach and recruit. His record going into 2022 was 90-54, having coached at a couple spots at the FCS level. The head coach of the Pittsburgh Panthers won the ACC in 2021 and has his team rolling toward a bright future. 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: Mark Stoops would be a solid hire. 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. 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. He is obsessed with winning and is known for relentless coaching, sometimes to unhealthy levels. Closing Comment: This would be intriguing but Taggarts status and resume isnt as hot as it was seven years ago. The Cleveland Browns hired former Indianapolis Colts special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone last week. Is he more cut out to be a coordinator? (They probably dont.). But lets be honest, Gruden was really overrated. He would be a top candidate at any program. Why It Might Work: Petersens record at Boise State was 92-12. The 2023 salary cap has already been The guy everyone wanted once upon a time? Why It Might Work: Stoops had a fantastic record at Oklahoma and set the program up for long term success. 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. A big paycheck might make him reconsider. Florida Atlantics head coach has seen an up-and-down career where he was once considered one of the hottest commodities in college football. Jerry Kill: If Nebraska wants to poach a head coach from another school, Jerry Kill seems like a logical direction to go. Recall that he inexplicably lost to a bad Bowling Green team in 2021, in a season when Minnesota finished 9-4. Jon Hale is the University of Kentucky football beat writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader. He regularly punches above his weight and has out-schemed and out-coached Nebraska on multiple occasions. Frost tried everything: changing coaches, changing approaches. Closing Comment: Les Miles may have been interesting as a replacement to Mike Riley or Bo Pelini, but that window has long since closed. 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. He produced Dak Prescott for the Dallas Cowboys and his first three seasons at Florida were very good. 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: 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. Four candidates are vying for each of the other two district seats. Why It Might Work: Hes a phenomenal recruiter and has demonstrated the ability to both scout and develop talent. Closing Comment: He seems due for a second stint as a head coach, and hes as good as any top coordinator candidate. This seems like a long shot, but anythings possible. Closing Comment: The most impressive part of his resume is his time at GVSU, but how much of that can translate to Nebraska? Make of that what you will. Mickey Joseph, Nebraska interim football coach Joseph, 54, was named Nebraska's interim coach Sunday. Why It Might Work: Mullen was the toast of college football after what he did in Starkville, Mississippi. Has the He was a part of the Minnesota breakthrough in 2016 that set the runway for P.J. Wilsons biggest knock might be his personality. Toledos head coach, he took over when Matt Campbell left for Iowa State. There is a fair argument that Fleck appears to be mostly flash and light on substance. Needless to say, from top to bottom, hed be a massive upgrade over Scott Frost, and has a better resume than either Mike Riley or Bo Pelini when they were each hired. 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. You may also remember him as the former OC of the New England Patriots once upon a time. Its an exciting time, right? Candidates. Prior to this development, insiders were saying Campbell was interested in only two jobs: Ohio State and Notre Dame. Herman could be primed for a redemption. He also refuses to wear red. The Huskers lost 45-42 to Georgia Southern at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Hes quietly leading one of the most competitive programs in the country, causing a ton of trouble for their opponents in the Mountain West. He knows how to coach up players, and most importantly, he knows how to run the damn ball, damn it. Plus, he discovered Josh Allen. He is still a huge name that will be brought up with every vacancy at a major college football program. 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 It didnt happen. Why It Might Not: Well, for starters, hes in his late sixties. Okay, okay, in all seriousness, Grudens name gets floated only because hes so damn fun to watch. His next gig has to be the absolute right fit. 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. Its highly unlikely anyone else was considered. Hes very much an old-school style coach and appears more stubborn than most. If he were to hire a competent DC and win, the rest may be worth overlooking. Hes got a national championship ring as a head coach. He might not want to take the risk himself. Georgias current defensive coordinator has been a head coach at two different SEC teams, Florida and South Carolina. A solid resume for a Big Ten coaching candidate. Why It Might Not: Nebraska would be a bigger job than anywhere hes been. There may be a candidate who emerges who is not on this list, something thats very likely to happen. He did exceptionally well with very little. Lets start with why he flopped at Michiganhis defense and special teams. Being a true triple-option team in the Big Ten would be fascinating. Hed demand a hefty price and it seems highly unlikely that this marriage would happen. 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. Then he went to Kansas and did the same as every coach who went to Kansas after Mark Mangino. Closing Comment: This seems like the safest pick. 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. Theres high-highs and low-lows. That means 6-6 or even 7-5 might not be good enough for Nebraska, which absolutely has to hit a home run this time around. Hes probably not going to win immediately, and how many more struggling seasons can Husker fans take? 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. At 63 with not much upside he is unlikely to be in high demand. 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. Overall the body work from Martin appears only slightly above average. The meltdown in Minneapolis would be legendary. 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. 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. But isnt that what Nebraska tried with Mike Riley? Gary Patterson, Texas analyst: This makes so much sense. 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. Nebraskas top three candidates for the open coaching job are Iowa States Matt Campbell, Kansas coach Lance Leipold and Alabama offensive coordinator He had an up-and-down career thats been mostly down, at least at the head coaching level. Trev Alberts now has to embark on the long process of finding his replacement. And would he stick around, even if things go well? 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. Seven Nebraska coaching candidates to replace Mike Riley. 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. He has also seen what it takes to win, thanks to being inside Ohio States program. 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. Hes known as an offensive mastermind and stands among college footballs brainiest schemers. It took the Raiders committing $100 million to lure him away from Monday Night Football. Matt Campbell (Iowa State) Dave Clawson (Wake Forest) Chris Kliemen (Kansas State) Jonathan Smith (Oregon State) Lance Liepold (Kansas) PJ Fleck Why It Might Work: Johnson has quietly built up an impressive resume as a coordinator. Herman quietly served as an analyst for the Chicago Bears last year and is now looking for a job. But that kind of long term thinking and recalibration of expectations seems very unlikely in todays trigger-happy arms race of college football. No doubt youre going to disagree with some of these. Why It Might Work: It only took Urban Meyer two seasons to coach Utah to an undefeated season. 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. A steady decline in play resulted in losses piling up and he got the boot. Nebraska Cornhuskers coaching candidates Jeff Monken, Army Black Knights head coach Jeff Lebby, Oklahoma Sooners offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, He struggled (to put it mildly) to develop a quarterback. His connections in SEC land make him very unlikely to stay at a program like Nebraska, even if he somehow found success. He's 45 and very much seems primed for a jump. 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 Closing Comment: Yes, his second year as a head coach was unexpectedly good, so the comparisons to Frost are there. So why isnt he coaching in Gainesville? Like many coaches of SEC blue bloods, he got run out of town when the results started to taper off. Hes been doing well at Toledo for seven years. He hasnt interviewed for any vacancies since his retirement. 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. In moving from the Big 12 to the Big Ten, the program lost its identity. Everyone hopes to nab someone who creates the success of Jim Tressel. Admittedly there would be some excitement, but now with the controversy thats attached to him, its probably just not worth it. 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. Why It Might Work: Surprisingly Martin is only 54 and has stayed at the same spot for going on eight years. Iowa) ties and solid coaching, theres some question as to whether he could handle the style of the Big Ten. His teams at both places have generally shown well against Big Ten opponents. 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. 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. Anytime you nab a successful head coach from the SEC, its going to create buzz. Second, Im bugged by the Mississippi State thing. Hes an Ohio guy who loves Ohio. Even when they made modest improvements in other areas, the Cornhuskers were consistently bad at a couple things: special teams and losing close games. Why It Might Work: Leipold is certainly a good coach. I hear his wife makes a mean plate of nachos. 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. How would he handle expectations in a much tougher environment? 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. His culture, tireless work ethic and no-nonsense approach would appeal to Nebraska. Now hes Miami of Floridas DC. He also lacks significant regional ties and seems more geared for the Pacific Northwest and Utah-Colorado areas. Hes Miami of Ohios head coach, where hes been since 2014. Nebraska after Scott Frost: Huskers coaching job pluses, minuses and candidates. 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. Hes never worked west of Illinois, and hed be asked to live west of Iowa in the Great Plains. Then he spent a season at Oregon before bolting for the "Dream Job" at Florida State, where he barely lasted two years. The former was a perennial bottom feeder which he transformed into a conference champion, and the latter was reeling from the Art Briles scandal. Closing Comment: Mullen isnt coaching anywhere right now, so hed be available. What gives? This seems like a Southern-oriented guy. Closing Comment: I was big on Charlie Strong and thought hed kick butt at Texas. But Campbell has to get to a certain level this season to be in the mix. 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. At both places he was ultimately a disappointment. 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. Closing Comment: Its odd that Campbell didnt make a jump to a better job after last season. Plus he got axed from the Raiders on his second stint because of controversial emails sent a decade ago. 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. 1. Closing Comment: A perhaps-soon-to-be-former NFL coach whos done very well in college seems like a good choice on paper. 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. Why It Might Work: Hes 42 and is clearly seen as one of college football up-and-comers, as Campbell was before him. He certainly would be a good hire on paper, but youd be right to wonder if it would work out. And even with great recruiting operations already established at Ohio State, he somehow managed to take it to another level. Closing Comment: This is a classic swing-for-the-fences, boom-or-bust type. All eyes will be on his performance as the interim coach. Hes got a history in the Big Ten, which he matches in terms of style. Buy Colts Tickets. Hed be an obvious bridge coach who would have to do a lot to win over the skeptics. Who should replace Scott Frost at Nebraska? Johnsons lack of experience in that area means every aspect of how hed run the program would be unknown until we see it. After taking over the sturdy foundation built by Jerry Kill, P.J. Meyer can coach college, but can he keep from becoming the focus for all the wrong reasons? He hasnt pursued head coaching gigs very much and might be more comfortable as an assistant. Closing Comment: Its a huge if whether he leaves an NFL coaching gig in his prime when the Bengals have finally achieved liftoff. How would he jive culturally? Could Nebraska lure the former Oklahoma coach out of retirement (or semi-retirement)? By the time it got resolved, it was Thursday before the Oklahoma game. Texas snatched him up two years later, hoping for a return to greatness. Taylor is a young coach who caught fire in one season (sound familiar? He got national attention in 2020 when he led Iowa State to its first division crown, including an upset of Oklahoma in the regular season (although they later lost the rematch in the Big 12 championship). His recruiting ties to the Midwest (Ohio) make him a good fit for the Big Ten. Why It Might Not: It felt incestuous when Muschamp fell into the job at South Carolina, but such things are common in the SEC. He was doing well at Arizona until off-the-field allegations made them show him the door. He was reportedly Michigans second choice if they didnt land Harbaugh in 2014. Narduzzi seems comfortable where he is and it would take a hefty offer to make him pack his bags for Lincoln. Why It Might Work: OBriens two years at Penn State were really good given the circumstances that he walked into. A 54-22 record is solidly in the plus category, and he went 5-0 in bowl games as a head coach. Nebraska has no natural rival in the Big Ten, as much as some want to make Iowa that team. Mike Locksley, Lane Kiffin, and Luke Fickell all got another chance after doing some "rehab" at a successful program. Why It Might Not: Canada clashed a bit with Ed Orgeron at LSU, leading some to believe that he was holding the offense back. Almost all of his coaching career has been in the state of Ohio. How they do in replacing him will 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? 2:45 am ET, Charges dropped against Georgia WR Rara Thomas, UCLA, Kelly agree to extension through 2027, Four Pac-12 programs renew contact with Big 12, NCAA committee approves new college football rules, Saban sounds off on proposed permanent opponents. 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. Hes a Youngstown State grad and famously served as Mark Dantonios aggressive DC at Michigan State. 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. A longer track record of head coaching success would make him a slam dunk. 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. 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. Can the Huskers rebound? Why It Might Not: It looks a lot like Mike Riley, doesnt it? GP has plenty left in the tank at age 62 after a bitter departure from TCU.