If Nebraska were to target him, the thinking would be that they want to get a guy before he breaks out. Could Nebraska win a bidding war? Back in November 2019, Peter in Cary, Illinois, asked: "Who would be the top-three realistic candidates to replace Brian Kelly, IF, he decided to take an NFL job or leave for something else?". Why It Might Work: Leipold is certainly a good coach. Doeren might be the most underrated coach in the Power 5. Call (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelpline.ma.org (MA), Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). In 2019, Coopers defensive backfield at Baylor helped the Bears rank fifth nationally in interceptions and 18th in pass efficiency defense. 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. Because Air Force is not exactly a headline-grabber in college football, some may find hiring Calhoun to be underwhelming and head-scratching. Creightons a lot younger but it might be tough to shake off the similarities. The bottom is "Could Be Interesting." Yeah, remember him? Why It Might Work: At every stop, Creighton has left the place better than hes found it. Campbell first worked with Rhule at Baylor where he served as an assistant strength coach beginning in 2017. Texas snatched him up two years later, hoping for a return to greatness. Like many coaches of SEC blue bloods, he got run out of town when the results started to taper off. He retired from both Florida and Ohio State for nebulous reasons. Why It Might Work: Absolutely no one expected UTSA to go 12-2, but the fact that the Roadrunners did has to count for something. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Huskers. Hes nuts. You may also remember him as the former OC of the New England Patriots once upon a time. Why It Might Work: Strong was a top candidate at Texas for a reason. More specifically, this search is going to center on current Power Five head coaches with a track record of developing talent, building chemistry and establishing an identity that can serve as the bedrock of the entire program. He might be all flash. 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. Closing Comment: He seems due for a second stint as a head coach, and hes as good as any top coordinator candidate. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Why It Might Work: Its Jon Gruden. His heyday at North Dakota State is tough to overlook, and his ties to Nebraska are very appealing. Nebraska coach Matt Rhule has reportedly made his first staff hires. Hes a household name and hes crazy. Thats an untenable situation for any head coach. Chadwell racked up numerous Coach of the Year Honors for the job he's done recently. Maybe he could pull it off and be great, but thats a tall order. Thats impressive for a guy with no guarantee of longevity beyond a single season. Klieman went 69-6 with the Bison and was hired by Kansas State in Dec 2018. That changed when he brought in Tom Allen, who took over after Wilson was oustedpartly from clashing with the community, among other things. These are high-energy men with great passion for coaching and teaching, who have a history of developing outstanding college players and preparing them for the next level. How would he fit? Closing Comment: Given the state of Pittsburghs and Nebraskas programs, some might consider this a lateral move. 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. Former Husker standout Joseph might get consideration. The coaching staff hires for Nebraska Football include: Corey Campbell, Head Football Strength and Conditioning, Marcus Satterfield, Offensive Coordinator. Why It Might Work: Its not easy to beat Nick Saban, but Malzahn is one of the few people to do itmultiple times. A lot can change over the course of the season. Herman could be primed for a redemption. 827 shares Evan Bredeson November 10, 2022 5:15 am CT The Nebraska coaching search is now closing in on the two-month mark since the firing of Scott Frost on September 11th. Why It Might Not: Its Jon Gruden. It would be a huge step up in expectations if Traylor came to Lincoln. Hes probably done coaching and no one is really looking at him. His departure from Oregon also doesnt sit well and he seems to prefer the Florida region of the country. At both places he was ultimately a disappointment. He's posted seven winning records in his nine full seasons and done a very nice job developing quarterbacks and edge rushers, two positions where Nebraska has missed far more often than not for more than a decade. 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. For this list Im mostly focusing on guys with at least some head coaching experiencemany current, some former. He might not want to take the risk himself. The Gophers have no business being this good, and it is still mind-boggling how Fleck fell into their lap. First, Moorhead probably isnt leaving Akron after one year. The. Does Nebrsaka really want to try that again? Why It Might Work: A lot of people attribute Tom Osbornes success to his degrees in educational psychology. He has also seen what it takes to win, thanks to being inside Ohio States program. 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. Foley spent the past three seasons as an assistant special teams coach with the Panthers and previously worked with special teams at the collegiate level for seven consecutive seasons from 2013 to 2019. Tom Herman: In Herman, Arizona State would get a coach with an excellent overall record (54-22 at Texas and Houston) who has ties to both Texas and California.Herman has two AP top-10 finishes, no . If he were to hire a competent DC and win, the rest may be worth overlooking. But more important than nostalgia is how disciplined his teams are. Closing Comment: I could get on board with this, if not be super excited, and honestly, itd be an excellent hire. How realistic are they? The meltdown in Minneapolis would be legendary. 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. Roughly two hours after it was revealed Frost would be returning in 2022, the head coach announced that effective immediately, he was firing four of his five offensive assistants; offensive. Closing Comment: Mendenhall is a really good candidate on paper. He may be mercurial, but it doesnt change the fact that the job Fleck did at Western Michigan and with the once-hapless Goofers has been excellent. 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. Regardless of money, Nebraska won't be able to pull away a sitting head coach at a program of greater value the athletics department must sell the opening as a chance to rebuild a once-proud brand in a coach's image, which will be very appealing to a certain type of candidate. The hirings are pending the completion of University of Nebraska background checks. Campbell was elevated to the role of director of athletic performance at Baylor before he moved on to the Panthers. 7, quickly became a disappointment and they finished 7-6 with a loss in the bowl game. But his two jobs at Texas and South Florida were massive failures. Why It Might Work: Joseph loves Nebraska, so hes got that going for him, right? Hes Miami of Ohios head coach, where hes been since 2014. Why It Might Not: OBrien bolted for the NFL at the earliest opportunity. Hes quietly leading one of the most competitive programs in the country, causing a ton of trouble for their opponents in the Mountain West. 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. Nebraska fired coach Scott Frost on Sept. 11 after a 1-2 start to the season and are in the market for a new face of the program. He has solid Midwest ties and knows how to recruit gems. Why It Might Not: Kentucky demonstrated tremendous patience through his early years developing the program, when his record was 12-24 (4-20 in conference) after 3 seasons. 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. Cooper served as Baylors recruiting coordinator in 2019 and in his three seasons in Waco, Cooper played a large role in the Bears securing three consecutive top-35 recruiting classes. Closing Comment: Jason Candles not a big name and maybe feels content flying under the radar in college football. Closing Comment: This seems like the safest pick. Hes probably not going to win immediately, and how many more struggling seasons can Husker fans take? It also worked out pretty well the last time the Huskers hired a Buckeye. Could it be interesting? Why It Might Not: But didnt Scott Frost supposedly understand a winning culture too? Thats why its fun. He went 11-2 at Army in 2018. That guy was Scott Frost. Why It Might Not: Moorhead might be wary of leading a big-time college football program after what happened at Mississippi State. 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. He also lacks significant regional ties and seems more geared for the Pacific Northwest and Utah-Colorado areas. 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. Despite some down years, hes done exceptionally well at Air Force and they have no desire to see him leave. The Cornhuskers released four assistant coaches on Monday with just two games left in their 2021 campaign. Chris Klieman. What gives? His recruiting classes at Michigan were all very good, and he completely transformed the Wolverines defense, which had become a joke under Rich Rodriguez. RE-RANK:There are four new top 10 teams in the NCAA Re-Rank 1-131, HIGHS AND LOWSs:Winners and losers from Week 2 in college football, UNDER RADAR:USC's domination, Michigan QB race leadthings you missed, MISERY INDEX:Jimbo Fisher continues to rob Texas A&M in broad daylight. So without further ado, lets get into it. Florida Atlantics head coach has seen an up-and-down career where he was once considered one of the hottest commodities in college football. Nebraska's top three candidates for the open . While he's in a good spot with very solid job security, the Nebraska job ranks higher on the Power Five ladder. Fine, lets talk about it. Closing Comment: As far as fall-back options go, this isnt bad. The question is whether Nebraska wants to face the price tag and stomach the baggage. So why isnt he coaching in Gainesville? Barthel assisted with the running backs in Carolina, while also working in the player personnel department. He could be one of college football's most unsung program builders. He is still a huge name that will be brought up with every vacancy at a major college football program. Could he follow NCAA rules? He would have to go a long way to earn the trust of the players, fans, and boosters. That kind of price tag in hindsight is laughable. Only in his second season at Kansas and coming off a 2-10 first season may give some pause about his. After Mike Riley was fired in 2017, Bill Moos had one target that lined up with the consensus and all he had to do was get him. Plus, he discovered Josh Allen. Why It Might Work: Hes a phenomenal recruiter and has demonstrated the ability to both scout and develop talent. How committed would he be to staying at Nebraska long term if things started to work out? But regardless, this is a candidate that needs to be addressed. Howard coach Larry Scott, a former USF offensive lineman and assistant . Hes dug them out of the doldrums and turned them into a solid program that has produced multiple seasons of double-digit wins. But as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. And it begs the question, why has no one given him a serious look before now? 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. Satterfield has 11 years of experience as an offensive coordinator in addition to two seasons as the head coach at Tennessee Tech. "I appreciate the work and sacrifices these men have made for the University of Nebraska and this football program . He certainly proved capable as head-coaching material, in the right situation. Bringing that energy to Lincoln could make the Huskers a very dangerous program. Second, Im bugged by the Mississippi State thing. FCS champion coaches havent always done great with the jump to FBS, and Bohls time at Wyoming isnt anything to write home about (other than a certain quarterback). It would be a jarring cultural change for him to come to Big Ten country. His record as a head coach is simply too good to ignore. Is he willing to restart that process in an tougher situation with the Cornhuskers? There are many who would see this hire as a bit of a desperate move. Final Statistics Nebraska coaching candidates: Mark Stoops, Matt Campbell lead list of coaches to replace Scott Frost Nebraska has no choice but to hit a home run as expansion looms By. Facebook Hes never worked west of Illinois, and hed be asked to live west of Iowa in the Great Plains. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Void in ONT. Why It Might Not: A longtime coordinator who turned heads with a special season in year two as a head coach, including a Sugar Bowl win over an SEC opponent? He didnt, but a lot of that was because he didnt have internal support. Originally from the Midwest and an assistant at Kansas and Wisconsin before being named the head coach at Northern Illinois, he would understand the landscape in the Big Ten but would need to reestablish a recruiting foothold in the Cornhuskers' 500-mile bubble. 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. Stoops would represent a home-run hire for the Cornhuskers based on his work transforming Kentucky from SEC punchline to one of the toughest teams in the Power Five. But as caveats go, thats fairly small. A former Husker quarterback (sound familiar? To no ones surprise, hes doing well as Alabama OC and can now boast having coached a Heisman-trophy winner. Few active coaches on any level have been as successful as Klieman, who took home four Championship Subdivision national championships in five years at North Dakota State and has won eight games in his two non-COVID seasons with the Wildcats. The coaching staff hires for Nebraska Football include: E.J. Why It Might Work: Campbell is 42 with a record of 77-49 as a head coach, as of this writing. Gruden hasnt even sniffed, let alone showed interest, in a college head coaching job in his entire career, but that wont stop people from pounding the table for him. 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. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. We have heard the reports and the rumors about these six assistant coaches joining Matt Rhule to hopefully bring back some respectability to the football program. He might not have the same passion for Nebraska, and that could affect his performance. Would he be up to it? The coaching carousel is always fun. Is he worth hiring? He knows exactly the caliber of players the NFL wants, and flashing a Super Bowl ring might be enticing to recruits, too. The 53-year-old assistant played QB at Nebraska from 1988 to 1991 under Tom Osborne, starting in 1990 for a nine-win team. Strong was quickly given a chance to redeem himself after Texas, and it could not have gone worse. Scott Frost has been fired. Oh, look, another former North Dakota State head coach. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Draft Trey Palmer with the 191st Pick, The Los Angeles Rams Draft Ochaun Mathis with the 189th Pick, Wrestling: Tyler Berger Wins US Open, Advances to Final X. 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. Closing Comment: So Im skeptical about this. Why It Might Not: No Nebraska or Big Ten ties. Taking on the Nebraska job would place him squarely in the limelight. Iowa) ties and solid coaching, theres some question as to whether he could handle the style of the Big Ten. Why It Might Not: Theres no question that the shine has worn off of Tom Herman. Klieman went 69-6 with the Bison and was hired by Kansas State in Dec 2018. In both cases, he made them successful by his third season. You cant find a more aggressive, out-of-his-mind competitor beyond him other than possibly Jim Harbaugh. Why It Might Work: It only took Urban Meyer two seasons to coach Utah to an undefeated season. 14 class in the nation by The Athletic in 2022, when it did a re-ranking of the 2018 signing class based on how the recruits performed in their collegiate careers. But his most impressive feat is going an insane 83-9 (54-4 in conference) as Ohio States head coach, during which he won 3 Big Ten titles and 1 national championship. Admittedly there would be some excitement, but now with the controversy thats attached to him, its probably just not worth it. He got all that and then some at USF, and good lord, what a disaster. These are the head-explode, spit-take hires that the college football world would probably lose its mind over if Nebraska pulled it off. While Nebraska can almost certainly land him, it would become a much easier sell for Alberts and the athletics department if the Jayhawks can stay hot and make a run at bowl eligibility. He is .500 in bowl games and has an overall record of 135-81, marking a solid resume for any head coach. Arandas second season as a head coach was a surprise breakout, where the Bears won 12 games and upset Oklahoma State in the conference championship. 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. On the other hand, theres a case to be made that maybe Nebraska should go that way. Coaches have gone to different regions and have done wellNick Saban was a consummate Midwest guy before LSUbut I have a hard time seeing Muschamp and Nebraska finding their way to each other. He was doing well at Arizona until off-the-field allegations made them show him the door. Nebraska would be an even tougher job. Oh, and his current OC is Tim Beck. Hes now back at San Diego State for a second stint. After six years with the Cavaliers he unexpectedly resigned (or retired) in a similarly head-scratching departure. If Trev Alberts were to poach him from Lawrence, Leipold would suddenly be under a lot more pressure. Early on in the college football season, Nebraska became the first Power 5 team of the year to find themselves looking for a new head coach after firing Scott Frost. In terms of his availability and interest, Campbell has had opportunities to leave Iowa State but has been waiting for the right position to come open; Nebraska may represent the sweet spot. Wilsons biggest knock might be his personality. He also refuses to wear red. All eyes will be on his performance as the interim coach. The guy everyone wanted once upon a time? Now hes Miami of Floridas DC. But similarly I try to look at how each one might work. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. When you hire an FCS coach, even one of the leagues best, youre rolling the dice. 3. Hes a Youngstown State grad and famously served as Mark Dantonios aggressive DC at Michigan State. 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: Stoops had a fantastic record at Oklahoma and set the program up for long term success. He brings 24 years of experience to the Nebraska staff, including six seasons working for Rhule at Temple, Baylor, and the Carolina Panthers. Why It Might Not: Fit and longevity. Why It Might Not: The Huskers have had mixed results with first time head coaches who needed to learn the job on the fly. Why It Might Not: There are so many reasons. 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. AP Photo/Kathleen Batten. As much as his teams have over-performed, they have also under-performed. Going 8-5 at KSU is apparently the equivalent of going 11-1 to some, and the record from NDSU predictably makes people salivate. Hes currently "coaching" the Dallas/Arlington Renegades in the XFL, a relatively low-profile job. And hes still young at 47. Why It Might Work: Johnson has quietly built up an impressive resume as a coordinator. But the Cornhuskers can offer money and the chance to be the biggest show in town something he'll never, ever get with the Wildcats, which has worn on Stoops as evidenced by his public back-and-forth with basketball coach John Calipari. Hiring him would have the obvious potential of failing spectacularly. Why It Might Work: Taggart did well at a place with low expectations. He had an outstanding first season, going 11-2 with a BCS bowl victory. Why It Might Work: Narduzzi seems tailor-made for the Big Ten. Hes now the head coach at Jacksonville State in Alabama. Even if the search isn't geared toward winning immediate public acclaim, there's a matter of what sort of goodwill the new hire brings to the position: Leipold would be in a better place from the start if Kansas gets to five or even six wins during the regular season. Craig Bohl, head coach, Wyoming. Hes got a national championship ring as a head coach. Why It Might Not: Obligatory NDSU caveats. ), he was the Big 12 offensive player of the year in 2006. Why It Might Work: Canada did a remarkable job as Marylands interim HC. If you look deeper than his 47-42 record, you see a program builder. Closing Comment: This would be intriguing but Taggarts status and resume isnt as hot as it was seven years ago. Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA (select parishes)/MA/MD/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OH/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. His time at Arizona wasnt perfect either. Seems entrenched in Texas. He might be better suited for a rebuild situation where he has time to work out the kinks.