Oh, wait, you mean yeah, okay. There would be cultural nuances that would take some adjusting to from both sides, but that would quickly fall by the wayside if he started winning. 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. The next hire must hit because the hamster wheel of coaches since Osborne is worn and rusted. And would he stick around, even if things go well? Iowa States 2021 season, where they started ranked No. These are the head-explode, spit-take hires that the college football world would probably lose its mind over if Nebraska pulled it off. 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. His recruiting ties to the Midwest (Ohio) make him a good fit for the Big Ten. Even if there are some benefits, the hire would reek of nepotism. Closing Comment: As far as fall-back options go, this isnt bad. Closing Comment: Its a risk. Why It Might Work: Stoops had a fantastic record at Oklahoma and set the program up for long term success. So Ive compiled an exhaustive list below of virtually every coaching candidate I think Nebraska could pursue. Hes now at Wyoming, where his record is more mediocre. Would he be able to get the talent needed to win at a high level? Nebraska would be a decidedly new horizon. Second tier is "May Generate Excitement." Hes the former head coach of the Florida Gators and, before that, the Mississippi State Bulldogs. 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. Closing Comment: Yes, his second year as a head coach was unexpectedly good, so the comparisons to Frost are there. Why It Might Not: Obligatory NDSU caveats. Closing Comment: Jason Candles not a big name and maybe feels content flying under the radar in college football. 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. Air Force has been up and down but theyre generally solid. 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. 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 they do in replacing him will A steady decline in play resulted in losses piling up and he got the boot. There is no doubt in his ability as a head coach. Kill has decades of experience as a head He has coached both a Heisman Trophy winner (Bryce Young) and the G.O.A.T. 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. A similar implosion if he were to come to Lincoln cant be ruled out. How would he fit? 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. The former Raiders and Bucs head coach is one of the sports biggest characters, and also one of the most controversial. He has decent ties to the state and the Midwest which make him familiar with the local recruiting grounds. He has a respectable head coaching record overall at 87-53. 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. But as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. You may also remember him as the former OC of the New England Patriots once upon a time. According to one report, a former FBS head coach and long-time defensive coordinator will be joining the Tigers for the 2023 season. Hes probably done coaching and no one is really looking at him. And hes kind of an oddball. The 3 leading candidates to replace Frost were revealed by Bruce He might be better suited for a rebuild situation where he has time to work out the kinks. Why It Might Not: The USF flop is a huge concern. And if that were to happen, Nebraska wouldnt be the only program interested. Native son Scott Frost was fired Sunday having gone 16-31 three games into his fifth season. Meanwhile, a once-proud program suffers. Four candidates are vying for each of the other two district seats. He went an unexpected 5-7, including 3 conference wins, and nearly beat Urban Meyers Buckeyes in overtime. That's the sort of sell job Frost needs to make. After taking over the sturdy foundation built by Jerry Kill, P.J. It would be a huge step up in expectations if Traylor came to Lincoln. All eyes across the country would be tuning in to watch how he does with the Huskersand it could work. 122. He knows the Midwest and the Big Ten well. ), he was the Big 12 offensive player of the year in 2006. Mickey Joseph, Nebraska interim football coach Joseph, 54, was named Nebraska's interim coach Sunday. 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. He did the obligatory rehab-at-Alabama thing. Why It Might Not: Its a roller coaster ride with Fleck. The guy who led his offense, Barry Lunney, left to be the OC at Illinois. He might be all flash. Hes got a history in the Big Ten, which he matches in terms of style. Chadwell followed it up by posting another 11-win season in 2021. What gives? 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. Taking on the Nebraska job would place him squarely in the limelight. Hes an Ohio guy who loves Ohio. Closing Comment: It seems like it would take a lot to talk Petersen into coming to Lincoln. But regardless, this is a candidate that needs to be addressed. 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: Mark Stoops would be a solid hire. A lot can change over the course of the season. If fans could get over the personality hang-ups, this might be the answer. Bringing that energy to Lincoln could make the Huskers a very dangerous program. I hear his wife makes a mean plate of nachos. Hiring him would have the obvious potential of failing spectacularly. WebCandidates must have either current Nebraska licensure or NDE certification and be available 3-5 days per week to serve students in a variety of settings. 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. His experience working under Chip Kelly and Mark Helfrich at Oregon, as well as a vote of confidence from Okay, okay, in all seriousness, Grudens name gets floated only because hes so damn fun to watch. He would also bring continuity to the program. He seems like a solid head coach, but its hard to project him being either wildly successful or a disappointing failure. But as caveats go, thats fairly small. It would all but confirm that Nebraska is interested primarily in giving the reins to former Huskers. 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. That would not be the case at Nebraska. After going 32-18, way below the Longhorns standards, he got the boot. He already knows the Big Ten and will likely be more prepared on what to expect given his time at Wisconsin. That cost Meyer a three-game suspension at the beginning of the 2018 season, his last with the Buckeyes. It would be fascinating, though. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. The Huskers have added 39 new scholarship players via the transfer portal and the 2023 recruiting class. Creighton has taken his programs as far as they realistically could go, so he could be worth a look. That changed when he brought in Tom Allen, who took over after Wilson was oustedpartly from clashing with the community, among other things. Why It Might Not: There are so many reasons. 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. He got all that and then some at USF, and good lord, what a disaster. 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. A solid resume for a Big Ten coaching candidate. Curriculum development and delivery of adult education courses. Hes done a decent head coaching job at two different programs with limited resources, and hes turning 51 in December. 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. Closing Comment: Mickey Joseph would no doubt excite some Husker fans, and while I do get the argument for his upside, hes now 54 without a major head coaching gig. Jeff Schwartz (p) (402) 395-2134 How to Apply If you are interested , submit your application! He didnt, but a lot of that was because he didnt have internal support. He could bring that recipe to Nebraska, which would afford him the necessary resources. Frost studied under coaching legends, knew the Nebraska program inside and out, had two years of head coaching experience, and still failed. It also begs the question: how much of Taylors recent NFL success is linked to Joe Burrow? He also beat Michigan in the Alamo Bowl. Why It Might Not: Well, for starters, hes in his late sixties. Nebraska needs a new football coach. Could he be a Husker version of Jim Harbaugh? Hes now back at San Diego State for a second stint. Some of these names are crazy, some are not even remotely realistic, and some are legitimate targets. 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. Doeren might be the most underrated coach in the Power 5. Georgia Southern's Clay Helton was the first coach fired last season at USC. Closing Comment: Bringing Rich Rod back to the Big Ten would certainly create serious buzz. Toledos head coach, he took over when Matt Campbell left for Iowa State. He brought Western Kentucky out of the basement and did the same at USF. 2 Related. He hasnt interviewed for any vacancies since his retirement. Why It Might Work: Leipold is certainly a good coach. Hes had other stops including LSU and is now the OC for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Then he became Houstons head coach and kicked butt in year one. Mark Stoops, Kentucky coach: Stoops has spent a decade methodically developing the Wildcats into an above-average, competent SEC program. 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. He certainly proved capable as head-coaching material, in the right situation. Why It Might Work: Rodriguez created the quintessential Cinderella program at West Virginia, where he would probably still be coaching today had he not taken Michigans offer and left so controversially. In addition, while his teams have done well overall, there are times when his ability as a play-caller has been costly. 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. Hes nuts. Why It Might Work: Doeren runs the ball Big Ten style at NC State, and theyre very good at it. And, surprisingly, even after two head coaching jobs, it still feels to some like his potential remains untapped. How quickly can they learn his style and become competitive? The 2023 salary cap has already been He orchestrated Cam Newtons Heisman season when serving as Auburns OC in 2010. That kind of price tag in hindsight is laughable. He does have some college experience as the Cincinnati Bearcats OC in 2016 (not too long ago), so it wouldnt be necessarily a huge adjustment for him to come back to college. Nebraska Coaching Candidates -Matt Rhule Former Carolina Panthers and Baylor Bears Head Coach. Coming off one of his biggest wins Saturday at Florida, there is evidence Stoops may have peaked with the Wildcats. Thats impressive for a guy with no guarantee of longevity beyond a single season. Sure, but I feel like it would take a lot of rejection for Trev Alberts to dial his number. 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. 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. 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. Trev Alberts now has to embark on the long process of finding his replacement. Thats an untenable situation for any head coach. Assuming he agreed to come to Lincoln, how would he get on? In both cases, he made them successful by his third season. But here it is as written around September 12, with minor edits.). The head coach of Eastern Michigan has a long tenure of getting the most out of teams and programs with very little. Is this a championship-caliber coach? Its interesting that he got that job, given his previous spot was as Arkansass RB coach, when they went 4-20 in the Chad Morris era. Youre going to hear a lot of names. Why It Might Work: Joseph loves Nebraska, so hes got that going for him, right? The decline in his fourth season was truly stunning. His connections in SEC land make him very unlikely to stay at a program like Nebraska, even if he somehow found success. Hes now the head coach at Jacksonville State in Alabama. Taylor is a young coach who caught fire in one season (sound familiar? 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 seems like a guy who prefers to build a program rather than jump to a better job at the earliest chance. Fickell famously turned down Michigan State to stay at Cincinnati, where he has pilfered their best recruit targets over the last half-decade. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: collegefootball | pageType: stories | 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 first is the Big Names. Closing Comment: This would be a bizarre marriage if it happened. Urban Meyer, Fox analyst:The Huskers wouldn't would they? Nebraska would certainly expect more from him than what he did in Starkville. His time at Arizona wasnt perfect either. Who should replace Scott Frost at Nebraska? 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? Hell soon be looking for another chance to lead a program.