Closing Comment: As far as fall-back options go, this isnt bad. Chadwell racked up numerous Coach of the Year Honors for the job he's done recently. Absolutely. Hes got a history in the Big Ten, which he matches in terms of style. Who? This is probably the name every sports writer and your mom is going to mention for Nebraska or any major head coaching vacancy, because Matt Campbell seems to be the up-and-coming head coach du jour. This guy has been around. Here is a look at five early candidates for the vacant Nebraska head coaching job. At the end of each candidate I include a Closing Comment, which is basically my personal take on what I think of the candidate. The guy who led his offense, Barry Lunney, left to be the OC at Illinois. www.sportsgrid.com His recruiting ties to the Midwest (Ohio) make him a good fit for the Big Ten. But isnt that what Nebraska tried with Mike Riley? Closing Comment: It seems like it would take a lot to talk Petersen into coming to Lincoln. Nebraska The break from Virginia was equally confusing, and Mendenhall gave the now-typical "spend time with family" line as the reason. The Huskers lost 45-42 to Georgia Southern at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. 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. The former head coach of Penn State and the Houston Texans is now enrolled in Nick Sabans rehabilitation program as an assistant coach for the Crimson Tide. It would be a jarring cultural change for him to come to Big Ten country. FCS coaches, even the ones with championships, are always a gamble. The latest were internal issues with Jacksonville Jaguars players last season. He has coached both a Heisman Trophy winner (Bryce Young) and the G.O.A.T. Previously he was a coordinator at Oklahoma, where he also did well. Herman could be primed for a redemption. Klieman went 69-6 with the Bison and was hired by Kansas State in Dec 2018. Ideal candidates will have a Master's degree in Social work, psychology, sociology, counseling, human development, or a closely related field. Frost is a Husker legend who would surely be a popular hire with Nebraskas loyal fan base. 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. Plus does he really want to leave the comfort of San Diego for a Big Ten job, again? The decline in his fourth season was truly stunning. Thats why its fun. Nebraska coaching 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). Nebraska has fired Mike Riley after three seasons with the program. on Sep 19, 2022, 8:38am CDT How they do in replacing him will Many believe he was one of the original architects of the spread offense. 7, quickly became a disappointment and they finished 7-6 with a loss in the bowl game. 11 Coaching Candidates to Replace Mike Riley at Nebraska He would be a top candidate at any program. Could Nebraska lure the former Oklahoma coach out of retirement (or semi-retirement)? 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. 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. That's the sort of sell job Frost needs to make. Instead, it's seen a far-flung outpost in a league that suddenly boasts a presence in New York, Chicago and soon Los Angeles. Four candidates are vying for each of the other two district seats. But they also end there. Frost tried everything: changing coaches, changing approaches. He modernized Penn States offense and recruited at a high level despite limitations. Nebraska 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. At the very least, like Jon Gruden, he knows the kind of player that the NFL prefers. We know who he is. 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. Its not for everybody. He did the obligatory rehab-at-Alabama thing. (They probably dont.). 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. Closing Comment: Mendenhall is a really good candidate on paper. It also begs the question: how much of Taylors recent NFL success is linked to Joe Burrow? +, (Introductory note: So, I initially had this written and ready to post last week, but there was a technical glitch with the New Fanpost button which I had to contact SB Nation support about. How committed would he be to staying at Nebraska long term if things started to work out? I may do a follow up article as the year goes on. That kind of price tag in hindsight is laughable. His two turnarounds at Ball State and San Diego State (in his first stint) were impressive, considering what they were before he arrived. He has Big Ten bona fides from his days as Ohio States DC and would bring serious credibility to a Nebraska program looking to get competitive in the conference. If Nebraska missed on Matt Campbell but wanted a similar type of coach, Candle is as close as you can get without the turnaround job at Iowa State. Jerry Kill: If Nebraska wants to poach a head coach from another school, Jerry Kill seems like a logical direction to go. 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. Closing Comment: All the places hes led seem to have unbreakable, hard ceilings and are traditionally basement dwellers. His time at Ohio State gives him an edge in recruiting knowledge, and at Texas he had no problem pulling in top classes. 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. candidates And yes, hes from the Stoops family and is an Iowa alumnus. It could be possible for him to employ a similar turnaround at Nebraska. If you look deeper than his 47-42 record, you see a program builder. The 3 leading Nebraska football candidates to replace Scott Why It Might Not: Was Fickells rejection of MSU a signal he wants to stay put long term, or is he leery of Big Ten competition and high expectations which he knows all too well? Im sure youve heard of him. Hes nuts. 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. Thats insanely good. Now that Frost is gone our focus turns to who Trev Alberts will hire to be Nebraskas next coach. Hell soon be looking for another chance to lead a program. Can the Huskers rebound? 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. He has also seen what it takes to win, thanks to being inside Ohio States program. 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. His heyday at North Dakota State is tough to overlook, and his ties to Nebraska are very appealing. Hes generally seen as past his prime, and despite his Midwest (i.e. He did exceptionally well with very little. Plus he got axed from the Raiders on his second stint because of controversial emails sent a decade ago. 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 This seems like a long shot, but anythings possible. What would he do with the offensive players recruited to a drastically different system? Hes also been a successful OC at Oregon from 2020-2021. Hes got a national championship ring as a head coach. Candidates. By the time it got resolved, it was Thursday before the Oklahoma game. But similarly I try to look at how each one might work. 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. Jeff Schwartz (p) (402) 395-2134 How to Apply If you are interested , submit your application! He has solid Midwest ties and knows how to recruit gems. 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. Finally, aside from Bowling Green and Utah, hes mostly been at places with an advantage for success thats practically built-in. Then he got booted for off-the-field allegations from his time at LSU. Possible coaching candidates for Nebraska - CBSSports.com He is obsessed with winning and is known for relentless coaching, sometimes to unhealthy levels. The fact that he was scooped up almost immediately by UCF shows that he was and will continue to be a hot commodity. Closing Comment: This would be intriguing but Taggarts status and resume isnt as hot as it was seven years ago. Why It Might Work: Hes got a lot of energy for someone in his late sixties. For many, the shine has certainly worn off. Twice since 2018 he has won 10 games, perhaps prompting his angry comeback recently when John Calipari suggested Kentucky is far more focused on basketball success. So Ive compiled an exhaustive list below of virtually every coaching candidate I think Nebraska could pursue. 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. 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. But as caveats go, thats fairly small. 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. 172d Bill Connelly. 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. By Chris Vannini. North Carolina or South Carolina (or even Clemson?) He struggled (to put it mildly) to develop a quarterback. It typically doesnt go that way, but Entzs ties to the state of Nebraska, if nothing else, make him mildly interesting. Why It Might Work: Hes still young at 47, and its not like his career has been a complete failure. 4 potential Nebraska coaching candidates to replace Scott Frost Could he be a Husker version of Jim Harbaugh? 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. You may know him as the former OC who helped Penn State to their Big Ten championship in 2016. Its an exciting time, right? Moving within the division to suddenly chase his old boss, Paul Chryst, and alma mater doesn't seem like an ideal move. 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. In moving from the Big 12 to the Big Ten, the program lost its identity. 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. If nothing else, Kliemans teams have been solid and that would be a huge upgrade to the shoddy job Scott Frost has done. He then went on to win two national championships at Florida. 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. Theres a pretty big crop of them right now and Nebraska should definitely exhaust all options there before looking at coordinators whove never been a head coach. 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. 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: Its a roller coaster ride with Fleck. The Wisconsin stint in particular gives him Big Ten cred. You may also remember him as the former OC of the New England Patriots once upon a time. Unless Iowa State suffers a total collapse this year, hes going to be the top target for most major open head coaching jobs. Doeren might be the most underrated coach in the Power 5. Quite the opposite, actually. Herman quietly served as an analyst for the Chicago Bears last year and is now looking for a job. Nebraska