But more important than nostalgia is how disciplined his teams are. 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? Klieman appears to lack key knowledge of the Big Ten, and the Big 12 isnt great to prepare you for that. Im sure youve heard of him. He was one of the Big Tens most underrated offensive coordinators, running a unique pro-style system that confused defenses with several motions. But now, Frost is done, and we have no idea what direction Nebraskas going to go. For the seventh time since Tom Osborne's retirement in 1997, Nebraska is looking for a coach. Why It Might Work: Hoke knows the Big Ten and the Midwest very well. He will have many suitors. He would be a top candidate at any program. He seems like a solid head coach, but its hard to project him being either wildly successful or a disappointing failure. 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. Iowa States 2021 season, where they started ranked No. There are many who would see this hire as a bit of a desperate move. No doubt youre going to disagree with some of these. 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. His Big Ten familiarity is also a plus. Herman could be primed for a redemption. Other FBS programs have gone after FCS champion coaches and the hit rate is usually low. The next hire must hit because the hamster wheel of coaches since Osborne is worn and rusted. The former head coach at Indiana, hes now Ohio States offensive coordinator, and doing an excellent job there. Hes now being talked about for bigger jobs, but was he a one-hit wonder? 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). Plus, he discovered Josh Allen. How quickly can they learn his style and become competitive? Patterson knows Nebraska and its culture; he would come out of the box blazing on the recruiting trail. A longer track record of head coaching success would make him a slam dunk. As a former Husker, he should receive the slack Mike Riley wasnt given. March 3, 2023 7:00 am ET. All eyes will be on his performance as the interim coach. Nebraska football has received three crystal balls total for Raiola, but Wiltfong, the lead expert for 247 sports, still has his crystal ball on Georgia. 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. Hes got a national championship ring as a head coach. Klieman went 69-6 with the Bison and was hired by Kansas State in Dec 2018. It took some convincing to get Kentuckys athletic dept. Nebraska education officials are one step closer to axing the basic skills test that keeps some new teachers out of classrooms. But regardless, this is a candidate that needs to be addressed. Why It Might Work: Its not easy to beat Nick Saban, but Malzahn is one of the few people to do itmultiple times. The head coach of Eastern Michigan has a long tenure of getting the most out of teams and programs with very little. His record at Mississippi State, while not enough to impress its athletic director, was far from terrible and showed signs of progress, especially in the SEC West. And dont forget, hes built a program from scratch. How would he jive culturally? Traditional recruiting grounds in Texas and California were either ignored or eventually shriveled up. It would be a jarring cultural change for him to come to Big Ten country. How would he handle expectations in a much tougher environment? He was very successful as Louisvilles head coach, having discovered Teddy Bridgewater. The guy who led his offense, Barry Lunney, left to be the OC at Illinois. Blackshirts? Hes defensive minded and knows college footballs most fertile recruiting grounds. And unlike Frost, he has no Nebraska ties to save him if he starts losing early. Why It Might Not: Its a roller coaster ride with Fleck. 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. Hes now at Wyoming, where his record is more mediocre. He did exceptionally well with very little. Hes been doing well at Toledo for seven years. And hes still young at 47. Weve seen him be an aggressive recruiter and theres no reason to think that would not continue if he were the head coach. What gives? Seems entrenched in Texas. Thanks to his time as an assistant at Navy and Paul Johnsons Georgia Tech, he is also one of the most well-versed coaches in the triple-optionone of the toughest schemes to prepare for. Closing Comment: Okay, full disclosure: Jeff Monken is my favorite of this whole bunch. Bill O'Brien, Alabama offensive coordinator: "Obie" already has Big Ten experience as the first Penn State coach in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. ), he was the Big 12 offensive player of the year in 2006. He was a bad fit in Austin, but his messaging was sound and seems like the perfect thing Big Ten programs would want. Closing Comment: Mendenhall is a really good candidate on paper. 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. Finally, aside from Bowling Green and Utah, hes mostly been at places with an advantage for success thats practically built-in. 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. Even if there are some benefits, the hire would reek of nepotism. Why It Might Not: It would be a serious gamble. Oh, look, another former North Dakota State head coach. Well, it may surprise you to learn that Matt Entz has a Masters Degree in Education from Wayne State College in Nebraska. Hes nuts. Hes had other stops including LSU and is now the OC for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sep 11, 2022. Hiring him would have the obvious potential of failing spectacularly. OBriens experience coaching quarterbacks both in college and the pros make him very appealing as a developer of talent. Closing Comment: This would be a bizarre marriage if it happened. 1. Here are some candidates to watch: Nebraska Football: Coaching Candidates to Replace Scott Frost. 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. 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. Seven Nebraska coaching candidates to replace Mike Riley. Plus does he really want to leave the comfort of San Diego for a Big Ten job, again? He knows the Midwest and the Big Ten well. He might not have the same passion for Nebraska, and that could affect his performance. According to one report, a former FBS head coach and long-time defensive coordinator will be joining the Tigers for the 2023 season. Hes got a history in the Big Ten, which he matches in terms of style. He certainly proved capable as head-coaching material, in the right situation. Is he more cut out to be a coordinator? It could be possible for him to employ a similar turnaround at Nebraska. Closing Comment: I didnt even want to include him on this list because he seems set at Kansas State, but the frequency of his name being mentioned forced the issue. Closing Comment: Like Matt Campbell, Fickell chose not to take any bigger job opportunities. At 63 with not much upside he is unlikely to be in high demand. He severely clashed with the athletic department and school officials, who were apparently looking for a reason to get rid of him. His turnaround of Eastern Michigan in particular was stunning, but that might be more attributable to the consistent failures of their previous hires. Well see if that changes. Nebraska would be a decidedly new horizon. He was reportedly Michigans second choice if they didnt land Harbaugh in 2014. Known for building Temple and Baylor into double-digit win teams despite difficult circumstances, Rhule is now trying to do it in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers. Candidates. 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. Could Nebraska win a bidding war? Nebraska after Scott Frost: Huskers coaching job pluses, minuses and candidates. 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 Not: OBrien bolted for the NFL at the earliest opportunity. Mickey Joseph, Nebraska interim football coach Joseph, 54, was named Nebraska's interim coach Sunday. Native son Scott Frost was fired Sunday having gone 16-31 three games into his fifth season. Frost is a Husker legend who would surely be a popular hire with Nebraskas loyal fan base. As much as his teams have over-performed, they have also under-performed. 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. You cant find a more aggressive, out-of-his-mind competitor beyond him other than possibly Jim Harbaugh. Why It Might Not: At 64, Bohl is definitely on the tail end of his coaching career, and it might be asking a lot for the guy to completely rebuild his alma mater into something respectable. Despite some down years, hes done exceptionally well at Air Force and they have no desire to see him leave. He won a national title in 2000 and racked up several conference championships during his tenure. Urban Meyer, Fox analyst:The Huskers wouldn't would they? Auburn is not an easy place to win but Malzahn might be itching to get back into the SEC like Lane Kiffin before him. Why It Might Work: Johnson has quietly built up an impressive resume as a coordinator. He was Ohio States stellar OC on their national championship team in 2014. 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. Now that Frost is gone our focus turns to who Trev Alberts will hire to be Nebraskas next coach. Texas snatched him up two years later, hoping for a return to greatness. The Huskers lost 45-42 to Georgia Southern at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Feldman believes Campbell, Leipold, and Chadwell are the leading Nebraska football head coaching candidates to replace Scott Frost. Instead he kept the team competitive when it could have easily imploded. Why It Might Not: Setting aside the baggage that Malzahn allegedly would bring with a reportedly outspoken wife who creates drama, this guy seems entrenched in the deep South. Husker message boards and Facebook groups are littered with His time in Ann Arbor was one catastrophe after another, and the mistakes he made set the program back significantly. As one of the SECs historical have-nots, the Bulldogs were a bottom feeder who Mullen steadily transformed into a team that came close to beating Alabama. Candles Rockets have seen no drop off and remain one of the MACs better teams every year.