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. Frost tried everything: changing coaches, changing approaches. So Ive compiled an exhaustive list below of virtually every coaching candidate I think Nebraska could pursue. Closing Comment: This is who you hire if you want championships. 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. Hes considerably more experienced than Monken and has a longer record. The question is whether Nebraska wants to face the price tag and stomach the baggage. 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. Why It Might Work: The jobs he did at Temple and Baylor were nothing short of spectacular. 11 Coaching Candidates to Replace Mike Riley at Nebraska Husker message boards and Facebook groups are littered with Closing Comment: I could get on board with this, if not be super excited, and honestly, itd be an excellent hire. His two turnarounds at Ball State and San Diego State (in his first stint) were impressive, considering what they were before he arrived. 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. 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. Kentucky had no expectations when they hired him. 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 probably not going to win immediately, and how many more struggling seasons can Husker fans take? The former head coach at Indiana, hes now Ohio States offensive coordinator, and doing an excellent job there. 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 | All eyes will be on his performance as the interim coach. Candidates. Its highly unlikely anyone else was considered. Nebraska coaching candidates Mark Stoops, Kentucky coach: Stoops has spent a decade methodically developing the Wildcats into an above-average, competent If you wanted to replicate Wisconsin at Nebraska, you couldnt do much better than this guy. The 2023 salary cap has already been Admittedly there would be some excitement, but now with the controversy thats attached to him, its probably just not worth it. An Air Force grad who is coaching Air Force, Calhoun is in his 16th season there and has a record of 111-75 after 15 of them. Fleck has since elevated Minnesota to a level of competition that no one would have thought possible. He has decent ties to the state and the Midwest which make him familiar with the local recruiting grounds. You may know him as the former OC who helped Penn State to their Big Ten championship in 2016. Hes a Husker and currently serving as interim coach. Nebraska Hes certainly a good coach, but is he elite? It would appease all Husker fans who want to go back to that style from the Osborne days, and theres no better choice for that than Monken. The guy everyone wanted once upon a time? Nebraska coaching candidates Why It Might Work: Hes a phenomenal recruiter and has demonstrated the ability to both scout and develop talent. Campbell (10-7 in his last 17 games) may have simply hit his ceiling at Iowa State. Hes got a history in the Big Ten, which he matches in terms of style. In addition, while his teams have done well overall, there are times when his ability as a play-caller has been costly. First, Moorhead probably isnt leaving Akron after one year. 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? 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. For this list Im mostly focusing on guys with at least some head coaching experiencemany current, some former. Thats why its fun. Herman could be primed for a redemption. Why It Might Not: Did Campbell peak in 2020? 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. Nebraska football coaching hot board: 21 candidates for the job Nebraska Cornhuskers Coaching Candidates - msn.com Make of that what you will. Does Nebrsaka really want to try that again? 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. The latest were internal issues with Jacksonville Jaguars players last season. Nebraska coaching search: 17 potential Mike Riley replacements If youre looking for consistency, this might not be the best choice. He was reportedly Michigans second choice if they didnt land Harbaugh in 2014. He also has a fiery disposition like a certain former coach and Husker fans find that generally off-putting. Closing Comment: Theres a lot to like with Matt Canada when you look under the surface. The Gophers have no business being this good, and it is still mind-boggling how Fleck fell into their lap. Why It Might Work: OBriens two years at Penn State were really good given the circumstances that he walked into. 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 candidates The former was a perennial bottom feeder which he transformed into a conference champion, and the latter was reeling from the Art Briles scandal. 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). Dont sleep on his football knowledge, either. Closing Comment: This is a classic swing-for-the-fences, boom-or-bust type. These are the head-explode, spit-take hires that the college football world would probably lose its mind over if Nebraska pulled it off. He was the DC at Wisconsin and LSU and is now coaching the Baylor Bears. Well see if that changes. Is he more cut out to be a coordinator? There is no healthier coaching tree from which to pick a coach: Bill Belichick and Nick Saban. A competent athletic dept. But isnt that what Nebraska tried with Mike Riley? Texas snatched him up two years later, hoping for a return to greatness. NC States current head coach was formerly Wisconsins DC and crashed the BCS party in his second year as a head coach at Northern Illinois in 2012, when they went 12-2. This guy has been around. 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. His recruiting classes at Michigan were all very good, and he completely transformed the Wolverines defense, which had become a joke under Rich Rodriguez. ), he was the Big 12 offensive player of the year in 2006. Why It Might Not: Its Jon Gruden. Finally, aside from Bowling Green and Utah, hes mostly been at places with an advantage for success thats practically built-in. Closing Comment: He seems due for a second stint as a head coach, and hes as good as any top coordinator candidate. Then he became Houstons head coach and kicked butt in year one. Closing Comment: Given all the candidates out there with head coaching experience, even the flawed retreads, it would almost seem disappointing to pick an unproven coordinator instead. Blackshirts? And if he does, would he stick around? Closing Comment: Okay, full disclosure: Jeff Monken is my favorite of this whole bunch. If nothing else, Kliemans teams have been solid and that would be a huge upgrade to the shoddy job Scott Frost has done. It would all be judged on his staff. Nebraska Coaching Closing Comment: Mendenhall is a really good candidate on paper. Although Mullen may have gotten fired in a profession with brutal expectations, there may have been problems underneath the surface. 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. Could it be interesting? Bringing that energy to Lincoln could make the Huskers a very dangerous program. 171d Adam Rittenberg. Nebraska can turn its program around quickly; it just hasn't done so as of late. The headlines would be juicy. How would the fan base react? 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. Malzahns record is proven but hes far from perfect. His record as a head coach is simply too good to ignore. GP has plenty left in the tank at age 62 after a bitter departure from TCU. Once considered a paltry candidate after floundering to 6-7 as Ohio States interim head coach in 2011, Fickell has since proven to have massive coaching chops by quietly building Cincinnati into one of the G5s powerhouses and crashing the CFP as the first non-Power Five program to do s The 58-year-old coach has deep roots in the state of Nebraska as a former analyst at Nebraska-Omaha and assistant under Frank Solich with the Huskers. 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.