He is obsessed with winning and is known for relentless coaching, sometimes to unhealthy levels. Lindsay Whalen, Ben Johnson and the emotional toll of coaching A week ago, Whalen was sounding optimistic about the future while Johnson was about as low as he could get. The former Auburn head coach known for taking them to the last ever BCS championship game, Malzahn got run out of town after a few mediocre seasons by their standards and is now at UCF. Why It Might Not: Canada clashed a bit with Ed Orgeron at LSU, leading some to believe that he was holding the offense back. So why isnt he coaching in Gainesville? And hes kind of an oddball. Is he waiting for Ryan Day to leave Ohio State? It also worked out pretty well the last time the Huskers hired a Buckeye. Why It Might Work: Moorhead was an outstanding offensive mind at Penn State and the job he did there was the key in elevating the Nittany Lions to the next level. A steady program builder with no flash means that hed be a complete unknown when it comes to recruiting. Traylors offense was among the best in the country in 2021 and they steamrolled through most of their schedule, stumbling in the regular season only to North Texas. Creighton has taken his programs as far as they realistically could go, so he could be worth a look. Why It Might Not: But didnt Scott Frost supposedly understand a winning culture too? This seems like a Southern-oriented guy. Why It Might Work: It would be something of a coup to nab one of the hottest commodities in coaching right now. Could he be a Husker version of Jim Harbaugh? Trev Alberts now has to embark on the long process of finding his replacement. The decline in his fourth season was truly stunning. He severely clashed with the athletic department and school officials, who were apparently looking for a reason to get rid of him. A competent athletic dept. How could it not? At 41, Fleck is still a very young head coach, and although his full potential is still somewhat unproven, all the signs are there that this is a guy who could be next-level great. Absolutely. Northwestern has played in two of the last four Big Ten Championship Games. Florida Atlantics head coach has seen an up-and-down career where he was once considered one of the hottest commodities in college football. (Consider this: How many guys with statues on campus are firedduring the season?) His record as a head coach is simply too good to ignore. Hes not wowing you unless you live in Ypsilanti. Why It Might Work: Taggart did well at a place with low expectations. These are the head-explode, spit-take hires that the college football world would probably lose its mind over if Nebraska pulled it off. Seven candidates ran in the Democratic primary. 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. would be inclined to hire him. Why It Might Not: It remains to be seen how hell finish in Carolina, but if he were to wind up in Lincoln, there may be the sense that this is a low-bar retread hire. And yet he says he's not done coaching. The latest were internal issues with Jacksonville Jaguars players last season. Klieman appears to lack key knowledge of the Big Ten, and the Big 12 isnt great to prepare you for that. It might be worth going after him before another program can. Some of these names are crazy, some are not even remotely realistic, and some are legitimate targets. His next gig has to be the absolute right fit. Any questions please reach out to Jeff Schwartz or Ethan Larsen @ 402-395-2134 or email at Applications will be accepted via email (
[email protected]) or mail. His best season was 2016 when he went 12-2 and lost to Georgia in the CFP. But now, Frost is done, and we have no idea what direction Nebraskas going to go. Why It Might Work: Hes a Husker who happens to be an NFL head coach, almost won a Super Bowl, and hes only 39. 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. Nebraska would certainly expect more from him than what he did in Starkville. Hes nuts. Aranda probably wont be coming into the Big Ten with the same level of naive arrogance, shooting off his mouth about how the conference should adjust to him. 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. Theres no question he knows how to coach and recruit. And hes still young at 47. But they also end there. He might be the defensive version of Scott Frost. If you don't want to call him the new Bo Pelini, fine, but don't forget Pelini's legacy (67-27 in seven seasons) looks damn good right now. He also lacks significant regional ties and seems more geared for the Pacific Northwest and Utah-Colorado areas. Closing Comment: This is who you hire if you want championships. Closing Comment: I was big on Charlie Strong and thought hed kick butt at Texas. I try to make the case for each one. The 2023 salary cap has already been Aside from 2021, hes had an impressive coaching career and Nebraska should definitely consider him. Wilsons biggest knock might be his personality. 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. 171d Adam Rittenberg. 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 | I may do a follow up article as the year goes on. Why It Might Not: It felt incestuous when Muschamp fell into the job at South Carolina, but such things are common in the SEC. 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. Maybe he could pull it off and be great, but thats a tall order. Web/real-sports/ncaa-football/nebraska-cornhuskers-coaching-candidates Klieman went 69-6 with the Bison and was hired by Kansas State in Dec 2018. Johnsons lack of experience in that area means every aspect of how hed run the program would be unknown until we see it. And unlike Frost, he has no Nebraska ties to save him if he starts losing early. Iowa States 2021 season, where they started ranked No. The Huskers lost 45-42 to Georgia Southern at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Kansas was willing to take a chance, and it very much felt like throwing anything at a wall to see what sticks. And even with great recruiting operations already established at Ohio State, he somehow managed to take it to another level. 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. What would he do with the offensive players recruited to a drastically different system? Hes known as an offensive mastermind and stands among college footballs brainiest schemers. It took some convincing to get Kentuckys athletic dept. Ideal candidates will have a Master's degree in Social work, psychology, sociology, counseling, human development, or a closely related field. 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. Why It Might Work: Mendenhall quietly did an amazing job at BYU when they transitioned to an FBS Independent, but how he managed to find success in the salvage project he undertook at Virginiawhich had only 3 winning seasons in 10 years before he arrivedis even more impressive. And how motivated would he be? 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. Hes considerably more experienced than Monken and has a longer record. Even if there are some benefits, the hire would reek of nepotism. Why It Might Not: There are so many reasons. Dont sleep on his football knowledge, either. By Chris Vannini. Hes the former head coach of the Florida Gators and, before that, the Mississippi State Bulldogs. ET on March 15. Thats impressive for a guy with no guarantee of longevity beyond a single season. Make no mistake: if Nebraska were to pull this off, it would be utterly stunning. 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. Another former Big Ten head coach, Hoke ran Michigan with mixed results. He knows exactly the caliber of players the NFL wants, and flashing a Super Bowl ring might be enticing to recruits, too. Hes done a decent head coaching job at two different programs with limited resources, and hes turning 51 in December. Nebraska education officials are one step closer to axing the basic skills test that keeps some new teachers out of classrooms. Closing Comment: He looks like a great choice for a bridge coach, which, considering where Nerbaska is right now, might be a strong strategy for the future. Why It Might Work: Surprisingly Martin is only 54 and has stayed at the same spot for going on eight years. There are some reports he prefers the job he has now and is settling in. Fickell famously turned down Michigan State to stay at Cincinnati, where he has pilfered their best recruit targets over the last half-decade. Why It Might Not: Fit and longevity. 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. Four of them were regarded as serious contenders for the nomination. There is no doubt in his ability as a head coach. But as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Why It Might Work: At every stop, Creighton has left the place better than hes found it. That cost Meyer a three-game suspension at the beginning of the 2018 season, his last with the Buckeyes. Like Venables at Clemson, Leonhard has to be figuring he has a better job right now. Hes certainly a good coach, but is he elite? Why It Might Not: No Nebraska or Big Ten ties. on Sep 19, 2022, 8:38am CDT His culture, tireless work ethic and no-nonsense approach would appeal to Nebraska. He modernized Penn States offense and recruited at a high level despite limitations. Jeff Schwartz (p) (402) 395-2134 How to Apply If you are interested , submit your application! Hes got a history in the Big Ten, which he matches in terms of style. He seems like a solid head coach, but its hard to project him being either wildly successful or a disappointing failure. All eyes will be on his performance as the interim coach. Why It Might Not: Did Campbell peak in 2020? Regionally, itd be a good fit. It took the Raiders committing $100 million to lure him away from Monday Night Football. Now that Frost is gone our focus turns to who Trev Alberts will hire to be Nebraskas next coach. There is a fair argument that Fleck appears to be mostly flash and light on substance. He regularly punches above his weight and has out-schemed and out-coached Nebraska on multiple occasions. He took a lowly Arizona program to the Pac-12 championship before losing to Oregon, proving hes capable of making a run in the right circumstance. Oh, and his current OC is Tim Beck. Frost studied under coaching legends, knew the Nebraska program inside and out, had two years of head coaching experience, and still failed. Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell Campbell has built Iowa State into a consistent winner. Scott Frost is out at Nebraska. For right now Ive got three basic tiers. Why It Might Not: It looks a lot like Mike Riley, doesnt it? It would be a huge step up in expectations if Traylor came to Lincoln. Why It Might Work: Leipold is certainly a good coach. 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. Nebraska Cornhuskers coaching candidates Jeff Monken, Army Black Knights head coach Jeff Lebby, Oklahoma Sooners offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, But regardless, this is a candidate that needs to be addressed. His teams at both places have generally shown well against Big Ten opponents. Frost tried everything: changing coaches, changing approaches. Why It Might Work: Narduzzi seems tailor-made for the Big Ten. Closing Comment: Like Matt Campbell, Fickell chose not to take any bigger job opportunities. Would he be able to get the talent needed to win at a high level? The resume is admittedly solid. Closing Comment: As far as fall-back options go, this isnt bad. 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. Monken is the current head coach at Army, a notoriously difficult place to recruit D-1 competitive athletes. Hes never even interviewed for a head coaching job in college. The first is the Big Names. The former was a perennial bottom feeder which he transformed into a conference champion, and the latter was reeling from the Art Briles scandal. He could be one of college football's most unsung program builders. Weve seen him be an aggressive recruiter and theres no reason to think that would not continue if he were the head coach. 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. It would be a jarring cultural change for him to come to Big Ten country. But lets be honest, Gruden was really overrated. He flamed out of the NFLtwice. If you wanted to replicate Wisconsin at Nebraska, you couldnt do much better than this guy. February 26, 2023 4:11 pm ET. Herman could be primed for a redemption. Hell soon be looking for another chance to lead a program. Creightons a lot younger but it might be tough to shake off the similarities. Kentucky had no expectations when they hired him. Why It Might Work: OBriens two years at Penn State were really good given the circumstances that he walked into. 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 Work: Its not easy to beat Nick Saban, but Malzahn is one of the few people to do itmultiple times. No doubt youre going to disagree with some of these. He might not have the same passion for Nebraska, and that could affect his performance. Meyer, a three-time national championship coach at Florida and Ohio State, was responsible for hiring OSU assistantZach Smith, whose wife accused him of abuse. A former Husker (who youve probably heard of), Bohl was the head coach at FCS powerhouse North Dakota State from 2003 to 2013. Closing Comment: You cant deny that youd be at least a little excited by this. Then he spent a season at Oregon before bolting for the "Dream Job" at Florida State, where he barely lasted two years. 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. Theres some question as to whether hed leave as hes turned down previous job offers from better college programs. He also would not be completely new to the Big Ten and might be more prepared in his second go-round. Scott Frost pulled him from LSU to coach wide receivers and almost everyone in the fan base loves him. How would he handle expectations in a much tougher environment? How realistic are they? This guy has been around. But similarly I try to look at how each one might work. 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. 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. The general thinking is if he can go to a conference championship with practically nothing at Iowa State, imagine what he could do at Nebraska. A longer track record of head coaching success would make him a slam dunk. Fleck, and hes one of the reasons Mel Tucker has found success at Colorado and MSU. 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. He was one of the Big Tens most underrated offensive coordinators, running a unique pro-style system that confused defenses with several motions. Why It Might Work: Petersens record at Boise State was 92-12. He knows how to recruit. If youre looking for consistency, this might not be the best choice. Despite some down years, hes done exceptionally well at Air Force and they have no desire to see him leave. 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. The break from Virginia was equally confusing, and Mendenhall gave the now-typical "spend time with family" line as the reason. WebCareer Services. 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. He retired from both Florida and Ohio State for nebulous reasons. Why It Might Work: Hes got a lot of energy for someone in his late sixties. Hes been doing well at Toledo for seven years. Matt Campbell, Iowa State coach: Several sources have told CBS Sports that Campbell is interested in Nebraska. All eyes across the country would be tuning in to watch how he does with the Huskersand it could work. Now hes Miami of Floridas DC. 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. Nebraska is not the same quality of job it used to be. His Big Ten familiarity is also a plus. Narduzzi seems comfortable where he is and it would take a hefty offer to make him pack his bags for Lincoln. Unless Iowa State suffers a total collapse this year, hes going to be the top target for most major open head coaching jobs. Who? He might not want to take the risk himself. And would he stick around, even if things go well? Urban Meyer, Fox analyst:The Huskers wouldn't would they? Its not for everybody. Theres a reason it isnt in vogue anymore. Maybe he could be worth considering, but rest assured there would be a lot of skeptics. Obviously he wasnt ready for the big job in Austin, but maybe Nebraska might be a better fit. When you hire an FCS coach, even one of the leagues best, youre rolling the dice. Closing Comment: Jason Candles not a big name and maybe feels content flying under the radar in college football. Lets start with why he flopped at Michiganhis defense and special teams. How much support would he get? But here it is as written around September 12, with minor edits.). 7, quickly became a disappointment and they finished 7-6 with a loss in the bowl game. Auburn is not an easy place to win but Malzahn might be itching to get back into the SEC like Lane Kiffin before him. This is another Ohio guy who likes being close to that area. Hes still fairly young at 46. Hes the current head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats. Then he got booted for off-the-field allegations from his time at LSU. Stoops has produced double-digit win seasons, has his program regularly vying for an upper spot in the SEC East, and has sent multiple players to the NFL drafts early rounds. In both cases, he made them successful by his third season. And if that were to happen, Nebraska wouldnt be the only program interested. He also beat Michigan in the Alamo Bowl. Taylor is now the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL and brought them all the way to the Super Bowl, before losing to the Rams. 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. -- Urban Meyer has been contacted by Nebraska as the team continues its process of determining candidates for its head coaching vacancy, sources told CBS Sports on Saturday. Mickey Joseph, Nebraska interim coach:Joseph has a lot of support as Frost's associate head coach and a fellow former Huskers quarterback under Osborne. 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. Native son Scott Frost was fired Sunday having gone 16-31 three games into his fifth season. He seems like a guy who prefers to build a program rather than jump to a better job at the earliest chance. That fact is both a surprising and depressing trend. As much as his teams have over-performed, they have also under-performed. You probably have an opinion on this person. Taylor is a young coach who caught fire in one season (sound familiar? Why It Might Not: The Huskers have had mixed results with first time head coaches who needed to learn the job on the fly. Does FSU or any ACC power actually have options? Cincinnati is going to the Big 12 soon. Closing Comment: Its odd that Campbell didnt make a jump to a better job after last season. 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. Closing Comment: Mullen isnt coaching anywhere right now, so hed be available. He has decent ties to the state and the Midwest which make him familiar with the local recruiting grounds. He went 11-2 at Army in 2018. By the time it got resolved, it was Thursday before the Oklahoma game. If Trev Alberts were to poach him from Lawrence, Leipold would suddenly be under a lot more pressure. Hiring him would have the obvious potential of failing spectacularly. So it seems like hes got the head coaching chops, and his coordinator experience at LSU and Wisconsin make him very familiar with how big programs operate. Ah, yes. Has the Bohl is a Lincoln native, played his college ball at Nebraska and also spent time with the Cornhuskers as an assistant from Chadwell racked up numerous Coach of the Year Honors for the job he's done recently. The guy who led his offense, Barry Lunney, left to be the OC at Illinois. Like Frost, he has a national championship ring (LSU, 2019). It didnt happen. It would all but confirm that Nebraska is interested primarily in giving the reins to former Huskers. You know who he is. Corn Nation, a Nebraska Cornhuskers community, By Silantro Why It Might Not: Lincoln might be outside his comfort zone. 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. He has a respectable head coaching record overall at 87-53. For the seventh time since Tom Osborne's retirement in 1997, Nebraska is looking for a coach. 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. 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? 1. His connections in SEC land make him very unlikely to stay at a program like Nebraska, even if he somehow found success. As an alumnus in the coaching field, he may have the highest possible pedigree, and candidates like this simply dont grow on trees. Thats why its fun. Id be over the moon if Nebraska hired him. He has steadily turned NC State, one of the ACCs most lowly also-rans, into an ascending program. Here are some coaches who could be a fit at Nebraska, listed in alphabetical order. Hes probably not going to win immediately, and how many more struggling seasons can Husker fans take? Okay, okay, in all seriousness, Grudens name gets floated only because hes so damn fun to watch. He certainly proved capable as head-coaching material, in the right situation. And if he does, would he stick around? But as caveats go, thats fairly small. Closing Comment: Okay, full disclosure: Jeff Monken is my favorite of this whole bunch. He built USF into a serious challenger despite its perennial underdog status. Thats insanely good. Stoops may be even better than that without the baggage. Closing Comment: A perhaps-soon-to-be-former NFL coach whos done very well in college seems like a good choice on paper.