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. 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. 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. Closing Comment: As far as fall-back options go, this isnt bad. 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. 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. Theres a reason it isnt in vogue anymore. 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. Cincinnati is going to the Big 12 soon. Maybe he could pull it off and be great, but thats a tall order. Husker message boards and Facebook groups are littered with He regularly punches above his weight and has out-schemed and out-coached Nebraska on multiple occasions. He is still a huge name that will be brought up with every vacancy at a major college football program. No doubt youre going to disagree with some of these. And even with great recruiting operations already established at Ohio State, he somehow managed to take it to another level. The question is whether Nebraska wants to face the price tag and stomach the baggage. Everyone hopes to nab someone who creates the success of Jim Tressel. Other FBS programs have gone after FCS champion coaches and the hit rate is usually low. Why It Might Work: Absolutely no one expected UTSA to go 12-2, but the fact that the Roadrunners did has to count for something. Doerens time in Raleigh has been good but not great, and he hasnt lived up to the hype that came when he arrived after shocking everyone by going 12-2 at NIU. He might be all flash. Maybe hes learned a lot and would want to take a crack at it again, in the Big Ten? Has the Why It Might Not: OBrien bolted for the NFL at the earliest opportunity. Nebraska Coaching Candidates -Matt Rhule Former Carolina Panthers and Baylor Bears Head Coach. Closing Comment: Its a risk. Hes now the head coach at Jacksonville State in Alabama. Theres high-highs and low-lows. 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. Hes also been a successful OC at Oregon from 2020-2021. His time at Ohio State gives him an edge in recruiting knowledge, and at Texas he had no problem pulling in top classes. Closing Comment: Given the state of Pittsburghs and Nebraskas programs, some might consider this a lateral move. He struggled (to put it mildly) to develop a quarterback. It would be a jarring cultural change for him to come to Big Ten country. 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. Thats insanely good. That would give him a serious advantage in recruits living rooms, if he can also win games. Why It Might Work: Johnson has quietly built up an impressive resume as a coordinator. He was a tough, hard-nosed coach who got his teams at Louisville to punch well above their weight and made them think they could be champions. coaching Seems entrenched in Texas. Experience in training, coaching, and/or mentoring experience. The Wisconsin stint in particular gives him Big Ten cred. Hes the former head coach of the Florida Gators and, before that, the Mississippi State Bulldogs. How could it not? And hes kind of an oddball. Nebraska Why It Might Not: Theres no question that the shine has worn off of Tom Herman. 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. While his teams arent on Clemsons level in terms of talent, they are always competitive. Closing Comment: He seems due for a second stint as a head coach, and hes as good as any top coordinator candidate. Frost tried everything: changing coaches, changing approaches. He retired from both Florida and Ohio State for nebulous reasons. Is he more cut out to be a coordinator? Nebraska football coaching hot board: 21 candidates for the job Jimmy Watkins , Evan Bland , Sam McKewon , Luke Mullin Sep 12, 2022 Updated Sep 26, 2022 0 The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported. Coach Putting aside the obvious fact that Nebraska can do worse (and typically has), Bob Stoops would bring instant credibility to the program despite his age. It would be fascinating, though. Seven Nebraska coaching candidates to replace Mike The Top Candidates Who Could Take Over As Nebraska 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. Why It Might Not: It would be a serious gamble. 1990 Nebraska gubernatorial election He was a part of the Minnesota breakthrough in 2016 that set the runway for P.J. It could be fun. But as caveats go, thats fairly small. Meyer didn't even make it through a full season in 2021 with the Jags. And would he stick around, even if things go well? Strong was quickly given a chance to redeem himself after Texas, and it could not have gone worse. He did the obligatory rehab-at-Alabama thing. Nebraska after Scott Frost: Huskers coaching job pluses, minuses and candidates. Nebraska's coaching search entered its second week with three candidates have reportedly pushed to the front of the Huskers' crosshairs, sparking media reaction on the possibilities. Here are some coaches who could be a fit at Nebraska, listed in alphabetical order. The Huskers have added 39 new scholarship players via the transfer portal and the 2023 recruiting class. So without further ado, lets get into it. 172d Bill Connelly. Regionally, itd be a good fit. MSN Creightons a lot younger but it might be tough to shake off the similarities. His recruiting ties to the Midwest (Ohio) make him a good fit for the Big Ten. 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. How quickly can they learn his style and become competitive? It would all but confirm that Nebraska is interested primarily in giving the reins to former Huskers. It would raise eyebrows if he came to the Big Ten. He losta lot. candidates A coach could conceivably come in and use the opportunity to take a step up the coaching rung toward a head coaching job in the near future. Jim Leonhard, Wisconsin defensive coordinator: Like Oklahoma's Brent Venables, Leonhard has turned down a lot of interest from head coaching opportunities. How would he fit? Youre going to hear a lot of names. How much support would he get? Before being Michigans head coach, he was the head coach at Ball State and San Diego State, where he turned around both programs. The head coach of Eastern Michigan has a long tenure of getting the most out of teams and programs with very little. He has also seen what it takes to win, thanks to being inside Ohio States program. February 26, 2023 4:11 pm ET. You may think Nebraska needs to hire him immediately, or you may think that Nebraska should not touch him with a ten thousand foot pole. Rhule also seems like a fine Big Ten fit. And it begs the question, why has no one given him a serious look before now? 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. Speech Language Pathologist (2023-24) - linkedin.com Nebraska Closing Comment: Okay, full disclosure: Jeff Monken is my favorite of this whole bunch. After the scandal that forced Jim Tressel to leave Columbus, Meyer moved in and promptly started kicking the entire Big Tens ass. Why It Might Not: The pressure he felt at Boise was nothing compared to Washingtonwhich is not even one of college footballs biggest blue bloodsand it clearly weighed on him. could be open soon, and in my opinion Chadwell would probably prefer to wait for one of those to come calling than any Big Ten offer. 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. It would be a huge step up in expectations if Traylor came to Lincoln. Closing Comment: Bringing Rich Rod back to the Big Ten would certainly create serious buzz. This seems like a Southern-oriented guy. Assuming everyone could get past the controversy, it would be utterly fascinating to see Gruden coach on the sidelines in the Big Ten west. But they also end there. There is a fair argument that Fleck appears to be mostly flash and light on substance. 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. Why It Might Work: Its not easy to beat Nick Saban, but Malzahn is one of the few people to do itmultiple times.