nebraska football assistant coach candidates

As a former Husker, he should receive the slack Mike Riley wasnt given. And would he stick around, even if things go well? He hasnt interviewed for any vacancies since his retirement. He hasnt pursued head coaching gigs very much and might be more comfortable as an assistant. Nebraska coach Matt Rhule has reportedly made his first staff hires. Strong was quickly given a chance to redeem himself after Texas, and it could not have gone worse. It typically doesnt go that way, but Entzs ties to the state of Nebraska, if nothing else, make him mildly interesting. But now, Frost is done, and we have no idea what direction Nebraskas going to go. Bohl is a Lincoln native, played his college ball at Nebraska and also spent time with the Cornhuskers as an assistant from 1995-02. But more important than nostalgia is how disciplined his teams are. His time at Arizona wasnt perfect either. Thats impressive for a guy with no guarantee of longevity beyond a single season. In the last cycle, Texas Tech (Joey McGuire) and Georgia Southern (Clay Helton) hired new coaches in November, about a month before the market traditionally heats up. Could that be the recipe? I may do a follow up article as the year goes on. Plus does he really want to leave the comfort of San Diego for a Big Ten job, again? Herman quietly served as an analyst for the Chicago Bears last year and is now looking for a job. Closing Comment: Its odd that Campbell didnt make a jump to a better job after last season. Hes dug them out of the doldrums and turned them into a solid program that has produced multiple seasons of double-digit wins. Mostly known in Big Ten country for his three years at Michigan, Rich Rodriguez has actually been a head coach for a really long time and has a, shall we say, eclectic list of stops. He also would not be completely new to the Big Ten and might be more prepared in his second go-round. You may know him as the former OC who helped Penn State to their Big Ten championship in 2016. Fleck has since elevated Minnesota to a level of competition that no one would have thought possible. Roughly two hours after it was revealed Frost would be returning in 2022, the head coach announced that effective immediately, he was firing four of his five offensive assistants; offensive. Why It Might Not: The USF flop is a huge concern. Hes a Penn State grad with strong Midwest recruiting ties, and was considered for the job in State College. 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 wasnt exactly a total fraud, but he was given every opportunity to succeed at Texas, a place with numerous built-in advantages and benefits, and really underachieved. 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. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Like Doeren, he's spent years constructing Kentucky into an annual Top 25 contender. Concordia University Nebraska 4.1. Marcus Satterfield will lead the Nebraska offense after serving for the past two seasons as the offensive coordinator at South Carolina. In Foleys time at Temple, more than 20 Owls who played high school football in New Jersey went on to NFL careers. Hes a Youngstown State grad and famously served as Mark Dantonios aggressive DC at Michigan State. Why It Might Not: Urban Meyer is weird. But isnt that what Nebraska tried with Mike Riley? The 53-year-old assistant played QB at Nebraska from 1988 to 1991 under Tom Osborne, starting in 1990 for a nine-win team. 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. Okay, okay, in all seriousness, Grudens name gets floated only because hes so damn fun to watch. The guy who led his offense, Barry Lunney, left to be the OC at Illinois. Why It Might Work: Hes still young at 47, and its not like his career has been a complete failure. He closed his tenure in Columbia by helping South Carolina to back-to-back wins over top-10 opponents Tennessee and Clemson. Closing Comment: Okay, full disclosure: Jeff Monken is my favorite of this whole bunch. Herman made a name for himself as offensive coordinator at Iowa State (2009-11) and then Ohio State (2012-14) before his brilliant turnaround as head coach at Houston, where he was 22-4 in two . The head coach of Eastern Michigan has a long tenure of getting the most out of teams and programs with very little. He's established a culture at Iowa State that has played a substantial role in the best run in program history. 87. 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. 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. At most this would feel like a bridge coach. Recall that he inexplicably lost to a bad Bowling Green team in 2021, in a season when Minnesota finished 9-4. 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 so. He also beat Michigan in the Alamo Bowl. Trev Alberts would probably prefer someone who knows what hes doing. Scott Frost has been fired. He may have bitten off more than he could chew with the FSU job, but he was also succeeding Jimbo Fisher, one of the programs most successful coaches. He served as Marylands interim coach after they fired DJ Durkin. While his teams arent on Clemsons level in terms of talent, they are always competitive. He brought Western Kentucky out of the basement and did the same at USF. He had an outstanding first season, going 11-2 with a BCS bowl victory. Hes currently "coaching" the Dallas/Arlington Renegades in the XFL, a relatively low-profile job. 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. Hes now the head coach at Jacksonville State in Alabama. See terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Why It Might Not: Did Campbell peak in 2020? How much support would he get? 7 min read Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts finally pulled the plug on the Scott Frost. 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 coached as an assistant at Louisville, Minnesota, Georgia, Colorado, and is now Michigan States OC, where hes done well. Knighton was a standout defensive lineman at Temple and was a third-round NFL Draft pick, playing in more than 100 games during his seven-year professional career and tallying 231 tackles from 2009 to 2015. Nebraska Football (@HuskerFBNation) October 2, 2022 Bill Busch, in his debut at the helm of the defense, coordinated an effort that led to 11 Indiana punts and eight three-and-out series. 3. Hes never been a head coach but Johnsons acumen as an assistant makes him someone likely to get an offer soon. He already knows the Big Ten and will likely be more prepared on what to expect given his time at Wisconsin. And if that were to happen, Nebraska wouldnt be the only program interested. 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. But they also end there. Hes very much an old-school style coach and appears more stubborn than most. It would be fascinating, though. Why It Might Not: Nebraska would be a bigger job than anywhere hes been. 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. 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. ), but its unclear if he could be great in the long term. The Cornhuskers released four assistant coaches on Monday with just two games left in their 2021 campaign. 14 class in the nation by The Athletic in 2022, when it did a re-ranking of the 2018 signing class based on how the recruits performed in their collegiate careers. Why It Might Not: Canada clashed a bit with Ed Orgeron at LSU, leading some to believe that he was holding the offense back. 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. 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. And hes kind of an oddball. Reading between the lines of Nebraska athletics director Trev Alberts' comments Sunday, when he announced the firing of Scott Frost, the Cornhuskers' next coaching search will fit under these parameters: As a case in point, the university will pay more than $16 million to toss Frost after the ugly loss to Georgia Southern rather than waiting just weeks until Oct. 1, when his buyout was set to be trimmed in half. Bringing that energy to Lincoln could make the Huskers a very dangerous program. Could he be a Husker version of Jim Harbaugh? 827 shares Evan Bredeson November 10, 2022 5:15 am CT The Nebraska coaching search is now closing in on the two-month mark since the firing of Scott Frost on September 11th. In his most recent stop at South Carolina, Satterfield served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and helped the Gamecocks to a pair of bowl games. 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. It would be like bringing in a far less successful Dabo Swinney. Why It Might Work: Hes got a lot of energy for someone in his late sixties. Why It Might Not: Air Force is his alma mater and thats a big hurdle when hes doing well there. Just imagine the press conferences. He was doing well at Arizona until off-the-field allegations made them show him the door. It's hard to believe, yet nearly impossible at the same time not to believe, that in two weeks, Nebraska will presumably have introduced its . Husker fans might be wary because Stoops appears to be a blend of Mike Riley and Bo Pelini, but somehow hes made it work in Lexington. The Gamecocks combined for 94 points and 1,008 yards of total offense in the two wins. His heyday at North Dakota State is tough to overlook, and his ties to Nebraska are very appealing. His departure from Oregon also doesnt sit well and he seems to prefer the Florida region of the country. Malzahns record is proven but hes far from perfect. For many, the shine has certainly worn off. There are some in Ann Arbor who still feel he didnt get a fair shake, but his career following has borne out that Michigan probably made the correct decision. Nebraska is 3-7 overall and 1-6 in the Big Ten after four consecutive losses. How would he fit? Chris Klieman. And to be fair, though there is potential, his head coaching tenures with both the Nittany Lions and the Texans were not exactly spectacular. That kind of price tag in hindsight is laughable. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Hed demand a hefty price and it seems highly unlikely that this marriage would happen. Why It Might Not: Its a roller coaster ride with Fleck. Hes nuts. This seems like a Southern-oriented guy. Its odd that hes never been a head coach beyond the interim run with Maryland, which makes me think hes not really interested in it. He also occasionally does TV analyst work for Fox Sports, and he stepped in to coach the Sooners for a bowl game when Lincoln Riley bolted for USC. Why It Might Work: Petersens record at Boise State was 92-12. A solid resume for a Big Ten coaching candidate. Hes got a history in the Big Ten, which he matches in terms of style. Now hes Miami of Floridas DC. Nebraska fired coach Scott Frost on Sept. 11 after a 1-2 start to the season and are in the market for a new face of the program. to get more serious about football, but now that they have, the results are showing. 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. Hes done a decent head coaching job at two different programs with limited resources, and hes turning 51 in December. Assuming everyone could get past the controversy, it would be utterly fascinating to see Gruden coach on the sidelines in the Big Ten west. Even if there are some benefits, the hire would reek of nepotism. Closing Comment: Mark Stoops would be a solid hire. Barthel has a background in coaching running backs, most recently on Jim Mora Jr.s Connecticut staff in 2022. He then went on to win two national championships at Florida. He was Ohio States stellar OC on their national championship team in 2014. The state of Colorado isnt that far from Nebraska. Why It Might Work: Campbell is 42 with a record of 77-49 as a head coach, as of this writing. That guy was Scott Frost. He could be one of college football's most unsung program builders. Could it be interesting? Even if the search isn't geared toward winning immediate public acclaim, there's a matter of what sort of goodwill the new hire brings to the position: Leipold would be in a better place from the start if Kansas gets to five or even six wins during the regular season. Closing Comment: Theres a lot to like with Matt Canada when you look under the surface. Make of that what you will. Closing Comment: This would be a bizarre marriage if it happened. Maybe hes learned a lot and would want to take a crack at it again, in the Big Ten? He might be better served as a coordinator. 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. Another guy who had a surprising breakout 12-win season in year two as a head coach, Traylor and UTSA had a magical year in 2021. If not the easiest decision for him to make, Nebraska can simply offer more: more money in a better conference with a deeper reservoir of resources. Advertise; Shop; The Essentialsarrow_drop_down. The University of Nebraska has now official announced the hiring of. Kansas was willing to take a chance, and it very much felt like throwing anything at a wall to see what sticks. Why It Might Work: Mullen was the toast of college football after what he did in Starkville, Mississippi. Questions remain on. featured Nebraska football coaching candidates roundtable Gavin Struve, Joseph Maier, Noah Buchholtz Nov. 11, 2022 Art by Jodi Soptic Nearly two full months have passed since former Nebraska football head coach Scott Frost was relieved of his duties. Also, reportedly, he has a bit of a temper. Why It Might Work: Hes a phenomenal recruiter and has demonstrated the ability to both scout and develop talent. Here are some candidates to watch: Nebraska Football: Coaching Candidates to Replace Scott Frost Troy Calhoun, Head Coach, Air Force If Nebraska wants to get back to its roots and run. Since Nebraska is going into the bye week, I figured I might as well wait until after all the post-game articles before posting this. He retired suddenly after a disappointing 8-5 record in 2019 and hasnt sought any coaching opportunities since. Closing Comment: It seems like it would take a lot to talk Petersen into coming to Lincoln. Back in November 2019, Peter in Cary, Illinois, asked: "Who would be the top-three realistic candidates to replace Brian Kelly, IF, he decided to take an NFL job or leave for something else?". Instead he kept the team competitive when it could have easily imploded. Creighton has taken his programs as far as they realistically could go, so he could be worth a look. Is this a championship-caliber coach? 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. He knows the Midwest and the Big Ten well. Foley spent the past three seasons as an assistant special teams coach with the Panthers and previously worked with special teams at the collegiate level for seven consecutive seasons from 2013 to 2019. Satterfield has 11 years of experience as an offensive coordinator in addition to two seasons as the head coach at Tennessee Tech. So stay tuned. He went an unexpected 5-7, including 3 conference wins, and nearly beat Urban Meyers Buckeyes in overtime. This FanPost created by a registered user of Corn Nation. In terms of his availability and interest, Campbell has had opportunities to leave Iowa State but has been waiting for the right position to come open; Nebraska may represent the sweet spot. This seems like a name fairly low on the totem pole and would likely signal desperation. Hes now being talked about for bigger jobs, but was he a one-hit wonder? His connections in SEC land make him very unlikely to stay at a program like Nebraska, even if he somehow found success. Now he doesnt seem to have the ambition to go after a big job with big expectations. There may be a candidate who emerges who is not on this list, something thats very likely to happen. So Ive compiled an exhaustive list below of virtually every coaching candidate I think Nebraska could pursue. He is .500 in bowl games and has an overall record of 135-81, marking a solid resume for any head coach. 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. His recent playing experience provides Knighton the expertise to teach and develop at one of the sports most demanding positions. His two turnarounds at Ball State and San Diego State (in his first stint) were impressive, considering what they were before he arrived. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Huskers. And it begs the question, why has no one given him a serious look before now? Its an exciting time, right? His time at Ohio State gives him an edge in recruiting knowledge, and at Texas he had no problem pulling in top classes. Plus he got axed from the Raiders on his second stint because of controversial emails sent a decade ago. His special teams ranked in the top 25 nationally four times in his last five seasons at the collegiate level. Tim Daniels September 20, 2022 Bill O'Brien (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell and Kansas head coach Lance Leipold have. He has shepherded locker rooms accustomed to winning championships each season. Florida Atlantics head coach has seen an up-and-down career where he was once considered one of the hottest commodities in college football. As an alumnus in the coaching field, he may have the highest possible pedigree, and candidates like this simply dont grow on trees. 2-5 years of experience as an assistant coach in Higher Ed or high school head coach preferred. He severely clashed with the athletic department and school officials, who were apparently looking for a reason to get rid of him. In both cases, he made them successful by his third season. 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. Tom Herman: In Herman, Arizona State would get a coach with an excellent overall record (54-22 at Texas and Houston) who has ties to both Texas and California.Herman has two AP top-10 finishes, no . Why It Might Work: Taggart did well at a place with low expectations. He proved capable beyond that when he made the University of Buffalo more than just a scrappy program. The decision to fire Frost after just the season's 3rd game has given college football fans plenty of time to speculate about who would eventually be the coach to take his place. A former Husker quarterback (sound familiar? His final year at Texas saw a massive recruiting drop, including reports that his own players were actively sabotaging visits. John Brice from FootballScoop.com is reporting that interim Nebraska Head Coach Mickey Joseph, along with former TCU coach Gary Patterson, former Baylor coach Matt Rhule and the current. Is he waiting for Ryan Day to leave Ohio State? Other FBS programs have gone after FCS champion coaches and the hit rate is usually low. This seems like a long shot, but anythings possible. By the time it got resolved, it was Thursday before the Oklahoma game. He's a grinder who revels in the foundation-setting portion of a coach's tenure and would embrace the task of digging Nebraska out from the depths of recent embarrassment. North Carolina or South Carolina (or even Clemson?) Not every place is going to be set up like that. Rhule also seems like a fine Big Ten fit. 12 in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll and in the mix for the most successful season in program history. Ah, yes. Schematically, Stoops and his staff have developed a model designed to even the playing field with more gifted opponents, with terrific results. Lindsey is the second on-field assistant coach to leave this offseason, with other coach being former offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield, who took the same job at Nebraska this past November. 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. Doeren might be the most underrated coach in the Power 5. Its hard to say if hed consider Nebraska a destination. Seward, NE 68434. He appears more ready for a jump to a mid-major. Hes been doing well at Toledo for seven years. 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. Why It Might Work: Canada did a remarkable job as Marylands interim HC. Klieman went 69-6 with the Bison and was hired by Kansas State in Dec 2018. He modernized Penn States offense and recruited at a high level despite limitations. You cant find a more aggressive, out-of-his-mind competitor beyond him other than possibly Jim Harbaugh. This group of coaches will be great representatives of the University of Nebraska and are ready to play a key role in building our program, Rhule said. Closing Comment: This would be intriguing but Taggarts status and resume isnt as hot as it was seven years ago. You may also remember him as Wisconsins OC in 2012, when they put up 70 points on the Huskers in the Big Ten Championship game. There is no doubt in his ability as a head coach. 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. Closing Comment: This seems like the safest pick. When you hire an FCS coach, even one of the leagues best, youre rolling the dice. The fact that he was scooped up almost immediately by UCF shows that he was and will continue to be a hot commodity. After taking over the sturdy foundation built by Jerry Kill, P.J. 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. He didnt, but a lot of that was because he didnt have internal support. A big paycheck might make him reconsider. What would he do with the offensive players recruited to a drastically different system? Would he succeed in a Midwest spot? You know what you're going to get: clean, solid, physical football that would conceivably play well in Lincoln. If fans could get over the personality hang-ups, this might be the answer. Why It Might Work: OBriens two years at Penn State were really good given the circumstances that he walked into. Yes, the SEC is cutthroat, but youd think a guy with Moorheads acumen would be able to weather it. 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. Some people are pounding the table for this guy, but to me, this is a fairly un-sexy pick. 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. He brings 24 years of experience to the Nebraska staff, including six seasons working for Rhule at Temple, Baylor, and the Carolina Panthers. And hes still young at 47. And yeah, Im ranking thesebased on how appealing I think they are, the kind of fit theyd be, and how much energy or excitement their arrival would inject into the program. Closing Comment: The appeal of hiring a coach with the achievement of his second season aside, this doesnt seem like a great fit on the surface. Nebraska would certainly expect more from him than what he did in Starkville. Fresh off an overtime win at West Virginia that leaves Kansas at 2-0 for the first time since 2011, Leipold has quickly reversed the Jayhawks' losing ways and placed the program on an upward trajectory for the first time in over a decade. How would he handle expectations in a much tougher environment? While Nebraska can almost certainly land him, it would become a much easier sell for Alberts and the athletics department if the Jayhawks can stay hot and make a run at bowl eligibility. The hirings are pending the completion of University of Nebraska background checks.