nebraska football assistant coach candidates

3. KSU hasnt had a breakthrough season yet. Yes, the SEC is cutthroat, but youd think a guy with Moorheads acumen would be able to weather it. Both BYU and Virginia had overall low expectations relative to Nebraska's, but at the same time he'd be taking over the program when those expectations are at their lowest in nearly half a century. That kind of price tag in hindsight is laughable. Nebraska would be an even tougher job. Closing Comment: Mendenhall is a really good candidate on paper. Take a look at the playing and coaching career of Matt Rhule. Overall the body work from Martin appears only slightly above average. He fell behind at LSU and seemed to coast on his championship laurels. 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. Then he spent a season at Oregon before bolting for the "Dream Job" at Florida State, where he barely lasted two years. After six years with the Cavaliers he unexpectedly resigned (or retired) in a similarly head-scratching departure. Trev Alberts now has to embark on the long process of finding his replacement. The 53-year-old assistant played QB at Nebraska from 1988 to 1991 under Tom Osborne, starting in 1990 for a nine-win team. 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. Sure, but I feel like it would take a lot of rejection for Trev Alberts to dial his number. Why It Might Not: His stops at East Tennessee State, Delta State (Mississippi), and the Charleston-Greenville schools put him firmly in a region of the country far from Nebraska, so he lacks regional ties. A similar implosion if he were to come to Lincoln cant be ruled out. Second tier is "May Generate Excitement." on Sep 19, 2022, 8:38am CDT Closing Comment: Mullen isnt coaching anywhere right now, so hed be available. He went an unexpected 5-7, including 3 conference wins, and nearly beat Urban Meyers Buckeyes in overtime. Hes currently in his first year coaching at Akron. Is he waiting for Ryan Day to leave Ohio State? The fact that he was scooped up almost immediately by UCF shows that he was and will continue to be a hot commodity. Candidates who do this well for this longand who dont have a record to count as a negativeusually get a chance to make it as a head coach. Closing Comment: Okay, full disclosure: Jeff Monken is my favorite of this whole bunch. Closing Comment: I could get on board with this, if not be super excited, and honestly, itd be an excellent hire. Four Husker football assistant coaches have been fired, effective . Fleck, and hes one of the reasons Mel Tucker has found success at Colorado and MSU. Regardless of money, Nebraska won't be able to pull away a sitting head coach at a program of greater value the athletics department must sell the opening as a chance to rebuild a once-proud brand in a coach's image, which will be very appealing to a certain type of candidate. Maybe hes learned a lot and would want to take a crack at it again, in the Big Ten? He's now in his fourth year, and the Wildcats . Closing Comment: All the places hes led seem to have unbreakable, hard ceilings and are traditionally basement dwellers. Foley has served on Matt Rhules staff for eight of Rhules 10 seasons as a head coach, including each of the last four seasons. Many believe he was one of the original architects of the spread offense. But the Cornhuskers can offer money and the chance to be the biggest show in town something he'll never, ever get with the Wildcats, which has worn on Stoops as evidenced by his public back-and-forth with basketball coach John Calipari. The Black Knights havent been this good since the 1940s. Matt Lubick, Greg Austin, Ryan Held, and Mario Verduzco are all dismissed at Nebraska, effective immediately. 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. A program at the level of Nebraska seems above his competency, and at his age hed be seen as nothing more than a bridge coach. These are the head-explode, spit-take hires that the college football world would probably lose its mind over if Nebraska pulled it off. 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. But his two jobs at Texas and South Florida were massive failures. 87. He also greatly benefited from Texas falling off and a Big 12 in flux with Missouri, Nebraska, and Texas A&M all leaving for other conferences. Monken is the current head coach at Army, a notoriously difficult place to recruit D-1 competitive athletes. A big paycheck might make him reconsider. The question is whether Nebraska wants to face the price tag and stomach the baggage. He could be one of college football's most unsung program builders. There would be cultural nuances that would take some adjusting to from both sides, but that would quickly fall by the wayside if he started winning. That would give him a serious advantage in recruits living rooms, if he can also win games. Hiring him would have the obvious potential of failing spectacularly. His time at Arizona wasnt perfect either. Why It Might Work: Hes still young at 47, and its not like his career has been a complete failure. Hes the former head coach of the Florida Gators and, before that, the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The meltdown in Minneapolis would be legendary. Mickey Joseph, Nebraska Interim Coach . Hes known as an offensive mastermind and stands among college footballs brainiest schemers. Hed demand a hefty price and it seems highly unlikely that this marriage would happen. Odds and lines subject to change. Kansas was willing to take a chance, and it very much felt like throwing anything at a wall to see what sticks. 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. He has decent ties to the state and the Midwest which make him familiar with the local recruiting grounds. Why It Might Work: Hoke knows the Big Ten and the Midwest very well. Hes very much an old-school style coach and appears more stubborn than most. Why It Might Work: Stoops had a fantastic record at Oklahoma and set the program up for long term success. Trev Alberts would probably prefer someone who knows what hes doing. Nov 15, 2022. Why It Might Work: Petersens record at Boise State was 92-12. Nebraska would be a decidedly new horizon. Could he follow NCAA rules? He hasnt pursued head coaching gigs very much and might be more comfortable as an assistant. He started out as the wide receivers coach in Baton Rouge, but worked his way up to assistant head coach in . With little more than a single impressive season, there are reasons for skepticism. Klieman went 69-6 with the Bison and was hired by Kansas State in Dec 2018. Why It Might Not: It would be a serious gamble. 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. 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. Hes got a history in the Big Ten, which he matches in terms of style. Stoops would represent a home-run hire for the Cornhuskers based on his work transforming Kentucky from SEC punchline to one of the toughest teams in the Power Five. There may be a candidate who emerges who is not on this list, something thats very likely to happen. Theres a reason it isnt in vogue anymore. Corey Campbell will lead Nebraskas football strength and conditioning program. Hes the current head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats. So why isnt he coaching in Gainesville? Basically, Campbell is a 300-yard drive down the fairway that leaves you in range of a birdie but with the floor of saving par. 12 in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll and in the mix for the most successful season in program history. A steady program builder with no flash means that hed be a complete unknown when it comes to recruiting. 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. And hes still young at 47. The current head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks, Leipold had a stellar record at Wisconsin-Whitewater and built the Buffalo Bulls into a contender in the MAC. 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. Who? Creighton is 53. Recall that he inexplicably lost to a bad Bowling Green team in 2021, in a season when Minnesota finished 9-4. Unflashy and reserved, Doeren's personality would fit the ethos of Nebraska. He has a respectable head coaching record overall at 87-53. Its not for everybody. Nebraska's top three candidates for the open . Why It Might Work: Hes 42 and is clearly seen as one of college football up-and-comers, as Campbell was before him. Plus hes another triple-option coach. Narduzzi seems comfortable where he is and it would take a hefty offer to make him pack his bags for Lincoln. The former was a perennial bottom feeder which he transformed into a conference champion, and the latter was reeling from the Art Briles scandal. 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. He seems like a guy who prefers to build a program rather than jump to a better job at the earliest chance. All eyes across the country would be tuning in to watch how he does with the Huskersand it could work. Nebraska would certainly expect more from him than what he did in Starkville. He has steadily turned NC State, one of the ACCs most lowly also-rans, into an ascending program. Closing Comment: Les Miles may have been interesting as a replacement to Mike Riley or Bo Pelini, but that window has long since closed. Air Force has been up and down but theyre generally solid. Luke Fickell - Cincinnati. Terrance Knighton will be in his third season on Rhules staff in 2023, after serving as an assistant defensive line coach with the Carolina Panthers in 2021 and 2022. A 54-22 record is solidly in the plus category, and he went 5-0 in bowl games as a head coach. But at this point he seems set on staying in Florida. But as caveats go, thats fairly small. 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. 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. And unlike Frost, he has no Nebraska ties to save him if he starts losing early. The Cornhuskers released four assistant coaches on Monday with just two games left in their 2021 campaign. 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. Chadwell and Herman are potential candidates for USF, and former Nebraska and UCF coach Scott Frost also might be a factor. His departure from Oregon also doesnt sit well and he seems to prefer the Florida region of the country. Hell soon be looking for another chance to lead a program. It would all but confirm that Nebraska is interested primarily in giving the reins to former Huskers. 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. Hes certainly a good coach, but is he elite? Klieman appears to lack key knowledge of the Big Ten, and the Big 12 isnt great to prepare you for that. He might be just the thing for a program weary of misses and failed press conferences. E.J. He was one of the Big Tens most underrated offensive coordinators, running a unique pro-style system that confused defenses with several motions. Chadwell followed it up by posting another 11-win season in 2021. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Assuming everyone could get past the controversy, it would be utterly fascinating to see Gruden coach on the sidelines in the Big Ten west. Thats why its fun. Its highly unlikely anyone else was considered. The most obligatory of all candidates to be discussed. No, we need more. Why It Might Not: Theres not a lot to knock, but theres not a lot to get excited about, either. Closing Comment: Only the most butthurt Iowa-hating Husker fans would be against this. Iowa States 2021 season, where they started ranked No. Closing Comment: Given the state of Pittsburghs and Nebraskas programs, some might consider this a lateral move. His recent playing experience provides Knighton the expertise to teach and develop at one of the sports most demanding positions. This seems like a name fairly low on the totem pole and would likely signal desperation. Bohl is a Lincoln native, played his college ball at Nebraska and also spent time with the Cornhuskers as an assistant from 1995-02. His heyday at North Dakota State is tough to overlook, and his ties to Nebraska are very appealing. He got national attention in 2020 when he led Iowa State to its first division crown, including an upset of Oklahoma in the regular season (although they later lost the rematch in the Big 12 championship). Then he got booted for off-the-field allegations from his time at LSU.