Frost tried everything: changing coaches, changing approaches. Nebraska football fired head coach Scott Frost following their difficult start to the 2022 season. Nebraska after Scott Frost: Huskers coaching job pluses, minuses and candidates. Could he follow NCAA rules? By the time it got resolved, it was Thursday before the Oklahoma game. 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. A steady decline in play resulted in losses piling up and he got the boot. Known for building Temple and Baylor into double-digit win teams despite difficult circumstances, Rhule is now trying to do it in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers. Now that Frost is gone our focus turns to who Trev Alberts will hire to be Nebraskas next coach. Hes never worked west of Illinois, and hed be asked to live west of Iowa in the Great Plains. Maybe hes learned a lot and would want to take a crack at it again, in the Big Ten? 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. At the end of each candidate I include a Closing Comment, which is basically my personal take on what I think of the candidate. He then went on to win two national championships at Florida. Closing Comment: It would be interesting to see Hoke roam the sidelines in Lincoln, and he would almost certainly do a better job than Scott Frost, but there isnt much he can provide in the long term. 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. The Huskers fired Mike Riley after a terrible 2017 and two losing seasons in three years. section: | slug: nebraska-coaching-candidates-mark-stoops-matt-campbell-lead-list-of-coaches-to-replace-scott-frost | sport: collegefootball | route: article_single.us | Closing Comment: Mickey Joseph would no doubt excite some Husker fans, and while I do get the argument for his upside, hes now 54 without a major head coaching gig. 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. Why It Might Work: Hoke knows the Big Ten and the Midwest very well. And yet he says he's not done coaching. He is obsessed with winning and is known for relentless coaching, sometimes to unhealthy levels. Yes, the SEC is cutthroat, but youd think a guy with Moorheads acumen would be able to weather it. There are many who would see this hire as a bit of a desperate move. He did the obligatory rehab-at-Alabama thing. It also begs the question: how much of Taylors recent NFL success is linked to Joe Burrow? 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. 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. It didnt happen. Meanwhile, a once-proud program suffers. Other FBS programs have gone after FCS champion coaches and the hit rate is usually low. His culture, tireless work ethic and no-nonsense approach would appeal to Nebraska. Dont sleep on his football knowledge, either. Texas snatched him up two years later, hoping for a return to greatness. Chadwell followed it up by posting another 11-win season in 2021. As soon as Matt Rhule was fired from the Carolina -Lance A lot can change over the course of the season. Why It Might Work: Hes a Husker who happens to be an NFL head coach, almost won a Super Bowl, and hes only 39. Nebraskas top three candidates for the open coaching job are Iowa States Matt Campbell, Kansas coach Lance Leipold and Alabama offensive coordinator Why It Might Work: The jobs he did at Temple and Baylor were nothing short of spectacular. The former was a perennial bottom feeder which he transformed into a conference champion, and the latter was reeling from the Art Briles scandal. As much as his teams have over-performed, they have also under-performed. He was very successful as Louisvilles head coach, having discovered Teddy Bridgewater. Fine, lets talk about it. Here are some candidates to watch: Nebraska Football: Coaching Candidates to Replace Scott Frost. Why It Might Not: But didnt Scott Frost supposedly understand a winning culture too? But isnt that what Nebraska tried with Mike Riley? Plus he got axed from the Raiders on his second stint because of controversial emails sent a decade ago. 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 | He certainly would be a good hire on paper, but youd be right to wonder if it would work out. Barring a stunning breakthrough this season, hes just about reached the end of his rope and is likely to return to the field of college coaching. 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. His recruiting ties to the Midwest (Ohio) make him a good fit for the Big Ten. He's 45 and very much seems primed for a jump. Seems entrenched in Texas. Its not for everybody. Monken has no Big Ten or Nebraska ties. How could it not? March 3, 2023 7:00 am ET. 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. 225 Nebraska Union Lincoln, NE 68588-0451 402-472-3145 careerservices@unl.edu 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. 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. Heres a look at some potential candidates to take over the Cornhuskers: Matt Rhule, Carolina Panthers head coach Rhule has several years left on his deal and Seven candidates ran in the Democratic primary. His record as a head coach is simply too good to ignore. The latest were internal issues with Jacksonville Jaguars players last season. Coming off one of his biggest wins Saturday at Florida, there is evidence Stoops may have peaked with the Wildcats. He may have reached his ceiling. 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. At 63 with not much upside he is unlikely to be in high demand. 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. How quickly can they learn his style and become competitive? How realistic are they? Nebraska would be a decidedly new horizon. Can the Huskers rebound? Hes an Ohio guy who loves Ohio. 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. A competent athletic dept. ), he was the Big 12 offensive player of the year in 2006. 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. OBriens experience coaching quarterbacks both in college and the pros make him very appealing as a developer of talent. Any questions please reach out to Jeff Schwartz or Ethan Larsen @ 402-395-2134 or email at Applications will be accepted via email (jschwartz@boonecentral.esu7.org) or mail. The move ended weeks of speculation about Ventrones status with the organization and left a significant void to fill both on the field and in the locker room. Kill has decades of experience as a head All Rights Reserved. Both are filled at the moment. Nebraska would be an even tougher job. Hes the current head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats. He recruits well and has proven himself as a head coach at a Power 5 program. Malzahns record is proven but hes far from perfect. Thats an untenable situation for any head coach. Hed be an obvious bridge coach who would have to do a lot to win over the skeptics. Like Frost, he has a national championship ring (LSU, 2019). In both cases, he made them successful by his third season. 7, quickly became a disappointment and they finished 7-6 with a loss in the bowl game. For the seventh time since Tom Osborne's retirement in 1997, Nebraska is looking for a coach. Craig Bohl, head coach, Wyoming. Yeah, remember him? Hes currently "coaching" the Dallas/Arlington Renegades in the XFL, a relatively low-profile job. Gary Patterson, Texas analyst: This makes so much sense. You know who he is. Could Nebraska win a bidding war? Account Analyst Interns work in our Revenue Accounting Operations group in Atlanta, GA and are responsible for the management of our accounts receivable. But regardless, this is a candidate that needs to be addressed. Nebraska has no natural rival in the Big Ten, as much as some want to make Iowa that team. Hes had other stops including LSU and is now the OC for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Candidates. Iowa) ties and solid coaching, theres some question as to whether he could handle the style of the Big Ten. Herman could be primed for a redemption. Scott Frost pulled him from LSU to coach wide receivers and almost everyone in the fan base loves him. After the scandal that forced Jim Tressel to leave Columbus, Meyer moved in and promptly started kicking the entire Big Tens ass. Just imagine the press conferences. The next hire must hit because the hamster wheel of coaches since Osborne is worn and rusted. Urban Meyer, Fox analyst:The Huskers wouldn't would they? 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. If Nebraska is facing rejection from experienced candidateswhich itself would be alarmingthis is a solid emergency option, assuming he takes the call. This isnt a Harbaugh-and-49ers situation, where the coach and ownership are on rocky terms. He was the DC at Wisconsin and LSU and is now coaching the Baylor Bears. Regionally, itd be a good fit. Coastal Carolina's head coach captured the nation's attention when he came out of nowhere to go 11-1 and win the Sun Belt in 2020, given then-undefeated BYU its only loss. These are the head-explode, spit-take hires that the college football world would probably lose its mind over if Nebraska pulled it off. Hes a Penn State grad with strong Midwest recruiting ties, and was considered for the job in State College. Nothing against Stoops, but no one is beating Georgia anytime soon. Oh, look, another former North Dakota State head coach. He hasnt pursued head coaching gigs very much and might be more comfortable as an assistant. Why It Might Work: Petersens record at Boise State was 92-12. WebCandidates must have either current Nebraska licensure or NDE certification and be available 3-5 days per week to serve students in a variety of settings. All eyes will be on his performance as the interim coach. Also, could Nebraska convince him to leave Baylor? That changed when he brought in Tom Allen, who took over after Wilson was oustedpartly from clashing with the community, among other things. Johnsons lack of experience in that area means every aspect of how hed run the program would be unknown until we see it. Its highly unlikely anyone else was considered. 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. Why It Might Not: It would be a serious gamble. 1. Why It Might Work: Campbell is 42 with a record of 77-49 as a head coach, as of this writing. 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. Were less than two weeks away from the start of NFL free agency, which begins at 4 p.m. Five Heart Podcast 318: Nebraska Basketball, Spring Game Attendance and a new Memorial Stadium? Its an exciting time, right? It would all but confirm that Nebraska is interested primarily in giving the reins to former Huskers. He'd have much better access to the Big Ten Championship Game (as opposed to the SEC Championship Game) playing in the Big Ten West. He hasnt interviewed for any vacancies since his retirement. Obviously he wasnt ready for the big job in Austin, but maybe Nebraska might be a better fit. 171d Adam Rittenberg. on Sep 19, 2022, 8:38am CDT Even his one year at Oregon looked promising. At the very least, he understands a winning culture. It's certainly more highly resourced than Iowa State, especially with the Big 12 moving down in the pecking order with the forthcoming departures of Texas and Oklahoma. 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. So stay tuned. But the legal tampering window opens two days before that on March 13, where teams will be able to negotiate with free agents before the official start of the 2023 season. The meltdown in Minneapolis would be legendary. His departure from Oregon also doesnt sit well and he seems to prefer the Florida region of the country. Would he be able to get the talent needed to win at a high level? Interim coach Bo Pelini, the fiery, 36-year-old defensive coordinator in his first season at Nebraska, snuffed out the boycott discussion, walking in on a Dec. 16 players meeting. 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. He certainly proved capable as head-coaching material, in the right situation. 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. Hes the former head coach of the Florida Gators and, before that, the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Why It Might Not: No Nebraska or Big Ten ties. Scott Frost has been fired. How would he fit? But as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. It would be fascinating, though. Nebraska education officials are one step closer to axing the basic skills test that keeps some new teachers out of classrooms. Hes never even interviewed for a head coaching job in college. The 11 games that explain the downfall of Nebraska football. Jon Hale is the University of Kentucky football beat writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader. 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. (They probably dont.). Almost all of his coaching career has been in the state of Ohio. Would he succeed in a Midwest spot? Closing Comment: Its a huge if whether he leaves an NFL coaching gig in his prime when the Bengals have finally achieved liftoff. -- 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. Ah, yes. Okay, okay, in all seriousness, Grudens name gets floated only because hes so damn fun to watch. The Cleveland Browns hired former Indianapolis Colts special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone last week. Second tier is "May Generate Excitement." It would raise eyebrows if he came to the Big Ten. At most this would feel like a bridge coach. Closing Comment: I could get on board with this, if not be super excited, and honestly, itd be an excellent hire. I try to make the case for each one. 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. Make of that what you will. Kansas was willing to take a chance, and it very much felt like throwing anything at a wall to see what sticks. Closing Comment: So Im skeptical about this. 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. Ideal candidates will have a Master's degree in Social work, psychology, sociology, counseling, human development, or a closely related field. LINCOLN, Neb. 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. Hes got a history in the Big Ten, which he matches in terms of style. 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. KSU hasnt had a breakthrough season yet. Plus hes another triple-option coach. Even when they made modest improvements in other areas, the Cornhuskers were consistently bad at a couple things: special teams and losing close games. Well see if that changes. But as caveats go, thats fairly small. Why It Might Not: It felt incestuous when Muschamp fell into the job at South Carolina, but such things are common in the SEC. He will have many suitors. Frost studied under coaching legends, knew the Nebraska program inside and out, had two years of head coaching experience, and still failed. Corn Nation, a Nebraska Cornhuskers community, By Silantro That would not be the case at Nebraska. 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. Jerry Kill: If Nebraska wants to poach a head coach from another school, Jerry Kill seems like a logical direction to go. Nebraska needs a new football coach. He knows how to coach up players, and most importantly, he knows how to run the damn ball, damn it. Strong was quickly given a chance to redeem himself after Texas, and it could not have gone worse. Assuming he agreed to come to Lincoln, how would he get on? Closing Comment: This seems like the safest pick. Plus does he really want to leave the comfort of San Diego for a Big Ten job, again? Experience in training, coaching, and/or mentoring experience. His experience working under Chip Kelly and Mark Helfrich at Oregon, as well as a vote of confidence from All eyes across the country would be tuning in to watch how he does with the Huskersand it could work. Desperation seems to find guys like Meyer whose winning percentage has to be ultimately balanced against off-field issues. Could that be the recipe? Its hard to say if hed consider Nebraska a destination. 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. 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. Finally, aside from Bowling Green and Utah, hes mostly been at places with an advantage for success thats practically built-in. Curriculum development and delivery of adult education courses. The guy who led his offense, Barry Lunney, left to be the OC at Illinois. Prior to this development, insiders were saying Campbell was interested in only two jobs: Ohio State and Notre Dame. Hes certainly a good coach, but is he elite? Hes been doing well at Toledo for seven years. A solid resume for a Big Ten coaching candidate. Florida Atlantics head coach has seen an up-and-down career where he was once considered one of the hottest commodities in college football. 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. If Trev Alberts were to poach him from Lawrence, Leipold would suddenly be under a lot more pressure. We know who he is. Chadwell racked up numerous Coach of the Year Honors for the job he's done recently. 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. Creighton has taken his programs as far as they realistically could go, so he could be worth a look. He is easily the best head coach on the market, from a purely football perspective. 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. He went 11-2 at Army in 2018. 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. Why It Might Not: Assuming he actually took the jobwould he really leave the NFL?Nebraska might be wary of doing a second take of the "former Husker to save program" thing immediately following the Scott Frost debacle, and the last time Nebraska hired an NFL head coach who had nearly won a Super Bowl, it was Bill Callahan. I may do a follow up article as the year goes on. Jeff Schwartz (p) (402) 395-2134 How to Apply If you are interested , submit your application! Then he got booted for off-the-field allegations from his time at LSU. 122. Hes a Youngstown State grad and famously served as Mark Dantonios aggressive DC at Michigan State. Hes quietly leading one of the most competitive programs in the country, causing a ton of trouble for their opponents in the Mountain West. Even if there are some benefits, the hire would reek of nepotism. The decline in his fourth season was truly stunning. Oh, and his current OC is Tim Beck. Hes very much an old-school style coach and appears more stubborn than most. 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. Hes not wowing you unless you live in Ypsilanti. Im sure youve heard of him. 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. He severely clashed with the athletic department and school officials, who were apparently looking for a reason to get rid of him. 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. The fact that he was scooped up almost immediately by UCF shows that he was and will continue to be a hot commodity. Hes a Husker and currently serving as interim coach. Closing Comment: Like Matt Campbell, Fickell chose not to take any bigger job opportunities. At this point his work at Louisville may be seen as the outlier. Closing Comment: This would be intriguing but Taggarts status and resume isnt as hot as it was seven years ago. Why It Might Work: Aside from the serious blow it would deal to a division opponent, Flecks prowess as a recruiter and coach are well known by this point. Toledos head coach, he took over when Matt Campbell left for Iowa State. Then he became Houstons head coach and kicked butt in year one. Why It Might Work: Taggart did well at a place with low expectations. Georgia Southern's Clay Helton was the first coach fired last season at USC. 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 done coaching and no one is really looking at him. To no ones surprise, hes doing well as Alabama OC and can now boast having coached a Heisman-trophy winner. He might not want to take the risk himself. The head coach of the Pittsburgh Panthers won the ACC in 2021 and has his team rolling toward a bright future. Why It Might Work: Theres no doubt in Bohls ability to coach and win. He tried his hand in the NFL with Jacksonville and face-planted so hardexacerbated by a truly staggering amount of off-the-field dramathat the owner fired him before he could even complete his first season. Twice since 2018 he has won 10 games, perhaps prompting his angry comeback recently when John Calipari suggested Kentucky is far more focused on basketball success. Iowa States 2021 season, where they started ranked No. Four candidates are vying for each of the other two district seats. Why It Might Work: Hes still young at 47, and its not like his career has been a complete failure. Closing Comment: Mark Stoops would be a solid hire. He knows exactly the caliber of players the NFL wants, and flashing a Super Bowl ring might be enticing to recruits, too. Why It Might Not: Moorhead might be wary of leading a big-time college football program after what happened at Mississippi State. And it begs the question, why has no one given him a serious look before now? After six years with the Cavaliers he unexpectedly resigned (or retired) in a similarly head-scratching departure. Instead he kept the team competitive when it could have easily imploded. With the timing of the firing being almost all about recruiting -- Nebraska is swallowing $15 million to fire Frost before Oct. 1, when the buyout dropped to $7.5 million -- Joseph would be able to pick up where Frost left off on the trail. With little more than a single impressive season, there are reasons for skepticism. Meyer didn't even make it through a full season in 2021 with the Jags. Recall that he inexplicably lost to a bad Bowling Green team in 2021, in a season when Minnesota finished 9-4. How would he jive culturally? Why It Might Work: Canada did a remarkable job as Marylands interim HC. Oh, wait, you mean yeah, okay. Not every place is going to be set up like that. If youre looking for a Husker with head coaching experience who is likely to take the job and do at least moderately well, this is it. You may also remember him as the former OC of the New England Patriots once upon a time. But that kind of long term thinking and recalibration of expectations seems very unlikely in todays trigger-happy arms race of college football.