Taylor is a young coach who caught fire in one season (sound familiar? 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. 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. He has decent ties to the state and the Midwest which make him familiar with the local recruiting grounds. Hes generally seen as past his prime, and despite his Midwest (i.e. Entz could be riding on the coattails of North Dakota State, which finds it rare to not win the FCS national title. Why It Might Not: Was Fickells rejection of MSU a signal he wants to stay put long term, or is he leery of Big Ten competition and high expectations which he knows all too well? 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. These are the head-explode, spit-take hires that the college football world would probably lose its mind over if Nebraska pulled it off. 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. Then he went to Kansas and did the same as every coach who went to Kansas after Mark Mangino. Another former Big Ten head coach, Hoke ran Michigan with mixed results. 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. Is this a championship-caliber coach? 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. Could Nebraska win a bidding war? But regardless, this is a candidate that needs to be addressed. The meltdown in Minneapolis would be legendary. 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. A steady program builder with no flash means that hed be a complete unknown when it comes to recruiting. Stoops may be even better than that without the baggage. Yes, the SEC is cutthroat, but youd think a guy with Moorheads acumen would be able to weather it. Hes an Ohio guy who loves Ohio. His recruiting ties to the Midwest (Ohio) make him a good fit for the Big Ten. When he was there, he managed to recruit some NFL talentnot easy to do, given the football programs history and Indianas reputation as a basketball school. He was a part of the Minnesota breakthrough in 2016 that set the runway for P.J. 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. And even with great recruiting operations already established at Ohio State, he somehow managed to take it to another level. Coming off one of his biggest wins Saturday at Florida, there is evidence Stoops may have peaked with the Wildcats. Web2023 Commercial Intern Career Services | Nebraska Nucor www.nucor.com 2023 Commercial Intern Posted on: March 1, 2023 Apply Now Internship Expires March 17, Why It Might Not: Fit and longevity. That kind of price tag in hindsight is laughable. 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. From Ottawa (KS) to Wabash (IN) to Drake (IA) and now EMU, Creighton has literally been around the Midwest. And yet he says he's not done coaching. Four candidates are vying for each of the other two district seats. He retired suddenly after a disappointing 8-5 record in 2019 and hasnt sought any coaching opportunities since. -- 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. Nebraska after Scott Frost: Huskers coaching job pluses, minuses and candidates. Some people are pounding the table for this guy, but to me, this is a fairly un-sexy pick. Seven candidates ran in the Democratic primary. First, Moorhead probably isnt leaving Akron after one year. 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. 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. Why It Might Not: Obligatory NDSU caveats. Why It Might Work: Strong was a top candidate at Texas for a reason. As much as his teams have over-performed, they have also under-performed. Fleck has since elevated Minnesota to a level of competition that no one would have thought possible. Hes considerably more experienced than Monken and has a longer record. A lot can change over the course of the season. If fans could get over the personality hang-ups, this might be the answer. Other FBS programs have gone after FCS champion coaches and the hit rate is usually low. He might be better suited for a rebuild situation where he has time to work out the kinks. So stay tuned. Here are some coaches who could be a fit at Nebraska, listed in alphabetical order. Why It Might Work: At every stop, Creighton has left the place better than hes found it. She secured an endorsement from University of Nebraska athletic director Bob Devaney, revered in Nebraska for his success as the coach of the university football team. But as caveats go, thats fairly small. He was very successful as Louisvilles head coach, having discovered Teddy Bridgewater. Is he more cut out to be a coordinator? 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. Quite the opposite, actually. Before that he was Notre Dames offensive coordinator, and before that he was the head coach at Grand Valley State and won multiple Division II national championships, posting a record of 74-7. His record going into 2022 was 90-54, having coached at a couple spots at the FCS level. Closing Comment: Bringing Rich Rod back to the Big Ten would certainly create serious buzz. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Closing Comment: Its odd that Campbell didnt make a jump to a better job after last season. A similar implosion if he were to come to Lincoln cant be ruled out. 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. Nebraska coaching candidates to replace Scott Frost, Report: Big 12 in recent contact with Pac-12 schools, Rules committee proposes change to speed up games, Saban unhappy over proposed permanent rivals, USC coach Lincoln Riley builds the perfect QB. Mickey Joseph, Nebraska interim football coach Joseph, 54, was named Nebraska's interim coach Sunday. 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. Theres a reason it isnt in vogue anymore. Even when they made modest improvements in other areas, the Cornhuskers were consistently bad at a couple things: special teams and losing close games. He also lacks significant regional ties and seems more geared for the Pacific Northwest and Utah-Colorado areas. He might not want to take the risk himself. Would he be able to get the talent needed to win at a high level? (Charles LeClaire, USA TODAY Sports) Capel would become Krzyzewski's point guard for four years, leading Duke to a national title appearance as a freshman. 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 was doing well at Arizona until off-the-field allegations made them show him the door. That guy was Scott Frost. 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. Nebraska Cornhuskers coaching candidates Jeff Monken, Army Black Knights head coach Jeff Lebby, Oklahoma Sooners offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, He has coached both a Heisman Trophy winner (Bryce Young) and the G.O.A.T. He then went on to win two national championships at Florida. Wilsons biggest knock might be his personality. A couple years removed from college football may be enough to make everyone forget about the struggles in Austin. Before being Michigans head coach, he was the head coach at Ball State and San Diego State, where he turned around both programs. Patterson knows Nebraska and its culture; he would come out of the box blazing on the recruiting trail. They'd be back. But similarly I try to look at how each one might work. Now that Frost is gone our focus turns to who Trev Alberts will hire to be Nebraskas next coach. Kentucky had no expectations when they hired him. 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. Why It Might Not: Wilsons stint at Indiana was a failure, perhaps unsurprisingly because its Indiana, but also in large part because of the ineptness of his defenses. Why It Might Work: Taggart did well at a place with low expectations. +, (Introductory note: So, I initially had this written and ready to post last week, but there was a technical glitch with the New Fanpost button which I had to contact SB Nation support about. Okay, okay, in all seriousness, Grudens name gets floated only because hes so damn fun to watch. Bringing that energy to Lincoln could make the Huskers a very dangerous program. 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. His departure from Oregon also doesnt sit well and he seems to prefer the Florida region of the country. Coaches have gone to different regions and have done wellNick Saban was a consummate Midwest guy before LSUbut I have a hard time seeing Muschamp and Nebraska finding their way to each other. He also has head coaching experience from FCS Fordham and Mississippi State. Closing Comment: As far as fall-back options go, this isnt bad. Maybe he could be worth considering, but rest assured there would be a lot of skeptics. An understated, under-the-radar coach who seems to do more with less? 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. 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. But lets be honest, Gruden was really overrated. After Mike Riley was fired in 2017, Bill Moos had one target that lined up with the consensus and all he had to do was get him. And to be fair, though there is potential, his head coaching tenures with both the Nittany Lions and the Texans were not exactly spectacular. WebA Day in the Life of an Account Analyst Intern. He has solid Midwest ties and knows how to recruit gems. Assuming he agreed to come to Lincoln, how would he get on? That would give him a serious advantage in recruits living rooms, if he can also win games. Instead, it's seen a far-flung outpost in a league that suddenly boasts a presence in New York, Chicago and soon Los Angeles. 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. It typically doesnt go that way, but Entzs ties to the state of Nebraska, if nothing else, make him mildly interesting. He is easily the best head coach on the market, from a purely football perspective. Why It Might Not: But didnt Scott Frost supposedly understand a winning culture too? Some argue that he left BYU for Virginia to prove he could coach and win outside the Mormon comfort of Provo, but even at the time it felt odd. 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. Klieman went 69-6 with the Bison and was hired by Kansas State in Dec 2018. Its an exciting time, right? Closing Comment: I could get on board with this, if not be super excited, and honestly, itd be an excellent hire. 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? 171d Adam Rittenberg. 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. Why It Might Not: The USF flop is a huge concern. Closing Comment: Only the most butthurt Iowa-hating Husker fans would be against this. I may do a follow up article as the year goes on. Why It Might Not: Theres not a lot to knock, but theres not a lot to get excited about, either. Hes never even interviewed for a head coaching job in college. After six years with the Cavaliers he unexpectedly resigned (or retired) in a similarly head-scratching departure. Closing Comment: Mark Stoops would be a solid hire. 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. There are some reports he prefers the job he has now and is settling in. 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. He also would not be completely new to the Big Ten and might be more prepared in his second go-round. Malzahns record is proven but hes far from perfect. If Nebraska missed on Matt Campbell but wanted a similar type of coach, Candle is as close as you can get without the turnaround job at Iowa State. 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. He would also bring continuity to the program. Finally, aside from Bowling Green and Utah, hes mostly been at places with an advantage for success thats practically built-in. 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 | 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. Jim Leonhard, Wisconsin defensive coordinator: Like Oklahoma's Brent Venables, Leonhard has turned down a lot of interest from head coaching opportunities. 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. Why It Might Work: Arandas Bears came out of nowhere to win the Big 12 in 2021 and beat Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl. 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. 1. What would he do with the offensive players recruited to a drastically different system? 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. 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. He hasnt pursued head coaching gigs very much and might be more comfortable as an assistant. Florida Atlantics head coach has seen an up-and-down career where he was once considered one of the hottest commodities in college football. Hes been doing well at Toledo for seven years. 172d Bill Connelly. He has a respectable head coaching record overall at 87-53. 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. Why It Might Work: Petersens record at Boise State was 92-12. If you wanted to replicate Wisconsin at Nebraska, you couldnt do much better than this guy. In moving from the Big 12 to the Big Ten, the program lost its identity. Hes also been a successful OC at Oregon from 2020-2021. Scott Frost, offensive coordinator, Oregon. Fickell famously turned down Michigan State to stay at Cincinnati, where he has pilfered their best recruit targets over the last half-decade. 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. 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. Is he worth hiring? Nebraska is not the same quality of job it used to be. Weve seen him be an aggressive recruiter and theres no reason to think that would not continue if he were the head coach. It could be fun. But Campbell has to get to a certain level this season to be in the mix. OBriens experience coaching quarterbacks both in college and the pros make him very appealing as a developer of talent. And how motivated would he be? Both are filled at the moment. Closing Comment: Theres a lot to like with Matt Canada when you look under the surface. And unlike Frost, he has no Nebraska ties to save him if he starts losing early. Then he got booted for off-the-field allegations from his time at LSU. According to one report, a former FBS head coach and long-time defensive coordinator will be joining the Tigers for the 2023 season. He is obsessed with winning and is known for relentless coaching, sometimes to unhealthy levels. He didnt, but a lot of that was because he didnt have internal support. How would he fit? 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. Why It Might Not: There are so many reasons. Why It Might Work: Johnson has quietly built up an impressive resume as a coordinator. 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. Its highly unlikely anyone else was considered. 122. The Cleveland Browns hired former Indianapolis Colts special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone last week. All eyes will be on his performance as the interim coach. After 15 seasons, Calhoun has yet to win the Mountain West. 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. We know who he is. 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 Work: Its not easy to beat Nick Saban, but Malzahn is one of the few people to do itmultiple times. If he were to hire a competent DC and win, the rest may be worth overlooking. 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 Work: Stoops had a fantastic record at Oklahoma and set the program up for long term success. Four of them were regarded as serious contenders for the nomination.