New report lists seven possible candidates for head coach
As the dust continues to settle after Sunday’s announcement that head football coach Scott Frost had been fired, talk now moves to who will be his long-term replacement after this season. Husker fans are familiar with this process as it will be the fifth time Nebraska will have to hire a new football coach since the hiring of Bill Callahan back in 2003. Cornhuskers Wire will have its list of possible candidates released later this week, but until then, Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports has listed seven coaches that could replace Scott Frost.
I’ll keep reminding people that Athletic Director Trev Alberts has made it very clear this process will be conducted in a thorough and organized fashion. During his Sunday afternoon press conference discussing the firing, he said,
“Ultimately, you know, in a prior life, I have relationships with a lot of coaches in this business, and I intend to reach out to a lot of people. So if you hear that Trev Alberts reached out to XYZ coach, it doesn’t mean that I’ve offered the job to XYZ coach. I think there’s some fabulous coaches out there that have a perspective about our job that I can benefit from so I’m going to reach out to a lot of people.
Alberts also made it clear that financial and logistical recourse will not hinder his ability to hire the next football coach.
“I am very aware of how the market has shifted in terms of compensation and at a place like Nebraska we are blessed to be in a position to meet market demand. Certainly resources will not be an impediment to hiring the type of coach that we want to lead the Husker program.”
And after being asked about the timeline for hiring the next head coach.
We need to dive into a real process, and a detail-oriented process that talks to a lot of people. That’s why I mentioned earlier, you’re gonna hear about a lot of names. That’s good. That means we’re going to talk to a lot of people, because we’re going to clearly define what our values are. And we’re not going to hire coaches who don’t believe in what we believe in. We need to take as long as it takes to find the right leader.
Whether he’s willing to admit it or not, Alberts knows this hire will likely define his tenure in Lincoln. He’s making it clear that he will take his time, and that’s ok. He knows what this hire means for him and Nebraska Football, and he won’t let anybody force him into a hire he doesn’t think is right. So buckle up, Husker fans. We are in for a long search.
Mark Stoops - Head Coach Kentucky
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Dodd writes,
His culture, tireless work ethic and no-nonsense approach would appeal to Nebraska.”
Matt Campbell - Iowa State Head Coach
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Dodd writes,
Several sources have told CBS Sports that Campbell is interested in Nebraska.
Mickey Joseph - Interim Head Coach Nebraska
Mickey Joseph (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
Dodd writes,
Like Frost, Joseph worked his way up the coaching ladder most recently at LSU where he developed what some say is the best group of wide receivers in history.
Jim Leonhard - Wisconsin Defensive Coordinator
(Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
Dodd writes,
Leonhard is a brilliant defensive mind, but does Nebraska want to put all its eggs in the basket of a hot assistant who had never assembled a staff or been responsible for recruiting?
Bill O'Brien - Alabama Offensive Coordinator
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Dodd writes,
There is no healthier coaching tree from which to pick a coach: Bill Belichick and Nick Saban.
Gary Patterson - Texas Analyst
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Dodd writes,
Patterson knows Nebraska and its culture; he would come out of the box blazing on the recruiting trail. Blackshirts? They’d be back.
Urban Meyer - FOX Sports TV Analyst
Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports Copyright © 2007 Jason Parkhurst
Dodd writes,
Meyer didn’t even make it through a full season in 2021 with the Jags. Meyer can coach college, but can he keep from becoming the focus for all the wrong reasons?
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