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. Why It Might Work: Its not easy to beat Nick Saban, but Malzahn is one of the few people to do itmultiple times. Instead he kept the team competitive when it could have easily imploded. His return to San Diego State has seen the program maintain its play at a high level in the Mountain West. Regionally, itd be a good fit. Toledos head coach, he took over when Matt Campbell left for Iowa State. Why It Might Not: Taggart was presumably given every help and benefit at Florida State and his failure there was not just the result of impatient boosters. Blackshirts? He already knows the Big Ten and will likely be more prepared on what to expect given his time at Wisconsin. He hasnt pursued head coaching gigs very much and might be more comfortable as an assistant. 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. Nebraska His record as a head coach is simply too good to ignore. Would he succeed in a Midwest spot? He also beat Michigan in the Alamo Bowl. Iowa) ties and solid coaching, theres some question as to whether he could handle the style of the Big Ten. The latest were internal issues with Jacksonville Jaguars players last season. 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. Malzahns record is proven but hes far from perfect. Nebraska has fired Mike Riley after three seasons with the program. Closing Comment: Its a risk. coaches He didnt, but a lot of that was because he didnt have internal support. There is some question whether he has the temperament to lead a program. 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 retired suddenly after a disappointing 8-5 record in 2019 and hasnt sought any coaching opportunities since. Why It Might Work: Doeren runs the ball Big Ten style at NC State, and theyre very good at it. Both are filled at the moment. While he wasnt spectacular in the SEC, he might find an easier time in the Big Ten. 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. Herman quietly served as an analyst for the Chicago Bears last year and is now looking for a job. +, (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. Before being Michigans head coach, he was the head coach at Ball State and San Diego State, where he turned around both programs. Frost is a Husker legend who would surely be a popular hire with Nebraskas loyal fan base. Urban Meyer, Fox analyst:The Huskers wouldn't would they? If you look deeper than his 47-42 record, you see a program builder. Web/real-sports/ncaa-football/nebraska-cornhuskers-coaching-candidates OBriens experience coaching quarterbacks both in college and the pros make him very appealing as a developer of talent. Needless to say, from top to bottom, hed be a massive upgrade over Scott Frost, and has a better resume than either Mike Riley or Bo Pelini when they were each hired. Hes now being talked about for bigger jobs, but was he a one-hit wonder? He has solid Midwest ties and knows how to recruit gems. Many believe he was one of the original architects of the spread offense. Hes not wowing you unless you live in Ypsilanti. Why It Might Work: A lot of people attribute Tom Osbornes success to his degrees in educational psychology. He could be one of college football's most unsung program builders. KSU hasnt had a breakthrough season yet. Why It Might Work: Theres no doubt in Bohls ability to coach and win. 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. Thats why its fun. The headlines would be juicy. Texas snatched him up two years later, hoping for a return to greatness. WebA Day in the Life of an Account Analyst Intern. Why It Might Not: Hokes failure at Michigan was widely publicized, and though he generally seemed to run a tight ship, theres been a fair amount of off-the-field controversy, which he is also dealing with now at San Diego State. Hes the former head coach of the Florida Gators and, before that, the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The meltdown in Minneapolis would be legendary. That would not be the case at Nebraska. www.sportsgrid.com All eyes will be on his performance as the interim coach. Im sure youve heard of him. Corn Nation, a Nebraska Cornhuskers community, By Silantro He seems like a guy who prefers to build a program rather than jump to a better job at the earliest chance. Is he waiting for Ryan Day to leave Ohio State? There are some reports he prefers the job he has now and is settling in. The Huskers have added 39 new scholarship players via the transfer portal and the 2023 recruiting class. Jon Hale is the University of Kentucky football beat writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader. In addition, while his teams have done well overall, there are times when his ability as a play-caller has been costly. It would all be judged on his staff. How would he jive culturally? As much as his teams have over-performed, they have also under-performed. 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. 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. At most this would feel like a bridge coach. Its not for everybody. Thats an untenable situation for any head coach. Georgias current defensive coordinator has been a head coach at two different SEC teams, Florida and South Carolina. Now hes Miami of Floridas DC. 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. Hes now back at San Diego State for a second stint. His next gig has to be the absolute right fit. Hes also been a successful OC at Oregon from 2020-2021. He might be better suited for a rebuild situation where he has time to work out the kinks. Meghan Hall. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) In the Market: 2023 NFL Draft QB prospect superlatives after the season by Scott Rogust. Now he doesnt seem to have the ambition to go after a big job with big expectations. ), he was the Big 12 offensive player of the year in 2006. Nebraska Theres high-highs and low-lows. The state of Colorado isnt that far from Nebraska. There is no healthier coaching tree from which to pick a coach: Bill Belichick and Nick Saban. This is another Ohio guy who likes being close to that area. Why It Might Not: Well, for starters, hes in his late sixties. That cost Meyer a three-game suspension at the beginning of the 2018 season, his last with the Buckeyes. Why It Might Not: Its a roller coaster ride with Fleck. Here is a look at five early candidates for the vacant Nebraska head coaching job. The resume is admittedly solid. Husker message boards and Facebook groups are littered with He went 11-2 at Army in 2018. 172d Bill Connelly. He was a bad fit in Austin, but his messaging was sound and seems like the perfect thing Big Ten programs would want. He served as Marylands interim coach after they fired DJ Durkin. 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. And dont forget, hes built a program from scratch. Why It Might Work: Surprisingly Martin is only 54 and has stayed at the same spot for going on eight years. If Im being honest I cant see Calhoun leaving his alma mater, but if Nebraska wants to do something different and go for a triple-option head coach, hes the next best choice after Jeff Monken. All eyes across the country would be tuning in to watch how he does with the Huskersand it could work. Going 8-5 at KSU is apparently the equivalent of going 11-1 to some, and the record from NDSU predictably makes people salivate. City elections include three mayoral candidates, 12 vying for Maybe he could pull it off and be great, but thats a tall order. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. How would he fit? They'd be back. This seems like a long shot, but anythings possible. You cant find a more aggressive, out-of-his-mind competitor beyond him other than possibly Jim Harbaugh. Sure, but I feel like it would take a lot of rejection for Trev Alberts to dial his number. 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? Coach According to one report, a former FBS head coach and long-time defensive coordinator will be joining the Tigers for the 2023 season. Bill O'Brien, Alabama offensive coordinator: "Obie" already has Big Ten experience as the first Penn State coach in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. He also would not be completely new to the Big Ten and might be more prepared in his second go-round. We know who he is. 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. Experience in training, coaching, and/or mentoring experience. 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. The bottom is "Could Be Interesting." The current steward of North Dakota States juggernaut program in the FCS, Entz has an unsurprisingly great record of 37-4 going into the 2022 season. He might be all flash. No, we need more. 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.