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. How committed would he be to staying at Nebraska long term if things started to work out? Plus does he really want to leave the comfort of San Diego for a Big Ten job, again? Creighton is 53. He won a national title in 2000 and racked up several conference championships during his tenure. 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. Plus, he discovered Josh Allen. 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. Would he succeed in a Midwest spot? He might not have the same passion for Nebraska, and that could affect his performance. 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. He losta lot. Florida Atlantics head coach has seen an up-and-down career where he was once considered one of the hottest commodities in college football. If you wanted to replicate Wisconsin at Nebraska, you couldnt do much better than this guy. 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. This could be the best time in his career to go after him. That means 6-6 or even 7-5 might not be good enough for Nebraska, which absolutely has to hit a home run this time around. Herman could be primed for a redemption. He would also bring continuity to the program. +, (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. He seems like a guy who prefers to build a program rather than jump to a better job at the earliest chance. A steady decline in play resulted in losses piling up and he got the boot. Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell Campbell has built Iowa State into a consistent winner. There are some reports he prefers the job he has now and is settling in. It also begs the question: how much of Taylors recent NFL success is linked to Joe Burrow? Why It Might Not: No Nebraska or Big Ten ties. 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. Meyer can coach college, but can he keep from becoming the focus for all the wrong reasons? You may know him as the former OC who helped Penn State to their Big Ten championship in 2016. 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. Now he doesnt seem to have the ambition to go after a big job with big expectations. 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. But as caveats go, thats fairly small. Hell soon be looking for another chance to lead a program. Strong would have to go a long way to prove that hes viable as head-coaching material for a big program. Then he went to Kansas and did the same as every coach who went to Kansas after Mark Mangino. Can the Huskers rebound? But isnt that what Nebraska tried with Mike Riley? Nebraska coaching search: 17 potential Mike Riley replacements Hes now back at San Diego State for a second stint. Weve seen him be an aggressive recruiter and theres no reason to think that would not continue if he were the head coach. 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. Hes certainly a good coach, but is he elite? His head coaching record is an impressive 87-42, but that wasnt enough to satisfy championship-hungry Auburn boosters. Nebraska football fired head coach Scott Frost following their difficult start to the 2022 season. FCS coaches, even the ones with championships, are always a gamble. Scott Frost has been fired. 13 coaching candidates to watch. Make of that what you will. Why It Might Work: Surprisingly Martin is only 54 and has stayed at the same spot for going on eight years. KSU hasnt had a breakthrough season yet. coaching Closing Comment: It seems like it would take a lot to talk Petersen into coming to Lincoln. He might not want to take the risk himself. Why It Might Work: A lot of people attribute Tom Osbornes success to his degrees in educational psychology. Mark Stoops, Kentucky coach: Stoops has spent a decade methodically developing the Wildcats into an above-average, competent SEC program. But regardless, this is a candidate that needs to be addressed. So putting him in that position as the full-time Nebraska head coach, barring an Ed Orgeron-like interim season, would be a total crapshoot. Closing Comment: Despite some Husker fans pounding the table for Chadwell, I think he more than likely ends up in the SEC or ACC. 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. While things can and will almost certainly change before the end of the regular season, these are five realistic names for the Nebraska opening among current I may do a follow up article as the year goes on. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) In the Market: 2023 NFL Draft QB prospect superlatives after the season by Scott Rogust. Gary Patterson, Texas analyst: This makes so much sense. At most this would feel like a bridge coach. (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. He had an up-and-down career thats been mostly down, at least at the head coaching level. Nebraska 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. Hes known as an offensive mastermind and stands among college footballs brainiest schemers. 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. Why It Might Not: It felt incestuous when Muschamp fell into the job at South Carolina, but such things are common in the SEC. FCS champion coaches havent always done great with the jump to FBS, and Bohls time at Wyoming isnt anything to write home about (other than a certain quarterback). For the seventh time since Tom Osborne's retirement in 1997, Nebraska is looking for a coach. Admittedly there would be some excitement, but now with the controversy thats attached to him, its probably just not worth it. Corn Nation, a Nebraska Cornhuskers community, By Silantro Ideal candidates will have a Master's degree in Social work, psychology, sociology, counseling, human development, or a closely related field. 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. Desperation seems to find guys like Meyer whose winning percentage has to be ultimately balanced against off-field issues. It might be time to take a swing. Nebraska Football: Mike Rileys Breakout Group Comments At Big Ten MediaDays, The 2007 Nebraska Football Season: Booing, Big Holes, and BrokenHopes, Flakes: Auto Play Videos Should BeBanned, Nebraska Football: Mike Rileys Remarks At Big Ten MediaDays, Shawn Eichorst: Nebraska Obliged To Do One Home Friday Night Football Game Every ThirdYear, Nebraska Baseball: Bolts Boys Knock Off #7 Vanderbilt 5-3, Nebrasketball: Iowa Hawkeyes Game Preview, Nebraska Baseball Brunch Date with #7 Vanderbilt Game Thread, Wrestling: Your Big Ten Championships Primer, Friday Flakes: Turner Gill Played Some Shortstop for Nebraska and Ernest Schackleton. At 41, Fleck is still a very young head coach, and although his full potential is still somewhat unproven, all the signs are there that this is a guy who could be next-level great. Closing Comment: I could get on board with this, if not be super excited, and honestly, itd be an excellent hire. Traditional recruiting grounds in Texas and California were either ignored or eventually shriveled up. Could he follow NCAA rules? Monken has no Big Ten or Nebraska ties. Rodriguez is notoriously stubborn and has been in the business long enough that theres a fair amount of baggage coming with him, which is why a small program like JSU was the only option he had as a head coach. But now, Frost is done, and we have no idea what direction Nebraskas going to go. 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. Scott Frost fired at Nebraska: Coaching candidates to lead There is some question whether he has the temperament to lead a program. It took some convincing to get Kentuckys athletic dept. Doeren might be the most underrated coach in the Power 5. 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. Possible coaching candidates for Nebraska - CBSSports.com Closing Comment: Les Miles may have been interesting as a replacement to Mike Riley or Bo Pelini, but that window has long since closed. He didnt, but a lot of that was because he didnt have internal support. Meghan Hall. He served as Marylands interim coach after they fired DJ Durkin. How would the fan base react? Who? 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. The meltdown in Minneapolis would be legendary. Why It Might Not: Moorhead might be wary of leading a big-time college football program after what happened at Mississippi State. Closing Comment: Its a think-outside-the-box hire like Monken if it happens.