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Hot Board: Nebraska begins process to replace Mike Riley
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Nebraska officially parted ways with Mike Riley after less than three seasons in Lincoln.
HuskerOnline has compiled a hot board list of potential coaching candidates who NU and Athletic Director Bill Moos may turn to.
This list will continue to be updated as new names emerge through the potential coaching search process. (List is no particular order)
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SCOTT FROST - CENTRAL FLORIDA HEAD COACH
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Why it would work: Let’s be honest. If it not Scott Frost a lot of Husker fans are going to be surprised and quite frankly upset. Frost is Nebraska’s Tom Herman or Jim Harbaugh. He’s the most logical candidate because of his connections as a player and to the state of Nebraska. Both of his parents also still reside in Lincoln. Frost would even get the much needed former player support, which plays a factor at a place like Nebraska. There are a handful of former players that have a voice in the overall narrative of things, and Frost would have their support, along with the help of former head coach and athletic director Tom Osborne. You could argue he is the only candidate that would have the full support of both Osborne and the former players.
Why it wouldn't work: Maybe Frost doesn’t want the mounting pressure of being the savior of his alma mater. Frost current has Central Florida as the top-ranked Group of 5 program this season, and he really could be a candidate for any job he wants at this point. The pressure of being the savior of a program where you have geographic recruiting limitations mixed with high expectations may not be something he wants to take on, especially when multiple SEC and Pac-12 jobs could come calling his way as well.
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MATT CAMPBELL - IOWA STATE HEAD COACH
Why it would work: Iowa State’s Matt Campbell is now a proven winner at both Iowa State and Toledo, and before that he came up through Division III power Mount Union, where he was a part of five different national championship teams as both a player (1999-2002) and an offensive coordinator (2005-2006). He’s got a proven formula to win at programs where you have geographic recruiting limitations. He’s also an excellent motivator.
Why it wouldn't work: Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard is no dummy. He knew he had a potential hot coaching commodity in Campbell, and he put a $9.4 million buyout on contract. Is that a price worth paying when NU will be on the hook for nearly $7 million to Mike Riley? Also is Campbell ready to leave ISU after just two seasons?
USA Today Sports
LES MILES - FORMER LSU HEAD COACH
Why it would work: The former LSU and Oklahoma State coach has a strong familiarity with Nebraska. He has Big Ten roots from his time at Michigan, but he also has extensive knowledge of NU from his years at both OSU and Colorado as an assistant. His son Ben Miles is a redshirt freshman on the 2018 Husker team. Miles is a proven national championship coach, and right now there are only four active coaches that can say that – Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Jimbo Fisher and Dabo Swinney. Miles brings with him a physical line of scrimmage style and a track record of hiring big time coordinators such as Fisher, Bo Pelini, and Mike Gundy while at Oklahoma State and LSU.
Why it wouldn't work: Miles’ stock faded his last few seasons at LSU. The final major bowl game he took them to was in 2011 and he was highly criticized for his lack of offensive creativity and management in big games. Miles is also 63, which basically would put Nebraska in a similar situation to what they were just in. Is it even worth going down the road of hiring a coach you know only has a few years left in him?
USA Today Sports
MIKE LEACH - WASHINGTON STATE HEAD COACH
Why it would work: Nebraska’s new AD Bill Moos took Washington State from rags to riches with the hire of Mike Leach. The Cougars were the doormat of the Pac-12 until Leach came in and turned things around. Leach has a proven offensive system that has now worked in two places – WSU and Texas Tech. He’s been able to have success with a system that develops players and is not contingent on signing top-ranked recruiting classes.
Why it wouldn't work: Would a pass first offense go over well? Would Leach have access to the players in Nebraska’s footprint to successfully run his system? Also, would Moos do that to his former school and take their successful coach away? Leach’s personality may also not be a cultural fit at a place like Nebraska where people take their football seriously.
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BOB STOOPS - OKLAHOMA HEAD COACH
Why it would work: Bob Stoops was almost another version of Tom Osborne at Oklahoma with the level of consistency he won at. Stoops retired this season with a 190-48 record winning one national championship and 10 Big 12 titles. He’s well connected in the coaching business and has always had top level staffs around him at OU. He’s from the Big Ten footprint in Ohio and played at Iowa. The chance to coach in the Big Ten West would be an appealing opportunity for him.
Why it wouldn't work: Why would Stoops want any part of this job considering what he just left? He supposedly got out of the game because of a promise he made to his family. Why would this job cause him to break that promise knowing the amount of work it’s going to take to turn things around? Also, it seems unlikely one of Bo Pelini’s closest friends from Ohio would be interested in taking this job.
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BRET BIELEMA - ARKANSAS HEAD COACH
Why it would work: Bret Bielema quite frankly probably belongs in the Big Ten West. He played at Iowa and coached at Wisconsin leading the Badgers to three straight Rose Bowls and 68-24 record in 7 seasons. He currently finds himself in the toughest division in college football at Arkansas, and getting back into the Big Ten West would make a lot of sense with his knowledge of this region. He was also rumored to be a leading candidate for the NU job back in 2014.
Why it wouldn't work: Was Bielema’s success at Wisconsin more a product of Barry Alvarez vs. him? In five seasons at Arkansas he has an 11-29 record in SEC games and has lost 5 or more games in every season. Also, is he the kind of guy Nebraska wants to go with from a pure image standpoint? His brash style would resemble more the Bo Pelini era.
Nate Clouse
KEVIN SUMLIN - TEXAS A&M HEAD COACH
Why it would work: One of the marquee hires in all of college football six years ago, Sumlin got off to an impressive start at Texas A&M by going 11-2 with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel at the helm.
The Aggies have also started at least 5-0 in each of the previous three seasons and won at least eight games every year that he’s been in College Station.
Sumlin is regarded as a dynamic recruiter who would bring instant national attention to Nebraska, and he’s also got plenty of familiarity with the Big Ten having served as an assistant at both Minnesota (1993-97) and Purdue (1998-2000).
Why it wouldn't work: As well as things started for Sumlin at A&M, they’ve tailed off just as quickly over the past few years. Despite all of those hot starts, the Aggies have only won double-digit games one time under his direction.
Sumlin has been on the hot seat since Texas A&M blew a 34-point second-half lead in a loss to UCLA to open the season, and he’s now lost seven straight SEC West home games dating back to 2015.
The Aggies are 51-26 in six seasons under Sumlin, but it’s been their inability to compete in the SEC that has drawn the ire of the fan base. Since 2015, A&M is 2-9 against Mississippi State, Auburn, Ole Miss and LSU, and is 1-5 against Alabama since Sumlin took over.
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CRAIG BOHL - WYOMING HEAD COACH
Why it would work: The connections here are obvious, as Bohl is a native of Lincoln who played defensive back at Nebraska and then coached for the Huskers from 1995-2002.
Bohl got his first head coaching job at North Dakota State in 2003, and he quickly turned the Bison into the dominant power of the FCS ranks, posting a record of 104-32 and winning national titles in his final three seasons in Fargo.
Bohl took over at Wyoming in 2014 and immediately built the Cowboys into a Mountain West contender, including a trip to the Poinsettia Bowl last year and an 8-4 record this season.
Why it wouldn't work: Maybe the biggest reason against Bohl’s return to Nebraska was how his time with the Huskers ended back in 2002.
Along with NU’s 7-7 record that ultimately led to the end of the Frank Solich era, Bohl’s defense was the target of plenty of scrutinies, especially when compared to the great Husker defenses of previous years.
While it seems like a natural fit in many ways, there’s a chance that the bridge might already be burned on both sides between Bohl and NU.
Nate Clouse
DAN MULLEN - MISSISSIPPI STATE HEAD COACH
Why it would work: Mullen is 69-46 now into his ninth season at Mississippi State, but he’s established as one of the brightest offensive coaches and quarterback developers in college football.
It hasn’t helped that the Bulldogs have had to go through the gauntlet of the SEC West every year, but Mullen managed to post four eight-win seasons, a 4-2 bowl record, and they finished 8-4 this season, when they were picked to finish sixth in the SEC West by the media.
With Dak Prescott leading the helm, Mullen guided MSU to his best season in 2014, going 10-3 (6-2 in the conference) and earning a trip to the Orange Bowl.
Why it wouldn't work: Recruiting has been one of the knocks on Mullen, at least compared to the rest of the SEC, even though Mississippi State currently owns the No. 13 class for 2018.
He’s been able to outperform expectations at MSU, but the Bulldogs have yet to play for a league title and have only recorded one season with more than nine wins.
Until Mullen can take that next step and get Mississippi State competing for championships, that will be the biggest thing holding his coaching profile back.
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DAVE DOEREN - NC STATE HEAD COACH
Why it would work: Doeren was one of the hot coaching names in 2013 after turning Northern Illinois into a national name in just two seasons, posting a record of 23-4 (15-1 in the MAC) with two conference titles and an Orange Bowl berth in 2012.
A native of Shawnee, Kan., Doeren has strong midwestern ties as a player at Drake, the defensive coordinator at Kansas (2005), and the defensive coordinator at Wisconsin from 2006-10. He was also rumored to have had serious interest in the Nebraska job after Bo Pelini was fired in 2014.
He’s 56-34 overall as a head coach and is 3-1 in bowl games, and has now posted four straight seasons with at least seven wins at North Carolina State, including an 8-4 record this season.
Why it wouldn't work: While Doeren has kept up a consistent pace of seven or eight wins in four of his first five years with the Wolfpack, he’s ultimately led NC State fans wanting more.
Doeren is 32-29 overall at NCSU, including a 15-25 mark in conference play, and is now 0-5 vs. Clemson.
He has led his team to three straight bowl games, but his career 3-14 record vs. top-25 opponents (2-13 with the Wolfpack) has kept North Carolina State from taking that next step.
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BRYAN HARSIN - BOISE STATE HEAD COACH
Why it would work: Known as a key piece in Boise State’s surge to national prominence in the early 2000s, Harsin replaced Chris Peterson as the Broncos’ head coach in 2014 and is 41-11 since, including an 10-2 this season.
As offensive coordinator from 2006-2010, Harsin helped BSU post a 61-5 (.924) record, two undefeated seasons, and two Fiesta Bowl victories.
The Broncos won the Moutain West Conference title and another Fiesta Bowl in his first season as head coach in ’14, and then posted a 10-3 record and a share of the league title in 2016.
Why it wouldn't work: Harsin is another candidate that would come with a fairly high price tag, as he was just awarded a one-year contract extension following Boise State’s win over Colorado State on Saturday.
That pushes his contract through 2022 with a total value of $9.25 million over the next five years.
There’s also the question of whether Harsin would want to leave BSU, as he’s a Boise, Idaho, native who played quarterback for the Broncos from 1995-99 and has spent 13 of his 18 coaching seasons at Boise State.
KYLE WHITTINGHAM - UTAH HEAD COACH
Why it would work: Whittingham was a name on many Nebraska fans’ lists during the last coaching search in 2012, and for good reason. Now the longest-tenured coach in the Pac-12 Conference, Whittingham is 110-56 since taking over Utah in 2005 and boasts an impressive 10-1 record in bowl games.
His best run came in 2009 and 2010, when he guided the Utes to back-to-back 10-3 records and as high as No. 3 in the polls, including a Sugar Bowl win over Alabama in ’08.
Whittingham brings a physical brand of football on both sides of the ball that would seemingly be a perfect fit for the Big Ten, and his no-nonsense approach might be exactly what Husker fans are looking for in their next coach.
Why it wouldn't work: As good as things were a few years ago, the shine has gradually worn off Whittingham’s stock over the past few seasons. Outside of another 10-3 running 2015, Utah has posted two five-win seasons and three losing conference records since joining the Pac-12.
The Utes are just 5-6 this season and 2-6 in conference play.
Even now six seasons into the new league, one of the biggest criticisms of Whittingham has been his recruiting and inability to close on elite-level recruits. That said, the Utes just brought in the nation’s No. 25 recruiting class in 2017, which included four four-star prospects.
Hot Board: Nebraska begins process to replace Mike Riley
HuskerOnline
Staff
Nebraska officially parted ways with Mike Riley after less than three seasons in Lincoln.
HuskerOnline has compiled a hot board list of potential coaching candidates who NU and Athletic Director Bill Moos may turn to.
This list will continue to be updated as new names emerge through the potential coaching search process. (List is no particular order)
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up now!
Enter promo code GBR2017 to receive our special offer of buy one month, get two free or buy an annual subscription and get three free months added on to it. The offer is good for both new and current subscribers.
UCFSports.com
SCOTT FROST - CENTRAL FLORIDA HEAD COACH
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Why it would work: Let’s be honest. If it not Scott Frost a lot of Husker fans are going to be surprised and quite frankly upset. Frost is Nebraska’s Tom Herman or Jim Harbaugh. He’s the most logical candidate because of his connections as a player and to the state of Nebraska. Both of his parents also still reside in Lincoln. Frost would even get the much needed former player support, which plays a factor at a place like Nebraska. There are a handful of former players that have a voice in the overall narrative of things, and Frost would have their support, along with the help of former head coach and athletic director Tom Osborne. You could argue he is the only candidate that would have the full support of both Osborne and the former players.
Why it wouldn't work: Maybe Frost doesn’t want the mounting pressure of being the savior of his alma mater. Frost current has Central Florida as the top-ranked Group of 5 program this season, and he really could be a candidate for any job he wants at this point. The pressure of being the savior of a program where you have geographic recruiting limitations mixed with high expectations may not be something he wants to take on, especially when multiple SEC and Pac-12 jobs could come calling his way as well.
CJ online
MATT CAMPBELL - IOWA STATE HEAD COACH
Why it would work: Iowa State’s Matt Campbell is now a proven winner at both Iowa State and Toledo, and before that he came up through Division III power Mount Union, where he was a part of five different national championship teams as both a player (1999-2002) and an offensive coordinator (2005-2006). He’s got a proven formula to win at programs where you have geographic recruiting limitations. He’s also an excellent motivator.
Why it wouldn't work: Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard is no dummy. He knew he had a potential hot coaching commodity in Campbell, and he put a $9.4 million buyout on contract. Is that a price worth paying when NU will be on the hook for nearly $7 million to Mike Riley? Also is Campbell ready to leave ISU after just two seasons?
USA Today Sports
LES MILES - FORMER LSU HEAD COACH
Why it would work: The former LSU and Oklahoma State coach has a strong familiarity with Nebraska. He has Big Ten roots from his time at Michigan, but he also has extensive knowledge of NU from his years at both OSU and Colorado as an assistant. His son Ben Miles is a redshirt freshman on the 2018 Husker team. Miles is a proven national championship coach, and right now there are only four active coaches that can say that – Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Jimbo Fisher and Dabo Swinney. Miles brings with him a physical line of scrimmage style and a track record of hiring big time coordinators such as Fisher, Bo Pelini, and Mike Gundy while at Oklahoma State and LSU.
Why it wouldn't work: Miles’ stock faded his last few seasons at LSU. The final major bowl game he took them to was in 2011 and he was highly criticized for his lack of offensive creativity and management in big games. Miles is also 63, which basically would put Nebraska in a similar situation to what they were just in. Is it even worth going down the road of hiring a coach you know only has a few years left in him?
USA Today Sports
MIKE LEACH - WASHINGTON STATE HEAD COACH
Why it would work: Nebraska’s new AD Bill Moos took Washington State from rags to riches with the hire of Mike Leach. The Cougars were the doormat of the Pac-12 until Leach came in and turned things around. Leach has a proven offensive system that has now worked in two places – WSU and Texas Tech. He’s been able to have success with a system that develops players and is not contingent on signing top-ranked recruiting classes.
Why it wouldn't work: Would a pass first offense go over well? Would Leach have access to the players in Nebraska’s footprint to successfully run his system? Also, would Moos do that to his former school and take their successful coach away? Leach’s personality may also not be a cultural fit at a place like Nebraska where people take their football seriously.
Associated Press
BOB STOOPS - OKLAHOMA HEAD COACH
Why it would work: Bob Stoops was almost another version of Tom Osborne at Oklahoma with the level of consistency he won at. Stoops retired this season with a 190-48 record winning one national championship and 10 Big 12 titles. He’s well connected in the coaching business and has always had top level staffs around him at OU. He’s from the Big Ten footprint in Ohio and played at Iowa. The chance to coach in the Big Ten West would be an appealing opportunity for him.
Why it wouldn't work: Why would Stoops want any part of this job considering what he just left? He supposedly got out of the game because of a promise he made to his family. Why would this job cause him to break that promise knowing the amount of work it’s going to take to turn things around? Also, it seems unlikely one of Bo Pelini’s closest friends from Ohio would be interested in taking this job.
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BRET BIELEMA - ARKANSAS HEAD COACH
Why it would work: Bret Bielema quite frankly probably belongs in the Big Ten West. He played at Iowa and coached at Wisconsin leading the Badgers to three straight Rose Bowls and 68-24 record in 7 seasons. He currently finds himself in the toughest division in college football at Arkansas, and getting back into the Big Ten West would make a lot of sense with his knowledge of this region. He was also rumored to be a leading candidate for the NU job back in 2014.
Why it wouldn't work: Was Bielema’s success at Wisconsin more a product of Barry Alvarez vs. him? In five seasons at Arkansas he has an 11-29 record in SEC games and has lost 5 or more games in every season. Also, is he the kind of guy Nebraska wants to go with from a pure image standpoint? His brash style would resemble more the Bo Pelini era.
Nate Clouse
KEVIN SUMLIN - TEXAS A&M HEAD COACH
Why it would work: One of the marquee hires in all of college football six years ago, Sumlin got off to an impressive start at Texas A&M by going 11-2 with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel at the helm.
The Aggies have also started at least 5-0 in each of the previous three seasons and won at least eight games every year that he’s been in College Station.
Sumlin is regarded as a dynamic recruiter who would bring instant national attention to Nebraska, and he’s also got plenty of familiarity with the Big Ten having served as an assistant at both Minnesota (1993-97) and Purdue (1998-2000).
Why it wouldn't work: As well as things started for Sumlin at A&M, they’ve tailed off just as quickly over the past few years. Despite all of those hot starts, the Aggies have only won double-digit games one time under his direction.
Sumlin has been on the hot seat since Texas A&M blew a 34-point second-half lead in a loss to UCLA to open the season, and he’s now lost seven straight SEC West home games dating back to 2015.
The Aggies are 51-26 in six seasons under Sumlin, but it’s been their inability to compete in the SEC that has drawn the ire of the fan base. Since 2015, A&M is 2-9 against Mississippi State, Auburn, Ole Miss and LSU, and is 1-5 against Alabama since Sumlin took over.
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CRAIG BOHL - WYOMING HEAD COACH
Why it would work: The connections here are obvious, as Bohl is a native of Lincoln who played defensive back at Nebraska and then coached for the Huskers from 1995-2002.
Bohl got his first head coaching job at North Dakota State in 2003, and he quickly turned the Bison into the dominant power of the FCS ranks, posting a record of 104-32 and winning national titles in his final three seasons in Fargo.
Bohl took over at Wyoming in 2014 and immediately built the Cowboys into a Mountain West contender, including a trip to the Poinsettia Bowl last year and an 8-4 record this season.
Why it wouldn't work: Maybe the biggest reason against Bohl’s return to Nebraska was how his time with the Huskers ended back in 2002.
Along with NU’s 7-7 record that ultimately led to the end of the Frank Solich era, Bohl’s defense was the target of plenty of scrutinies, especially when compared to the great Husker defenses of previous years.
While it seems like a natural fit in many ways, there’s a chance that the bridge might already be burned on both sides between Bohl and NU.
Nate Clouse
DAN MULLEN - MISSISSIPPI STATE HEAD COACH
Why it would work: Mullen is 69-46 now into his ninth season at Mississippi State, but he’s established as one of the brightest offensive coaches and quarterback developers in college football.
It hasn’t helped that the Bulldogs have had to go through the gauntlet of the SEC West every year, but Mullen managed to post four eight-win seasons, a 4-2 bowl record, and they finished 8-4 this season, when they were picked to finish sixth in the SEC West by the media.
With Dak Prescott leading the helm, Mullen guided MSU to his best season in 2014, going 10-3 (6-2 in the conference) and earning a trip to the Orange Bowl.
Why it wouldn't work: Recruiting has been one of the knocks on Mullen, at least compared to the rest of the SEC, even though Mississippi State currently owns the No. 13 class for 2018.
He’s been able to outperform expectations at MSU, but the Bulldogs have yet to play for a league title and have only recorded one season with more than nine wins.
Until Mullen can take that next step and get Mississippi State competing for championships, that will be the biggest thing holding his coaching profile back.
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DAVE DOEREN - NC STATE HEAD COACH
Why it would work: Doeren was one of the hot coaching names in 2013 after turning Northern Illinois into a national name in just two seasons, posting a record of 23-4 (15-1 in the MAC) with two conference titles and an Orange Bowl berth in 2012.
A native of Shawnee, Kan., Doeren has strong midwestern ties as a player at Drake, the defensive coordinator at Kansas (2005), and the defensive coordinator at Wisconsin from 2006-10. He was also rumored to have had serious interest in the Nebraska job after Bo Pelini was fired in 2014.
He’s 56-34 overall as a head coach and is 3-1 in bowl games, and has now posted four straight seasons with at least seven wins at North Carolina State, including an 8-4 record this season.
Why it wouldn't work: While Doeren has kept up a consistent pace of seven or eight wins in four of his first five years with the Wolfpack, he’s ultimately led NC State fans wanting more.
Doeren is 32-29 overall at NCSU, including a 15-25 mark in conference play, and is now 0-5 vs. Clemson.
He has led his team to three straight bowl games, but his career 3-14 record vs. top-25 opponents (2-13 with the Wolfpack) has kept North Carolina State from taking that next step.
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BRYAN HARSIN - BOISE STATE HEAD COACH
Why it would work: Known as a key piece in Boise State’s surge to national prominence in the early 2000s, Harsin replaced Chris Peterson as the Broncos’ head coach in 2014 and is 41-11 since, including an 10-2 this season.
As offensive coordinator from 2006-2010, Harsin helped BSU post a 61-5 (.924) record, two undefeated seasons, and two Fiesta Bowl victories.
The Broncos won the Moutain West Conference title and another Fiesta Bowl in his first season as head coach in ’14, and then posted a 10-3 record and a share of the league title in 2016.
Why it wouldn't work: Harsin is another candidate that would come with a fairly high price tag, as he was just awarded a one-year contract extension following Boise State’s win over Colorado State on Saturday.
That pushes his contract through 2022 with a total value of $9.25 million over the next five years.
There’s also the question of whether Harsin would want to leave BSU, as he’s a Boise, Idaho, native who played quarterback for the Broncos from 1995-99 and has spent 13 of his 18 coaching seasons at Boise State.
KYLE WHITTINGHAM - UTAH HEAD COACH
Why it would work: Whittingham was a name on many Nebraska fans’ lists during the last coaching search in 2012, and for good reason. Now the longest-tenured coach in the Pac-12 Conference, Whittingham is 110-56 since taking over Utah in 2005 and boasts an impressive 10-1 record in bowl games.
His best run came in 2009 and 2010, when he guided the Utes to back-to-back 10-3 records and as high as No. 3 in the polls, including a Sugar Bowl win over Alabama in ’08.
Whittingham brings a physical brand of football on both sides of the ball that would seemingly be a perfect fit for the Big Ten, and his no-nonsense approach might be exactly what Husker fans are looking for in their next coach.
Why it wouldn't work: As good as things were a few years ago, the shine has gradually worn off Whittingham’s stock over the past few seasons. Outside of another 10-3 running 2015, Utah has posted two five-win seasons and three losing conference records since joining the Pac-12.
The Utes are just 5-6 this season and 2-6 in conference play.
Even now six seasons into the new league, one of the biggest criticisms of Whittingham has been his recruiting and inability to close on elite-level recruits. That said, the Utes just brought in the nation’s No. 25 recruiting class in 2017, which included four four-star prospects.
