It became official on Saturday morining at 9:34 AM, as I drank my first cup of coffee. Athletic Director Dr. Tom Osborne dropped the hammer on Bill Callahan after the Buffs from Colorado hung 65 points on Nebraska's vaunted Blackshirt (I call them pink shirts this year) defense. The Husker faithful could take no more, and while AD Steve Pederson was fired last month and Ozzy was brought back into the fold at Nebraska to talk the natives off of the ledge as interim AD, changes were inevitable on the coaching staff come seasons end. It became official on Saturday. Tom Osborne alloted 30 minutes to fire Callahan, it took 5 minutes and Callahan exited campus waving to reporters from his black Lexus SUV. See ya Bill, thanks for nothing buddy, you left a once stroied program in shambles.
The landscape has changed in college football, there is no doubt. You have 3 of the top coaching jobs in all of college football open at the moment, and there is going to be some major shake-ups at other programs because of it. You have Michigan, Nebraska and Texas A&M all looking for coaches. I would say all are Top 10 coaching jobs in division I football. LSU may in fact be on the list once Les Miles accepts the Michigan job. That just does not happen everyday folks. Others like Baylor, Ole MIss and SMU are also open and more to come I assume. The demands of major programs like these are high, and the expectations are high from fans and boosters. Ex-Athletic Director Steve Pederson fired 19 veteran coach Frank Solich after a 9-3 season at Nebraska, which started the Huskers downward spiral with Bill Callahan. I would guess that there are 90% of the schools in division I football that would kill for a 9-3 record this season, including Nebraska! The landscape has changed folks, have no illusions.
Bill Callahan was never a good fit, was not a "Nebraska" man, and ignored and disrespected all Nebraska traditions. People outside of the Midwest, do not have a clue what Nebraska football means to the Husker state in general. There are 2 things in Nebraska you can count on, the men are men and the sheep are nervous, and then there is Husker football. Take it from me, I lived there 30 years. There is a state of emergency in the State of Nebraska folks, lets break down the candidates.
1. Bo Pelini - Bo coached the 2003 Huskers as co-defensive coordinator and then head coached them to an Alamo Bowl win over Michigan State after Frank Solich was dismissed after the regular season. Bill Callahan was hired and Pelini was fired the next day, not even a second look to stay on staff, he wanted the head job. To say he left disgruntled would be an understatement. He then went on to lead LSU's defense to be one of the most respected in the country. He was contacted Saturday morning by a job search firm, Parker Executive Search out of Atlanta, so we know this is a viable prospect for Nebraska. I would say he is their #1 prospect and one that would sit well with fans and boosters.
2. Turner Gill - Turner played at Nebraska and was a superstar at Quarterback in the early 80's with Mike Rozier, Irving Fryar,Roger Craig and the scoring explosion, named team of the century in college football. He was the QB who lead NU to the Orange Bowl, and that same team went for 2 to win the title on the games last play and lost to Bernie Kosar and Miami. Turner was a longtime assistant on Osborne's staff as QB coach, as well as Frank Soluich's staff, and is currently head man at Buffalo, who went 5-7 this year and won yesterday in OT to Kent State. Buffalo was one of the worst jobs in America and since he took them over, they have returned to respectability. He and Osborne are close personal friends and talk weekly via the phone. As of yesterday, Gill says no one from NU has contacted him, I find that hard to believe.
Others who may shock you- Al Saunders, Washington Redskins offensive coordinator who has Nebtraska ties. Lane Kiffen, Oakland Raiders head coach (daddy Monte Kiffen and Bucs DC once coached at Nebraska with Osborne), Joe Glenn, Wyoming head coach has Nebraska ties and is from Lincoln. Barney Cotton, a longshot but once offensive coordinator for Solich and then moved to Iowa State as their OC, and was let go after Dan McCartney was fired in 2006. He also played for Nebraska. There may be a big name pop up somewhere in the next few weeks, but with restrictions on talking with coaches during bowl season, and recruiting coming into play, Nebraska may have to move fast and will not be able to accommodate some prospects before a decision has to be made.
Whoever it may be, I would be somewhat surprised if they did not have Nebraska ties of some sort. Tom Osborne is big on tradition and so is the Husker nation. I would say it is Pelini's job for the taking if he wants it. He is a cult hero back in Lincoln and many fans and boosters pushed to have him hired after the 2003 Alamo Bowl, and his stock is rising in the NCAA ranks. I am not sure Turner Gill can motivate players as well, but he can recruit players. He has done good things at Buffalo despite a losing record. You can expect a staff to be put in place, many with Nebraska ties, as Osborne no doubt will have a hand in the selection process along the way, especially if Gill gets the job.
My problem with Turner Gill is that he and Tom Osborne are good friends, and I am unsure in these times of trouble at NU, just how well good friends can work together under the immense pressure in Lincoln. The issue with Pelini is simple and disturbing for his backers. If Les Miles takes the Michigan job, the LSU job may be offered to him, and right now LSU is a better school, they are his players in house, and he knows the system and recruiting may go mostly unaffected for LSU, so I am sure they will make a huge effort to keep him if that scenario develops. Nebraska is losing millions of dollars paying off Callahan and his staff, along with ex-AD Pederson, so money could be a major factor unless a big time booster steps up to help out.
All in all, Nebraska has some serious issues on defense next year, but the offense has plenty of weapons returning and should be good. With Pelini being a defensive minded type of guy, it seems like a perfect fit and one that would be accepted by fans, and at the end of the day in Lincoln Nebraska, the fans opinions matter about as much as anywhere in college football.
Tony George is orginally from Lincoln Nebraska and is head of www.sportsaudioshows America's premier sports handicapping website.
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