The Nebraska Cornhuskers ship has been sailing down the river Styx for about three weeks now and in an effort to get out of Hades, the Cornhuskers have announced the stepping down (read: shitcanned) of athletic director Steve Pederson. Hopefully, the Cornhuskers will be shedding a few more husks by years end but to do so right now in the season would be ill advised. So, who is the next AD? If you are truly a Husker, one name leaps to mind. Will Dr. Tom Osborne please step forward? Osborne, no longer in politics, would seem to be the best choice, however, Osborne is no spring chicken. Look for Dr. Tom to be an interim AD while Nebraska searches for a full time AD. If you ask the Gods of the Gridiron, the new AD should be somebody with strong ties to the football team (preferably an ex-player) and one who understands that you cannot turn your back on past players as Pederson did time and time again. Yes, I know this is the Athletic Director that we are talking about but let's be honest, a successful football team takes precedence over most other collegiate sports. Call it what you will, but we call it the cash cow. Nebraska needs a return to tradition. The Huskers that have taken the field this year play nothing like the dominant Huskers of the 90's. Now, don't get us wrong, we are not saying the the 2007 Huskers have the talent of the teams of the 90's but they are a lot better than what we have seen on the field so far. They need a spark, a new life, a fury to get them back on the right track. So, choose carefully Chancellor Perlman, because the hopes of the Husker nation are riding on your decision.
Now, as for the assistants. Our sources say there will be at least 2 assistants let go but this will most likely happen after the Colorado game. Expect defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove to be one of them and while we have our guesses we will avoid the temptation to speculate on the other coaches. Now, if Nebraska were to ask us to replace Coz, here are a few names to keep in mind:
1. John Tenuta (DC, Georgia Tech). Tenuta is the best in the business but he is making some chedda' (400,000/year) and NEB may not have the money to pay him and by all accounts he loves Georgia Tech.
2. Chuck Amato (Assistant Head Coach and LB coach, Florida State). The Chest knows defense and while he was a bust as a head coach at North Carolina State he can recruit in the south (where NEB is non-existent) and always had a feisty defense.
3. Jim Mora Jr. (assistant HC and DB coach, Seattle Seahawks). While Mora was not a success as a head coach for ATL he would be a hell of a coach in college. Now, whether he is willing to leave the bigs in an entirely different question. This guy would be a dynamite recruiter at the college level.
4. Mike Singletary (assistant HC and LB coach, San Francisco 49'ers). This guy is an up and coming star in the coaching ranks and would be able to recruit any player in the nation with his name alone. He has done wonders for SF's once pitiful defense and could be a home run. Now, like Mora, whether he would want to leave the bigs is a gigantic obstacle.
2 comments:
Not one person on that list would leave his current job to come to Nebraska for just the DC position. Singletary and Mora aren't leaving the NFL unless they get to be a head coach and Tenuta and Amato are firmly planted in the Southeast. I will throw out one name, though, that I think makes sense to go after: Dan McCarney. The former Iowa State coach has great ties to the region, and is gaining national respect for the job he's doing with South Florida's frightening defense. He should be on any list an AD would make.
McCarney would be certainly take the job if offered. I am sure he will be looked at now that Dr. Tom will have some say as to who gets hired and fired. I don't think they would be able to get any from that list but Amato would be stepping up if he took the DC job and NEB from where he is right now.
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