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Nebraska Hot Board – Who Might Replace Scott Frost?
A Look at the Nebraska coaching search
*updated 9/27/22
In December 2017, Scott Frost left UCF after an undefeated season and accepted the head coaching position at his alma mater, Nebraska. This was a slam dunk hire. A perfect fit. An A+ on everyone’s coaching hire grades.
Frost at Nebraska never took off. It started with a disappointing 4-8 in 2018 and never improved. After last season, and 4 years leading the Cornhuskers, his record was a miserable 15-29. In reality, anyone else would’ve been fired. Frost was given another year, but agreed to a restructured contract that included a lower salary and buyout.
As part of the restructured contract, Frost’s buyout dropped from $15 million to $7.5 million on October 1st. Nebraska’s season was in such a tailspin that Athletic Director, Trev Alberts, didn’t wait for the October 1st buyout decrease and fired Frost on September 11th.
Bruce Feldman reported a few issues that lead to the downfall of Frost at Nebraska.
We believe Nebraska is ready to spend top dollar for its next head coach. And we’ve heard Nebraska will prioritize coaches with Power 5 head coaching experience.
The names we hear for Nebraska coaching candidates.
THE FAVORITES
Nebraska is not satisfied with Aranda’s lack of experience as head coach and questions how much of his success his tied to previous Baylor coach, Matt Rhule’s recruiting.
Some smoke
Dave Doeren – NC State
Doeren is rumored to be looking for other jobs. His style seems like a great fit for Nebraska and the Big Ten.Matt Rhule – Carolina Panthers
NFL Insider, Ian Rapoport, reports that Carolina ownership will be patient with Rhule. We believe Rhule will ultimately be let go by the Panthers, but college teams may have already headed in a different direction.Jim Leonhard – Wisconsin DC
He’ll be a head coach soon. Wisconsin might move on from current coach, Paul Chryst to elevate Leonhard to head coach before he goes elsewhere. His lack of head coaching experiences makes a move to Nebraska unlikely.Urban Meyer – Free Agent
Initially, Dan Patrick shared an update from his source that Meyer to Nebraska is a legitimate possibility.Word since is that Meyer will remain at Fox and not return to coaching. Still, we believe that some team, likely in the Big Ten or SEC, will make Meyer an offer he can’t refuse.
And there’s this from the Nebraska Athletic Department.
Mark Stoops – Kentucky
It’s been said that Stoops is growing tired of coaching football at a basketball crazed university. Maybe Nebraska has a shot if Stoops likes his chances better against Michigan and Ohio State than Georgia and Alabama.OTHER NAMES WE’VE HEARD
Chris Klieman – Kansas State
His style of football and personality seem to be a good fit for Nebraska. There’s not much smoke here.Jeff Lebby – Oklahoma OC
We’ve heard this one a few times as well. We don’t anticipate Trev Alberts taking a hard look at someone without head coaching experience.OUR PREDICTION
Lance Leipold. Aranda and Stoops turn down Nebraska and receive pay raises at their respective schools. After both Nebraska and Leipold consider other options, they both realize they are perfect for each other.
Darkhorse – Matt Rhule
*updated 9/27/22.
We will continuously update this article as we hear new names or eliminate coaches as a possibility. -
Top 5 Mid-Major Basketball Coaches Most Likely To Be Part of Next Season’s Hiring Carousel
The Mid-Major Basketball Coaches Likely High On The List of High Major Conference Athletic Directors
After each season, the top coaches in mid-major basketball get courted by Athletic Directors looking to hire their next basketball coach. Inevitably, there will be a team that makes a surprise run in the NCAA tournament and their coach will receive a large pay raise to lead a team in a major conference.
We’ll rank the top 5 mid-major basketball coaches most likely to be high on the list of a hiring Athletic Director.
* This list excludes Gonzaga’s Mark Few because they are often part of the major conference discussions and, quite frankly, he’s not taking that Athletic Director’s call.
Grant McCasland – North Texas
Athletic Directors have an eye on McCasland because of his success at North Texas and his time at Baylor as an assistant.Pat Kelsey – College of Charleston
It was a disappointing first season for Kelsey and College of Charleston. If Kelsey can get produce wins at CoC like he did at he previous stop, Winthrop, he’ll have multiple job offers to choose from.Mark Pope – BYU
If Pope can get BYU into the NCAA tournament this season, he’ll be getting job offers.Rick Pitino – Iona
After a surprisingly successful two season run at Iona, Pitino, despite his advanced age, will likely get one more shot to lead a high major program.Kelvin Sampson – Houston
Houston will move to the Big 12 in 2023. The number of wins Sampson has racked up at Houston, puts his NCAA sanction days at Indiana behind him in the minds of Athletic Directors. -
2022 Big 12 Basketball Coach Rankings
This is a well coached league with a mix of high end veterans and up-and-comers.
Rankings are based on who an Athletic Director would most want to hire if they had an opening this year, and not based on lifetime achievements.
Our 2022-23 Big 12 Basketball Coach rankings.10. Jerome Tang – Kansas State
Tang left his Baylor assistant job to take over Kansas State. The Wildcats are hoping some Baylor success follows Tang to KSU.9. Mike Boynton, Jr. – Oklahoma State
Boynton has lead Oklahoma State since 2017 and has finished higher than 5th in the conference.8. Jamie Dixon – TCU
For reasons unknown to us, Dixon often gets overlooked. You could do much worse than Dixon.
7. Bob Huggins – West Virginia
A legendary coach with his star starting to fade.6. Mark Adams – Texas Tech
A great coach that will have to live under Chris Beard’s shadow for another season of two. We’ll really learn about Adams in year 3 and 4.5. Porter Moser – Oklahoma
We are only two years removed from Moser’s dream tournament run at Loyola-Chicago.4. T.J Otzelberger – Iowa State
Otzelberger at #4 is a great example of why there is the disclaimer at the beginning of this article. If ranking coaches by who Athletic Directors would desire at their school, Otzelberger got a lot of attention with what he did in year one for the Cyclones.3. Chris Beard – Texas
Beard performed magic at Texas Tech. The Longhorns hope with their resources he can be David Copperfield.2. Scott Drew – Baylor
Drew is a top 10 coach in the country. The only reason he’s not number one is because he coaches in the same league as Bill Self.1. Bill Self – Kansas
The undisputed patriarch of the conference.Baylor Basketball, Bill Self, Bob Huggins, Chris Beard, college basketball, Iowa State Basketball, Jamie Dixon, Jerome Tang, Kansas Basketball, Kansas State Basketball, Mark Adams, Mike Boynton, Oklahoma Basketball, Oklahoma State Basketball, Porter Moser, Scott Drew, T.J. Otzelberger, TCU Basketball, Texas Basketball, Texas Tech Basketball, West Virginia Basketball -
2022 ACC Basketball Coach Rankings
Some top tier coaching has recently retired, so there is a new crop leading this conference’s rankings.
Our 2022-23 ACC Basketball Coach rankings.
AVERAGE JOE
15. Earl Grant – Boston College
Grant finished 11th in the conference in his first season at BC.14. Jeff Capel – Pittsburgh
Heading into his 5th try, Capel is still looking for his first winning season at Pitt.13. Josh Pastner – Georgia Tech
It was rough last season for Pastner and Georgia Tech that put him under .500 for his career leading the Yellow Jackets.12. Kevin Keatts – NC State
Last season was Keatts’ first losing season at NC State. Is it a trend or a blip?11. Kenny Payne – Louisville
Payne has had an impressive assistant coaching career. We’ll see how that translates to his head coaching career.10. Jon Scheyer – Duke
This is going to be a short leash for Scheyer following Mike Krzyzewski’ at Duke.9. Brad Brownell – Clemson
Brownell has been at Clemson for 12 season and middle-of-the-pack in the ACC is the expectation.8. Mike Young – Virginia Tech
Young has lead Virginia Tech to the NCAA tournament the past two seasons.
7. Steve Forbes – Wake Forest
Forbes lead Wake Forest to 25-10 last season and probably should have been an NCAA tournament team.6. Jim Larrañaga – Miami
Maybe Larranaga has one more run in him after an Elite Eight appearance last season.5. Leonard Hamilton – Florida State
If these rankings were based on looking much younger than your age, the 74 year old Hamilton would top this list. He’s been a consistent winner at FSU.4. Hubert Davis – North Carolina
It can’t be easy taking over for a legend. Davis aced his first test with national championship game appearance in season number one.3. Jim Boeheim – Syracuse
It’s been a hall of fame career, but Boeheim hasn’t finished higher than 6th in the conference since the 2013-14 season.TOP TIER
2. Tony Bennett – Virginia
There aren’t many schools in the country that wouldn’t trade their current coach for Tony Bennett.1. Mike Brey – Notre Dame
Notre Dame isn’t an easy school to recruit basketball talent, yet Brey has consistently produced teams competing for ACC Championships for over 20 seasons.Boston College Basketball, Brad Brownell, Clemson Basketball, college basketball, Duke Basketball, Earl Grant, Florida State Basketball, Georgia Tech Basketball, Hubert Davis, Jeff Capel III, Jim Boeheim, Jim Larrañaga, Jon Scheyer, Josh Pastner, Kenny Payne, Kevin Keatts, Leonard Hamilton, Louisville Basketball, Miami Basketball, Mike Brey, Mike Young, NC State Basketball, North Carolina Basketball, Notre Dame Basketball, Pittsburgh Basketball, Steve Forbes, Syracuse Basketball, Tony Bennett, Virginia Basketball, Virginia Tech Basketball, Wake Forest Basketball -
2022 Pac-12 Basketball Coach Rankings
The Pac-12 is surprisingly more stable for basketball coaches than other conferences. Let’s take a look a look at all 12 from worst to first.
Our 2022-23 Pac-12 Basketball Coach rankings.
AVERAGE JOE
12. Mark Fox – Cal
Heading into his 4th season leading Cal, Fox is looking for his first winning season.11. Kyle Smith – Washington State
Maybe things are improving for Smith at WSU. They finished 5th in the conference last season after being near the bottom of conference standings his first two seasons.10. Mike Hopkins – Washington
We thought he’d be near the top of this list after winning the conference regular season in just his second season leading Washington (2018-19)9. Bobby Hurley – Arizona State
Things seemed to be well for ASU and Hurley in 2020, but the last two seasons show signs of regression.8. Wayne Tinkle – Oregon State
Tinkle might be the hardest coach to rank. He followed an Elite Eight appearance in 2020-21 with a 3-28 season in 2021-22.
7. Tommy Lloyd – Arizona
Lloyd had an impressive first season at Arizona. He’ll move up these rankings quickly if he can sustain that level of success.6. Jerod Haase – Stanford
Stanford is a tough school to win at and Haase has produced a better than .500 record (98-90)5. Craig Smith – Utah
His first year at Utah wasn’t great (11-20), but he belongs in the top half of Pac-12 coach rankings. He’ll have Utah playing at a high level soon.4. Tad Boyle – Colorado
Because Colorado hasn’t made much noise in the NCAA tournament, Boyle’s regular season success at Colorado is often overlooked.3. Andy Enfield – USC
After a rough first two seasons at USC (23-41), Enfield has turned USC into a consistent winner.TOP TIER
2. Dana Altman – Oregon
It’s hard to believe this will be Altman’s 13th season leading the Ducks. He’s 300-125 over his first 12 seasons.1. Mick Cronin – UCLA
Cronin seemed like an off fit at UCLA following a successful run at Cincinnati. But, he’s quickly elevated the Bruins in his three seasons.Andy Enfield, Arizona Basketball, Arizona State Basketball, Bobby Hurley, California Basketball, college basketball, Colorado Basketball, Craig Smith, Dana Altman, Jerod Haase, Kyle Smith, Mark Fox, Mick Cronin, Mike Hopkins, Oregon Basketball, Oregon State Basketball, Stanford Basketball, Tad Boyle, Tommy Lloyd, UCLA Basketball, USC Basketball, Utah Basketball, Washington Basketball, Washington State Basketball, Wayne Tinkle -
College Football Coach Stock Report: Week 2
Which Coach Boosted Their Stock After Week 2? Which Coach Felt Their Seat Get Hotter?
We used to give college football coaches years to determine if they had what it takes. Now, we make drastic judgements on a weekly basis. Which coaches had the best Week 2 and which fell flat?
Scott Frost, a regular on the stock down list, was fired after their loss to Georgia Southern at home. No need to pick on Frost any longer. There are plenty of other candidates to replace Frost on this list.
STOCK DOWN
Jimbo Fisher – Texas A&M
At some point Fisher is going to need the off-the-field success to turn into on-the-field success. Losing to Appalachian State will make Aggie boosters lose patience quickly.Marcus Freeman – Notre Dame
The honeymoon for Notre Dame is over. Freeman needs to show quickly that this is only a rough start and not the start of a downfall.Paul Chryst – Wisconsin
That was a bad loss for Wisconsin. Cracks are starting to appear in the Wisconsin program under Chryst.Eli Drinkwitz – Missouri
There was nothing good to take away from Missouri’s beating against Kansas State.STOCK UP
Steve Sarkisian – Texas
This is somewhat an indictment on how far the standard at Texas has fallen. But, going toe-to-toe with Alabama is impressive and a step in the right direction for Sarkisian and Texas.Kalani Sitake – BYU
Another impressive and under-the-radar win for Sitake and BYU. He just produces solid teams and wins. He’ll be getting calls from other programs this year and likely a pay raise.Mark Stoops – Kentucky
An impressive win for Stoops and Kentucky at Florida. What he’s accomplished at Kentucky is underappreciated. Some Athletic Director would be wise to throw a $9 million/year salary his way.Jake Dickert – Washington State
Dickert aced his first major test with a win at Wisconsin. That’s the kind of win that will get Athletic Directors’ attention.Charles Huff – Marshall
That win at Notre Dame, combined with even a decent season, could be enough to land Huff a large pay raise at another school.BYU Football, Charles Huff, College Football, Eliah Drinkwitz, Jake Dickert, Jimbo Fisher, Kalani Sitake, Kentucky Football, Marcus Freeman, Mark Stoops, Marshall Football, Missouri Football, Nebraska Football, Notre Dame Football, Paul Chryst, Scott Frost, Steve Sarkisian, Texas A&M Football, Texas Football, Washington State Football, Wisconsin Football -
Top Assistant Coaches in College Football 2022
Which assistants are most primed for a head coaching position after the 2022 season?
Josh Gattis – Miami Offensive Coordinator
Gattis was hired away from Michigan after being awarded the Broyles Award in 2021 as the top assistant in college football. With even decent success at Miami, Gattis will likely be in line for a top job opening after this season.Jeff Lebby – Oklahoma Offensive Coordinator
When Oklahoma hired Brent Venables, a defensive minded coach, to replace Lincoln Riley, a top flight offensive coordinator was a priority. Oklahoma found it with Lebby. Many Athletic Directors are looking for a young offensive mind and Lebby fits that bill.Bill O’Brien – Alabama Offensive Coordinator
It’s a surprise that O’Brien isn’t the head coach of a team this season. He will likely be a head coach in 2023. There are many rumors that O’Brien has his eye on the NFL.Alex Grinch – USC Defensive Coordinator
Grinch has shown that he can improve a defense at both Washington State and Oklahoma. If Grinch can show that improvement again at USC, he will likely be requested to interview for head coaching positions soon.Jim Leonhard – Wisconsin Defensive Coordinator
Leonhard has proven himself as an elite defensive coordinator and is ready to be a head coach. He reportedly turned down an opportunity to lead the defense for the Green Bay Packers. It’s possible he remains in Wisconsin waiting for a shot to become the head coach for the Badgers. -
2022-23 College Football Playoff Information
This season’s college football playoffs will begin with two semifinal games on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2022. The College Football National Championship will take place on January 9, 2023.
College Football Semifinals
Fiesta Bowl – December 31, 2022 – 4pm or 8pm ET – ESPN
Peach Bowl – December 31, 2022 – 4pm or 8pm ET – ESPNNational Championship Game
January 9, 2023 – ESPN – Time TBD
SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CaliforniaFrequently Asked Questions
When will the College Football Playoff teams be selected?
Soon after the conference championship games in early DecemberWhere will future National Championship games be held?
2023: Los Angeles
2024: Houston
2025: Atlanta
2026: MiamiWho are previous winners of the College Football National Championship Game?
2022 No. 3 Georgia 33, No. 1 Alabama 18
2021 No. 1 Alabama 52, No. 3 Ohio State 24
2020 No. 1 LSU 42, No. 3 Clemson 25
2019 No. 2 Clemson 44, No. 1 Alabama 16
2018 No. 4 Alabama 26, No. 3 Georgia 23
2017 No. 2 Clemson 35, No. 1 Alabama 31
2016 No. 2 Alabama 45, No. 1 Clemson 40
2015 No. 4 Ohio State 42, No. 2 Oregon 20 -
Who Would Replace Nick Saban At Alabama?
This summer there were rumors that Nick Saban would look to retire from Alabama in the next 1-2 years. That was before Saban signed an extension through 2030 with an average yearly salary of $11.7 million. Now, we don’t believe Saban will coach forever. But, if there is one person in college football that would make you wonder if he’ll be coaching for eternity, it would be Saban. Even at the age of 70, he doesn’t show signs of slowing down.
This article was better timed prior to the contractor extension, but let’s play out the hypothetical anyway — Who will replace Saban at Alabama once he decides to retire?
Kirby Smart – Georgia head coach
Smart will be the first name on any Saban replacement list. He’s a former Alabama assistant that has things rolling at Georgia. We just don’t see the benefit for Smart to leave what he’s built at Georgia and deal with the pressure that comes from taking over for a legend in Saban. Georgia would likely match whatever Alabama would throw at Smart.Urban Meyer – Free Agent
We all believe Meyer will be back in college football soon. If the timing worked out, Meyer and Alabama may be the perfect fit.AMark Stoops – Kentucky head coach
It’s admirable what Stoops has accomplished at Kentucky. He could accomplish at Alabama what he likely can’t at Kentucky — win a National Championship. Stoops would go from under the radar at Kentucky to a pressure cooker at Alabama.James Franklin – Penn State head coach
Franklin has flirted with other job openings before. Franklin and Alabama would be an interesting pair.Dave Aranda – Baylor head coach
Aranda was previously the defensive coordinator for LSU and familiar with the SEC. Aranda has quickly made a name as a top 15-20 coach in college football. Would that be enough to appease Alabama leadership and boosters?Alabama Assistant Coach
Saban will have a big say in his replacement. Would he recommend someone from his staff? Would Alabama leadership be willing to consider an assistant?