Nebraska Cornhusker Coaching
The Nebraska Cornhuskers fired the demonstrative Bo Pelini after the 2014 season. Perhaps Melvin Gordon’s 408 yards in three quarters of work didn’t help the cause.
Or maybe it was Pelini’s volatile temperament made him an unpleasant coworker. Whatever the reason, he was out.
So Nebraska went to the other end of the personality scale in hiring Mike Riley away from Oregon State. Widely considered to be one of the nicest guys in college football.
Wisconsin fans are happy with the change. For one thing, Gary Andersen couldn’t resist the chance to leave Madison to take over one of the worst programs in the Pac 12. That opened the door for Paul Chryst to return as Andersen moved to the bottom of the conference of champions.
Cornhusker fans may not be as thrilled. In part, because Nebraska was actually pretty successful during Pelini’s six seasons in Lincoln. The Cornhuskers won nine, 10, 10, nine, 10, nine, losing four games each season. That’s a 57-24 overall record.
Nebraska also went 3-3 in bowl games in the time span. They lost the Capitol One Bowl in consecutive seasons but did collect a pair of Holiday Bowls and a Gator Bowl win.
Riley endured some painful losses in his first season in Lincoln, ultimately finishing 6-7. He righted the ship a bit in year two going 9-4. But this year the Cornhuskers are just 3-2 and losing at home to Northern Illinois puts anyone’s job in jeopardy.
Riley’s seat may not be hot yet, but it’s definitely warming. Wisconsin’s a great opportunity for a big win. But at a minimum, he’ll need a competitive loss. Getting blown out and his job security gets even shakier.