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Luke Fickell Opens as Favorite to Become Next Husker HC

Fickell would be a godsend to Nebraska, and is probably the closest thing to a perfect hire that the program could get. His defenses have been top 26 the past 4 years in F+, top 10 the past 2. With G5 recruits, he has outperformed a TON of teams.

Bearcats, after losing their DB coach and a slew of players, took #10 Arkansas to the wire in Fayetteville. They had nearly identical stats to the Hogs, with 436 yards of O, 50% on third down, and 2 fewer punts.

Fickell is getting 4-star guys to Cincinnati. Don't sell Nebraska short, Lincoln is a mecca for talent with the right staff. Nothing about Lincoln is worse in any way than Tuscaloosa, Norman, Stillwater (crap hole), or any other non-LA/Columbus city. Don't settle for mediocre try-hard Matt Campbell. There's a lot to sell about Nebraska. Just need a good salesman. Fickell is that guy.

Mark Stoops is a similar guy, who would have so much more to work with. He gets that things start up front. Look at Kentucky's recruiting class. They're monsters. From out of state. And they're going to Lexington, Kentucky, which has less football cache than Elkhorn.
Disagree. Fickle is getting 4 star guys to Cincy because that is a fertile recruiting ground. I'm not sold he gets that job done at NU. Also he is still not in a big boy conference. He's done well, but still a big time difference. He's not bad, but we can do better. I'd be more excited about Stoops as he has done it in the SEC.
 
Disagree. Fickle is getting 4 star guys to Cincy because that is a fertile recruiting ground. I'm not sold he gets that job done at NU. Also he is still not in a big boy conference. He's done well, but still a big time difference. He's not bad, but we can do better. I'd be more excited about Stoops as he has done it in the SEC.
The point about 4-stars would be solid if any of them were from Ohio. His current 4-stars are out of Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana. Only 8 of 21 commits are from OH at all. Cincinnati is recruiting regionally, and nationally, not just scouring Ohio. Missouri (St. Louis), Tennessee, and Florida all have prospects in Cincinnati's class. Fickell can bring guys in from all over.

You're right, he hasn't gotten to a big time conference yet. But his teams have played, and beaten, Power 5 programs with much better players and pedigrees. Teams like Notre Dame, UCLA, Va Tech and Indiana have far more to offer, but Fickell beat those teams. He has a 3-point loss to UGA under Kirby Smart. Arkansas this year was a very near thing.

If he wanted it, Fickell could make this a destination job again. Quickly.
 
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The point about 4-stars would be solid if any of them were from Ohio. His current 4-stars are out of Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana. Only 8 of 21 commits are from OH at all. Cincinnati is recruiting regionally, and nationally, not just scouring Ohio. St. Louis,

You're right, he hasn't gotten to a big time conference yet. But his teams have played, and beaten, Power 5 programs with much better players and pedigrees. Teams like Notre Dame, UCLA, Va Tech and Indiana have far more to offer, but Fickell beat those teams. He has a 3-point loss to UGA under Kirby Smart. Arkansas this year was a very near thing.

If he wanted it, Fickell could make this a destination job again. Quickly.
Agree, Fickell's just a solid HC that can have his pick of jobs and has already turned down a few - including MSU and he basically told USC that he wasn't interested. He had almost as much to do - as the DC - with that 2015 OSU NC team as Urban did. Nebraska needs to hire this guy - just throw a ton of money at him and see if it sticks.

BTW, OSU gets almost every 4 & 5 star Ohio HS player they offer with the exception of an occasional Catholic HS player that goes to ND. Fickell's been getting that next tier of Ohio kids - mostly high 3 stars with an occasional 4 star - mostly the Midwest - sprinkled in. What he has accomplished at Cincinnati is off the charts
 
Both Klieman and Fickel walked on the Michigan State job. So, I can't see either interested in taking N.
It's funny to watch all the fans from other teams try to reassure themselves that their coach won't leave for Nebraska. If Nebraska wants Klieman, they will get him. But I doubt that we'll ever know for sure because I seriously doubt that he'll be one of their top choices.
 
It's funny to watch all the fans from other teams try to reassure themselves that their coach won't leave for Nebraska. If Nebraska wants Klieman, they will get him. But I doubt that we'll ever know for sure because I seriously doubt that he'll be one of their top choices.
I'm a Hawkeye fan first and B1G second so I want great coaches in this league. No need to waste time on Stoops, he'll politely say no. But hearing Fickell's name and Campbell's name are refreshing. They are proven commodities who are still young and energetic enough to take the time to get your program heading in the right direction and then for the long term. Personally I would not look forward to matching up with them even in year 1. Now, if we could only get a new OC.
 
Fickell would likely not do well. AAU coaches have a bad track record in power 5. Herman, Frost, Taggert, Norvell etc.
 
at +280

here's the rest of the list:

Bill O'Brien +300

Matt Campbell +350

Mickey Joseph +350

Chris Klieman +350

Brett Bielema +400

Dan Mullen +400

Jeff Lebby +450

Jim Leonhard +450

Jamey Chadwell +550

Alex Golesh +550

Mark Stoops +600

Lance Leipold +650

Matt Rhule +700

PJ Fleck +700

Gary Patterson +800

Urban Meyer +900

Dave Aranda +900

Jeff Brohm +900

Jeff Tedford +900

Kyle Whittingham +1000

Tosh Lupoi +1000

Greg Schiano +1300

Dave Doeren +1500

Zach Kittley +1500

Pat Fitzgerald +2000

Mark Whipple +2000

Chip Kelly +2200

Jim Knowles +2200

David Shaw +2500

Chris Marve +2500

Manny Diaz +2500

Lane Kiffin +3000

Ed Orgeron +5000
Give me Matt Rhule at +700
 
It's funny to watch all the fans from other teams try to reassure themselves that their coach won't leave for Nebraska. If Nebraska wants Klieman, they will get him. But I doubt that we'll ever know for sure because I seriously doubt that he'll be one of their top choices.
Klieman was asked directly today in his presser and said, as I wrote previously, he's tied to Gene Taylor. He also said he is friends with Frosty.
 
Any interest out there in Tosh Lupoi from BYU or would the Lincoln bars/clubs nix that

Also what if Robert Saleh isn’t going to survive in NYC

- both he (Saleh) and Aranda are handsome devils which shouldn’t be discounted in the coaching search
 
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Klieman was asked directly today in his presser and said, as I wrote previously, he's tied to Gene Taylor. He also said he is friends with Frosty.
Klieman is from Iowa and coached at UNI -
Part of me wonders if he might be waiting out the Iowa job
 
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Klieman is from Iowa and coached at UNI -
Part of me wonders if he might be waiting out the Iowa job
This has long been my take as well. Collin Klein would then be the logical head at K-State. AD Gene Taylor went to Iowa for a short stay after NDSU and before taking the KSU job.
 
Any interest out there in Tosh Lupoi from BYU or would the Lincoln bars/clubs nix that

Also what if Robert Saleh isn’t going to survive in NYC

- both he (Saleh) and Aranda are handsome devils which shouldn’t be discounted in the coaching search
If we're going on looks Diaco should get a call lol.
 
Any interest out there in Tosh Lupoi from BYU or would the Lincoln bars/clubs nix that

Also what if Robert Saleh isn’t going to survive in NYC

- both he (Saleh) and Aranda are handsome devils which shouldn’t be discounted in the coaching search

Tosh Lupoi is at Oregon.
 
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