Where there’s smoke, there is usually fire, and it feels like a brush fire has started with the Nebraska football program around naming a new head coach. Of course, it’s been known for a while that it was unlikely that the Huskers were going to finish the month without a “permanent head coach” It just wasn’t as clear that they might be starting the month with one.
However, I’ve been told that after some rather interesting tweets by various Nebraska media members this morning, there is indeed fire underneath that smoke. It’s the same kind of smoke the Vatican releases when they want the world to know a new Pope has been selected.
According to those who with some inside knowledge, the University Regents are set to meet later today. The meeting was set last night, and they are indeed supposed to be meeting about the head coaching search. Once that meeting is over, it’s expected that Nebraska football will have its head coach.
Leaving the gym when it’s still dark and ready for whatever this day is going to throw at me… I think.
— Mitch Sherman (@mitchsherman) November 3, 2022
Whether or not he’ll be new is still an open question. One of the most interesting aspects of the timing of this announcement is that it almost certainly limits the list of candidates considerably.
The thought is that the names that could be announced today are either coaches who are not currently working (Matt Rhule and Chris Petersen) or Mickey Joseph. It’s worth pointing out that earlier reports had the former Carolina Panthers coach not showing much interest in the Huskers.
People forget he's not coaching right now. https://t.co/AUaFkdFF7q
— Josh Peterson (@joshtweeterson) November 3, 2022
It is of course, possible that after a few weeks of sitting on the coach, he realized that he wants to coach again and that the Nebraska football job might be the best that’s going to be available this year.
Petersen is the wild card in all of this. After having a great deal of success at both Boise State and Washington, he stepped away from the game and became a commentator. There have been whispers in certain parts of the internet that he’s been a candidate since the start.
Good spirits around Memorial Stadium today.
— Mitch Sherman (@mitchsherman) November 3, 2022
Interim coach Mickey Joseph said QB Casey Thompson worked some Wednesday at practice. He’ll be a game-time decision Saturday, Joseph said, for Nebraska against Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/E3kDB578oL
The odds on favorite for the job is interim head coach, Mickey Joseph at this point. There’s been some talk that the Huskers were hoping for a monumental upset of Illinois to really jump start the new era.
Joseph sticking around certainly makes sense when looking at how recruiting has heated up in the last few weeks. Joseph even got his second commit of the class earlier this week. It’s entirely possible Arnold Barnes, and Malachi Coleman were given strong hints that they wouldn’t regret their decision to commit.
No official announcement has been made by the Nebraska football program yet, but the smoke is only getting thicker the further into the day we go.