With Nebraska officially dismissing offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, it’s time to consider who could replace him. For the rest of the season, the Huskers will likely stick with quarterbacks coach Glenn Thomas as interim offensive coordinator and then hold a nationwide search after the campaign ends.
Naming Thomas as interim OC rules out one name already. Former Husker offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield, who was demoted to tight ends coach when Holgorsen was brought in, won’t get a chance to do that job again.
As for who could get the job, Nebraska needs to make sure it’s willing to go big if the situation calls for it. Still, Kliff Kingsbury, whom one analyst mentioned, is one of the least realistic names out there. So, with that in mind, who are the four names Cornhusker fans should keep an eye on?
5 Nebraska offensive coordinator candidates after Dana Holgorsen’s dismissal
Rob Ezell - Wake Forest offensive coordinator
Rob Ezell doesn’t have a long resume as an offensive coordinator, but when he has led offenses, he’s done a very good job. He’s also learned under some of the best in the sport, like Kirby Smart and Mario Cristobal.
Last season was Ezell’s first year as a Power 4 OC, and Wake Forest ran a decent, if not spectacular, offense, finishing fifth in the ACC in yards per game. This year, however, Ezell’s offense has exploded, averaging over 43 points and 487 yards per game.
What makes Ezell especially attractive is that his offense is potent on the ground and through the air. Last year, the Demon Deacons ran for over 2,000 yards as a team and threw for over 3,000. This year, they’ve already run for over 1,500 yards, including more than 300 from quarterback Gio Lopez, who has also thrown for over 2,100 yards and 18 touchdowns on just 1 interception.
Ezell could and likely should be Nebraska’s top target because he’s young and hungry. He also doesn’t have deep ties to Wake or head coach Jake Dickert (who could be on the move this winter as well), and Nebraska could almost certainly offer Ezell a higher salary than he’s making at the ACC school.
Slade Nagle - Houston offensive coordinator
Might Nebraska’s head coach like the idea of another Houston Cougars coach coming over to run the offense? He might if he likes what Houston is doing on offense, even if the Holgorsen hire didn’t work out. If he does, Slade Nagle is an attractive hire.
In his first season with the Cougars, Nagle has the offense third in the Big 12 by averaging 470.2 yards and 35.4 points per game. What might make Nebraska fans drool over Nagle is that his offense is even more balanced than Ezell’s.
Houston averages 262.6 passing yards per game and 207.7 rushing yards per game. Nagle, a quarterback at Clemson and McNeese State in his playing days, doesn’t have much experience running an offense, but he’s still relatively young at 46.
Mike Norvell - Former Florida State head coach
If Nagle and Ezell are the more realistic options for Nebraska, then let’s journey to the more unrealistic but still possible candidates for offensive coordinator. The first guy that Husker head coach Matt Rhule should at least reach out to is recently fired Seminoles coach Mike Norvell.
Norvell was a bad head coach, and his talent evaluation there could use some work, but he’s a very good offensive mind. He made his name as the offensive coordinator at Arizona State from 2012 to 2015, when the Sun Devils routinely averaged over 450 yards and nearly 40 points a game.
He took the head coaching job at Memphis and had one of the most electric offenses in the country, and most importantly, that offense was deadly both through the air and on the ground. Maybe most impressive is that Norvell’s teams tended to shift what they did best based on where the talent was. And in 2018, the Tigers couldn’t do anything wrong on offense.
Through the air, Brady White threw for nearly 3,300 yards and 26 touchdowns, while Darrell Henderson ran for 1,900 yards and 22 touchdowns, complemented by Patrick Taylor, who ran for over 1,100 yards and scored 16 touchdowns. The fact that Nebraska fans likely haven’t heard of any of those players shows Norvell hasn’t needed NFL-level talent to put together dominant offenses.
He also started well at Florida State before real issues in the ACC over the last few years led to his midseason firing this year.
The obvious reason Norvell might not be a realistic name is that he’ll almost certainly be a head-coaching target from G6 schools this offseason. However, if he’s ready to take a break from being “the man,” he could still spend a few years in Lincoln and help right the ship.
Mike Locksley - Former Maryland head coach
Like Norvell, Locksley is a brilliant offensive mind who’s just not cut out for a head coaching position at the P4 level. Locksley’s career as an OC is best known for his time at Alabama, where he won the 2018 Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach.
That season, the offense averaged 45.6 points and 522.0 yards per game and set school records for points (684), total offense (7,830 yards), and passing yards (4,854). Alabama’s offense also led the nation in total points and was third in points per game. Dual-threat quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw for 3,966 yards and 43 touchdowns.
Before Alabama, he gained recognition as Illinois’ offensive coordinator and a position coach. He was hired in January 2005 to replace Larry Fedora, who had been hired under Ron Zook but left for Oklahoma State. Locksley worked there until 2008. The Illini went from 72nd nationally in total offense in 2005 to 19th after 2008. The 2007 team is the only one in school history to top 3,000 rushing yards. That was the Rose Bowl season. Wide receiver Arrelious Benn was the 2007 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Locksley, who was fired by Maryland earlier this year, is now a Big Ten Network analyst, and he’s gone on record saying he’s not sure he wants to be a head coach again anytime soon. He obviously knows the Big Ten well, making him an attractive name for Nebraska should they look toward the former-head-coach route again.
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