Ex-Nebraska football coach wins final game of career in walkoff fashion

Former Nebraska football defensive coordinator Craig Bohl has had a heck of a career since getting pushed out the door in Lincoln. After some of the worst defensive performances in the history of the Cornhuskers program at the time, Bohl picked himself up and turned himself into a very, very good head coach.

On Saturday night, his successful head coaching career came to an end. Bohl led his Wyoming Cowboys team into one final bowl game, the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl. Having announced his retirement three weeks ago, the Cowboys knew that win or lose the game would be his last at the helm.

Thanks to 10 unanswered 4th quarter points and a walk-off field goal to win the game 16-15, Bohl ends his coaching career on a winning note. An interesting addendum to that note is that the victory means that Bohl finishes his Wyoming coaching career with a winning record, as he now sits at 61-60 in Laramie.

That overall record is a bit misleading. After a 6-18 record in his first two seasons, the former Nebraska footbal coach posted a 54-42 mark over the last eight campaigns. Outside of the 2020 pandemic season, the Cowboys have finished .500 or better every year since a 2-10 2015 season. 

Bohl leaves with the best winning percentage of any Wyoming coach since Joe Tiller over the last 30 years and the bowl win that moved the team to 9-4 this year gives him his best single season record with Wyoming.

Ex-Nebraska football DC ends winning coaching career

Before his run with the Mountain West squad, Bohl built an FCS powerhouse in North Dakota State. The year before he arrived in Fargo, the Bison went 2-8. They had just one losing season in the next 11. 

Bohl also won the FCS National Championship in every one of his final three years with North Dakota State before being hired away by Wyoming.

Craig Bohl might have left Nebraska football with a bad taste in his mouth, but the saying “once a Husker, always a Husker” can apply to coaches as well.