[Husker] Meyer Comparisons?

[Duane Feldman]

I had heard (rumor only) that the early "short list" had only one name at the top -- Urban Meyer.  Evidently the rumors got to Meyer before Pederson did and he responded in the paper "I wouldn't take a job where they would fire a 9-3 coach."  I don't know if SP ever actually talked to Meyer, or if that public statement pre-empted the discussion.  Wannstadt and a couple of NFL Coordinators were next on the list and they all turned it down.  Nutt was well after the search started and I'm not convinced he was on the original "short list" and was probably an afterthought.  Recent rumors suggest that Nutt was ready to take the job, but his wife refused to move.

The huge missed opportunity IMHO was Monte Kiffin (Tampa Bay Buc DC and former Husker DC) expressing interest in the job.  But Kiffin withdrew his name when he was assured that Bo Pelini would be given full consideration for the position.  Rather than compete with Pelini (Kiffin was a previous mentor of Pelini), Kiffin withdrew his name.  As we now know, Pelini was given only token consideration and SP almost ended up empty handed until Callahan's firing from Oakland.

The huge advantages that Kiffin offered were (1) strong ties to the Husker program, (2) he would have kept Pelini as DC, and (3) he would have brought Lane Kiffin in as OC.  Lane was also rumored to have already verbally accepted the OC spot if Bo had been offered the HC spot.  For the one or two of you who may have forgotten (given the age of the group), Lane Kiffin, Monte's son, has been the OC for USC over the past few years.

What could have been . . . . 

Duane Feldman

----- Original Message ----
From: Scott R Lawson SLawson at uamail.albany.edu


Wasn't Meyer one of Pederson's first choices as Solich's replacement? I'm not trying to rehash old arguments or anything, I just recall Meyer and Houston Nutt of Arkansas being "courted" by the NU AD for lack of a better word. 

Scott in NY


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