NCAA FBS Head Coach Changes 2014/2015: AD Shawn Eichorst Stars in Monkey Business at Nebraska
Monkey Business: Nebraska University Athletic Director Shawn Eichorst takes huge gamble firing a winning coach and replacing him with a coach that has a college career win-loss percentage barely over .500.
In his fourteen seasons at Oregon State University, Mike Riley had seven losing seasons. Riley’s Beaver’s finished the 2014 season at 5-7. Apparently Riley’s coaching record was good enough for Nebraska Athletic Director Shawn Eichorst to select the 61-year-old, been around the block several times but really haven’t done anything—at least not in a very long time—to become Nebraska’s new head coach. Of course, this was after Eichorst fired a coach that won at least nine games in each of his seven seasons at Nebraska. Go figure. Odds are that Eichorst will be on the hot seat himself in a couple of year—if not sooner. Because it’s a very rare old dog indeed that can rise from mediocrity to become a champion. However, if Eichorst is right and Riley can somehow find the magic he once had back in the late ‘80s when he won two Canadian League Football Grey Cups as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach—then folks will be calling Eichorst a genius. Good thing Eichorst is gambling with house money. Stay tuned for the rest of the story.
“Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn’t mean the circus has left town.”
–George Carlin
Last updated 12/31/2014
| School | Conference | Old Coach | Reason | New Coach |
| Buffalo | MAC | Jeff Quinn | Fired | Lance Leipold (former HC at D-III Wisconsin-Whitewater) |
| Colorado State | MWC | Jim McElwain | Left for Florida | Mike Bobo (former Georgia OC and QB coach) |
| Florida | SEC | Will Muschamp | Fired | Jim McElwain |
| Houston | American | Tony Levine | Fired | Tom Herman (former Ohio State OC and QB coach) |
| Kansas | Big 12 | Charlie Weis | Fired | David Beaty (former Texas A&M WR coach) |
| Michigan | Big Ten | Brady Hoke | Fired | Jim Harbaugh (former SF 49ers head coach) |
| Nebraska | Big Ten | Bo Pelini | Fired | Mike Riley |
| Oregon State | PAC 12 | Mike Riley | Left for Nebraska | Gary Andersen |
| Pittsburgh | ACC | Paul Chryst | Left for Wisconsin | Pat Narduzzi (former DC @ Michigan State) |
| SMU | American | June Jones | Resigns | Chad Morris (former Clemson OC and QB coach) |
| Troy | Sun Belt | Larry Blakeney | Resigns | Neal Brown (former Kentucky OC and QB coach) |
| Tulsa | American | Bill Blankenship | Fired | Philip Montgomery (former Baylor OC) |
| UNLV | MWC | Bobby Hauck | Fired | Tony Sanchez (former Bishop Gorman HS NV head coach) |
| Wisconsin | Big Ten | Gary Andersen | Resigns | Paul Chryst |
ScooBobedo
December 15, 2014 @ 5:05 pm
Great post! Nebraska WTF? Really? Really? I was no Bo fan but this hiring decision is exactly what you wrote so well about. “Monkey Business.” Nebraska Football has truly become a circus. I actually thought the hiring of Eichorst was a smart move on Nebraska’s part. Now I’m seriously questioning this decision. Let alone the AD’s choice of Cotton to coach the upcoming bowl game. Wow! Sorry Coach Brown. You may be the longest coach within the program but not respected well enough to be honored to lead this team.
I’m reminded of a comment a former player twitted, “the problem wasn’t Bo, it goes further to the top!” NO JOKE!
Will this be another Harvey screw up like his past hiring of Peterson? We shall see, for better or worse, how well this circus turns out in the next two or three years. As of now and based on Riley’s record, I just don’t see what Eichorst is seeing in Riley? Better man who represents the face of the Huskers – I will agree with that. But as far as championships? As former coach Pelini, who to me looked, sounded and acted like the well-known cartoon character “Scooby Doo” would say, “HUH?”
I’m wondering if Eichorst is a poker player? He talks of, “resources”, which we all know is the millions of dollars the program makes off its players. Mr. AD you have now also have gambled and wagered on the hearts of diehard Husker Football Fans!
Good luck “Huskers” or should I be saying Eichorst, you’re gonna need it!