Dec. 04--I figured Nebraska athletic director Shawn Eichorst would move quickly. I figured he would hire a sitting head coach.
Why? Because you don't fire a reasonably successful Bo Pelini if you don't have an upgrade in mind.
What I didn't figure -- what no one did -- is that Eichorst would tap a Pac-12 coach who is 12-13 over his last two seasons.
Mike Riley, come on down.
I've never met Riley, who went 93-80 over 14 seasons at Oregon State. Those who have describe him as kind, composed (the opposite of Pelini) and a strong talent evaluator.
He's an older guy, 61, with a wealth of knowledge about offensive football and a range of experience, including six seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL.
Wait, did the Huskers just hire Marc Trestman?
Riley, who released a statement calling this a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," will be introduced Friday morning in a news conference. Reports indicate that he will take over immediately (the Beavers missed a bowl after their season-ending 47-19 loss to Oregon) but not coach in Nebraska's bowl game.
That's a wise move. It will allow Riley to build relationships with the Nebraska players who were enraged about the firing of Pelini. That could take some time.
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