Nebraska Hot Board: 2.0

Nebraska officially parted ways with Mike Riley after less than three seasons in Lincoln.

HuskerOnline has compiled a hot board list of potential coaching candidates who NU and Athletic Director Bill Moos may turn to.

This list will continue to be updated as new names emerge through the potential coaching search process. (List is no particular order)

Why it would work: As if everyone didn't already assume Frost was the No. 1 target on Nebraska's wish list, Moos essentially confirmed that fact during his press conference following Riley's firing. Moos admitted he has made third-party contact with Frost's camp and had again praised the former Husker quarterback's coaching acumen since taking over at Central Florida two years ago. With reports that Frost has already turned down Florida, the speculation is greater than ever that it might only be a matter of time before the Wood River, Neb., native returns home to the Huskers.

Why it wouldn't work: Maybe Frost doesn’t want the mounting pressure of being the savior of his alma mater. Frost current has Central Florida as the top-ranked Group of 5 program this season and is one win away from an AAC championship, and he really could be a candidate for any job he wants at this point. The pressure of being the savior of a program where you have geographic recruiting limitations mixed with high expectations may not be something he wants to take on, especially when multiple SEC and Pac-12 jobs could come calling his way as well.

Why it would work: After four very successful seasons at Memphis, Fuente got his first Power Five coaching opportunity at Virginia Tech in 2016 and has made an immediate impact. Following a 10-win debut where he was named the ACC Coach of the Year, Fuente has guided the Hokies to a 9-3 record this season. A native of Tulsa, Okla., Fuente, 41, might be drawn to moving closer to home and joining a Nebraska program he grew up watching and then played against with the Sooners in the late-1990s.

Why it wouldn't work: Now 19-7 through nearly two full seasons in Blacksburg, Va., Fuente has been one of the hottest names in the coaching ranks for the past few years now. Nebraska would be far from the only school to express interest in his services, and there's no doubt he's received calls from the majority of top-level programs with recent job openings. There's also the question of how interested Fuente is in leaving Virginia Tech right now, as he's steadily building theHokies into a legitimate ACC contender.

Why it would work: The successor to Fuente at Memphis, Norvell has picked up right where his predecessor left off. In just his second season Norvell has led the Tigers to a 10 wins and a berth in the AAC Championship against Frost's Central Florida squad this weekend. At just 36 years old, Norvell is one of the hottest young coaches in the game, and his impressive offensive mind would be an exciting boost to a Nebraska program that has sputtered with the football in recent years.

Why it wouldn't work: Memphis just lost a marquee coach in Fuente two years ago, and the last thing the Tigers want to see is another budding star leave for another school. That's why Memphis has been pushing extremely hard to lock up a contract extension since September. Should Norvell decide to leave, many think Arkansas would be the logical next destination. A native of Fort Smith, Ark., which is only about 60 miles from UA's campus in Fayetteville, Norvell could get a big-time offer to come back home and lead the Razorbacks.

Why it would work: The former LSU and Oklahoma State coach has a strong familiarity with Nebraska. He has Big Ten roots from his time at Michigan, but he also has extensive knowledge of NU from his years at both OSU and Colorado as an assistant. His son Ben Miles is a redshirt freshman on the 2018 Husker team. Miles is a proven national championship coach, and right now there are only four active coaches that can say that – Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Jimbo Fisher and Dabo Swinney. Miles brings with him a physical line of scrimmage style and a track record of hiring big time coordinators such as Fisher, Bo Pelini, and Mike Gundy while at Oklahoma State and LSU.

Why it wouldn't work: Miles’ stock faded his last few seasons at LSU. The final major bowl game he took them to was in 2011 and he was highly criticized for his lack of offensive creativity and management in big games. Miles is also 63, which basically would put Nebraska in a similar situation to what they were just in. Is it even worth going down the road of hiring a coach you know only has a few years left in him?

Why it would work: Nebraska’s new AD Bill Moos took Washington State from rags to riches with the hire of Mike Leach. The Cougars were the doormat of the Pac-12 until Leach came in and turned things around. Leach has a proven offensive system that has now worked in two places – WSU and Texas Tech. He’s been able to have success with a system that develops players and is not contingent on signing top-ranked recruiting classes.

Why it wouldn't work: Would a pass first offense go over well? Would Leach have access to the players in Nebraska’s footprint to successfully run his system? Also, would Moos do that to his former school and take their successful coach away? Leach’s personality may also not be a cultural fit at a place like Nebraska where people take their football seriously.

Why it would work: Bob Stoops was almost another version of Tom Osborne at Oklahoma with the level of consistency he won at. Stoops retired this season with a 190-48 record winning one national championship and 10 Big 12 titles. He’s well connected in the coaching business and has always had top level staffs around him at OU. He’s from the Big Ten footprint in Ohio and played at Iowa. The chance to coach in the Big Ten West would be an appealing opportunity for him.

Why it wouldn't work: Why would Stoops want any part of this job considering what he just left? He supposedly got out of the game because of a promise he made to his family. Why would this job cause him to break that promise knowing the amount of work it’s going to take to turn things around? Also, it seems unlikely one of Bo Pelini’s closest friends from Ohio would be interested in taking this job.

Why it would work: Bret Bielema quite frankly probably belongs in the Big Ten West, and now that he's officially been let go by Arkansas, the door is wide open for his return. He played at Iowa and coached at Wisconsin leading the Badgers to three straight Rose Bowls and 68-24 record in 7 seasons. After coaching in the toughest division in college football at Arkansas, getting back into the Big Ten West would make a lot of sense with his knowledge of this region. He was also rumored to be a leading candidate for the NU job back in 2014.

Why it wouldn't work: Was Bielema’s success at Wisconsin more a product of Barry Alvarez vs. him? In five seasons at Arkansas he posted an 11-29 record in SEC games and lost five or more games in every season. Also, is he the kind of guy Nebraska wants to go with from a pure image standpoint? His brash style would resemble more the Bo Pelini era.

Why it would work: One of the marquee hires in all of college football six years ago, Sumlin got off to an impressive start at Texas A&M by going 11-2 with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel at the helm. While his tenure in College Station, Texas, came to an end last week, Sumlin is regarded as a dynamic recruiter who would bring instant national attention to Nebraska. He’s got plenty of familiarity with the Big Ten having served as an assistant at both Minnesota (1993-97) and Purdue (1998-2000).

Why it wouldn't work: As well as things started for Sumlin at A&M, they tailed off just as quickly over the past few years. Despite all of those hot starts, the Aggies only won double-digit games one time under his direction. Sumlin was on the hot seat since Texas A&M blew a 34-point second-half lead in a loss to UCLA to open the season, his inability to compete in the SEC ultimately led to his dismissal.

Why it would work: The connections here are obvious, as Bohl is a native of Lincoln who played defensive back at Nebraska and then coached for the Huskers from 1995-2002. Bohl got his first head coaching job at North Dakota State in 2003, and he quickly turned the Bison into the dominant power of the FCS ranks, posting a record of 104-32 and winning national titles in his final three seasons in Fargo. Bohl took over at Wyoming in 2014 and immediately built the Cowboys into a Mountain West contender.

Why it wouldn't work: Maybe the biggest reason against Bohl’s return to Nebraska was how his time with the Huskers ended back in 2002. Along with NU’s 7-7 record that ultimately led to the end of the Frank Solich era, Bohl’s defense was the target of plenty of scrutinies, especially when compared to the great Husker defenses of previous years. While it seems like a natural fit in many ways, there’s a chance that the bridge might already be burned on both sides between Bohl and NU.