Many Nebraska fans seem to want Urban Meyer as their next football coach.
Meyer was in Lincoln on Saturday for Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff ahead of Nebraska’s game vs. Oklahoma, and Cornhuskers fans weren’t shy in trying to recruit the former Ohio State and Florida coach. Some fans began a “We Want Urban” chant in the middle of the pregame broadcast, and one fan wore a custom T-shirt to the game that went viral, specifically pleading with the athletic department to hire Meyer.
But Meyer reportedly does not currently have interest in the Nebraska job. Meyer hasn’t spoken with Nebraska and is expected to remain at Fox Sports for the foreseeable future, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. That report conflicts with a Saturday report by Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports that stated Nebraska contacted Meyer about its head coaching position.
After Nebraska fired Scott Frost following the Cornhuskers’ loss to Georgia Southern last week, Meyer was among the first to comment on the opening, praising the fan base.
“Nebraska is one of the most unique fan bases I’ve ever experienced,” Meyer said. “I grew up watching Tom Osborne and watching Nebraska win national championships. I was a big fan and so the fan support is as good as there is in America. They’re great fans, too.”
While Nebraska has struggled in recent years, Meyer’s success at fellow Big Ten school Ohio State is appealing to fans. However, Meyer is coming off a difficult and controversial year as the Jaguars’ head coach. Even if Nebraska wants Meyer, he might not want to jump back into head coaching so quickly.
Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts said interim head coach Mickey Joseph will get serious consideration for the permanent job. However, if he goes outside the program, Sports Illustrated’s Richard Johnson lists Iowa State’s Matt Campbell, Kansas State’s Chris Klieman and Wake Forest’s Dave Clawson as possible candidates for the position.
