In a move that is catching most of the college football world by surprise, Nebraska has selected current Oregon State coach Mike Riley as its new head coach. Few, if any analysts, had Riley on their short list of candidates likely to be looked at by Nebraska.
The 61-year-old Riley has a record of 93-80 in 14 total seasons at Oregon State. This was his second stint with the Beavers, having been head coach in 1997-98 before leaving for the NFL as head coach of the San Diego Chargers. He was fired two years in San Diego and spent one year as an assistant in New Orleans. He returned to Corvallis as head coach prior to the 2003 season.
The Beavers went 5-7 this season and missed a bowl game for the first time since 2011. Riley was highly regarded enough in coaching circles, and particularly well thought of in Corvallis, so there was no sense he was on the proverbial coaching hot seat, despite the downturn in the program. He had a 5-2 bowl record at Oregon State but the Beavers never won the conference title or played in a BCS bowl game during his tenure.
Riley is credited with recruiting Southern California and Texas particularly well, the latter being a significant weak spot for Nebraska in recent years. He is also considered to be an affable personality, in stark contrast to Bo Pelini, whom Nebraska fired as head coach on Sunday morning after going 66-27 in seven seasons as head coach.
A formal press conference to announce Riley as head coach will take place Friday in Lincoln.
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