ESPN Insider: Candidate to watch at Nebraska

When Nebraska fired Scott Frost, the Cornhuskers became the first program on the market for a new head coach. Since then, four other Power Five programs have fired coaches, bringing the total to five. There are a lot of reasons for moving on from a coach this early in the season. One of those reasons is to begin your public search for the next head coach at your program early.

There are going to be numerous coaches who at least have some interest in the Nebraska job. This is still a Big Ten school with tons of great history, a good fanbase, and plenty of resources.

Now, according to Adam Rittenberg, a college football insider for ESPN, there is one coach at the top of Nebraska’s list. The interest, very well, could be mutual. That would be current Kansas head coach, Lance Leipold.

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“He really checks all the boxes Nebraska needs at a turbulent and critical time. He has won everywhere, dominating the Division III ranks before reviving Buffalo’s program and now guiding Kansas — by far the worst Power 5 program of the past decade — to its first 5-0 start since 2009,” Rittenberg writes.

“Leipold also spent 13 seasons coaching in the state, including 2001 to 2003 as a Huskers assistant under Frank Solich.”

If Nebraska does want to land Lance Leipold, they’ll need to make sure they’re the most attractive option for him. He’s going to be the biggest name on the coaching carousel and Nebraska isn’t the only open Big Ten job. In fact, Wisconsin opened up when the Badgers’ fired Paul Chryst. As a Wisconsin native, Leipold very well may be drawn to return home.

At the same time, there is a chance that Leipold is happy at Kansas and doesn’t want any kind of change in his life.