Is Dave Doeren a Candidate for the Nebraska Job? He Addresses the Question at His Presser

If you’re not aware, Nebraska fired their Head Football Coach Scott Frost yesterday. Not surprisingly, NC State Head Coach Dave Doeren’s name has been floated out there as a possible replacement for Nebraska.

When asked about his name being thrown into lists of possible coaches to fill the Nebraska vacancy at his weekly press conference today, he had this to say:

“Dude, it’s Week 3 of the season, man. I’m so fired up to coach my team this week. I’m so excited to about playing at home and coaching the Wolfpack. It’s not the first time that names have been on lists and it is what it is when you talk about that. I can’t wait to get ready for this game. It’s a big one for us and a big season and a great group of guys, so that’s where my heart is.” (GoPack)

Doeren signed a contract extension in February that would have him be the Wolfpack Head Coach through the 2026 season, paying him $5 million a season. His salary prior to the new contract paid him $3.5 million annually.

The current Wolfpack Head Coach is familiar to the Midwest region of the United States. Doeren grew up outside of Kansas City, played football at Drake College in Iowa, where he was an Assistant Coach for three seasons. He also served as a coach at Kansas for three seasons, Wisconsin for five, and was the head coach at Northern Illinois for two. I cite all of this to say that Doeren has tremendous ties to the Midwest, where Nebraska football is a staple.

Doeren cited that “it’s not the first time names have been on lists,” logically the mind goes back to when Doeren was a serious candidate for the Tennessee job in 2018, and his interest was genuine.

If Doeren were to take another job elsewhere prior to the end of his contract, the buyout would be half of his annual salary, multiplied by the remaining years on the contract. So if Doeren were to leave after the 2022 season, the buyout would be $7.5 million.