And there you have it.
Even prior to the embarrassing Black Friday loss to rival Iowa, it was long thought that Nebraska and Mike Riley would part ways at season’s end. Following a meeting Saturday morning, NU officially announced that Riley has been fired as the Cornhuskers head football coach.
The decision was made by Bill Moos after the athletic director consulted with university leaders, the school stated.
“Mike Riley has brought tremendous professionalism and energy to the Nebraska football program, but unfortunately, those attributes have not translated to on-field success,” Moos said in a statement. “After a thorough review of all aspects of our football program, I have chosen to move in a different direction.”
In three seasons under Riley, the Cornhuskers went 19-19. That included a 12-14 mark in Big Ten play.
With Riley out, the focus will shift to native son Scott Frost as a replacement. If they can’t land the UCF head coach -- Florida is expected to make a serious push this weekend -- recently-dismissed Arkansas coach Bret Bielema will very likely be pursued.