Klieman? Leipold? With Scott Frost out at Nebraska, possible successors’ names floated

The Scott Frost coaching era at Nebraska ended on Sunday. The Huskers’ interim coach is associate head coach Mickey Joseph, who, like Frost, is a former Nebraska quarterback.

But who will be Nebraska’s next permanent full-time coach?

The speculation will flow until athletic director Trev Alberts makes the call, but expect some Big 12 coaches’ names to be part of the rumor mill.

ESPN college football senior writer Pete Thamel was first to launch a list of names, and his group of possible targets included Kansas State’s Chris Klieman and Kansas’ Lance Leipold.

Kleiman is 22-16 at K-State after Saturday’s 40-12 victory over Missouri. Klieman won four NCAA FCS championships at North Dakota State before coming to Manhattan.

Leipold is 4-10 at KU but picked up road victories over Texas late last season and West Virginia on Saturday. He has the Jayhawks pointed in the right direction. And he won six NCAA Division III championships at Wisconsin-Whitewater before becoming a Division I coach at Buffalo.

Also on Thamel’s list: Iowa State’s Matt Campbell, whose name as been associated with other jobs throughout his tenure in Ames, and Baylor’s Dave Aranda.

Nebraska fired Frost midday on Sunday with this statement from Alberts:

“Earlier today I met with Coach Frost and informed him we were making a change in the leadership of our football program, effectively immediately. Scott has poured his heart and soul into the Nebraska Football program both as a quarterback and head coach, and I appreciate his work and dedication.”

Nebraska is coming off a 45-42 loss to Georgia Southern in Lincoln on Saturday night. The Cornhuskers, a 23-point favorite, allowed 642 yards of offense and lost for the first time in 215 games at home when scoring 35 or more points.

Frost finished his Nebraska coaching tenure 16-31 and the Huskers are 1-2 this season. Saturday’s loss was the 12th straight by one score, and 22 of Frost’s losses have come by one score.

Frost, coming off a 13-0 record at Central Florida in 2017, posted losing records in his four seasons in Lincoln. As a quarterback, he led Nebraska to a share of the 1997 national championship.