Follow an embarassing loss to Illinois Frost and the boys are in for a rough season. After missing a bowl game in his first 3 years they now face a schedule with Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota in the west, Oklahoma out of conference, and OSU and Michigan from the east. A bowl game is likely off the table in year 4 for Frost.

So the question is if you were the AD what move would you make that is realistic? Here are some options

• Scott Frost-Keeping Frost with a $20 million buyout may be the most likely option. He has shown he can create a great team and the talent he has brought in is decent. A brutal schedule will likely lead to the record being worse than what the actual team was. Being a former player who loves Nebraska may be enough to land a final chance
• Luke Fickell-The top candidate to "move up" after this season. Fickell has built UC into a power and his teams are everything Frost's aren't. Physical, well coached, focused, and they have an identity. Fickell gave a silent commit to MSU before turning them down. Nebraska will be desperate after Frost and if they can offer Fickell enough money they could shown him an option to be life long coach at a bigtime program in the midwest. He could easily fill the roster with top Ohio guys while going through the rest of the midwest. I dont think he would take the job though.
• Matt Campbell-Michigan's next coach is unlikely to go to Nebraska. Campbell is set up for his best year at the same time Harbaugh is set up to get fired. ISU is a dumpster of a program that Campbell has turned into a high level P5 team that beat Oregon in a NY6 bowl last year. It seems realistic he could create the same caliber of program at NU while getting paid much more and having much better resources. However I cant see him leaving ISU for a worse roster when he could go to Michigan. 
• Dave Doren NC State-A quiet name that has gone 9-4,9-4, 4-8,- and 8-4 in the last 4 years at NC State. They are set up for potentially his best year. Was at NIU and took them to an Orange bowl so has a good background in the midwest. 
• Jamey Chadwell CCU-Coastal Carolina had a fantastic covid year going 11-1 and will be very good again this year. He turned down the SCAR job in a belief he would be able to get a better job this coming offseason. This is probably the most exciting option that is realistic. Bring in a good coach with a background of recruiting the south and hope he can start rebuilding. 
• Jeff Hafley Boston College-A young coach who is a rising star could be the perfect fit. Hafley did very well at BC in year 1. Hafley has a truly national background coaching in the midwest, south, west, and now north east. The academic restrictions he deals with now would be similar to the geographic issues NU deals with. His NFL background and staff would be able to flip over the poorly coached problem they currently have. I think this would be a great hire. 
• Offensive Coordinator options-Tom Manning(ISU, has been with Campbell since Mount Union and has NFL experience) Graham Herrell(Air raid system would be unique in B1G and Texas background would be good for recruiting)
• Defensive Coordinator options-Alex Grinch(Did a great job at WSU and OU with lesser talent and is seen as a rising star, would be a great option) Jim Leonard(Wisky, in division experience and recruiting, replicating Wisconsins culture with Nebraskas resources could be good) Marcus Freeman(great DC with midwest roots and a great recruiter, if he is good this year he could be an option)