Eric the Red
Team HuskerBoard
LJS: Huskers discuss job with Watson (Peterson, Roberts interested)
Shawn Watson makes no bones about his high regard for Nebraska football coach Bill Callahan.
“He’s someone I really admire,” said Watson, 46, a former Colorado offensive coordinator.
Watson also makes no bones about the possibility of joining Callahan’s coaching staff at Nebraska. A full-time opening was created last week when Scott Downing took over as head coach at Northern Colorado.
“Coach Callahan and I are still talking about (the job) — that’s the best way to put it right now,” Watson said Tuesday. “Billy and I go way back. I got my start in coaching with him, and he’s a very dear friend.”
Meanwhile, speculation began about Callahan returning to the NFL, where he coached for nine years in Philadelphia and Oakland, including 2002-03 as the Raiders’ head coach.
Gary O’Hagan, Callahan’s agent, was asked Tuesday about the possibility of Callahan filling one of the league’s eight head coaching vacancies.
“First of all, we’re not looking,” O’Hagan said. “I can understand the speculation, but I know that Bill’s out recruiting today, and that’s his main concern.”
O’Hagan, on hand for last week’s Alamo Bowl, said he and Callahan haven’t discussed NFL job openings in recent weeks.
“I think we talked once since the bowl,” O’Hagan said. “But it was just friendly chit-chat.”
He said as of Tuesday he hadn’t received overtures from NFL teams regarding Callahan.
Callahan, of course, improved his stock dramatically with Nebraska’s nationally televised victories over Colorado and Michigan to end the season. The Huskers, after finishing 5-6 in 2004, wound up 8-4 this season.
Watson said it’s clear Callahan has Nebraska moving in the right direction. Watson got a taste of the Huskers’ late-season surge Nov. 25, when NU bludgeoned the Buffaloes 30-3 in Boulder, Colo.
Downing accepted the Northern Colorado position Dec. 27, a day before Nebraska’s 32-28 Alamo Bowl victory over Michigan. A day after the bowl game, Callahan said he planned to take his time in filling the position.
“We can juggle this position a lot of different ways,” the coach said. “I’m not in any hurry to fill the vacancy and probably won’t address it until after recruiting. I’m going to just take my time, just like we did with the receivers position last year.
“I’ve got a lot of guys in mind.”
Callahan filled Nebraska’s receivers coach vacancy last year with Ted Gilmore, who had spent the previous season at Colorado.
Watson appears to be a leading candidate to become another Buffalo-turned-Husker.
A native of Carbondale, Ill., Watson worked with Callahan at Illinois from 1983-86, when both were assistants on former Fighting Illini coach Mike White’s staff.
“We were both raised in the West Coast system and feel strongly about it,” Watson said. “I think it’s an offense that adjusts to players’ talent. There’s a lot of diversity. You can go a lot of different directions with it.”
After four years at Illinois — two as a graduate assistant and two as a full-time coach — Watson had stints at Miami (Ohio) and Northwestern. He came to Colorado in 1999 with head coach Gary Barnett, spending the first season as quarterbacks coach before taking over as offensive coordinator.
The Buffaloes finished 7-6 overall and 5-3 in the Big 12 this season, capturing the North Division. They wound up 78th nationally in scoring offense, 87th in total offense, 59th in passing and 97th in rushing.
Barnett reluctantly stepped down at season’s end.
“We’re been through a lot at Colorado,” said Watson, referring to a slew of allegations of impropriety in the program, highlighted by a sordid recruiting scandal.
Nevertheless, Barnett and company were 49-38 at Colorado, won one Big 12 championship and four Big 12 North titles.
Watson also has had discussions about becoming offensive coordinator for new San Diego State coach Chuck Long.
“Chuck is very aware of my relationship with Bill,” Watson said.
Two other potential candidates to replace Downing — Greg Peterson and Dave Roberts — said Tuesday they hadn’t been contacted by Callahan. Peterson, a 45-year-old Osceola native, spent the last 12 seasons at Kansas State, coaching wide receivers last season. He wasn’t retained by new head coach Ron Prince after Bill Snyder retired at season’s end.
“It would be an honor to join a great Nebraska program and coach with coach Callahan,” Peterson said.
Roberts, 57, was out of coaching this season after spending six years at South Carolina under Lou Holtz. He said he plans to coach at least six or seven more years.
“If you can win a national title at Nebraska, what better way to end it?” he asked.
Shawn Watson makes no bones about his high regard for Nebraska football coach Bill Callahan.
“He’s someone I really admire,” said Watson, 46, a former Colorado offensive coordinator.
Watson also makes no bones about the possibility of joining Callahan’s coaching staff at Nebraska. A full-time opening was created last week when Scott Downing took over as head coach at Northern Colorado.
“Coach Callahan and I are still talking about (the job) — that’s the best way to put it right now,” Watson said Tuesday. “Billy and I go way back. I got my start in coaching with him, and he’s a very dear friend.”
Meanwhile, speculation began about Callahan returning to the NFL, where he coached for nine years in Philadelphia and Oakland, including 2002-03 as the Raiders’ head coach.
Gary O’Hagan, Callahan’s agent, was asked Tuesday about the possibility of Callahan filling one of the league’s eight head coaching vacancies.
“First of all, we’re not looking,” O’Hagan said. “I can understand the speculation, but I know that Bill’s out recruiting today, and that’s his main concern.”
O’Hagan, on hand for last week’s Alamo Bowl, said he and Callahan haven’t discussed NFL job openings in recent weeks.
“I think we talked once since the bowl,” O’Hagan said. “But it was just friendly chit-chat.”
He said as of Tuesday he hadn’t received overtures from NFL teams regarding Callahan.
Callahan, of course, improved his stock dramatically with Nebraska’s nationally televised victories over Colorado and Michigan to end the season. The Huskers, after finishing 5-6 in 2004, wound up 8-4 this season.
Watson said it’s clear Callahan has Nebraska moving in the right direction. Watson got a taste of the Huskers’ late-season surge Nov. 25, when NU bludgeoned the Buffaloes 30-3 in Boulder, Colo.
Downing accepted the Northern Colorado position Dec. 27, a day before Nebraska’s 32-28 Alamo Bowl victory over Michigan. A day after the bowl game, Callahan said he planned to take his time in filling the position.
“We can juggle this position a lot of different ways,” the coach said. “I’m not in any hurry to fill the vacancy and probably won’t address it until after recruiting. I’m going to just take my time, just like we did with the receivers position last year.
“I’ve got a lot of guys in mind.”
Callahan filled Nebraska’s receivers coach vacancy last year with Ted Gilmore, who had spent the previous season at Colorado.
Watson appears to be a leading candidate to become another Buffalo-turned-Husker.
A native of Carbondale, Ill., Watson worked with Callahan at Illinois from 1983-86, when both were assistants on former Fighting Illini coach Mike White’s staff.
“We were both raised in the West Coast system and feel strongly about it,” Watson said. “I think it’s an offense that adjusts to players’ talent. There’s a lot of diversity. You can go a lot of different directions with it.”
After four years at Illinois — two as a graduate assistant and two as a full-time coach — Watson had stints at Miami (Ohio) and Northwestern. He came to Colorado in 1999 with head coach Gary Barnett, spending the first season as quarterbacks coach before taking over as offensive coordinator.
The Buffaloes finished 7-6 overall and 5-3 in the Big 12 this season, capturing the North Division. They wound up 78th nationally in scoring offense, 87th in total offense, 59th in passing and 97th in rushing.
Barnett reluctantly stepped down at season’s end.
“We’re been through a lot at Colorado,” said Watson, referring to a slew of allegations of impropriety in the program, highlighted by a sordid recruiting scandal.
Nevertheless, Barnett and company were 49-38 at Colorado, won one Big 12 championship and four Big 12 North titles.
Watson also has had discussions about becoming offensive coordinator for new San Diego State coach Chuck Long.
“Chuck is very aware of my relationship with Bill,” Watson said.
Two other potential candidates to replace Downing — Greg Peterson and Dave Roberts — said Tuesday they hadn’t been contacted by Callahan. Peterson, a 45-year-old Osceola native, spent the last 12 seasons at Kansas State, coaching wide receivers last season. He wasn’t retained by new head coach Ron Prince after Bill Snyder retired at season’s end.
“It would be an honor to join a great Nebraska program and coach with coach Callahan,” Peterson said.
Roberts, 57, was out of coaching this season after spending six years at South Carolina under Lou Holtz. He said he plans to coach at least six or seven more years.
“If you can win a national title at Nebraska, what better way to end it?” he asked.
