Husker Dan: The Moos Is Loose on the Cayuse

Coaches, fans and Nebraska players are wondering what's going on.

Most Husker fans found out Friday morning that Bill Moos was stepping down as the Husker athletic director effective July 1. His retirement came as a bit of a surprise, especially since his contract runs until the end of 2022. So why now? Why so quickly? And why no press conference?

We may never know for sure. But leaving Nebraska on such short notice has left most Husker coaches, fans and players wondering what is going on.

A steady diet of Special K?

It could very well be there isn't anything sinister about Moos's leaving. Maybe he just wanted to spend more time at his cattle ranch (the Special K Ranch) in Washington state. (Note: The Special K is located in southeast Washington state where the Cayuse Indians used to live.)

And maybe tending to his ranch explains Moos's absence at a number of recent Husker sporting events. He was a no-show at the Huskers' 2020 football season finale at Rutgers in December. He was also absent in April for the NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament at the CHI arena in Omaha where the Huskers were vying for another national championship.

And perhaps most egregious was his absence from the Arkansas Regional baseball tournament earlier this month when Nebraska played five games over a four-day period. Will Bolt, who was hired by Moos just two years ago, was fresh off winning the Big Ten regular-season baseball championship (there was no conference tournament) and was headed to Fayetteville to try to make a run to the College World Series in Omaha. In those five games, three were against the No. 1-ranked Razorbacks. The Huskers ended up losing the series to Arkansas, going 1-2. The lone victory was a heroic 5-3 Husker win.

The question is, why would Moos not attend those games? Of course, if there had been a family emergency, it would have made perfect sense not to attend. But as far as I know, there was no such emergency.

If he wanted to spend more time on his ranch than focus on UNL athletics, then maybe it is time for Bill Moos to step down. Moos was never going to be a long-term A.D. at Nebraska. Five years would have been the most he was going to stay. And while at Nebraska, Moos hired 12 coaches, including Scott Frost (football), Fred Hoiberg (men's basketball) and Will Bolt (baseball). So far, only Bolt has met or exceeded the expectations of Husker fans. The jury's still out on Frost and Hoiberg. If those two hires break through and turn their respective teams into winners, Moos will go down as one of the best Husker athletic directors.

Is Moos being forced out because of the no-shows, or is it because the university wanted someone younger (Moos is 70) to lead the way through what is sure to be a challenging ride into the new era of name, image and likeness rights? Again, we'll probably never know.

Who's it going to be?

Okay, who will be the next Husker A.D.?

It would seem to me that Moos' replacement may have already been selected. Why? Because with the football season looming, the Huskers don't have the luxury of waiting. And consider this: What if there is another COVID emergency this fall? Would the interim A.D. (Garrett Klassy) be up to the task? And if you think the COVID challenges no longer exist, look at what just happened to North Carolina State deep in the CWS tournament over the weekend. The Wolf Pack were sent packing due to positive COVID tests on their team. And with the positive tests went any chance NCS was going to play for a national championship.

It seems to me the new A.D. is going to have to be experienced: someone who can hit the ground running, someone who is football smart and someone who understands the history and the culture of Husker football. And since football is the cash cow at Nebraska (and at most universities), what kind of input will Scott Frost have on the new hire?

Having someone with A.D. experience would seem to be a top priority. The two names being mentioned the most are former Husker linebackers Ed Stewart and Trev Alberts.

Husker jersey number 32

Stewart (49 years old) was a great linebacker for Nebraska in the 1990s. And for the past 14 years, he has been the Big 12 Conference's Executive Associate Commissioner for Football. In that role, he has negotiated over $150 million in bowl contracts.

He also serves on the College Football Officiating Board of Managers, College Football Officiating Competition Committee and the NCAA Rules Committee.

Before that, Stewart served as an academic counselor at Michigan State University and as an executive staff member and associate A.D. for the University of Missouri. Stewart has a B.A. in psychology from the University of Nebraska.

Husker jersey number 34

Trev Alberts (soon to be 51), also a star linebacker for the Huskers in the '90s, was a broadcaster for ESPN after a stint in the NFL. Since April of 2009, he has served as the A.D. at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. At UNO, Alberts has worked through the elimination of UNO football and wrestling (a sore spot for many fans) and transitioned the Mavericks from Division II to Division I status.

Also under his direction, the Baxter Arena was built and is the home of UNO hockey, women's volleyball, and men's and women's basketball. And this spring, UNO opened a brand new baseball field and softball complex. What else can Alberts achieve at UNO?

If he were to depart UNO, Trev would leave with an impressive resume.

It will be interesting to see how quickly the spot is filled. Any way you look at it, Trev Alberts and Ed Stewart are sure to be in the mix.