For Mike Riley, the opportunity to take over the storied Nebraska program was too good to pass up, even at 61 years old.
"At this stage of my career it was an opportunity to try something one more time. So if you're going to do it one more time, this is obviously a great place to do it."
When Eichorst took the podium, after Riley was done talking, he was able to shed some light on how the search played out behind the scenes. "In order to conduct a search like this when you're trying to land an elite football coach you've got to be decisive and quick." Eichorst told the press, noting that at first, he wasn't focused on names, he was focused more on qualities of his next head coach early on in the search process.
That train of thought helped him come up with a short list, eventually leading him pick up the phone to talk to Mike Riley.
One thing that certainly helped Eichorst hone in on Riley was his experience on the recruiting trail, which Riley touched on during his presser. Take a look at the hometowns of the players on Oregon State's roster and you can see a similar makeup to Nebraska's roster. The Beavers have got guys from small town Iowa, the talent rich state of Texas, large metropolitan areas like Chicago and Knoxville, and Riley and his staff have also made a killing in California.
To be successful at Nebraska, Riley will have to adopt a similar blueprint. With the recruiting clock winding down, expect Riley to put together a good portion of his staff in a hurry to hit the road running.
As always, we'll keep you updated on The Scoop.