Surprised by today's announcement that Bill Moos will be Nebraska's new AD?
You probably weren't the only one.
Names like Arkansas' Jeff Long and Texas Tech's Kirby Hocutt rose to the top of many lists, but much like when Mike Riley was hired as Nebraska's football coach, nobody had even mentioned Moos' name.
If nothing else, its a testament to the fact Nebraska can run a clandestine search operation.
No leaks around that operation.
So who exactly is Moos? Off the top, he's been the AD at Washington State since April 15, 2010. Prior to that, he was the AD at Oregon from 1995-2007.
The three year gap? This Seattle Times report lays it out pretty well: Moos went back to his family ranch south of Spokane, and raised cattle. A settlement deal with Oregon (after disagreements w/ Nike founder Phil Knight), kept him out of work for a while, but not long. He landed in Pullman just three years later.
Per his official WSU school bio, while at Wazzou, Moos led a $130 million remodel and expansion of Martin Stadium, engineered a 10-year, $35 million rights deal with IMG College (they also own Nebraska's marketing rights), and was on the front lines of negotiating the Pac-12's TV deal with ESPN and FOX (12 years, $3 billion).
The Cougar Athletic Fund's Annual Giving Program saw an 81 percent increase over six years.
He's 66-years old, has a wife named Kendra, and five kids (three daughters, two sons).
That's just the basic nuts and bolts. Here's the more interesting stuff:
Moos hired Mike Leach at Washington State
Although he pointed out he's made 11 different hires during his first five years at Washington State, most notably Moos was the man behind bringing the Air Raid master to Pullman.
How did that go? It started with an all-day trip to Key West to talk with the semi-retired coach about the job.
"Within five minutes, the conversation had switched to Winston Churchill, Geronimo, George S Patton...snow blowers in Cody, Wyoming and missing school because of snow days," recalled Moos.
"After about 3-4 hours we were together, I said this was going to play pretty well in Pullman."
But just because Moos brought Leach to Wazzou, don't assume he'll do the same thing in Lincoln.
First, Moos was quick to point out that Mike Riley was still his football coach. Second, the Cougars fan base was largely apathetic at the time, and Moos felt Leach's Air Raid scheme would entertain the fans and bring back interest, which isn't the issue at Nebraska.
He spoke a lot about "fit" at his introductory press conference, and how important it is in making any hire.
Although Leach has proven to be a successful (and very entertaining) fit at Washington State, doesn't mean he'd fit well at Nebraska.
Moos will be much more visible to fans and media than Shawn Eichorst
This quote from Sunday's press conference pretty much says it all:
"I like to make myself accessible...I think the (fans) need to fully understand what our blueprint is, what the mission is, how we're gauging our progress...that needs to get out, and I'm always eager to do that."
It didn't seem like lip service on Sunday - it felt geniune. Don't need to add much to that one.
Moos seems to know Nebraska football isn't where it should be
In describing Nebraska football, Moos used the phrase, "There's no substitute for tradition and legacy," while also discussing his track record of getting positive results at places that don't share the Huskers history of success.
"We should be in postilion for every sport to compete for championships. That'll be a big part of the blueprint."
It doesn't take a genius to know that Nebraska is struggling at the moment. While Moos may prove to not be as reactionary as some fans would prefer when it comes to football, he certainly knows the expectations.
Moos should be a good cultural fit at Nebraska
His motto? "Honor the past, live the present, create the future."
Seems like that will play well here.
Moos also told reporters he wouldn't be interested in a job in an urban area. He called himself a "rural boy" at the introductory press conference. He won't be one that won't be able to relate to people of the state.
Chancellor Ronnie Green also praised Moos as a great "fit" for Nebraska. Gren's quote from Sunday summed it up well:
"When you meet Bill and [his wife] Kendra...it's almost like they're Nebraskans who have lived somewhere else for all their life - and now they're coming home. And I mean that very sincerely." - Nebraska Chancellor Ronnie Green
Moos himself described Nebraskans as much the same as those of Eastern Washington, where he came from: good wholesome people, good work ethic, down to earth, love football.
Seems like he'll fit in just fine around these parts.
The QC quick reaction
Here at Quinn's Corner, we're quite bullish on Moos' potential at Nebraska. He seems to be the kind of person that will fit in well with the established Husker culture both within and outside the athletic department.
He seems more relatable to fans than Shawn Eichorst, at least on the surface. Even though he's not from the Midwest, all signs point to him having no problem adjusting to life in Nebraska. Just see what Ronnie Green said above.
Part of the problem with Eichorst, at least at first, was his relative invisibility in the eyes of fans (and certain coaches). Moos appears to be the polar opposite, which will play well among Nebraska faithful.
He also checks a lot of other boxes: plenty of Power 5 experience, has made successful football hires, grown donor bases, focused on academics, and more.
Even though he may not the "name" a lot of people were discussing, and will obviously have to prove himself over the long haul, there's plenty to like about his potential in leading Nebraska.
Contact the writer:
Joe@AM590ESPNRadio.com
Twitter: @JoeESPN590
