Analysis: Bill Moos Was Ousted
The Nebraska fan base was rocked by the shocking news on June 25 that Athletic Director Bill Moos was going to retire effective June 30. This came as a big surprise to the fans because Moos had been doing a good job as athletic director. Moos did a good job on Covid-19, managing the athletic department’s finances, and expanding facilities. Without the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, Scott Frost and Fred Hoiberg were home run hires. Will Bolt was an excellent hire.
The question becomes why did a well liked and respected athletic director announce a sudden and unexpected retirement on such short notice? I don’t have any inside information yet but my reading of the tea leaves in the press leads me to believe that Bill Moos was fired. I will go through the pertinent highlights.
“Bill Moos told media outlets he had every intention of fulfilling his contract. He was on the Big Red Blitz last week. He had a ESPN interview scheduled for today that was canceled. This is a sudden retirement. “ Sam McKeown tweet.
“Near the end of the NU Regents’ agenda are the personnel adjustments, which notes the $50,000 pay raise Husker AD Bill Moos got earlier this year.” Lincoln Journal Star tweet.
Moos was asked by the press why he was leaving on such short notice and the wording of his answers clearly point to an involuntary departure.
Excerpts from the Lincoln Journal Star and Omaha World Herald:
“Bill Moos wouldn’t say if the decision to retire was solely his own. He says conversations with UNL officials were “adult” but not “contentious.”
Moos said he was informed last week that he’d retire almost immediately.
“Apparently this was the best time,” Moos said. He wouldn’t say who told him he’d be retiring.
“Not going there,” said Moos, who was the highest paid A.D. in Nebraska history with a $1.15 million salary in 2021.
Pressed repeatedly by The World-Herald, Moos — typically forthcoming with the media — still wouldn’t budge.
Neither would (Chancellor Ronnie) Green.”
The next question is why was Bill Moos fired? An excerpt from the Omaha World Herald might lead one to believe that Moos wasn’t doing his job.
Omaha World Herald: “Athletic department sources say Moos wasn’t around the office as much as predecessors Eichorst or Tom Osborne. Moos rarely, if ever, went to practices — he said he preferred to stay away — and outside of football, he did not have a reputation for attending many Husker sporting events either. His suite at NU basketball games was not often illuminated. He did not attend the Husker baseball team’s run in Arkansas recently.
“Only in spirit,” Moos said by text. He also sent one of his lieutenants, Klassy, to the season-finale football game at Rutgers.
Especially during the start of the COVID pandemic, Moos spent large stretches of the summer at his cattle ranch in eastern Washington.
Moos’ relative absence was a topic of conversation as early as January 2019 when he had to rebuff rumors of a drinking problem — “it’s never outside the lines,” he said — and his bosses, University of Nebraska President Hank Bounds and Green, had to issue a statement of support.
But he was not the lead fundraiser on Nebraska’s “Go Big” football facility project, a role that went to Bounds — now a professor at the University of South Alabama with a consultant business — and associate athletic director for football Matt Davison. Moos was not as connected to some boosters as he could have been.”
Moos’ apparent termination is bad for the reputation of Nebraska athletics and further feeds the (correct) perception that this is an unstable program. Nebraska has now terminated three out of it last four athletic directors. There have been a combined nine athletic directors and football coaches at Nebraska since 2003.
Moos’ exit significantly increases the pressure on Frost. If Moos had stayed until the end of 2022, Frost’s job would’ve been safe for 2 more years. New athletic directors like to clean house and hire their own coaches — even if it means firing good coaches. (Frank Solich is a prime example) Frost probably needs to win 7 games to save his job this year.
I want to reiterate that this is an opinion piece and I don’t have any scoops. In any event, a fair reading of what is public leads to the inescapable conclusion that Bill Moos was terminated. It’s yet another sad day for a once proud program. Let’s hope that Scott Frost and Fred Hoiberg figure it out and live up to their lofty reputations and potential. Go Big Red!