http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=knight-reportscallahanacceptsneb&prov=knight&type=lgns
Reports: Callahan accepts Nebraska coaching job
Mercury News Wire Services
Former Raiders coach Bill Callahan was offered the Nebraska job Thursday night and accepted it, several news outlets reported.
The Omaha World-Herald, citing two confidential sources, the Lincoln Journal Star and ESPN were among those to write that Callahan is the Cornhuskers' choice.
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One of the World-Herald sources, who reportedly is close to Callahan, said final details of the contract were being hammered out late Thursday and the hire would be official today.
Callahan spent most of Thursday with Nebraska Athletic Director Steve Pederson, and Callahan's wife, Valerie, went to check out schools in town.
Callahan also met again with Nebraska Chancellor Harvey Perlman.
Callahan, 47, came in Wednesday night and was scheduled to leave Thursday afternoon. Instead, he and his wife remained in Lincoln. He went to dinner with Pederson on Thursday and when spotted by reporters at the Embassy Suites at about 7 p.m., Callahan said, "I'll visit with you a little later."
Chris Anderson, a spokeswoman for Nebraska's athletic department, said she could not confirm any plans to hire Callahan and said she knew of no announcements scheduled for today.
Callahan's agent, Gary O'Hagan, told the Journal Star: "Things are progressing. That's all I can say."
Callahan's oldest son, Brian, a sophomore quarterback at UCLA, said he had heard nothing from his father all day.
Details of a potential deal were unavailable, but Pederson has said he is willing to pay about $1.5 million per year.
Callahan was fired by the Raiders last week after a 4-12 season.
Callahan, who led the Raiders to the Super Bowl two years ago, was fired by Oakland shortly after quarterback Rich Gannon criticized Callahan and offensive coordinator Marc Trestman for a bad offensive system.
Nebraska's coaching saga started Nov. 29, when Frank Solich was fired. Interim Coach Bo Pelini and quarterbacks coach Turner Gill interviewed Wednesday, and at least three NFL assistants and Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt pulled their names out of contention.
"I thought it'd be over today," Pelini said.
"I'm just waiting like everyone else," Gill said.
Tom Lemming, an ESPN recruiting analyst and longtime friend of Callahan, said Nebraska would be getting a "great offensive mind" if Callahan indeed is Nebraska's next coach. Lemming added that Callahan has a keen eye for talent, communicates well with young players and is a tireless worker.
"He's relentless," Lemming said. "Within two or three years, I think Nebraska will be a powerhouse offensively. Anybody who saw the Raiders in 2002, that's Callahan to a `T'."
