I was so busy agreeing with Chas that Walt Harris would be a bad fit for the coaching vacancy at Nebraska (Nebraska Football = tough defense + power running + excellent line play) that I completely forgot about the Harvard of the Upper Monongahela (which is like saying I’m rich in Bulgaria). Hoopie Head Coach Rich Rodriguez would be an excellent fit for Nebraska. And the Omaha World-Herald agreed, listing Rodriguez — along with Jim Donnan (why?), Monte Kiffin (who?), Al Saunders (try it at the college level), Mike Bellotti (as always… does that guy ever get sick of being on everybody else’s vacancy list?), Urban Meyer (not enough experience yet), Jeff Tedford (too West Coasty, but an interesting choice), and Steve Spurrier (dream on… why don’t you just list Dick Vermeil and John Gruden while you’re at it?) — on its list of potential replacements for ousted head coach Frank Solich.

But then Rodriguez had to go and turn Nebraska down before they ever asked. Responding to the World-Herald story, Rich said…

“I’m at West Virginia. I’m not looking for any jobs,” Rodriguez said Monday. “Hey, I went through all of that last year. I don’t want to do it again.”

“I don’t know why,” Rodriguez said of his name being mentioned. “There’s never been any contact and I’d be surprised if there was. I have no interest in leaving.”

Damn. Nebraska missed out on a legitimately good coach that fits their traditional style, Rich Rodriguez missed out on an opportunity to coach somewhere where you don’t have to start every recruiting pitch with “Remember, Deliverance was set in Georgia,” and most importantly, we missed out on an opportunity to get rid of the best Harris-beater ever. Why Rich? Could anyone contend that Nebraska wouldn’t be a better job than West Virginia, even an WVU alumnus?

Perhaps he was afraid that his gawdawful hoopie accent would stick out in Lincoln.

Hail to Nebraska’s Keeping Bo Pelini.