Bill Moos, who has served as Washington State’s athletics director since 2010, Sunday agreed to a five-year contract to oversee the athletic department at the University of Nebraska. The 66-year-old Moos will assume his duties in Lincoln Oct. 23 and will receive a reported $1 million per year, plus incentives.
Moos, who had his WSU contract extended through 2020 three years ago, also worked as Oregon’s athletic director from 1995-07. At Nebraska, he replaces Shawn Eichorst, fired last month because of the poor performance of several Huskers teams, including the football program.
“To lead one of the most storied and successful athletic programs in the nation is a true honor,” said Moos in a statement. “Nebraska is a very special place, known far and wide for its phenomenal fans, for doing things the right way, for supporting its students, honoring its athletic legacy and maintaining excellence in athletics success across the board. I am proud to help build upon these Husker traditions.”
“Nebraska has secured a proven winner in Bill Moos to lead Husker Athletics into a new era of excellence,” said Nebraska chancellor Ronnie Green. “It was clear that Bill stood out in a very competitive, tremendously gifted pool of candidates, not only because of his proven ability to lead programs to greatness, but because of his reputation for integrity in building and leading those programs.”
Green saidf that Moos rose to the top of a group of candidates that included several current athletic directors from Power 5 conference schools. Moos, Green said, is a “program-builder who forges enduring relationships with coaches, student-athletes, staff, supporters and fans.”
In his seven years at WSU, Moos secured a 10-year, $35 million marketing rights agreement with IMG College and led a $130 million addition and remodel of WSU’s football stadium. He also had a lead position in securing the conference’s 12-year, $3 billion television contract with Fox and ESPN.
During Moos’ tenure at Oregon, that program grew to national prominence. The Ducks won 13 conference titles in six sports.
Moos made his most recent football hire in 2011 when he tapped former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach to lead Washington State. Leach had the Cougars off to a 6-0 start this season, their best since 2001, until Friday night when California doused WSU 37-3 in Berkeley. The Cougars fell from No. 8 nationally to No. 15 in the Associated Press poll released Sunday.
Moos reportedly will want to change football coaches, although there has been no reporting linking Leach to such a move to Nebraska. The Huskers are 3-4 this season under former Oregon State head man Mike Riley.
Moos began his athletics career in 1982 as assistant AD at Washington State. He was director of development for more than five years and associate director for nearly two, supervising all external operations.
10 Comments
Cattle rancher Bill Moos knows the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
He’ll take beef over lentils anytime.
Nebraska may not accept Leach, but you gotta think with Moos gone he may be as well as gone too and lots of jobs could be open.
That’s the deal. Make no forecasts at midseason. Wait until all the openings reveal themselves.
What a loss fro WSU – No one can blame him for taking this plum job, its just too bad for WSU. He did an excellent job there and brought his bona fides to a so-so program and made it legit.
Say goodbye to Leach, Wazzu fans. He’s about to replace Riley.
Maybe. Depends on who WSU hires as AD.
I bet it’s Leach or Chip Kelly to Nebraska.
Recipe By:Tiffany
“My mom came up with this recipe when I was a teenage vegetarian, and now it is one of my meat-loving husband’s favorite dishes and still one of mine to this day.”
Ingredients
2 cups water
1 2/3 cups dry lentils
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 large onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
2 large carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a 3 quart casserole, combine the water and lentils. Season with the bay leaf, salt, pepper, marjoram, sage and thyme. Stir in onions, garlic, and stewed tomatoes.
Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir in the carrots and celery. Cover and continue to bake until the lentils and vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven a third time, stir in the green bell pepper and sprinkle cheese over the top. Bake, uncovered, until cheese has melted, about 5 more minutes.
No sure what Nebraska is doing; first they hire a head coach from perennial loser Oregon State, and now they give a five-year contract to a 66-year old Wazzu guy. Fans in Lincoln must be wondering “What in the name of Tom Osborne is going on?”