LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska has fired athletic director Shawn Eichorst, citing his failure to improve “on-field performance” by the Cornhuskers.
Chancellor Ronnie Green announced the move Thursday. Eichorst joined Nebraska in October 2012, and has about $1.7 million remaining on a contract that runs through June 2019.
Green praised Eichorst but says his “efforts have not translated into on-field performance. Green says winning “can and often does happen in concert with well-run, quality college programs.”
Eichorst and football coach Mike Riley have been under increased scrutiny with the continued mediocrity of the program. Eichorst hired Riley in 2014, replacing Bo Pelini.
Riley is just 16-13 at Nebraska, a school that has won five national championships, went to bowl games every year from 1969-2003 but has not won a conference title since 1999. The Huskers are off to a second 1-2 start in three seasons.
Statement from Nebraska Chancellor Ronnie Green…
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has announced it has begun a search for a new director of athletics. The university has ended Shawn Eichorst’s employment, effective immediately.
“Shawn has led Nebraska Athletics in many positive ways, but those efforts have not translated into on-field performance,” Chancellor Ronnie Green said. “Our fans and our student-athletes deserve leadership that drives the highest levels of competitiveness, as well as excellence across all facets of Husker Athletics.”
Eichorst joined Nebraska in October 2012, and has about $1.7 million remaining on a contract that runs through June 2019. Green and President Hank Bounds decided to seek a new athletic director and met with Eichorst today. Green and Bounds also met with Husker coaches today to share the decision.
“I want to sincerely thank Shawn for his dedication to and care for our student-athletes, and for his commitment to their success here at Nebraska, and in life,” Green said. “He has positively influenced countless lives at this university, and I wish him and his family the very best going forward.”
In a statement, Eichorst said, “While I am deeply disappointed in the decision today, I am grateful for the wonderful years that my family and I have spent at Nebraska. I am proud of how our student-athletes, coaches and staff represented this great university and state, and I am confident that the future is bright for Nebraska Athletics.”
The search for a new director of athletics began today. The university expects to appoint an interim athletic director to oversee day-to-day operations of Nebraska Athletics until a new, permanent director of athletics begins.
The chancellor said the university will reach out to stakeholders knowledgeable of Nebraska Athletics, as well as those who have run successful college programs around the nation, for guidance and perspective in the search for a new permanent director of athletics. The search will focus on finding a director who helps put Husker teams into the best place of opportunity to compete and to uphold the athletic program’s outstanding academic achievement, Green said.
Green will hold a media availability at 2:30 p.m. at the Van Brunt Visitors Center, 313 N. 13th St., on the university campus.
“Winning can and often does happen in concert with well-run, quality college programs that work to ensure the success of the student,” he said. “That’s our expectation. We take pride here in doing things right and doing the right thing, and that won’t change. This is not an either-or equation. We can and should win in that kind of environment.”