Lincoln Journal-Star · Feb 24, 2016
Riley said Parrella "blew us away" in interview
John Parrella stood out above a crowded field.
When Mike Riley began his search for his new defensive line coach, he had somewhere between 60 to 70 candidates.
The Husker head coach narrowed it to 10, then to six, then to four to interview. He declined to name them.
Riley and Dan Van De Riet, Nebraska's associate athletic director for football operations, went to Denver to interview three of them, near the airport. A fourth interview was to take place elsewhere but was cancelled.
“The first three were all home runs,” Riley told the Journal Star.
Riley thought he might hire the first candidate interviewed. That coach made a huge impression. But Riley wanted to be fair and interview all three.