‘I didn’t see us getting better’: Mickey Joseph talks firing of Erik Chinander
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Interim Huskers head coach Mickey Joseph didn’t mince his words on Tuesday when speaking about the firing of defensive coordinator Erik Chinander.
Chinander was fired Sunday after a 49-14 loss to No. 6 Oklahoma, which marked the third loss for Nebraska this season.
“Chinander is a good man and a good coach, but the number didn’t add up,” Joseph said. “I didn’t see us getting better.”
Under Chinander, Nebraska’s defense gave up over 1,200 combined yards to Georgia Southern and Oklahoma in back-to-back games.
“For four weeks, I didn’t see us getting better from week one to week four,” Joseph said. “I had to make a decision, the best decision for the kids because it is about the boys.”
Mickey Joseph on his decision to fire DC Erik Chinander:
“I didn’t see us getting better.”@Channel8ABC pic.twitter.com/pRz5TqGWom— Lauren Michelson (@LaurenMichelson) September 20, 2022
Assistant coach Bill Busch will fill in as defensive coordinator for the rest of the season.
Busch was initially hired as special teams coordinator. Joseph spoke about how Busch will handle his new defensive duties.
“He is going to detail it,” Joseph said. “He is going to take it step by step. He is going to make sure the fundamentals are solid.”
Joseph met Busch in 2018 at LSU, where the coach spent a lot of time with defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, who is currently the head coach at Baylor.
Joseph on what Bill Busch adds to this #Husker defense:
“He’s going to detail it…he’s going to make sure the fundamentals are solid.” @Channel8ABC pic.twitter.com/vhU382mm3q
— Lauren Michelson (@LaurenMichelson) September 20, 2022
