Callahan closes in on completion of staff

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BYSTEVEN M. SIPPLE

New Nebraska football coach Bill Callahan said Wednesday he is nearing completion of his full-time coaching staff.

Callahan said he has hired an outside linebackers coach.

"I just can't disclose who it is right now because of his involvement with his university," Callahan said. "I don't want to interfere with their recruiting."

Callahan confirmed a candidate to coach running backs was in town Tuesday. That candidate is believed to be Randy Jordan, who played for and later coached under Callahan when Callahan was head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 2002-03.

Jordan retired as a player after the 2002 season and spent the latter part of this past season as an assistant to Raiders special teams coach Bob Casullo. Jordan, however, is no longer employed by the club, a spokesman said.

Regarding the running backs coach vacancy, Callahan said, "Hopefully, I'll know his status in a day."

In addition, Callahan has been trying to hire Oakland Raiders tight ends coach Jay Norvell as Nebraska's offensive coordinator. Norvell, however, is bound by contract to the Raiders through next season, and the club has said it's unwilling to release him.

"I'm awaiting counsel to see if we can get him released," Callahan said.

As for the Nebraska outside linebackers position, speculation immediately pointed toward former Nebraska player Steve Stanard, a Lincoln native. Stanard just completed his first season as an assistant at Colorado State after seven seasons at New Mexico State.

If Stanard is headed to Nebraska, it's news to Colorado State assistant head coach Mick Delaney.

"If he was leaving here, I would think he'd let us know," Delaney said Wednesday night.

Former Nebraska assistant Kevin Steele, now the linebackers coach at Florida State, said Wednesday that he wasn't a candidate for the NU job.

Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@;journalstar.com.