Nebraska AD insists Mike Riley deserves to finish season

Bill Moos isn't in the business of firing head coaches before the end of a season, at least not this season.

The newly anointed Nebraska athletic director provided a thin, translucent blanket of job security for head coach Mike Riley on Monday, declaring he will not be making a decision regarding Riley's tenure until after the season is complete, according to Mitch Sherman of ESPN.

"It's not like I've got a coach to hire this afternoon at 3:30," Moos said. "Mike Riley deserves to finish the 2017 season. That's how I operate."

Moos himself was just hired away from Washington State last month to replace the now departed Shawn Eichorst. He doesn't appear to feel pressure from fans calling for Riley's job, but supports their fervor toward the program.

"I applaud this fan base," Moos said, "because they've been patient and they haven't had the product - at least from my observation in the short time I've been here - that I feel that they deserve. It's why we're taking a real hard look at this and one of the reasons I am out to hear their disgruntled thoughts on the state of the program."