Bill Callahan has been introduced as the new head football coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The former Oakland Raiders coach replaces Frank Solich, who was fired on November 29th.

Nebraska Athletic Director Steve Pederson says Callahan has accepted a six-year contract with compensation totaling $1.5-million a year.

Callahan takes over a program in a state of disarray following a 7-7 Nebraska season in 2002, extensive coaching shuffles, a 9-3 rebound in 2003 and a protracted campaign to land a new head coach after the Solich termination.

In a news conference Friday afternoon, Callahan called the Husker job, "the opportunity of a lifetime."

He said, "My vision for this program is to continue the previous success, to maintain that success and improve on it."

The ex-Raider skipper interviewed for the position in Lincoln on Wednesday and Thursday, meeting with athletic director Steve Pederson for talks that lasted well into Thursday night.

Callahan's meetings with Nebraska officials came only a week after he was fired by the Raiders following a 4-12 season, on the heels of a season capped by a Super Bowl appearance.

Callahan says his goal is to take the Huskers back to a national championship level.

"To be a part of this great tradition and great fan base is a lifelong dream," he said.

Callahan met with approximately one-third of the Husker team members Friday morning before the press conference. He outlined some of the changes they can expect in the game plans and coaching although questions about who will be on the coaching staff are still unanswered.

Callahan Profile

Callahan brings an offensive-minded approach to the Huskers and worked under Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden in Oakland before the Raiders promoted Callahan to head coach when Gruden left to take the Buccaneers' job after the 2001 season.

The 47-year-old Callahan, a seven-year NFL assistant who had no previous head coaching experience, was fired after a 4-12 season that was the Raiders' worst record since 1997 and the biggest fall by a team that had reached the Super Bowl the previous year.

The Raiders tied with San Diego, Arizona and the New York Giants for the worst record in the NFL.

Callahan faced unique circumstances in his second season. There was a rash of injuries, 12 players were lost for the season to injured reserve, infighting and the involvement of several players in a grand jury investigation of a supplements lab.

Callahan, a former NAIA quarterback at Illinois Benedictine who earned $1 million a season as head coach of the Raiders, just completed the second year of a two-year contract, and Raiders owner Al Davis declined a series of one-year club options that could have kept Callahan in Oakland through the 2006 season.