Nebraska Set to Hire Callahan

Former Oakland Raider coach Bill Callahan will reportedly be hired as Nebraska’s new coach today, ending a long search to fill the vacancy at one of college football’s premier programs.

ESPN and the Omaha World-Herald reported that Callahan accepted the job after meeting Thursday with Nebraska Athletic Director Steve Pederson.

The Cornhuskers have been looking for a coach since Frank Solich was fired Nov. 29 -- a day after wrapping up a 9-3 regular season.

Callahan was fired by the Raiders last week following a 4-12 season. He led the Raiders to the Super Bowl last season.

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The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office declined to press charges against Kansas State quarterback Ell Roberson, who was accused of sexually assaulting an acquaintance in the team’s hotel on New Year’s Day.

Prosecutors said they wouldn’t press criminal charges against Roberson because he could not have known that the 22-year-old woman who accused him did not consent.

He told police he had consensual sex with the woman.

The allegation left in question whether Roberson would play in the Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix, but he was eventually cleared to play in the Jan. 2 game against Ohio State. The Wildcats lost, 35-28.

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Alabama’s football program will not face further sanctions even if new information surfaces in a federal court case in Tennessee.

The chairman of the NCAA infractions committee, Thomas E. Yeager, informed university officials that “a reasonable time has elapsed” since the program was placed on probation.

The committee had previously indicated that the case could be reopened if more information was disclosed during the trial of Memphis businessman and Alabama booster Logan Young, accused of paying $150,000 to lure defensive line prospect Albert Means to Alabama.

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Florida Coach Ron Zook was given a two-year contract extension despite a second straight 8-5 season. The extension puts him under contract through 2008. Financial details of the extension were the same as in the first contract he signed two years ago when he replaced Steve Spurrier. That deal paid just over $1 million a year.... Texas All-American linebacker Derrick Johnson will return for his senior season instead of making himself available for the NFL draft. Johnson, a finalist for the Butkus Award given to the nation’s best linebacker, had been projected as a possible first-round pick if he had been available.