Nebraska's Mike Riley fired DC Mark Banker over the phone

It was only mildly surprising when Nebraska fired defensive coordinator Mark Banker earlier this week, but the manner in which it was done was shocking.

Banker, who had served on the same staff as Mike Riley for 19 seasons, received a phone call from the Cornhuskers coach on his way to the airport for a recruiting trip.

"That's just disappointing, that it'd be a phone call and not face to face," Banker told Sam McKewon of the Omaha World-Herald. "That's a weird way to approach things. And you can say that it's hard, but if it's hard on him then it's hard on my end. But that's what you got to do, do it (face to face). Be grown men about it. It's a communication thing. Let's just be good communicators."

Banker said Riley told him "this is the hardest thing I've ever had to do," but wouldn't tell him exactly why he was being let go.

Nebraska's defense finished the season ranked 33rd in the country, but did allow an average of 32 points per contest in the last five games.

It appears the Cornhuskers have already filled his role, as a report dropped Friday that former UConn coach Bob Diaco will be the next defensive coordinator.