SITS, your post got me thinking.
A couple thoughts, and I'm aware we all have different opinions.
1. There are always "Ed Stewarts" available. Young, smart go-getters who have a really great resume who have not been ADs yet. Is NU in a position to take a risk on one of these types, who has no experience running their own AD? I'm not sure that describes where NU stands at the current time.
2. Matt Davison is a horrible candidate. The actual Ed Stewart might be an acceptable risk if it comes to it. But Matt Davison is not.
3. Hiring friends to positions of this capacity is rarely a good move. Checks and balances are extremely important at this level. NU isn't "special" other than its AD supports itself without contributions from the general University, unlike some/most. I don't think being a past player here contributes anything to their ability to do this job. And it's a big job, no question.
I'm not of the opinion NU is in a position to hire from within. I'm on the fence about hiring an ex-husker because familiarity really doesn't have much to do with where Athletic Departments are headed, or where they've been. We are entering a new realm of existence in college athletics, with recent legislation regarding individual compensation guiding a paradigm shift, where a forward-thinking AD who embraces these changes will be absolutely paramount. NU is already jumping feet-first into sports multimedia without Learfield/IMG. They've not held ground in the B1G admin hierarchy. The AD is described as a cluster in need of direction.
In short, just my opinion, we can't get this one wrong. We need to go with an established, successful Athletic Director who doesn't need to learn as he/she goes. Too much is at stake right now. Too many new variables to compound an already complex job.