Previous Staff Members in Contact with Current Players

[Savage Husker]

Saw some exchanges on Twitter today between Foreman and Benning about old coaches staying in contact with current players. I gotta believe these guys know more than they led on and Benning tends to dance around what he knows until it's made public. He went as far as saying it's "unselfish"(of the previous staff) if they're not undermining current program, selfish if they are.

I haven't heard much of anything from the old staff, I'd imagine Barney Cotton stays in touch with his son still on the team, being former Husker as well, I don't see him getting in the way.

Fisher sends well wishes and congrats to players on Twitter, I think it's cool of him to do that. Fisher was one of the coaches I liked.

Ganz is the most visible of the previous staff, it's now his job to critique this team, kind of hard to keep him away. Former player, assistant, and friend/family to Tommy - as they tweeted to each other. I don't see anything wrong here either.

Foreman did mention that when Bo left the first time, after '03 season, he was in contact with some players in '04. Considering Bo was DC of OU that year, that's a little concerning. If it's happened before, I'm willing to guess its happening again.

I don't have a clear stance on all of this yet, but Benning says it about as fair as possible. As long as it's not a distraction and the former staff is wishing them well, congratulating them, or keeping things positive, I see no harm. If it's contentious, that's some bad juju for the individual and then carryover into the team.

Big Red Wrap-Up touched on team psyche last night with Foreman and Lawrence giving opinion and example of their experiences, more in terms of the Alex Lewis actions last Saturday. Lawrence stating how his freshman year in '07, the upperclassmen gave up and started mocking their own play. Then as he got older, his classmates carried that same attitude when the season started to slip. Foreman implied Lewis "wouldn't have gotten out of the locker room" if he said that in the 90s. I tend to believe that, but I also don't think that would ever have happened back then.

There is a definite need for a mental make over with this program, that's on these new coaches to understand and figure out. And no excuses for the current staff, but Bo left a lot of baggage and will take a lot of effort and redirection to gain a championship mentality again. What do the rest of you think?

Edited October 10, 2015 by Thanks_Tom RR
Seems to only be rumors at the moment, and maybe some lazy or shock-jock journalism.

[swmohusker]

Bo left a lot of baggage? Not sure what to think on that. Urban Meyer left a lot of baggage at Florida. Mack Brown might have left some baggage at Texas. Not sure we are that bad off as far as baggage. Some teams are left with entitlement issues and torn teams. You can say a lot about our team this year but they seem to be a team, and stick together. Lewis' statement is more of reflection of Riley than Bo. Lewis is not a program player and his actions have been tolerated by this staff which sets a tone of how the team would perceive these comments and actions. How he is still a captain is beyond me.

[Jeremy]

It's all about team culture and expectations. I would love to know how Riley addresses this team - whether he's straight Mr. Rogers with insignificant platitudes, or gets down to brass tacks about what we REALLY need to do as a team. I would like to know if he and his staff are intentional about making a brotherhood culture, where I believe Bo created camps in the locker room, whether intentionally or not.

 

It is nice to see that Riley doesn't break kids down on the sideline for the nation to see, though. So there's that.

[brophog]

It's all about team culture and expectations. I would love to know how Riley addresses this team - whether he's straight Mr. Rogers with insignificant platitudes, or gets down to brass tacks about what we REALLY need to do as a team. I would like to know if he and his staff are intentional about making a brotherhood culture, where I believe Bo created camps in the locker room, whether intentionally or not.

 

It is nice to see that Riley doesn't break kids down on the sideline for the nation to see, though. So there's that.

He sits down with them every week at the ice cream social and promises not to give them chocolate syrup unless they commit fewer penalties.

[BigRedBuster]

There is a definite need for a mental make over with this program, that's on these new coaches to understand and figure out. And no excuses for the current staff, but Bo left a lot of baggage and will take a lot of effort and redirection to gain a championship mentality again. What do the rest of you think?

This right here can take quite a while to get over. It is also why I am actually uncomfortable with any of the previous staff being in touch with the current players unless it's someone like Cotton for obvious reasons, Ganz or Fisher who I think still lives in Lincoln.

 

Bo showed me all I need to know about how he intends to influence the current players with the way he handled his being fired and the ensuing private player meeting. If that guy could sabotage this program some how right now he would. I'm not saying he is. I have no way of knowing that. BUT, because of that, I would be very uncomfortable.

 

If you fired the CEO of your company and it was a nasty exchange when they left, would you be comfortable with him/her having a close relationship with the rest of your top management still in the company? I've been in a similar situation....it's not good.

 

Personally, I think Lewis should be sitting on the bench. With this attitude plus his penalty problems, there has to be someone on the team that is better for the team to have on the field.

[Savage Husker]

Josh on USC just said a connection to the program, someone he trusts and he knows said a former coach is reaching out to players to stir the pot against Riley's staff.

[NUinID]

Josh on USC just said a connection to the program, someone he trusts and he knows said a former coach is reaching out to players to stir the pot against Riley's staff.

 

The only one that I think is not too busy that would do this is Kaz. Most of the coaches are busy doing their job at another schools

[StPaulHusker]

Josh on USC just said a connection to the program, someone he trusts and he knows said a former coach is reaching out to players to stir the pot against Riley's staff.

This is the second time I have heard of this today.

[alwayshusking]

It's bush league but you open yourself up to this when you lose games unfortunately.

[BigRedBuster]

Well....let's see. Didn't Kaz get arrested for beating up his wife?

Playing mental games with people you have or used to have power over to keep those people from reaching their potential and being happy is an often used tactic by people who are abusive.

 

Whoever is doing this falls under that category.

[Waterloohusker26]

All the more reason I'm glad we flushed that staff out

[84HuskerLaw]

Josh on USC just said a connection to the program, someone he trusts and he knows said a former coach is reaching out to players to stir the pot against Riley's staff.

Any activities like this would be grounds for legal action. For example, I can assure you that if Bo tried to undermine the team or 'stir the pot' against Riley, that would be grounds to terminate any further payments to him on his contract as well as a suit for damages etc. You can darn well bet Bo has ZERO goodwill remaining with any of the Administration and or Perlman etc. They would not hesitate to save the budget a few million and embarrass the hell out of Bo if they can. Assistant Coachs who may still be collecting money would also be in similar jeopardy. Alienation, interference with contract, slander, libel, etc. There would be numerous legal actions against anyone that is 'bad mouthing', etc. Trash talking if it is provable is actionable legally. I would think Riley and Company would have legal grounds as well.

[commando]

i can see some of the former staff trying to leave stains in the bowl after they were flushed.

[StPaulHusker]

 

Josh on USC just said a connection to the program, someone he trusts and he knows said a former coach is reaching out to players to stir the pot against Riley's staff.

Any activities like this would be grounds for legal action. For example, I can assure you that if Bo tried to undermine the team or 'stir the pot' against Riley, that would be grounds to terminate any further payments to him on his contract as well as a suit for damages etc. You can darn well bet Bo has ZERO goodwill remaining with any of the Administration and or Perlman etc. They would not hesitate to save the budget a few million and embarrass the hell out of Bo if they can. Assistant Coachs who may still be collecting money would also be in similar jeopardy. Alienation, interference with contract, slander, libel, etc. There would be numerous legal actions against anyone that is 'bad mouthing', etc. Trash talking if it is provable is actionable legally. I would think Riley and Company would have legal grounds as well.

 

There were some people that believed Bo did this in 2004

[zoogs]

Fisher is all class, at least as far as we can tell publicly. Seems like a good guy cheering on his former players.

 

This is a pretty crazy charge to levy on anyone. Not to say the culture doesn't need to go through change after Bo's tenure. That was going to be true with or without "sabotage".