Billy Devaney and his job the past 45 days

[Eric the Red]

Local writers were able to speak with Banker in the past two days about his release. Billy Devaney's name has come up in a few articles as someone he and others believe played a role in staff changes.

 

OWH McKewon writes » I asked Banker whether he felt Nebraska executive director of player personnel Billy Devaney had some kind of heavy hand in Riley’s decision-making.

 

Banker didn’t feel that way.

“I didn’t hang out with Billy, but we talked,” Banker said. “I’ve known him for a while.”

Devaney surely has some role in advising — and maybe even exhorting — Riley to make decisions. That’s what he’s paid to do. A decision that was called innovative last year is now somehow ominous?

LJS Sipple writes: ...one of my main takeaways from Banker was that NU executive director of player personnel Billy Devaney's influence should never be underestimated. Devaney took over his role last February after three decades as an NFL executive.

"In the beginning of the (2016) season, it was awesome, we would watch stuff like our two-minute drill together as a staff along with Mike," Banker said. "It was kind of fun. And then Mike would always have Billy in there. I'm not sure what purpose that served. He's not a football coach.

"At the same time, Mike always would have meetings with Billy and D.V.D. (associate athletic director Dan Van De Riet)."

As one would reasonably expect, Nebraska athletic director Shawn Eichorst and executive associate A.D. Steve Waterfield often were involved, Banker said.

"That was just the chain of command," Banker said. "As for the coaches, we'd get our information in the staff meeting that we had every day, and we'd go do our jobs."

Banker said he didn't feel part of the program's "decision-making process," saying that was a change from his years with Riley both at Oregon State and with the San Diego Chargers.

Why the change in style for Riley? It might be as simple as saying different athletic programs have different styles (and layers) of leadership.

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Anyone who has been in a leadership, a supervisor, manager, especially in a more professional office setting knows a big push now is to "get to know your people." Let them know they are more important than just an employee or subordinate. This, in turn, builds trust, and respect. It allows that person being managed to feel that what they are being told is in their best interest and are more likely to work harder.

I think Riley is great at that. Everyone says it. With that being said, it appears Devaney kept his distance from the football staff. Of course, being cordial and non confrontational, but there was a chain of command as written by Sipple.

Was this done on purpose to allow Devaney not to get too attached, making a possible change in staff, easier for him without being so attached to staff? Giving him a different look or stance at the numbers and performance on the field and in the living rooms of recruits?

[SouthLincoln Husker]

Time to move on! Banker's D was horrible.

[teachercd]

Distant Boss or Micro-managing Boss...I am not sure which is worse.

 

I have Micro-Boss right now. I hate it

[Eric the Red]

Time to move on! Banker's D was horrible.

Move on from what?

 

This is an almost unprecedented move from a Husker coaching staff. Pelini didn't do it, neither did Callahan, Osborne nor Devaney did something like this. Solich did move a few pieces around after his first year (I think).

 

The changes being made. The personnel and decisions being implemented and the why and what behind them can be discussed for the next ten years if need be. Indeed I think they will be.

 

This is necessarily about Banker's defense, it's about the coexistence and chain of command in an organization.

[NebraskaHarry]

It doesn't matter if it was Riley's 7 year old grand kid who told him he needed to fire Banker. Banker needed to be fired and Riley did. Banker should have never been in Lincoln to begin with.

[teachercd]

It doesn't matter if it was Riley's 7 year old grand kid who told him he needed to fire Banker. Banker needed to be fired and Riley did. Banker should have never been in Lincoln to begin with.

This was the part I was surprised about, you would have thought it would have been the perfect time for Riley to start (almost) totally fresh and bring in a lot of new guys but I can also see why he would bring in people he was comfortable with.

[dvdcrr]

The layers of management or chain of command at NU would be much more interesting if it were producing success.

 

Somewhat interesting to read Banker state that it is different here than OSU.

 

I think Riley should have stayed friends with Banker and they both should go together and coach somewhere in Div II where they belong.

Look there is no shame in a person finding their true calling.

 

Callahan belongs as a position or unit coach in the NFL. He's very good there.

 

Pelini's true calling is as a tough as nails D coordinator somewhere.

 

Banker would be best coaching D at Div III or NAIA.

 

Riley's skills show me he belongs at OC at Div II, III or NAIA. Nothing more. I see no special motivation, vision, personnel or game management which could make me believe otherwise.

[Moiraine]

 

 

Time to move on! Banker's D was horrible.

Move on from what?

 

This is an almost unprecedented move from a Husker coaching staff. Pelini didn't do it, neither did Callahan, Osborne nor Devaney did something like this. Solich did move a few pieces around after his first year (I think).

 

The changes being made. The personnel and decisions being implemented and the why and what behind them can be discussed for the next ten years if need be. Indeed I think they will be.

 

This is necessarily about Banker's defense, it's about the coexistence and chain of command in an organization.

Osborne and Devaney didn't need to. Callahan and Pelini needed to and didn't.

[jsneb83]

Distant Boss or Micro-managing Boss...I am not sure which is worse.

 

I have Micro-Boss right now. I hate it

Imagine having a boss that's both

[JJ Husker]

 

 

Time to move on! Banker's D was horrible.

Move on from what?

 

This is an almost unprecedented move from a Husker coaching staff. Pelini didn't do it, neither did Callahan, Osborne nor Devaney did something like this. Solich did move a few pieces around after his first year (I think).

 

The changes being made. The personnel and decisions being implemented and the why and what behind them can be discussed for the next ten years if need be. Indeed I think they will be.

 

This is necessarily about Banker's defense, it's about the coexistence and chain of command in an organization.

Osborne and Devaney didn't need to. Callahan and Pelini needed to and didn't.

Exactly. I'm not sure how much the guys above Riley played a role in these staff changes but I'm glad they happened. We're just not used to seeing these types of changes and that at least partially explains why we've gotten the results we have for the last 15 years. There weren't a lot of changes before that because we didn't need change then.

[ScottyIce]

What in the f#*k is going on here? What is the big deal? We brought Devaney in to advise and that's what he is doing? Getting rid of Banker wasn't a bad move, soooo....

[suh_fan93]

The layers of management or chain of command at NU would be much more interesting if it were producing success.

 

Somewhat interesting to read Banker state that it is different here than OSU.

 

I think Riley should have stayed friends with Banker and they both should go together and coach somewhere in Div II where they belong.

Look there is no shame in a person finding their true calling.

 

Callahan belongs as a position or unit coach in the NFL. He's very good there.

 

Pelini's true calling is as a tough as nails D coordinator somewhere.

 

Banker would be best coaching D at Div III or NAIA.

 

Riley's skills show me he belongs at OC at Div II, III or NAIA. Nothing more. I see no special motivation, vision, personnel or game management which could make me believe otherwise.

 

Good assessment.

[theknife]

The layers of management or chain of command at NU would be much more interesting if it were producing success.

 

Somewhat interesting to read Banker state that it is different here than OSU.

 

I think Riley should have stayed friends with Banker and they both should go together and coach somewhere in Div II where they belong.

Look there is no shame in a person finding their true calling.

 

Callahan belongs as a position or unit coach in the NFL. He's very good there.

 

Pelini's true calling is as a tough as nails D coordinator somewhere.

 

Banker would be best coaching D at Div III or NAIA.

 

Riley's skills show me he belongs at OC at Div II, III or NAIA. Nothing more. I see no special motivation, vision, personnel or game management which could make me believe otherwise.

This slam piece is as illogical as it is lazy. You didn't even bother to research or recall his two Grey Cups in the CFL.

 

Dvdccr's troll skills show me that he or she belongs trolling on a CFL, Oregon State, or Youngstown State board. Nothing more. I see no special motivation, vision, research or composition which could make me believe otherwise.

[ColoradoHusk]

I am not saying Billy Devaney's job is needed or if he's doing a good job, because his job is very hard to measure performance. He's basically Riley's Chief of Staff, so he's tied to Riley at the hip. Devaney will be at NU as long as he wants to be (or until Riley gets fired).

[chainsaw]

lots of you history buff don't remember the storm in 68 when devaney went thru his second 6-4 season. might wanna ask craig bohl about turmoil on the coaching staff, when he worked for osborne. numerous guys didn't have contracts renewed. part of college football coaching.