The systemic yo-yo of Nebraska football since 2003

[girlknowsfootball]

Something to consider are the details of Nebraska football since 2003. Around 2003 is when we started to see a descend in our program. 

 

Tom Osborne had ran his option offense for over 20 years. When he retired (1998), Solich continued the same offense through 2003. The reason Solich was fired was because everyone could see the recruit quality decreasing with each signing class he was there. In 2002 he finished with a 7-7 record. Something unheard of at Nebraska at that point in time. It was believed He was having trouble winning because recruiting the same quality of players that had come to play for Osborne failed. And it just wasn't the same perception and honor to come play for Solich.

When Solich was coach from 98-03' he went 9-4, 12-1, 10-2, 11-2, 7-7, 10-3. The 7-7 season was proof of the recruiting classes dropping down in talent as fans we're starting to see some talent defenciences. The following year he did better but was canned by AD Peterson and Pelini (DC) took over for the bowl game (they won). Everyone at that time was asking for Pelini to be hired as the next HC, but Pearlman had brought in Peterson and Peterson had already been working on hiring his friend Bill Callahan. When Callahan came, he took the team 180 degrees. We had players who fit an option/run offense and a physical attacking defense. Callahan wanted finese/pocket passing/West Coast Pro set players. So he recruited to that. He recruited well to that because prior to Nebraska he had operated an offense that sat atop of the NFL. The Raiders had just played the Buccaneers in the Super Bowl and had showcased a great offense (they got beat badly due to sucky defense). People knew who Callahan was and Cali players wanted to play in an NFL offense for an NFL coach. But the transition from Option offense -> WC Pro sets was a complete 180 and required a totally different type of recruit. That, coupled with Callahan's lax coaching style, lack of discipline with players, and embarrassing defense, resulted in team cliques, popular players putting down young players, etc. Our championship, team, brotherhood culture quickly faded, but our recruiting sure did improve. (Callahan was brought in to be the anthesis of Solich. To take Nebraska into the future of football. We were told the option days were over, football was evolving). 

Callahan goes 5-6, 8-4, 9-5, 5-7... the defense struggles immensely. But Callahan pulls in a top 5 class and several other great recruiting classes, he just fails to develop the talent. 

AD Peterson is canned, Osborne is brought back to save the program and restore the black shirt defense. So Osborne hires the guy everyone wanted in place of Solich, the guy who just won a National Championship at LSU with one of the best defenses in college football. Bo Pelini gets hired to fix the defense. He keeps Shawn Watson to run the already productive Offense and we go on. Year 1 the defense improves immensely... guys already on the team who had been poor performers begin to emerge as NFL prospects...Suh, Amukamara, Hagg, O'Hanlon, Crick, etc. In a short amount of time we rise back to B12 champion contenders and play stride for stride with Texas. But the offense stalls out and by year 2, can't perform, can't even get first downs. Watson gets canned and Tim Beck is brought up to move from a Pro Style/Spread to a Spread.

The offense becomes productive again and Nebraska begins to move from a Pocket Passer QB to recruiting dual threat QB's. We get Cody Green, Taylor Martinez, Tommy Armstrong. Pelini does well, wins at least 9 games each year he is there. But Osborne retires, Pearlman hires Eickhorst and we begin to see Pelini's firey field personality seep deep into his administrative life. Pelini's disrespect for Eickhorst and disapproval of his job at Nebraska coupled with the media's painted image of Pelini leads to a diminished, more unorganized focus on recruiting and a  lashing out at fans and administration. As the recruiting suffers and Pelini's outbursts grow, Eickhorst chooses to let a coach with a .750 win percentage over 7 years go and he hires a person to be strong in the areas Pelini was weak. He wants a nice guy, who will restore media relations, fan credibility, and who will unite the team. He doesn't go after a proven winner. Mike Riley, a .500 coach with a personality that can win anyone's heart with kindness... is hired. And here we are today.... again, looking for someone to be strong in the areas a coach is weak. 

 

There's a few reasons I wanted to tell this story. I know most of you already know it. So it wasn't for education sake. It is to (a) bring attention to the systemic philosophy swing every 4-5 years since Solich's departure, and (b) to bring attention to the truth that Nebraska always looks for the next hire to be strong where the prior hire was weak, often neglecting to also find the strong characteristics the prior coach held that fans would like to see continue. This leaves us with a see saw effect of yo-yo from one valued charastic to the next. I've included examples below: 

 

(a) systematic philosophy 

Osborne -> Solich - Option offense/physical attacking defense continued with Solich in philosophy. 

 

Solich -> Callahan - moves to West Coast Pro set NFL offense/Off the ball assess and then attack cosgrove defense philosophy

 

Callahan -> Pelini - moves to WC Pro Set  which transitions to Dual Threat Spread/physical attacking defense 

 

Pelini -> Riley - moved back to Pro Set NFL offense/off the ball assess and attack Banker defense which transitions to a 3-4 disco assess and react defense 

 

*you see an offensive philosophy swing from one skill set of recruit (long lean/pro passer/220lbRB) and philosophy of offensive scheme to the opposite on offense (smaller jet sweep/slot WR/DT QB with run option/ smaller shifted RB) with each coaching change. And a similar situation with each defensive coaching change. 

 

 

(B) Strength/Weakness yo-yo

From Osborne -> Solich - keep tradition, consistency, culture going. Solich fails to recruit well. 

 

From Solich -> Callahan - Callahan is brought in to fix recruiting and bring Nebraska into future of football because the option is "fading in college football". Callahan is brought in to be the opposite of Solich. 

 

From Callahan -> Pelini - Pelini is brought in to restore winning culture, tradition, physicality and defense. He is brought in to bring Nebraska back to what it was and to be the opposite of Callahan. Callahan was weak in defense...Pelini was strong. 

 

From Pelini -> Riley - Riley was brought in to restore public perception of Nebraska and improve Media/Fan relations. Pelini had been weak in brand relations and university perception. 

 

*with each hire, a weakness in the previous staff had been identified and the next hire is sought to be strong in these particular weak areas of previous HC, often neglecting to seek qualities to be able to continue what the previous staff did do well and establish continuity in the kind of player needed for the system. 

 

 

Edited October 16, 2017 by girlknowsfootball

[TGHusker]

GNF: The key to successful threads and posts - KISS -   Not keep it simple but keep it SHORT (ok medium length at best)  - Way too much verbiage to wade through there.  Got some key points, then say it and you can follow up with the rest of the encyclopedia in follow up posts. 

[Scratchtown]

That was one of the better long posts I've actually read.

 

I don't read many more that are that long but that one was interesting to read. Thanks!

By this Pattern, Riley is awful at just about everything related to x's and o's......

 

So now NU is going to hire David Shaw!  

[JJ Husker]

I thought it was a well stated thorough summary of what we've been through.

 

But the last 20 years could be summarized by saying we can't expect good or quick results when constantly making 180 degree changes in philosophy or style of play. We need consistency but you can't build consistency with styles or philosophies that aren't compatible with the overall direction and the overall direction needs to be settled upon.  So the key would be doing a better job with vision and placing people in charge of the program. Just like coaches have to recruit players for their style so to do our administrators have to have an idea what they want the program to be and then hire coaches that head in that direction. At some point you need to decide what you're going to be and then go for it and quit changing directions. It seems to be working for Wisconsin. For my 2 cents, I don't think Nebraska is ever going to have success with any type of pro style, pass first, west coast type of offense. We made our name with a punishing ground attack. That is who we are and any efforts otherwise (even if they work at other places) just aren't going to do well here.

 

This next HC hire is vital. We can't afford to f it up again. Can't!

[MichiganDad3]

So when MR is replaced if we continue to identify weaknesses and fix them, then we fix:

• Bad defense
• Bad offense
• Bad special teams
• Bad clock management
• Bad discipline (penalties, etc.)

[Nebfanatic]

1 minute ago, MichiganDad3 said:

So when MR is replaced if we continue to identify weaknesses and fix them, then we fix:

• Bad defense
• Bad offense
• Bad special teams
• Bad clock management
• Bad discipline (penalties, etc.)

I for one liked Bootles use of the PI 

[Isle of View]

That's a false narrative about Solich.  He had top ten classes in 2000 and 2001, and he had the 14th ranked class on Rivals at the time he was fired.   Callahan inherited 19 guys on defense that would go on to sign NFL contracts.

[jessica0]

Didn't read the OP yet, but just going off of what this topic is about it is pretty clear what has taken place, IMO. 

 

1: Incompetent leadership. Elite football programs have everyone bought in from the Chancellor to the players. When WI hired Barry it was a change of culture. Before he was hired the leadership at WI didn't give a crap about football. Then Donna was hired and it all changed. Now football is a focus at that school. 

 

2: A loss of identity that also coincided with terrible hires at the AD and head coach levels. Nebraska is a culture of toughness, discipline, and out work the other guy. Fearless play. The program changed to a culture of softness, passiveness, doing what is just needed, and the like. The program is currently at the levels of the losing seasons in the 1960's. That trend will not be reversed until there is a competent head coach that understands Nebraska. Trying to out recruit the likes of USCw for pro style play is the dumbest thing ever tried at Nebraska. 

 

How to fix it? Bring in a native son, bring back what Nebraska was known from since the hiring of Bob to Solich. There is one guy that has the number one offense in the country that knows Nebraska. This isn't rocket science, folks. 

 

 

[Street Novelist]

good post gnf

[TGHusker]

Ok, I finally read the whole OP.  Good info.  I see the swinging pendulum we have gone through.  So I hope AD Moos hires a well rounded coach who brings on strong OC and DC - so we are trying to fix just one area.  The coach should have our values who represents us well  (not a BC foul mouth or a BO loud mouth) but who can also recruit and develop players holistically. 

Where is Superman now? 

 

I still lean Shaw or Frost.  Proven or the up and comer wt potential. 

 

[JJ Husker]

1 hour ago, jessica0 said:

Didn't read the OP yet, but just going off of what this topic is about it is pretty clear what has taken place, IMO. 

 

1: Incompetent leadership. Elite football programs have everyone bought in from the Chancellor to the players. When WI hired Barry it was a change of culture. Before he was hired the leadership at WI didn't give a crap about football. Then Donna was hired and it all changed. Now football is a focus at that school. 

 

2: A loss of identity that also coincided with terrible hires at the AD and head coach levels. Nebraska is a culture of toughness, discipline, and out work the other guy. Fearless play. The program changed to a culture of softness, passiveness, doing what is just needed, and the like. The program is currently at the levels of the losing seasons in the 1960's. That trend will not be reversed until there is a competent head coach that understands Nebraska. Trying to out recruit the likes of USCw for pro style play is the dumbest thing ever tried at Nebraska. 

 

How to fix it? Bring in a native son, bring back what Nebraska was known from since the hiring of Bob to Solich. There is one guy that has the number one offense in the country that knows Nebraska. This isn't rocket science, folks. 

 

 

 

You should read the OP. It's not rocket science after all, it's just quite a few words.

 

I'm not necessarily opposed to Frost and I do think he would bring back the required level of toughness and discipline but somebody would have to explain how his offense is the Nebraska way. I've been watching and paying attention to Nebraska football since the very early 70's and it seems to me when we were successful, we always relied on a punishing running game. Every once in awhile we had a qb that could use it to set up some passing but the constant was we were I back U and had stellar O line play. Is that how Frost does it? Serious question because I haven't watched that much of UCF but it seems to me he may be a little pass happy for truly being the Nebraska way. IMO, I think we should get back to being able to gain that 3 yards in a cloud of dust whenever we damn well feel like it. That's Nebraska football and it will work very well in the B1G conference. I think that is more important than just having a native son. 

[runningblind]

8 hours ago, TGHusker said:

GNF: The key to successful threads and posts - KISS -   Not keep it simple but keep it SHORT (ok medium length at best)  - Way too much verbiage to wade through there.  Got some key points, then say it and you can follow up with the rest of the encyclopedia in follow up posts. 

GNF ... N really does stand for knowledge!

[SouthLincoln Husker]

Good OP!  I also agree El D, its about toughness.   

I heard 2 quotes this past week from past coaches that I also agree with:

Barry Switzer -  It does matter what offense you play, it about playing hard every down.

Charlie McBride - It will take a new coach more than 3 years to be build a winning team.  Most people who complain after a year or two has never wore a jockstrap.

 

 

[Warrior]

GKF great post.  I've always felt the change from Clownahan to Bo was due to a lack of personality by the Clown.  Then Bo to MR was to bring in the nice guy from big bad mean Bo.  Lost in all that is if you don't make system based decisions you are constantly chasing your tail.  It was a long read, but well worth the time to read it.  

[girlknowsfootball]

20 hours ago, TGHusker said:

GNF: The key to successful threads and posts - KISS -   Not keep it simple but keep it SHORT (ok medium length at best)  - Way too much verbiage to wade through there.  Got some key points, then say it and you can follow up with the rest of the encyclopedia in follow up posts. 

If it's too long for you, don't read it.  Whether you read it or not is on you not on me. I'm sorry you felt your time was wasted.