Since TO retired...have the coaches walked into good/bad situations?

[teachercd]

Solich, BC, Co, Riley and Frost.  

 

I think Solich walked into the best situation. 

 

Is Frost walking into the worst one?  Or did Riley and SE manage to lower bar to limbo like record levels that Frost is walking into a good situation?

 

 

 

 

[BartonHusker]

Solich walked into a very good situation. The rest not so much but Riley probably had it the next best imo. 

 

Our situation is not good right now but we could also see a fairly drastic turn around next year just purely off of fundamentals and for sure effort/intensity. 

[MLB 51]

Agree. Solich had the best situation. Don't think he had to scramble to keep the recruiting class together. 

 

I think Riley had more of a challenge because the players were extremely pissed when Bo was fired.

Edited December 2, 2017 by MLB 51

[dtbugeater]

Solich had a strong team, but you never want to be the guy following a legend.  

 

Riley took over a poisoned well. Very hard to overcome in a short time. 

 

Next coach is is the first one to come in where expectations are a shade lower and as long as he isn’t a global DB and can show that he is making progress in the win  department should have time to do what he wants to do.   While the team may not be as good, the environment is set up for success in a way that hasn’t been seen here since Bob rode in on a train. 

[Hingle McCringleberry]

Solich had best overall situation.  Fans, legacy etc.  All on his side.

 

Bo was second.  A fan fav, hand picked by the Lord God almighty, he rode in on a wave of renewed optimism for the program with an AD that promoted long-term stability over hastily made decisions.

 

BC probably next, somewhat polarized fanbase, still had some talent.

 

MR really had it bad.  A confused and concerned fan base, further spit over Bo being let go.  Years of blowouts and mediocrity, he was placed in a bad spot and unfortunately wasn't up to the task.

[Xmas32]

I've always contended that you want to be the guy after the guy and coaches seem to run in groups of 3.  TO obviously blows my theory out of the water following Devaney but you could argue that if TO were coaching in today's climate he doesn't last long enough to win his MNCs in the 90s but that's a discussion for another day.  So here we go...

 

TO=GOAT

 

Solich=On the surface comes into a good spot, actually not the case.  Solich gets the dead cat bounce the first few years with TOs guys and things seem to be going ok until Colorado 2001 where Husker Nation experiences the mother of all band aid rip offs.  I don't think I'm alone where I remember exactly where I was when the game happened and the feeling of hopelessness that came over me as Chris Brown & Co ran rough shed over Nebraska.  Solich gets fired by Stevie P.  Solich was doomed from the start because he was TO's handpicked guy and rightly or wrongly people were going to expect TO level results.  Frank=Guy

 

Callahan=Comes out with his WCO supposed wizardry and gaudy recruiting rankings.  Tries to overall things and it obviously doesn't work.  However, he was SP's guy so he was going to get a ton of cover as long as SP was there.  Cally refused to hire a competent DC that could've saved his job but still recruits at a fairly decent level.  Ultimately gets wacked when TO takes over @ AD.   I felt Cally walked into a better spot than Solich because people thought the program 'bottomed out' under Solich and there was some distance between Cally and TO...oh how wrong we were.  Cally=Guy after the guy

 

Pelini=Bo does a masterful job of using Cally's guys on the defensive side of the ball and arguably peaks in 2009 when he assembles the best defense since the mid 90s wrecking crews but is undone due to a lack of an offensive identity and unwillingness to make changes to his coaching staff even though it is shown that his guys are out of their depth.  Eventually, Bo shows what his ceiling is and the Ginger Assassin lets him go.  Bo=reset of group of 3.

 

HCMR=We've covered Mike's tenure at length here so I don't need to add anything.  Of all the coaches listed, he probably was in the worst spot of all the coaches due to the polarizing nature of Pelini.   HCMR=guy

 

HCSF?=We shall see.  Regardless, Frost is coming in as the guy after the guy and is coming into a pretty good spot IMO. 

 

 

Edited December 2, 2017 by Xmas32

[teachercd]

Wow, I think you guys, not all of you but some of you are really trying hard to push the idea that Riley sucked because of toxins.  That is just not the case...unless he also dealt with toxins for the previous 40 year of coaching.

 

Riley walked into the second best situation in my opinion. 

[Xmas32]

10 minutes ago, teachercd said:

Wow, I think you guys, not all of you but some of you are really trying hard to push the idea that Riley sucked because of toxins.  That is just not the case...unless he also dealt with toxins for the previous 40 year of coaching.

 

Riley walked into the second best situation in my opinion. 

 

No, Riley was a mediocre coach that proved to be exactly that.  I'm saying the upperclassmen, the guys you absolutely need to lead the team and drive the change, didn't exactly do HCMR any favors.

[teachercd]

I have a hard time with that because in year two of Riley the team was ranked in the top 10, the best players on the team were TA, Gerry, Newby and Carter.

[Xmas32]

1 minute ago, teachercd said:

I have a hard time with that because in year two of Riley the team was ranked in the top 10, the best players on the team were TA, Gerry, Newby and Carter.

 

We're simply going to have to agree to disagree here and that's fine.

[teachercd]

3 minutes ago, Xmas32 said:

 

We're simply going to have to agree to disagree here and that's fine.

I don't agree to that!  

[84HuskerLaw]

Obviously Solich did not even walk in to his job (he was already there) and didn't even have to apply.  His resume would not have been all that impressive as the RBs coach for about 30 years.  Had he been applying as the RBs coach from say, Penn State Lions or Ohio State, would everyone have said "Yes, he is THE ONE!" ?   I am not so sure.  He was handed the keys to the very best program - arguably - in college football history.  It was absolutely loaded with the most talent of any team in history and recruiting was more like a curtain call as players from all over called, wrote, visited, sent film etc to Nebraska to get a chance to try out or be recruited.  He was handed a great staff with loads of experience, inside knowledge, momentum etc.  

Solich had some big tall shoes to fill and at 5'7" he wasn't up to the task as we all can tell in hind sight.   

 

Callahan had a tough situation in that many naive fans were upset Solich was fired and as such he had almost ZERO fan support and or enthusiasm or t rust.  Still he was given a change and while he did some good things and had some of the best play calling and two minute offenses in football history, he didn't give two licks about defense.   This was his undoing and he failed.

 

Pelini came in with the blessing of Osborne of course, like Frank, but without the talent or momentum.   There remained a great deal of national respect and recruiting was much easier for him that Riley who followed.  Riley inherited almost none of the Devaney/Osborne legacy.   So far as I am aware, Osborne never ever said one word, one way or the other, on Riley and his coaching ability, etc.   Riley's 'goodness' shined through and this got him and he still retains, a great deal of fan appreciation and admiration, albeit NOT for winning games but for being a great role model and respect worthy.  Riley inherited none of the fan loyalty or 'get out of jail free' cards.  Whatever he got, he had to 'earn' and deserve by being the nicest guy you'd ever meet.   The difference betwen Bo's firing and Riley's is Night and Day.  I'd rehire Riley long before I'd consider Bo (wins and losses are important but not so much as to simply forego one's values and principles.  

 

Bo was never a Husker at heart and just a coach who didn't like or even respect the University or the fans and it seemed to be just a job and not an adventure.  His departure evidenced this.  I was a Boliever and supporter and excited as hell when Tom announced him.  He completey disappointed me quickly.

 

Riley inherited the least talent of all certainly and Frost will inherit about the same talent as Riley inherited.  NOT good.  Everybody needs to keep this in mind and give Frost atleast 4 years to really produce something.  We need to win 10 games by year 4 and hopefully win a minimum of 6 next year and it will likely bounce around between 6 and 8 in between.   This is just a realistic and honest assessment.  

 

In my view, Frost is our last chance to Make Nebraska Great Again.  I believe his personality is a lot like Trump's so that gives me hope.  Frost will likely be a blend of Devaney (fire and heart), Callahan (ego and Xs and Os'), Pelini (harshness and better than though attitude), and Osborne (can say the right things, hopefully, at the right times).   Whether he is a smooth talking program salesman that can bring in the big recruits is another question.   I don't know as his recruiting prowess is hard to measure and something only time will tell.   

Edited December 2, 2017 by 84HuskerLaw

[funhusker]

52 minutes ago, Xmas32 said:

 

No, Riley was a mediocre coach that proved to be exactly that.  I'm saying the upperclassmen, the guys you absolutely need to lead the team and drive the change, didn't exactly do HCMR any favors.

I think Tommy Armstrong did Riley a lot of favors considering the results of this past year.

[Scarlet Overkill]

2 minutes ago, funhusker said:

I think Tommy Armstrong did Riley a lot of favors considering the results of this past year.

 

And he was a strong leader for the team last year, along with being a warrior.  I didnt see anyone stepping up into that leadership role this year, and it showed.

[cornhuskers4ever]

If anyone could turn the program around, I think it would be Frost.  He isn't going to come in with the attitude "You USED to be Nebraska", he will come in with the attitude "You still are Nebraska".  He will help them get that edge back, the take no prisoners, eye of the tiger, chew em up and spit them out attitude.