Kenny Bell on Culture Change at NU

[Hujan]

Rather than militate in favor of giving Riley more time, this sentiment is exactly why I think we should move now.

If you believe Kenny, most of the team is still in a transition period where they haven't quite bought into Riley. If that's true, you've lost little by getting rid of a staff to whom the players have not yet bonded versus waiting a few years when the team and staff have bonded before canning Riley. This team will never miss Riley & Co. less than if he were canned now.

 

[teachercd]

Rather than militate in favor of giving Riley more time, this sentiment is exactly why I think we should move now.

If you believe Kenny, most of the team is still in a transition period where they haven't quite bought into Riley. If that's true, you've lost little by getting rid of a staff to whom the players have not yet bonded versus waiting a few years when the team and staff have bonded before canning Riley. This team will never miss Riley & Co. less than if he were canned now.

I think this is true.

 

[lo country]

Rather than militate in favor of giving Riley more time, this sentiment is exactly why I think we should move now.

If you believe Kenny, most of the team is still in a transition period where they haven't quite bought into Riley. If that's true, you've lost little by getting rid of a staff to whom the players have not yet bonded versus waiting a few years when the team and staff have bonded before canning Riley. This team will never miss Riley & Co. less than if he were canned now.

I think this is true.

Pretty common sense argument. And true.

 

[True2tRA]

Rather than militate in favor of giving Riley more time, this sentiment is exactly why I think we should move now.

If you believe Kenny, most of the team is still in a transition period where they haven't quite bought into Riley. If that's true, you've lost little by getting rid of a staff to whom the players have not yet bonded versus waiting a few years when the team and staff have bonded before canning Riley. This team will never miss Riley & Co. less than if he were canned now.

So what if these same guys that refuse to buy in now, also refuse to buy in to the next staff if we decide to make a move.

What if the 2016 Recruting class doesn't buy in to a staff that didn't recruit them.

Seems to me like this coaching staff has bought in. They love this program. The reached out to former coaches and players almost immediately. They've embraced the history and tradition, and they understand the challenge and the expectations.

If we've got people who aren't buying in and taking the challenge head on, don't want to be part of building this tradition, and don't love the program, then maybe they're the ones that need to bounce the hell on out of here.

Not saying I know for sure if there is those guys, or how many of them there are, but I know the coaching staff isn't "those guys".

 

[GBRedneck]

It's not a matter of buying in. Kenny Bell never said anything about that.

It's a matter of adjustment, getting used to different coaches.

All new recruits have that issue regardless of who recruited them and who coaches them.

 

[NoLongerN]

+1 to post #34.

 

[QMany]

Any coaching change is going to be an adjustment, I agree with Kenny.

The coaching change he references just so happened to be one that accompanied success. Kenny went from a redshirt, who did not play a snap, to the #1 WR (receptions, yards, and TDs) for Nebraska within one year. The team's receiving totals also increased, despite losing their #1 receiver to the NFL, and didn't lose any more games than the previous year.

The adjustment may be a little more difficult when you're not experiencing that success, in fact the exact opposite.

 

[GBRedneck]

Any coaching change is going to be an adjustment, I agree with Kenny.

The coaching change he references just so happened to be one that accompanied success. Kenny went from a redshirt, who did not play a snap, to the #1 WR (receptions, yards, and TDs) for Nebraska within one year. The team's receiving totals also increased, despite losing their #1 receiver to the NFL, and didn't lose any more games than the previous year.

The adjustment may be a little more difficult when you're not experiencing that success, in fact the exact opposite.

No doubt. It's a lot easier adjusting to good coaches than bad ones.

 

[Hujan]

Rather than militate in favor of giving Riley more time, this sentiment is exactly why I think we should move now.

If you believe Kenny, most of the team is still in a transition period where they haven't quite bought into Riley. If that's true, you've lost little by getting rid of a staff to whom the players have not yet bonded versus waiting a few years when the team and staff have bonded before canning Riley. This team will never miss Riley & Co. less than if he were canned now.

So what if these same guys that refuse to buy in now, also refuse to buy in to the next staff if we decide to make a move.

What if the 2016 Recruting class doesn't buy in to a staff that didn't recruit them.

Seems to me like this coaching staff has bought in. They love this program. The reached out to former coaches and players almost immediately. They've embraced the history and tradition, and they understand the challenge and the expectations.

If we've got people who aren't buying in and taking the challenge head on, don't want to be part of building this tradition, and don't love the program, then maybe they're the ones that need to bounce the hell on out of here.

Not saying I know for sure if there is those guys, or how many of them there are, but I know the coaching staff isn't "those guys".

Respectfully, I think you've missed the point.

It's not a matter of some players buying in. It's a matter that the team by and large hasn't yet acclimated to Riley. This is natural and happens with every coach. Given enough time, the players will love him just as much as they loved Bo, plus the old crew will be replaced by "Riley's guys." In 3-4 years, the team will be full of guys who are going to be positively heartbroken that Riley got fired and are going to have to get used to/adjust to a new coaching staff. But we can avoid yet another adjustment period by pushing reset now, rather than waiting for the limb to graft before tearing it off again.

Put differently: If you had to get separated from your wife, would you want a divorce after a month or 10 years? Which is more painful and problematic?

Now, you may disagree with the premise that Riley is ultimately going to be fired, whether now or later. But that's not the point: The point is that giving a coach "time" is not a free exercise. It comes with a very heavy cost in terms of making any firing all the more difficult. Thus, if you know in your gut the dude is not going to get the job done, why pay that high price? To use the marriage analogy, annul this ******** before we've had a chance to combine our bank accounts, meet each others' extended families, have kids together, etc.

It's not a matter of buying in. Kenny Bell never said anything about that.

It's a matter of adjustment, getting used to different coaches.

All new recruits have that issue regardless of who recruited them and who coaches them.

This is correct. We are saying the same thing. My word choice might have been vague. You said it better. However you slice it, the time is now.

 

[beorach]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEyz4y8eM5k?t=48

I don't know how to make that show up in the post, sorry. If anyone wouldn't mind sharing how to (again - I thought I read something but couldn't find it after searching quickly this a.m.), I'd appreciate it.

 

[GBRedneck]

Great post, Hujan!

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

My maverick theory is that if merely ONE player had bought into Riley's system better, Nebraska's record and attitude would already be on the upswing.

That player is Tommy Armstrong. My understanding is that there have been many crucial plays where Tommy has gone rogue on the playcalling, and has clearly ignored all advice on proper footwork and release, believing his really strong arm will carry the day. He's a gamer, but a high-risk player on a team that needs rhythm more than risk. Going rogue on the new coaching staff might not send the best message to the team either, unless you agree we are a long bomb thrown off the back foot away from glory.

I thought Riley and his designated quarterback whisperer could fix him. So yeah, that's on the coaching staff. When they look at the back-up QBs they inherited, they prefer to stick with Tommy. Probably the right call. Given a Newby instead of an Abdullah, it's hard to say the solution was simply to pound the rock more.

But in a season where a single first down, a field goal, or an avoidable pick-six could conceivably have the same team and scheme at 8-1, isn't it possible that one of the dozens of quarterbacks in the NCAA who can complete 60% of their passes with minimal mistakes could make a huge difference?

Yep. This same Tommy Armstrong went 9-4 last year. Ameer Abdullah and a healthy DPE covered for some of his off-games. It's not a perfect theory. But again, it's hard to imagine that a 60% passer doesn't make the difference in some of these razor thin games.

 

[GBRedneck]

My maverick theory is that if merely ONE player had bought into Riley's system better, Nebraska's record and attitude would already be on the upswing.

That player is Tommy Armstrong. My understanding is that there have been many crucial plays where Tommy has gone rogue on the playcalling, and has clearly ignored all advice on proper footwork and release, believing his really strong arm will carry the day. He's a gamer, but a high-risk player on a team that needs rhythm more than risk. Going rogue on the new coaching staff might not send the best message to the team either, unless you agree we are a long bomb thrown off the back foot away from glory.

I thought Riley and his designated quarterback whisperer could fix him. So yeah, that's on the coaching staff. When they look at the back-up QBs they inherited, they prefer to stick with Tommy. Probably the right call. Given a Newby instead of an Abdullah, it's hard to say the solution was simply to pound the rock more.

But in a season where a single first down, a field goal, or an avoidable pick-six could conceivably have the same team and scheme at 8-1, isn't it possible that one of the dozens of quarterbacks in the NCAA who can complete 60% of their passes with minimal mistakes could make a huge difference?

Yep. This same Tommy Armstrong went 9-4 last year. Ameer Abdullah and a healthy DPE covered for some of his off-games. It's not a perfect theory. But again, it's hard to imagine that a 60% passer doesn't make the difference in some of these razor thin games.

If the receivers didn't drop any passes . . .

If the OL held their blocks just a little longer . . .

If the coaches called timeouts in crucial sutuations when needed (last play against Illinois) . . .

If my aunt had balls . . .

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

My maverick theory is that if merely ONE player had bought into Riley's system better, Nebraska's record and attitude would already be on the upswing.

That player is Tommy Armstrong. My understanding is that there have been many crucial plays where Tommy has gone rogue on the playcalling, and has clearly ignored all advice on proper footwork and release, believing his really strong arm will carry the day. He's a gamer, but a high-risk player on a team that needs rhythm more than risk. Going rogue on the new coaching staff might not send the best message to the team either, unless you agree we are a long bomb thrown off the back foot away from glory.

I thought Riley and his designated quarterback whisperer could fix him. So yeah, that's on the coaching staff. When they look at the back-up QBs they inherited, they prefer to stick with Tommy. Probably the right call. Given a Newby instead of an Abdullah, it's hard to say the solution was simply to pound the rock more.

But in a season where a single first down, a field goal, or an avoidable pick-six could conceivably have the same team and scheme at 8-1, isn't it possible that one of the dozens of quarterbacks in the NCAA who can complete 60% of their passes with minimal mistakes could make a huge difference?

Yep. This same Tommy Armstrong went 9-4 last year. Ameer Abdullah and a healthy DPE covered for some of his off-games. It's not a perfect theory. But again, it's hard to imagine that a 60% passer doesn't make the difference in some of these razor thin games.

If the receivers didn't drop any passes . . .

If the OL held their blocks just a little longer . . .

If the coaches called timeouts in crucial sutuations when needed (last play against Illinois) . . .

If my aunt had balls . . .

Not surprised you're willfully missing the point.

I'm saying one player -- the most important player -- could negate all the above.

Not counting your aunt's conflicted genitalia.

 

[Husker Psycho]

Respectfully, I think you've missed the point.

It's not a matter of some players buying in. It's a matter that the team by and large hasn't yet acclimated to Riley. This is natural and happens with every coach. Given enough time, the players will love him just as much as they loved Bo, plus the old crew will be replaced by "Riley's guys." In 3-4 years, the team will be full of guys who are going to be positively heartbroken that Riley got fired and are going to have to get used to/adjust to a new coaching staff. But we can avoid yet another adjustment period by pushing reset now, rather than waiting for the limb to graft before tearing it off again.

Put differently: If you had to get separated from your wife, would you want a divorce after a month or 10 years? Which is more painful and problematic?

Now, you may disagree with the premise that Riley is ultimately going to be fired, whether now or later. But that's not the point: The point is that giving a coach "time" is not a free exercise. It comes with a very heavy cost in terms of making any firing all the more difficult. Thus, if you know in your gut the dude is not going to get the job done, why pay that high price? To use the marriage analogy, annul this ******** before we've had a chance to combine our bank accounts, meet each others' extended families, have kids together, etc.

It's not a matter of buying in. Kenny Bell never said anything about that.

It's a matter of adjustment, getting used to different coaches.

All new recruits have that issue regardless of who recruited them and who coaches them.

This is correct. We are saying the same thing. My word choice might have been vague. You said it better. However you slice it, the time is now.

Flat out wrong.

Meyer... Harbaugh