Ex - Husker Parrella to be named Husker D-line coach

This hire reminds me of a move USC made years ago when they hired Ken Norton Jr. as a assistant coach. Norton Jr. had only a few years of experience coaching in high school but was a solid hire for the program.

 
Landlord of Memorial Stadium said:
Having a lot of NFL experience essentially means nothing to high school recruits. DB is clueless in this regard, imo.

The things that make a great recruiter are good connections/relationships with high school coaches to get the "in", and then good people skills and sales pitch ability to close. Those can play out in very different ways, but, "Pay attention to me because I played in the NFL" doesn't really resonate.
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I think you're totally wrong. These kids dream of playing in the NFL and they want somebody to teach them the ways to get there.

 
MattyIce said:
Landlord of Memorial Stadium said:
Having a lot of NFL experience essentially means nothing to high school recruits. DB is clueless in this regard, imo.

The things that make a great recruiter are good connections/relationships with high school coaches to get the "in", and then good people skills and sales pitch ability to close. Those can play out in very different ways, but, "Pay attention to me because I played in the NFL" doesn't really resonate.
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You're right and wrong. The NFL tag does matter to lots of recruits. Now if that's all you have, youre right. But if you can add the NFL experience to the things you mentioned, you're going to be a star recruiter.
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Benning also tweeted Larry johnsons wiki page where the only experience he had before penn state picked him up for their dline was at a hs. Not saying it's a guaranteed great hire but it should be firmly in the wait and see category.
 
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I find it funny that some are not liking Parrella as a replacement for Hughes. Here we've got a guy who was instrumental in creating the foundation of the 90's Huskers dynasty and already people want to throw him under the bus without giving him a chance to coach and recruit. Give me a break. If Jason Peter was offered the job, this place would be in pandemonium declaring "We're back!!!"

 
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NevadaHusker27 said:
This hire reminds me of a move USC made years ago when they hired Ken Norton Jr. as a assistant coach. Norton Jr. had only a few years of experience coaching in high school but was a solid hire for the program.
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USC is a silver platter of talent. Any DL coach would excel there. This isn't a fair comparison either.

 
BoneyardHusker said:
Great hire! Excited about this one. Has experience and Husker ties, you can't argue with that one.
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Exactly! I don't see how some are ready to throw in the towel. We've got a guy who helped pave the way for our historic 90's run. I like the hire. I think if given the time to coach and recruit, let's see what he has to offer. He could be the missing piece of the puzzle. Riley knows he needs to build his lines on both sides of the ball. I'm excited to see if the DL improves.

 
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Enhance89 said:
Out of curiosity, would some people feel the same about this hire, or significantly less-thrilled, if he had zero Husker ties?

(Disclaimer: I don't hate or love the hire - just in a wait and see mode, and hoping he does great).
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I think you have to hire a guy who "gets it." Parrella might be the guy who gets it, who understands Nebraska football and can preach it to current and prospective players. I'd say with Parrella having ties to our program, it's a plus. It might not be the sexy hire people want but he could be the guy we need. Like you, I'm in a wait and see mode which I think is FAIR. Coaches should always be judged on a performance basis of wins and losses on the football field and in college, that includes recruitment of players.

 
I'm in the wait and see on the hire (I can see the upside though), but I don't think he can be any worse than Hughes. My only wish was that we had pulled the trigger earlier, and perhaps had kept VV and maybe landed a DT in the class.

 
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saunders45 said:
I'm in the wait and see on the hire (I can see the upside though), but I don't think he can be any worse than Hughes. My only wish was that we had pulled the trigger earlier, and perhaps had kept VV and maybe landed a DT in the class.
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I think the reasons you stated are the reasons hes no longer here. Had Hughes got VV to stay & pulled in a good recurit or two we would probably not be having this conversation.

 
FTW said:
Enhance89 said:
Out of curiosity, would some people feel the same about this hire, or significantly less-thrilled, if he had zero Husker ties?

(Disclaimer: I don't hate or love the hire - just in a wait and see mode, and hoping he does great).
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I think you have to hire a guy who "gets it." Parrella might be the guy who gets it, who understands Nebraska football and can preach it to current and prospective players. I'd say with Parrella having ties to our program, it's a plus. It might not be the sexy hire people want but he could be the guy we need. Like you, I'm in a wait and see mode which I think is FAIR. Coaches should always be judged on a performance basis of wins and losses on the football field and in college, that includes recruitment of players.
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I like the fact he is a former Blackshirt. He gets "it". He won't let the kids take plays off, go half speed or not understand the relentless motor it takes to succeed. Playing at such a high level at both college and the NFL shows he has the physical skills needed to succeed. He also mentions speaking to McBride and the DL coach at the Rams for whats happening in football (changes/schemes) and says he's always learning. Not afraid to seek answers or help. Another plus.

Can he recruit? Can he coach the guys up? Who knows. He deserves time. Not because he a former Husker, but because he has a pretty inexperienced crew to work with. His first "major" coaching position and I am sure there will be a learning curve.

 
A nice article about bringing the Blackshirt tradition to NMU.....

http://nebraska.247sports.com/Bolt/Parrella-brought-Blackshirt-mentality-to-NMU-43866932

From the article:

“In meetings we would talk about what getting to wear those jerseys means,” he said. “Coach Parrella didn’t want us to forget what it means to put on the black jerseys. You have to be a tough son of a gun. You’re going to go out there and be nasty. When you’re on the defense it’s not about being nice. Coach said 'Once you’re off the field it’s time to be a gentleman, be first class. Never really give off the impression that you’re an ugly person. Respect everyone. But when that jersey is on, those pads are on, it’s time to be ugly.'”

 
I just want to make sure Orgeron ends up in this thread somehow.

No real reason for it....just like the other posters that mention him.

 
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