Athlon: Big Ten Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2016

[BigRedBuster]

Just what I need. Another wife telling me I'm wrong.

You're assuming he's the wife.

Sorry....had to do it.

 

[BigRedBuster]

"The problem with that is it’s Nebraska and they just ran the last guy out for winning nine games a year.”

I never understood the argument that firing Solich and Bo deterred other coaches from coming to Nebraska. I f Nebraska is firing above average coaches, then why aren't other schools snapping them up? If our ex coaches were so unjustly fired, then why aren't they at top 25 programs, or at least coaching at Power 5 schools?

Agree, the other Power 5 schools certainly haven't clamored for our unjustly fired coaches.

But surely there's some truth to coaches -- and coach's agents -- being concerned about the expectation level at Nebraska. It's always sexier to turnaround a lousy program with low expectations, or revitalize a legacy program coming off a bad season or two, but it's a harder sell to inherit a 9 win team, knowing you have to do better immediately. There are probably easier campuses to recruit to than Lincoln, and nicer places for your wife to live.

So if good coaches have choices -- and they do -- they might not put Nebraska on their list.

But there's certainly a reward for the coach who wants to refurbish Nebraska to greatness, and plenty of resources at his disposal. The coach we need will know all about the expectations and pressures at Nebraska, and take the job precisely because he likes the challenge. He may already be here -- Mike Riley could have retired as a legend in his hometown. Or he may be the young coach we need to recognize before he gets hot and in demand.

No there's no truth to that at all.

There are no football programs with higher expectations than Alabama and Ohio State.

And yet those two programs attracted the two best coaches in college football.

They also didn't fire a coach because 9 wins wasn't good enough.

I can name 4 coaches since 1978 that were fired with over a .700 winning percentage from OSU.

Woody Hayes

Earl Bruce

John Cooper

Jim Tressel

 

[hskrpwr13]

"The problem with that is it’s Nebraska and they just ran the last guy out for winning nine games a year.”

I never understood the argument that firing Solich and Bo deterred other coaches from coming to Nebraska. I f Nebraska is firing above average coaches, then why aren't other schools snapping them up? If our ex coaches were so unjustly fired, then why aren't they at top 25 programs, or at least coaching at Power 5 schools?

Agree, the other Power 5 schools certainly haven't clamored for our unjustly fired coaches.

But surely there's some truth to coaches -- and coach's agents -- being concerned about the expectation level at Nebraska. It's always sexier to turnaround a lousy program with low expectations, or revitalize a legacy program coming off a bad season or two, but it's a harder sell to inherit a 9 win team, knowing you have to do better immediately. There are probably easier campuses to recruit to than Lincoln, and nicer places for your wife to live.

So if good coaches have choices -- and they do -- they might not put Nebraska on their list.

But there's certainly a reward for the coach who wants to refurbish Nebraska to greatness, and plenty of resources at his disposal. The coach we need will know all about the expectations and pressures at Nebraska, and take the job precisely because he likes the challenge. He may already be here -- Mike Riley could have retired as a legend in his hometown. Or he may be the young coach we need to recognize before he gets hot and in demand.

No there's no truth to that at all.

There are no football programs with higher expectations than Alabama and Ohio State.

And yet those two programs attracted the two best coaches in college football.

They also didn't fire a coach because 9 wins wasn't good enough.

I can name 4 coaches since 1978 that were fired with over a .700 winning percentage from OSU.

Woody Hayes

Earl Bruce

John Cooper

Jim Tressel

Before anyone takes you to task, Hayes and Tressel weren't fired due to on-field results. John Cooper is an apt comparison to Solich/Pelini on-field records not being good enough to keep wolves at bay.

 

[It'sNotAFakeID]

I think that's the point that Hayes and Tressel weren't fired due to on-field results.

 

[cm husker]

If someone says we have black mold hidden behind the facade, what is that other than an indictment of the players?

And that's only one example of many around this and other boards.

An indictment on the mentality instilled in the players by the prior coaching staff? A simple analogy used to clarify what is meant by a "Teardown"?

I've been a member here for awhile, and I don't think Guy has ever once taken shots at the players. History, and context, matter.

If that were even true, which it isn't (that mainly came from some invented commentary by some radio personalities), how long does it take to remotivate a college kid?

Not that long if you're a good coach.

 

[Elf]

"The problem with that is it’s Nebraska and they just ran the last guy out for winning nine games a year.”

I never understood the argument that firing Solich and Bo deterred other coaches from coming to Nebraska. I f Nebraska is firing above average coaches, then why aren't other schools snapping them up? If our ex coaches were so unjustly fired, then why aren't they at top 25 programs, or at least coaching at Power 5 schools?

Agree, the other Power 5 schools certainly haven't clamored for our unjustly fired coaches.

But surely there's some truth to coaches -- and coach's agents -- being concerned about the expectation level at Nebraska. It's always sexier to turnaround a lousy program with low expectations, or revitalize a legacy program coming off a bad season or two, but it's a harder sell to inherit a 9 win team, knowing you have to do better immediately. There are probably easier campuses to recruit to than Lincoln, and nicer places for your wife to live.

So if good coaches have choices -- and they do -- they might not put Nebraska on their list.

But there's certainly a reward for the coach who wants to refurbish Nebraska to greatness, and plenty of resources at his disposal. The coach we need will know all about the expectations and pressures at Nebraska, and take the job precisely because he likes the challenge. He may already be here -- Mike Riley could have retired as a legend in his hometown. Or he may be the young coach we need to recognize before he gets hot and in demand.

No there's no truth to that at all.

There are no football programs with higher expectations than Alabama and Ohio State.

And yet those two programs attracted the two best coaches in college football.

They also didn't fire a coach because 9 wins wasn't good enough.

I don't know of any school that has done that.

 

[Elf]

"The problem with that is it’s Nebraska and they just ran the last guy out for winning nine games a year.”

I never understood the argument that firing Solich and Bo deterred other coaches from coming to Nebraska. I f Nebraska is firing above average coaches, then why aren't other schools snapping them up? If our ex coaches were so unjustly fired, then why aren't they at top 25 programs, or at least coaching at Power 5 schools?

Agree, the other Power 5 schools certainly haven't clamored for our unjustly fired coaches.

But surely there's some truth to coaches -- and coach's agents -- being concerned about the expectation level at Nebraska. It's always sexier to turnaround a lousy program with low expectations, or revitalize a legacy program coming off a bad season or two, but it's a harder sell to inherit a 9 win team, knowing you have to do better immediately. There are probably easier campuses to recruit to than Lincoln, and nicer places for your wife to live.

So if good coaches have choices -- and they do -- they might not put Nebraska on their list.

But there's certainly a reward for the coach who wants to refurbish Nebraska to greatness, and plenty of resources at his disposal. The coach we need will know all about the expectations and pressures at Nebraska, and take the job precisely because he likes the challenge. He may already be here -- Mike Riley could have retired as a legend in his hometown. Or he may be the young coach we need to recognize before he gets hot and in demand.

No there's no truth to that at all.

There are no football programs with higher expectations than Alabama and Ohio State.

And yet those two programs attracted the two best coaches in college football.

They also didn't fire a coach because 9 wins wasn't good enough.

I can name 4 coaches since 1978 that were fired with over a .700 winning percentage from OSU.
Woody Hayes

Earl Bruce

John Cooper

Jim Tressel

Before anyone takes you to task, Hayes and Tressel weren't fired due to on-field results. John Cooper is an apt comparison to Solich/Pelini on-field records not being good enough to keep wolves at bay.

Neither Solich or Pelini were fired because 9 wins weren't good enough.

 

[cm husker]

"The problem with that is its Nebraska and they just ran the last guy out for winning nine games a year.

I never understood the argument that firing Solich and Bo deterred other coaches from coming to Nebraska. I f Nebraska is firing above average coaches, then why aren't other schools snapping them up? If our ex coaches were so unjustly fired, then why aren't they at top 25 programs, or at least coaching at Power 5 schools?

Agree, the other Power 5 schools certainly haven't clamored for our unjustly fired coaches.

But surely there's some truth to coaches -- and coach's agents -- being concerned about the expectation level at Nebraska. It's always sexier to turnaround a lousy program with low expectations, or revitalize a legacy program coming off a bad season or two, but it's a harder sell to inherit a 9 win team, knowing you have to do better immediately. There are probably easier campuses to recruit to than Lincoln, and nicer places for your wife to live.

So if good coaches have choices -- and they do -- they might not put Nebraska on their list.

But there's certainly a reward for the coach who wants to refurbish Nebraska to greatness, and plenty of resources at his disposal. The coach we need will know all about the expectations and pressures at Nebraska, and take the job precisely because he likes the challenge. He may already be here -- Mike Riley could have retired as a legend in his hometown. Or he may be the young coach we need to recognize before he gets hot and in demand.

No there's no truth to that at all.

There are no football programs with higher expectations than Alabama and Ohio State.

And yet those two programs attracted the two best coaches in college football.

They also didn't fire a coach because 9 wins wasn't good enough.

I can name 4 coaches since 1978 that were fired with over a .700 winning percentage from OSU.
Woody Hayes

Earl Bruce

John Cooper

Jim Tressel

Before anyone takes you to task, Hayes and Tressel weren't fired due to on-field results. John Cooper is an apt comparison to Solich/Pelini on-field records not being good enough to keep wolves at bay.

Neither Solich or Pelini were fired because 9 wins weren't good enough.

If they had won more than they did, they wouldn't have been fired.

Let's stop pretending that the ADs in question somehow exercised some sort of moral authority in firing them.

As Pederson said, he believed NU isn't about winning games, it's about winning championships, which is a rationale Eichorst echoed when he said NU didn't win enough games that mattered.

Of course those are idiotic, shortsighted and unwise statements. But they do explain their rationale (and reveal those ADs lack of acumen).

It's only after both ADs proceeded to make underwhelming hires who started with lackluster seasons that we hear a rewriting of history both with respect to why we fired .700+ coaches and the state of the program - such as a rebuild suddenly being necessary after Eichorst went so far as to also say that this program had the talent necessary to win championships now.

 

[BigRedBuster]

But, let's stop acting like other schools haven't fired coaches who are .700+ at winning.

And, maybe if these two had won more they would be still here. But, they didn't and with their other issues, they made it easy to make the decision to get rid of them.

If you're winning 9-10 games per year and representing the program well...great....let's keep trying.

If you are winning 9-10 games a year and haven't won a championship in 7 years and acting like a total a$$....well.....see ya.

 

[cm husker]

Very few have unless it related to publicized off the field serious infractions.

NU's actions in firing Solich and Pelini are almost unprecedented.

I'll just state that I never had my feeing hurt or was embarrassed by Pelini. I thought overall he represented the school very well, fielding a team that did great things on and off the field and rarely had off field incidents.

But I get that he isn't as dreamy looking as Meyer and Saban and that his meany face were scary to some.

 

[Swiv3D]

Very few have unless it related to publicized off the field serious infractions.

NU's actions in firing Solich and Pelini are almost unprecedented.

I'll just state that I never had my feeing hurt or was embarrassed by Pelini. I thought overall he represented the school very well, fielding a team that did great things on and off the field and rarely had off field incidents.

But I get that he isn't as dreamy looking as Meyer and Saban and that his meany face were scary to some.

he called his boss a c*** to the team and called the ref a c***sucker on national TV vs A&M. You mean to say you weren't embarrassed either time?

 

[hskrpwr13]

Very few have unless it related to publicized off the field serious infractions.

NU's actions in firing Solich and Pelini are almost unprecedented.

I'll just state that I never had my feeing hurt or was embarrassed by Pelini. I thought overall he represented the school very well, fielding a team that did great things on and off the field and rarely had off field incidents.

But I get that he isn't as dreamy looking as Meyer and Saban and that his meany face were scary to some.

I stand with BRB on this one.

If you're coaching a "big time" program (Southern Cal, Texas, OSU, Michigan, Bama, etc), and the best you do is crank out 9-10 win seasons for 7 years, with no conference championships, and no real chance at national title, you WILL be let go.

Whether or not thats what NU should aspire to, considering some location disadvantages, might be debatable, and is a different discussion.

 

[Redux]

I'll just state that I never had my feeing hurt or was embarrassed by Pelini. I thought overall he represented the school very well, fielding a team that did great things on and off the field and rarely had off field incidents.

But I get that he isn't as dreamy looking as Meyer and Saban and that his meany face were scary to some.

This may be the definition of Revisionist History

 

[cm husker]

Very few have unless it related to publicized off the field serious infractions.

NU's actions in firing Solich and Pelini are almost unprecedented.

I'll just state that I never had my feeing hurt or was embarrassed by Pelini. I thought overall he represented the school very well, fielding a team that did great things on and off the field and rarely had off field incidents.

But I get that he isn't as dreamy looking as Meyer and Saban and that his meany face were scary to some.

he called his boss a c*** to the team and called the ref a c***sucker on national TV vs A&M. You mean to say you weren't embarrassed either time?

Definitely not at A&M.

As to the later comment, he'd already been fired. So clearly that wasn't a justification for the prior action.

But some rough language is pretty common in sports and other male pursuits, even among NU legendary coaches not named Osborne.

I just don't care that much about the language.

 

[cm husker]

Very few have unless it related to publicized off the field serious infractions.

NU's actions in firing Solich and Pelini are almost unprecedented.

I'll just state that I never had my feeing hurt or was embarrassed by Pelini. I thought overall he represented the school very well, fielding a team that did great things on and off the field and rarely had off field incidents.

But I get that he isn't as dreamy looking as Meyer and Saban and that his meany face were scary to some.

I stand with BRB on this one.

If you're coaching a "big time" program (Southern Cal, Texas, OSU, Michigan, Bama, etc), and the best you do is crank out 9-10 win seasons for 7 years, with no conference championships, and no real chance at national title, you WILL be let go.

Whether or not thats what NU should aspire to, considering some location disadvantages, might be debatable, and is a different discussion.

By that rationale, NU should have fired Osborne after his 7th season and that's the trouble I have with that rationale.