Epley's comments on Talent

My mind has went back to that article several times since it was published. And while it's probably safe to say that S&C went to hell under Riley, I wonder if it was something that existed from Day 1, or if it was more of a drop-off later on, after Epley made his remarks.

 
I'd love to see some follow-up on these statements by Epley as well:

In the performance index, a score of 1,500 — or 500 on each of the three tests — would be good starting point for a Division I athlete, Epley said. Somewhere in the 1,800s, Epley said, is when players start to become pro-caliber. Ideally, he said, he’d like Nebraska to recruit as many 1,500-point athletes as possible and improve those by 600 points over the course of their careers.

The football team had three players score in the 1,800s, Epley said.
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Epley said seven football players scored in the 1,700s. Twenty were at 900 or below. Epley said that 900 figure is a good benchmark for walk-ons. NU has “a significant number” over 1,500.

Epley said football strength coach Mark Philipp has already made progress with players. Epley would like to see players improve by 200 points per year.
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Has Nebraska released scores every year, or did they stop doing that?

 
Warrior10 said:
Seems to fit a common theme with the previous regime, excuses. 
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My guess is that Epley was toeing the company line and saying what Eichorst asked him to.  Eichorst did a favor to Epley and brought him back in the fold at NU, and Epley was probably asked to defend Riley and make comments about needing more time.  "Needing more time" was generally the common theme during the Riley era.

 
ColoradoHusk said:
My guess is that Epley was toeing the company line and saying what Eichorst asked him to.  Eichorst did a favor to Epley and brought him back in the fold at NU, and Epley was probably asked to defend Riley and make comments about needing more time.  "Needing more time" was generally the common theme during the Riley era.
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If we are being serious, I agree. 

 
ColoradoHusk said:
My guess is that Epley was toeing the company line and saying what Eichorst asked him to.  Eichorst did a favor to Epley and brought him back in the fold at NU, and Epley was probably asked to defend Riley and make comments about needing more time.  "Needing more time" was generally the common theme during the Riley era.
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Hard to argue against that. Culturally, Eichorst/Riley made Nebraska feel like a business to me. That's what division one football is at the end of the day but it shouldn't feel like that.

 
ColoradoHusk said:
My guess is that Epley was toeing the company line and saying what Eichorst asked him to.  Eichorst did a favor to Epley and brought him back in the fold at NU, and Epley was probably asked to defend Riley and make comments about needing more time.  "Needing more time" was generally the common theme during the Riley era.
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Even though I can't stand Riley and SE...I do think what you typed is true and I really don't have a problem with it.   In the end it is sales...right?  What is the code...under-promise and over-deliver?  

 
ColoradoHusk said:
My guess is that Epley was toeing the company line and saying what Eichorst asked him to.  Eichorst did a favor to Epley and brought him back in the fold at NU, and Epley was probably asked to defend Riley and make comments about needing more time.  "Needing more time" was generally the common theme during the Riley era.
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It’s still maddening that a guy in his 60’s who has been coaching for decades was constantly arguing he needed more time. Diaco sounded like he had developed a drug problem. Cavanaugh sounded like he was poorly cast as an offensive line coach and is better suited to be a short order cook at a Waffle House. Lee is some combination of colorblind and near-sighted and yet he was still the starter. Players weren’t being developed or even required to work out.

Frost’s first attempt to put the team through an actual college football workout almost killed two of our players.

Let that sink in. That’s how bad Riley let things get here.

So more time for what exactly?

I’ve gone from seeing Riley as a kind of lovable and clueless loser who was doing his best to having far more contempt for him, his coaching, and his methods. We brought kids here to play big-time college football and Riley screwed them big-time. 

 
Ric Flair said:
It’s still maddening that a guy in his 60’s who has been coaching for decades was constantly arguing he needed more time. Diaco sounded like he had developed a drug problem. Cavanaugh sounded like he was poorly cast as an offensive line coach and is better suited to be a short order cook at a Waffle House. Lee is some combination of colorblind and near-sighted and yet he was still the starter. Players weren’t being developed or even required to work out.

Frost’s first attempt to put the team through an actual college football workout almost killed two of our players.

Let that sink in. That’s how bad Riley let things get here.

So more time for what exactly?

I’ve gone from seeing Riley as a kind of lovable and clueless loser who was doing his best to having far more contempt for him, his coaching, and his methods. We brought kids here to play big-time college football and Riley screwed them big-time. 
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I don't disagree with anything you are saying.  Riley seemed totally clueless as coach at NU, but I still think it went back to what Eichorst was thinking when Eichorst hired Riley.

1.  Eichorst thought that "anyone" could win 8 or 9 games at NU.  After all, Bo had been doing that for 7 years, and the consensus was that Bo wasn't a very good coach.

2.  Eichorst wanted someone that he could get along with, and someone that NU fans could "like".  Shoot, we saw it plenty of times on here, saying how "I don't care how Riley is doing as coach, I still like him and think he's a great man, and proud that he's our coach."

3.  Eichorst figured Riley would do "just well enough" to last 4-5 years, and then Riley would "retire", and Eichorst could bring in another of "his guys" in.  I am 100% convinced that Diaco was brought in to be the heir apparent to Riley, when Riley was ready to "retire".

 
ColoradoHusk said:
I don't disagree with anything you are saying.  Riley seemed totally clueless as coach at NU, but I still think it went back to what Eichorst was thinking when Eichorst hired Riley.

1.  Eichorst thought that "anyone" could win 8 or 9 games at NU.  After all, Bo had been doing that for 7 years, and the consensus was that Bo wasn't a very good coach.

2.  Eichorst wanted someone that he could get along with, and someone that NU fans could "like".  Shoot, we saw it plenty of times on here, saying how "I don't care how Riley is doing as coach, I still like him and think he's a great man, and proud that he's our coach."

3.  Eichorst figured Riley would do "just well enough" to last 4-5 years, and then Riley would "retire", and Eichorst could bring in another of "his guys" in.  I am 100% convinced that Diaco was brought in to be the heir apparent to Riley, when Riley was ready to "retire".
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No doubt Eichorst seemed to think Diaco was the Promised One. It’s still amazing to me that he was telling guys like John Cook they had a lot to learn from someone like Diaco.

Someone should warn Bill Moos that there might still be open bottles of the glue that Eichorst was apparently sniffing around his office.

 
Ric Flair said:
No doubt Eichorst seemed to think Diaco was the Promised One. It’s still amazing to me that he was telling guys like John Cook they had a lot to learn from someone like Diaco.

Someone should warn Bill Moos that there might still be open bottles of the glue that Eichorst was apparently sniffing around his office.
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apAee7G.gif


 
ColoradoHusk said:
1.  Eichorst thought that "anyone" could win 8 or 9 games at NU.  After all, Bo had been doing that for 7 years, and the consensus was that Bo wasn't a very good coach.
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Who falls under the "consensus" in this case?  Your post refers to Eichorst.

Eichorst was brought in to do one thing, and it had nothing to do with how "good" of a coach Pelini was.  If anything, Pelini was better than Eichorst "needed" him to be to accomplish Perlman's objective.....thus the struggle to fire him.

 
Ric Flair said:
It’s still maddening that a guy in his 60’s who has been coaching for decades was constantly arguing he needed more time. Diaco sounded like he had developed a drug problem. Cavanaugh sounded like he was poorly cast as an offensive line coach and is better suited to be a short order cook at a Waffle House. Lee is some combination of colorblind and near-sighted and yet he was still the starter. Players weren’t being developed or even required to work out.
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d5ANkPt.jpg


 
Ric Flair said:
It’s still maddening that a guy in his 60’s who has been coaching for decades was constantly arguing he needed more time. Diaco sounded like he had developed a drug problem. Cavanaugh sounded like he was poorly cast as an offensive line coach and is better suited to be a short order cook at a Waffle House. Lee is some combination of colorblind and near-sighted and yet he was still the starter. Players weren’t being developed or even required to work out.

Frost’s first attempt to put the team through an actual college football workout almost killed two of our players.

Let that sink in. That’s how bad Riley let things get here.

So more time for what exactly?

I’ve gone from seeing Riley as a kind of lovable and clueless loser who was doing his best to having far more contempt for him, his coaching, and his methods. We brought kids here to play big-time college football and Riley screwed them big-time. 
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I went from laughing in the first paragraph, to dumbfounded with the bolded, to angry after I took the advice of the third point....and then feeling sad for first Riley and then lastly, the players as I finished reading.

I mean the entire gamut of emotions in that post, guys.  This really needs more +1s.  It is a hall of fame post.

 
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