Did We Fire (pick favorite coach) too soon?

[lo country]

TO- Gave us Frank without any choice

Frank-Should've been given more time after 2003 IMHO.  Fired his defensive staff, lost Carl Crawford, still fired

Cally-Great recruiter.  Completely changed scheme and culture of NU. Both have never returned.  Doomed by Cos as DC

Bo- Got stuck with Wats (again TO).  Incredibly inexperienced staff.  Volatile temper made him viral in a bad way.  Couldn't get over the 9-10 win hump (I'd like those days back).  Burned his own house down.  Once Cally's guys were gone and Sanders and Carl left, this option went south fast.

Riley-Clown.  Never should have been hired.  Mister .500.  Incompetent HC with an even more incompetent staff.

Frost-Prodigal son.  Right hire, right time, right place.  I trust in the process, perhaps not his whole scale scheme.  I think he will adapt to the B1G.  They won't adapt to us.  If it was anyone other than Frost that started 0-3, we would have already run him out of town.  He is NU royalty and gets time.  He inherited a dumpster fire.  However, fans just want to see improvement as we go along.  IMHO, we haven't hit bottom yet.  It'll take 3-4 years to fix and start to see permanent change ie no blowout losses, competitive game in and game out (year after year) be in the conference hunt etc....Again, right guy, right time, right hire.  (Give him time will grow thin in year 3 though)

 

[LaunchCode]

The game has changed and we don't play in the same conference with a similar schedule as back when we played "Nebraska" football.

Bo had enough time to bring in his players and establish his system.  In hind sight we can obviously do a lot worse than Pelini, however it just didn't appear we had a higher peak we could reach with him here and 9 wins with losses to ranked teams wasn't cutting it anymore with his attitude.  Maybe hiring a new OC with the right offense and BP might have been able to get those wins in the big games that counted.

MR never got the chance to get his guys or install his system to completion and was forced to make assistant hires that did nothing but set the team back to day one of his arrival.  The offense has already been proven successful in this conference for a number of years, but that's all water under the bridge and here we go again.  The biggest thing that worries me about SF's offense is the beating QB's will take playing a BIG schedule.  It may take a lot of luck, or 3-4 QB's to weather a season and that concerns me.

 

[NebraskaShellback]

:facepalm:   Let us get off of threads examining and reexamining are we better off with the previous staff here. This is what a backlash is and deal with it. When you try to refix mistakes and trying  new ways every few years - you lose your sense of direction. Right now, we are just waiting for the program to find it way again. The fans have not changed and many still keep the tradition of being a Cornhuskers'.  

 

[Nebfanatic]

4 coaches over 20 years isn't that bad if you look at the landscape of college football. Some blue blood squads have cycled through 4 coaches in a decade it seems.

 

[Nebfanatic]

The game has changed and we don't play in the same conference with a similar schedule as back when we played "Nebraska" football.

Bo had enough time to bring in his players and establish his system.  In hind sight we can obviously do a lot worse than Pelini, however it just didn't appear we had a higher peak we could reach with him here and 9 wins with losses to ranked teams wasn't cutting it anymore with his attitude.  Maybe hiring a new OC with the right offense and BP might have been able to get those wins in the big games that counted.

MR never got the chance to get his guys or install his system to completion and was forced to make assistant hires that did nothing but set the team back to day one of his arrival.  The offense has already been proven successful in this conference for a number of years, but that's all water under the bridge and here we go again.  The biggest thing that worries me about SF's offense is the beating QB's will take playing a BIG schedule.  It may take a lot of luck, or 3-4 QB's to weather a season and that concerns me.

I liked Riley for a long time and still think he is a good enough guy but after some of the things we heard shortly after he was let go tell me he had no business coaching here or at the D-1 level for that matter. He wasn't in charge and as a coach at this level you have to be.

 

[Big Red 40]

I would have liked to see Pellini stay a little longer with a different AD/chancellor combo . Perlman and Eichhorst were as much to blame for the failure of the entire organization as  anyone . The mishandling and firing of Bo and the subsequent hiring of a terrible coach (Riley) set the program back years . Callahan with a different DC could have been interesting too . 

 

[Nebfanatic]

I would have liked to see Pellini stay a little longer with a different AD/chancellor combo . Perlman and Eichhorst were as much to blame for the failure of the entire organization as  anyone . The mishandling and firing of Bo and the subsequent hiring of a terrible coach (Riley) set the program back years . Callahan with a different DC could have been interesting too . 

Imagine if Moos was our AD from the beginning 

 

[84HuskerLaw]

Just three games into the first season and 10 months from Frost being hired and the discussion returns to bad coaches, bad hires, bad fires, etc.   Each and every one of the successors to Osborne has been hashed and rehashed ad nauseum.   Positions are hardened and opinions cemented.  Almost nobody is changing their minds as to which one(s) were right, wrong or in between.   

Recruiting of the best players to fit the then scheme(s) and or the future scheme(s) is absolutely critical to building and maintaining a successful program.   For 90% plus of fans, boosters, alums, etc winning games and competing frequently for conference and national championships is the ultimate measure of such success.    We have not done that consistantly for more than a decade.   The cancer of program decline/decay began around 2000 under Solich as recruiting was neglected or misdirected or failed for any number of reasons.   Solich was fired because the cupboard was emptying at an alarming rate.   This is simply a fact and the alarm bells were sounding but far too many weren't paying attention.   

Callahan is an excellent football coach and his long career therein is proof thereof

Solich was a fine assistant coach at NU for many years and did good things as HC for a couple seasons at a minimum.  The job may have been more than he needed managerially and he certainly wasn't 'the Closer' in recruiting.  He has done a satisfactory job at Ohio U since as he retains his job after about 13 years.

Pelini has been a relatively successful assistant coach with several well known football programs (college and or pro).   He knows a lot about football but less about public relations.

Riley has been hired and fired by a virtual who's who list of college and professional football orgs and he always seems to land on his feet at his next and or former  place so he has to have a large degree of respect and appreciation in the football realm.  He can't be all bad.

Osborne did not fire Solich but he did fire Callahan and hire Pelini.   Osborne did not hire Riley but I suspect he had a major voice in his termination and the hire of Frost.    I have no recollection of Osborne ever offering his opinion, publicly or privately, of the Callahan or Riley hires but it would seem inconceivable that he was not atleast asked for his imput and or opinion on both behind the scenes.  Whether he was listened to we may never really know. 

The facilities at NU throughout the past 25 years have been 'top 10' without question.  The fan support and other outside factors are certainly top 10.  The schedules and so on have, on balance, over the time period, been reasonably accomodating to enable a championship caliber team to be fieded atleast once or twice during the tenures of each regime.

There is really only one apparent common denominator that would have inhibited championship football from arising up over the period:   overall team talent.   

Now, its Scott Frost's opportunity.   How long is long enough?   The answer lies in making a frank, fair, honest and realistic evaluation of the current talent and the time and energy and resources and monumental effort it will take to raise the talent level up to elite (perennial top 10) level.  It is not fair or reasonable to expect Frost to win championships without the players capable of doing so.

How many players on this fall's team could start for Alabama, Ohio State, Penn State, Clemson, Oklahoma, etal?     Arguably none.

How many would make the travel rosters for those same level programs?   A handful?

How many players on Riley's first squad would have?   6 or 8?

How many for Pelini first team?   A dozen?

How many for Callahan first year?  Twenty?

How many for Solich first year?   (A whole bunch!!!!).

Do we have any current players who could have started on Frost's 97 team?   Not likely.   Any backups?   Maybe but not sure who it might be?   Maybe Martinez, or couple receivers. or LBs or TEs? 

Give Frost the talent to compete and he will get us the championships we all crave!   That will take as long as it takes.  It took Osborne 22 years to win his first national titile after inheriting a championship calibler team.  Frost is starting more where Devaney started so let's don't expect a lot in his first season! 

We need a lot of better players all over the team in my view in order to restore NU to its 1980s and 1990s level of success.   How many?   If Frost adds 25 starters and made this year's starters the number 2s, we'd be in the hunt for the Big Ten west division.  We'd need about 25 more 4 and 5 star level players to get into the playoff discussions.    

 

[runningblind]

Frost-Prodigal son.  Right hire, right time, right place.  I trust in the process, perhaps not his whole scale scheme.  I think he will adapt to the B1G.  They won't adapt to us. 

I think if Frost is trying to adapt wholsale to the B1G in 3-4 years it will mean big trouble.  He may have to make modifications, all coaches do, but he and his staff run what they run. 

He needs time to establish culture and get the right kids in place sure, but I expect his scheme will do just fine in the league once established.  We need a full year and another offseason in the scheme and for conditioning. 

 

[huKSer]

According to some "fans" Frost might be in the argument if he should be given more time.  

Solich is the only one that should have been given time.

Callahan is an excellent offensive line football coach and his long career therein is proof thereof

FIFY

 

[84HuskerLaw]

According to some "fans" Frost might be in the argument if he should be given more time.  

Solich is the only one that should have been given time.

FIFY

I don't disagree but he also did get a team in to the super bowl as HC.   He certainly knows offensive football but he is one the best O line coaches - period.  But his biggest shortcoming in my view is he is a pro football thinker which is quite the contrary of a college coach.  You have to teach the fundamentals in college and he does best at taking dam good college players and making them all pros.   

 

[huKSer]

I don't disagree but he also did get a team in to the super bowl as HC.   He certainly knows offensive football but he is one the best O line coaches - period.  But his biggest shortcoming in my view is he is a pro football thinker which is quite the contrary of a college coach.  You have to teach the fundamentals in college and he does best at taking dam good college players and making them all pros.   

And the year after going to the Super Bowl he completely lost the team.

I would put him and Pelini in the same category - excellent coordinators who should not be head coaches

 

[Jeepy]

TO- Gave us Frank without any choice

Frank-Should've been given more time after 2003 IMHO.  Fired his defensive staff, lost Carl Crawford, still fired

Cally-Great recruiter.  Completely changed scheme and culture of NU. Both have never returned.  Doomed by Cos as DC

Bo- Got stuck with Wats (again TO).  Incredibly inexperienced staff.  Volatile temper made him viral in a bad way.  Couldn't get over the 9-10 win hump (I'd like those days back).  Burned his own house down.  Once Cally's guys were gone and Sanders and Carl left, this option went south fast.

Riley-Clown.  Never should have been hired.  Mister .500.  Incompetent HC with an even more incompetent staff.

Frost-Prodigal son.  Right hire, right time, right place.  I trust in the process, perhaps not his whole scale scheme.  I think he will adapt to the B1G.  They won't adapt to us.  If it was anyone other than Frost that started 0-3, we would have already run him out of town.  He is NU royalty and gets time.  He inherited a dumpster fire.  However, fans just want to see improvement as we go along.  IMHO, we haven't hit bottom yet.  It'll take 3-4 years to fix and start to see permanent change ie no blowout losses, competitive game in and game out (year after year) be in the conference hunt etc....Again, right guy, right time, right hire.  (Give him time will grow thin in year 3 though)

Another nice synopsis of the past several coaches.  That last paragraph about Scott seems spot on.   Gawd we want wins that should be wins (Troy.. those to come). 

The past isn't entirely in the past.  It's part of what makes us.  It's like a foundation, and sometimes it's shaky.  Thus my concerns.  Want to forget these terrible coaches?   Better not. 

 

[lo country]

And the year after going to the Super Bowl he completely lost the team.

I would put him and Pelini in the same category - excellent coordinators who should not be head coaches

Agree with the bolded for sure.  As a DC in 2003, he did a great job IMO (coming off the 7-7 season)  I think some guys are great with seeing the complete picture.  Others are better with a narrow scope vision. nothing wrong with that.  I'd throw our Criag Bohl (not a NU HC), but as a DC, no thanks.  What he did at NDSU was nothing short of amazing.  Not doing "bad" at Wyoming.....Cally was a great OC/OL coach.  Great recruiter, just abysmal at the college level/HC position IMO.

 

[lo country]

I think if Frost is trying to adapt wholsale to the B1G in 3-4 years it will mean big trouble.  He may have to make modifications, all coaches do, but he and his staff run what they run. 

He needs time to establish culture and get the right kids in place sure, but I expect his scheme will do just fine in the league once established.  We need a full year and another offseason in the scheme and for conditioning. 

I should have been specific.  I think he will have adapt his scheme to a degree.  I do not think it will be a whole scale change.  I'd like to just see more elements of traditional power ie traps, counters etc...Heavy sets with 22/23 personnel on goal line.  Maybe even QB under center on short yardage.  BUT, he might have those and our OL is incapable of getting the push and or pulling to make it happen.  Or TE's not ready yet.  Might not even want to EVER use those, but I think he will have to (adapt to the B1G)  Or QB not comfortable like Milton (duh right. 2 years vs 3 games).  I'm sure as the season progresses (or years) we will see more.  He certainly showed a lot more at UCF than we have seen to date.