Interim Head Coach Mickey Joseph

[Enhance]

MJ is in the position he's currently in as a protective measure and should be viewed through that lens. He was not hired by Frost or promoted by Trev under any kind of serious consideration that he may be Nebraska's next head coach. Prior to this season, he was (and remains) mostly unqualified to be the head coach at a program like Nebraska.

It's a tough hand to be dealt, but that's the hand.

@ColoradoHusk brought up a point in another thread that I completely agree with, which was that some people are acting like MJ not getting the full time job is similar to him being fired. While a new coach will likely not retain him, MJ is by definition a temporary head coach, and everybody knew he would have to pull off something remarkable to be considered a HC candidate.

 

[Display name]

I think Trev  likes Mickey because if he can turn it around he wouldn’t immediately leave for another job but I do think he wants Aranda so he can have both a proven head coach and then one in waiting i bet Trev will make Aranda a offer he can’t refuse  if that doesn’t work I think he will keep Mickey and go after the best coordinators and line coaches money can buy with the money we would save by retaining Mickey 

 

[admo]

I think Trev  likes Mickey because if he can turn it around he wouldn’t immediately leave for another job but I do think he wants Aranda so he can have both a proven head coach and then one in waiting i bet Trev will make Aranda a offer he can’t refuse  if that doesn’t work I think he will keep Mickey and go after the best coordinators and line coaches money can buy with the money we would save by retaining Mickey 

But why Aranda?  What has he done?  

I get that he won a conference championship last year - which is HUGE.  But really, many of those guys playing were committed before him, stuck it out, got big, strong and older by this time they won.  

I like Aranda and would be okay.  I just won't think "wow, it was worth it".

I also don't think Aranda would leave Baylor (a good spot right not) for a total rebuild of Nebraska. 

If he do, it's because the crazy money Lincoln throws out to coaches in desperation.... and sometimes that is too much to pass up.  But nothing else.

 

[Nebhawk]

Question for everyone.  Do we have top 35 talent on this roster?  Have you seen anything on the field that would tell you that we do? 

I will tell you that our linebackers are not top 100 talent.  I will also tell you that our lines on both sides are not top tiered talent.  They are in position to make plays and just don't-whiff or just can't make the play.  That is talent. That is want too as well.  Our talent level is not real high at this point. 

The right coach for this job needs to have some solid reputation on transfers and will need to be a solid recruiter/developer.  I think we have pieces, but those pieces are not good enough to win against better talented teams like Illinois has right now.  The sad thing about all of this is Illinois is still a notch below MIchigan and Ohio ST.  So that tells me that we are 2 to 3 notches below.   We do have talent, but its not on the most important parts of a team.  Developing talent has been our real issue.

 

[Dogs In A Pile]

I truly don't know if anyone wants or would take this job outside of a former Husker.  Realistically.

I think this is nonsense. KU won 20 games total in the 11 years prior to Leipold taking over in 2021. He has been able to get that program turned in the right direction in his second year despite not getting there until late May 2021. And NU has way more to offer in just about every respect compared to KU. Facilities, NIL, B1G money to pay HC & assistants, fan support, one of  top 2 conferences in the country.

Are we going to get an elite coach? Almost certainly not but to think nobody that can turn this program around will come to NU is ridiculous.

 

[The Whale]

I think this is nonsense. KU won 20 games total in the 11 years prior to Leipold taking over in 2021. He has been able to get that program turned in the right direction in his second year despite not getting there until late May 2021. And NU has way more to offer in just about every respect compared to KU. Facilities, NIL, B1G money to pay HC & assistants, fan support, one of  top 2 conferences in the country.

Are we going to get an elite coach? Almost certainly not but to think nobody that can turn this program around will come to NU is ridiculous.

Why do you say that? I think (and fully expect) that we will get a proven winner, big name coach this time. Meyer or Bielema.

 

[thexyz]

Where we’re at now is a manifestation that’s occurred over a span of time with multiple layers. To some extent for most of twenty five years. We regained our footing somewhat with Bo Pelini but his us against the world and related conflict with university officials was a contributing factor as well.

Our challenges are multifaceted and will require a great deal of fortitude and diligence to get turned around. It seems like we’ve been grasping for an identity patching things together from one coach to the next where a renewal hasn’t happened. The next coach not only has to be an architect but can also carry out a unification successfully. 
 

Winning cures a lot of things. And yet, to win requires a combination of elements. We can talk about talent and identifying and developing it, culture and instilling a mindset, identity and being hunters rather than the hunted. Whatever it is…
 

Those are just words though until the team experiences it and know what those things are and give life to it. Communication, planning, organization and phrases have no meaning to organizations until they are realized. There’s a cause with an infinite game in mind. It begins to flourish on a small scale taking on a life of its own. Actions becoming habits and then habits a way of life. 
 

 

[Enhance]

Question for everyone.  Do we have top 35 talent on this roster?  Have you seen anything on the field that would tell you that we do? 

I have kind of a cop out answer.

I think Nebraska has recruited Top 35 talent on paper, so from that standpoint, the answer is yes.

I do not think they play like a Top 35 talented roster, so from that standpoint, the answer is no. It harkens back to your last sentence which is ultimately the development/coaching issues this program struggles with.

On paper, Nebraska has recruited more than enough talent to compete for AND win the West division in recent years. There's no doubt in my mind about that. But, all the raw potential in the world doesn't matter if you can't actually focus it, develop it, and get winning results out of it.

 

[BigRedBuster]

Question for everyone.  Do we have top 35 talent on this roster?  Have you seen anything on the field that would tell you that we do? 

I think we do, but we don’t see it on the field.  That is because of a combination of coaching and player attitude. 
 

there are so many times we have a bad play because the player or CB players are doing the wrong thing.  Not, because he can’t physically do what he’s supposed to. 

 

[thexyz]

I have kind of a cop out answer.

I think Nebraska has recruited Top 35 talent on paper, so from that standpoint, the answer is yes.

I do not think they play like a Top 35 talented roster, so from that standpoint, the answer is no. It harkens back to your last sentence which is ultimately the development/coaching issues this program struggles with.

On paper, Nebraska has recruited more than enough talent to compete for AND win the West division in recent years. There's no doubt in my mind about that. But, all the raw potential in the world doesn't matter if you can't actually focus it, develop it, and get winning results out of it.

And along with that being less  talented in areas. Specifically the offensive line. It seems that we have sufficient talent in the skilled positions. The development has been better with those as well. There’s been a drop off in the defensive line coaching this season I think. Linebacker development and coaching too hasn’t been particularly good either. 
 

 

[lo country]

I have kind of a cop out answer.

I think Nebraska has recruited Top 35 talent on paper, so from that standpoint, the answer is yes.

I do not think they play like a Top 35 talented roster, so from that standpoint, the answer is no. It harkens back to your last sentence which is ultimately the development/coaching issues this program struggles with.

On paper, Nebraska has recruited more than enough talent to compete for AND win the West division in recent years. There's no doubt in my mind about that. But, all the raw potential in the world doesn't matter if you can't actually focus it, develop it, and get winning results out of it.

We initially recruit in the top 25, but through guys not panning out, leaving, quitting football etc our adjusted classes are not near what they started out as.  Here is an example of the 2017 class and 2018 class.  Guys that by now should be in the 4th or 5th year with NU.  Your leaders, seniors, keeper of the keys etc.....And the re-ranking outs 2017 at 70 and 2018 at 69th......Thats the "talent" of what was left of those two classes.  Still looking to find more recent classes.

But to emphasize your points, the staff has developed no one.  Our biggest weapons this year?  AG, AJ (pre injurt) CT and Palmer....On defense?  No real idea tbh.  This was the first year we have had depth and an actual RB 1.  4 years with Held left us with nothing.  Same in the receiver room until MJ.  I liked Beckton, but he has developed nothing and recruited nothing.  Yes Fidone has been injured, but we did nothing to get that room ready. OL, DL, LB,.....On and on.  Nothing.  The new staff might actually have decent guys to work with. Sadly, they have been devoid of anything resembling coaching until some positions this year.

https://theathletic.com/3129850/2022/02/15/too-many-misses-nebraska-falters-in-another-recruiting-re-rank-again-finishing-at-bottom-of-the-power-5/

 

[lo country]

And along with that being less  talented in areas. Specifically the offensive line. It seems that we have sufficient talent in the skilled positions. The development has been better with those as well. There’s been a drop off in the defensive line coaching this season I think. Linebacker development and coaching too hasn’t been particularly good either. 
 

Dawson sucks.  Ruud (another Husker who got pass after pass) sucks.  DB's seem better under BB.  But that's just my opinion.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

I think we do, but we don’t see it on the field.  That is because of a combination of coaching and player attitude. 
 

there are so many times we have a bad play because the player or CB players are doing the wrong thing.  Not, because he can’t physically do what he’s supposed to. 

I think people point to “recruiting rankings” to show if a team has talent. But what do high school recruiting rankings mean 2-4 years after the fact?  Chubba Purdy was a “talented recruit” out of high school, but he looked like one of the worst QB’s to ever suit up and get meaningful snaps for NU.
 

Also, NU has been hit by a lot of transfers out and other attrition, so the classes of 18, 19, and 20 which were thought of as solid are no longer have very few players left from those classes.

When I watch the players on the field to me they don’t look very talented. To me, that means physically and mentally able to play their roles consistently at an above average level. There is a huge lack of consistency across the board. Finally, to borrow a phrase from baseball analytics, the most players at NU are at “replacement level” or below. This means that they could be replaced by an average player in college football (or Power 5 if I want to get more applicable) and there wouldn’t be any difference in play.  If NU has at or below replacement level players, then to me, they aren’t very talented. 

 

[TheSker]

We initially recruit in the top 25, but through guys not panning out, leaving, quitting football etc our adjusted classes are not near what they started out as.  Here is an example of the 2017 class and 2018 class.  Guys that by now should be in the 4th or 5th year with NU.  Your leaders, seniors, keeper of the keys etc.....And the re-ranking outs 2017 at 70 and 2018 at 69th......Thats the "talent" of what was left of those two classes.  Still looking to find more recent classes.

But to emphasize your points, the staff has developed no one.  Our biggest weapons this year?  AG, AJ (pre injurt) CT and Palmer....On defense?  No real idea tbh.  This was the first year we have had depth and an actual RB 1.  4 years with Held left us with nothing.  Same in the receiver room until MJ.  I liked Beckton, but he has developed nothing and recruited nothing.  Yes Fidone has been injured, but we did nothing to get that room ready. OL, DL, LB,.....On and on.  Nothing.  The new staff might actually have decent guys to work with. Sadly, they have been devoid of anything resembling coaching until some positions this year.

https://theathletic.com/3129850/2022/02/15/too-many-misses-nebraska-falters-in-another-recruiting-re-rank-again-finishing-at-bottom-of-the-power-5/

Vokolek plays well, as does Brewington.

Beckton did fantastic with Austin Allen.

Holding off on Fidone is the right thing to do.

I realize a message board allows emotion to get in the way of fact.....but damn.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

Vokolek plays well, as does Brewington.

Beckton did fantastic with Austin Allen.

Holding off on Fidone is the right thing to do.

I realize a message board allows emotion to get in the way of fact.....but damn.

Fidone is an incomplete, due to his injuries, but I doubt he does anything meaningful at NU. Beckton has also missed on getting a number of other TE recruits out of Omaha, and hasn’t done much with AJ Rollins. Beckton is an ok coach, not great.