Crusader Husker
All-Conference
If he offered him a lot of money and he balked, then he is probably gone.
New ST Coach Mike Ekeler
- Thread starter BigRedBuster
- Start date
BigRedBuster
International Man of Mystery
OK, so MR offered Ekeler a lot of money to stay as ST coach. If he's going to USC to do that and coach something on the defense, would have Husker fans been happy if he was named an assistant on the D? Or, would have fans wanted to go out and get outside guys like we did?
runningblind
All-American
I say fire the LB coach right now, and let Ekeler be ST/LB if that is what he wants. His value on ST is going to far exceed anything the current LB coach can bring to overall team success. Letting Mike leave is going to be a large blow to chances of a winning season next year IMO.
HuskerNation1
All-American
Hope is not a strategy. Rhule has one stud assistant on staff and appears like he doesnt care if Eckeler leaves. This is why Rhule is a career .500 coach.
BigRedBuster
International Man of Mystery
OK, what if wanted to coach anything else and didn't want LBs?
BigRedBuster
International Man of Mystery
About the only thing he can do is offer him a lot of money to stay and it sounds like he did that.
Husker_Power
Starter
So—Rhule has the guys and system in place to do so without Ekler but couldn’t do it before?!
Sounds like he’s selling something I’m not buying.
Toe
All-American
Rhule offered him an extension that would make him the #1 or #2 highest paid special teams coordinator in the country and you think he doesn't care if Ekeler leaves?
runningblind
All-American
If he is still the ST coordinator in addition to whatever else he wanted, I am probably on board based on the effect he had in a single year on ST.
HuskerNation1
All-American
Well its likely not just about the money but also what else Eckeler was interested in from a coaching perspective. Rhule should have had those conversations with Eckeler before bringing in any new staff members. I am not getting the sense this is just about the money. Some are not solely driven by money but also by growth opportunities.
Husker_Power
Starter
Yep, I do so you have something to comment to.
I’m not doom and gloom, I’m just wondering why we’re gonna let one of the best special teams coach in the country walk from his home state. Yeah, there’s only so much Rhule can do. But to lose him a year after hiring is something of note, is it not?
Husker_In_WI
Guest
So—Rhule has the guys and system in place to do so without Ekler but couldn’t do it before?!
Maintaining a system that has been set up is different than creating the system. I'm skeptical that we would continue at exactly the same level, but I don't think we would be doomed to immediately fall back to the 2024 and earlier level of special teams play.
Sure, but let's say he wants to be a full time position coach. Are the same people saying Ek is entirely irreplaceable based on his impact to our special teams saying we should move him to a different role? If special teams impact is the reason to keep him, giving him a non-special teams role would be a weird way to accommodate that.
HuskerNation1
All-American
I have been in leadership roles for years, and when you have a rock star interested in growing, you give them that opportunity. Eckeler has the pedigree to be successful in whatever position/group he would take on. That killer instinct mentality is what this program has been lacking outside of Eckeler.
HuskerNation1
All-American
Yep, I do so you have something to comment to.
I’m not doom and gloom, I’m just wondering why we’re gonna let one of the best special teams coach in the country walk from his home state. Yeah, there’s only so much Rhule can do. But to lose him a year after hiring is something of note, is it not?
I think some Rhule fanboys like having brown noses. It almost reminds me of the cult mentality we see with some political movements where valid criticism of a leader is ostracized.