NU Head Coaches - their first four years

[knapplc]

Lots of talk about Bo continuing the nine win tradition Osborne was known for, and it's always bothered me because we play so many more games now than we did in the early 70s. So I went back through and looked at our past six head coaches and took a look at not just their wins, but their winning percentage in their first four years.

Bill Jennings

Wins: 12

Losses: 28

Ties: 0

Winning Percentage: 30%

Bob Devaney

Wins: 38

Losses: 6

Ties: 0

Winning Percentage: 86%

Tom Osborne

Wins: 37

Losses: 10

Ties: 2

Winning Percentage: 76%

Frank Solich

Wins: 42

Losses: 9

Ties: 0

Winning Percentage: 82%

Bill Callahan

Wins: 27

Losses: 22

Ties: 0

Winning Percentage: 55%

Bo Pelini

Wins: 38

Losses: 16

Ties: 0

Winning Percentage: 70%

Bill Jennings and Bill Callahan only had four years each, and we've just completed year four of the Bo Pelini Era, so this is as good a time to compare numbers as any. Both Bills were abysmal, leading me to believe we should never hire another Bill again. The Bobfather was, unsurprisingly, without peer. Frank inherited a Maserati and did OK with it, and should have challenged for a MNC in his second year, but things tailed off toward the end - and we all remember the 2001 end-of-season disaster. Callahan may have been better served not trying to fit a round peg into a square hole, running his West Coast offense with Option personnel, but that's hardly the only reason his percentage was so low.

Historically, Pelini's percentage is fourth in this group. Take it for what you will.

 

[da skers]

This can't be correct. Billy C was the greatest coach ever. His recruiting proves it. Just look . . . anyone Bo has put in the NFL were here becuase of BC. :sarcasm

 

[NUance]

It's useful to consider what the coach was taking over. Here are Knap's numbers from above along with a win percentage for the two years before that coach took over.

Bill Jennings 30% (the 2 yrs before: 45%)

Bob Devaney 86% (the 2 yrs before: 37%)

Tom Osborne 76% (the 2 years before: 92%)

Frank Solich 82% (the 2 years before: 92%)

Bill Callahan 55% (the 2 years before: 63%)

Bo Pelini: 70% (the 2 years before: 54%)

This makes you realize how truly great Bob Devaney was. Took over a program winning 37% of its games, and He proceeded to win 86% of his games in his first four years.

 

[bshirt]

While no doubt Devaney reigns supreme and rightly so, I would think it fair to consider Bo took over a used Pinto with two flat tires, an engine that leaked oil and had front end alignment problems.

Let's not forget that even Devaney after those four years went 6 - 4 for two years in a row. Of course, even those two years beat Clownahan's win percentage.

 

[hskrpwr13]

knapp, I know this isn't the point of your post, but I'll never forget the consistent 'We're not going to try to fit round pegs in square holes' comments. The lack of intellectual respect was infuriating. I kept thinking, "Thats exactly what you're trying to do, you a$$." Anyway.....

Not a "dig" on Bo, but I am less impressed with 9-win seasons than I was during the TO era. The team plays more games now; parity be damned. Hopefully, we'll get back to being an 80%+ win progam soon (and hopefully not just because the schedule lightens).

 

[Excel]

I still can't belive you guys fired Solich

 

[NUance]

Don't go there. Oops. Too late.

 

[Comish]

Lots of talk about Bo continuing the nine win tradition Osborne was known for, and it's always bothered me because we play so many more games now than we did in the early 70s. So I went back through and looked at our past six head coaches and took a look at not just their wins, but their winning percentage in their first four years.

Bill Jennings

Wins: 12

Losses: 28

Ties: 0

Winning Percentage: 30%

Bob Devaney

Wins: 38

Losses: 6

Ties: 0

Winning Percentage: 86%

Tom Osborne

Wins: 37

Losses: 10

Ties: 2

Winning Percentage: 76%

Frank Solich

Wins: 42

Losses: 9

Ties: 0

Winning Percentage: 82%

Bill Callahan

Wins: 27

Losses: 22

Ties: 0

Winning Percentage: 55%

Bo Pelini

Wins: 38

Losses: 16

Ties: 0

Winning Percentage: 70%

Bill Jennings and Bill Callahan only had four years each, and we've just completed year four of the Bo Pelini Era, so this is as good a time to compare numbers as any. Both Bills were abysmal, leading me to believe we should never hire another Bill again. The Bobfather was, unsurprisingly, without peer. Frank inherited a Maserati and did OK with it, and should have challenged for a MNC in his second year, but things tailed off toward the end - and we all remember the 2001 end-of-season disaster. Callahan may have been better served not trying to fit a round peg into a square hole, running his West Coast offense with Option personnel, but that's hardly the only reason his percentage was so low.

Historically, Pelini's percentage is fourth in this group. Take it for what you will.

Ergo.............the Bill Always Comes Due.................

 

[HotGrillonGrillAction]

I still can't belive you guys fired Solich

Outside looking in.....I couldn't agree more. Inside looking in the mirror....I still probably agree - but there was probably a disaster year or two looming, which could have probably been ridden out if a couple good recruiting classes came in. People tend to say the 'cupboard was empty' when Solich was canned and BC was brought in.....it really wasn't THAT bad....but there were certainly areas that needed to be addressed, in terms of players. The succession choice after Solich was the real disaster. Imagine a slightly less qualified and younger Norv Turner being brought in at WI......

I think you could liken Solich to Lloyd Carr.....he would have pulled out a MNC, most likely, at some point....but not quite the predecessor and would've 'retired' eventually, earlier than he really wanted to.

Bo will probably turn out to be an upgrade vs Solich. I really do think so...if he's around for a while. Just need all the right pieces at the right time to find what it'll take for the long haul. Often times, those things are stumbled upon.

I think Bo is starting to build his career like the Hayden Fry and Bill Snyder types. It wouldn't surprise me if he had 6 or 7 head coaches out there in 15 years that got their 'start' under him. Time will tell I guess. Hopefully he's successful enough for people to write about those head coaches and how they 'studied' under Bo Pelini.

 

[Count 'Bility]

I agree. With the current possibility of playing 14 games, 13 and a normal occasion, the old "9 wins" as a standard to me has moved up to the 10 or even 11 wins, depending on playing in a conference championship game or not. Basically, I see is as a max of 3 losses as a standard, and we'd be right there every year under Pelini if we'd have just one mor play each year, but that of course is all highnsight.

 

[husker_99]

I agree. With the current possibility of playing 14 games, 13 and a normal occasion, the old "9 wins" as a standard to me has moved up to the 10 or even 11 wins, depending on playing in a conference championship game or not. Basically, I see is as a max of 3 losses as a standard, and we'd be right there every year under Pelini if we'd have just one mor play each year, but that of course is all highnsight.

QFT. 9 wins isn't the same anymore.

 

[Joe_5700]

I agree. With the current possibility of playing 14 games, 13 and a normal occasion, the old "9 wins" as a standard to me has moved up to the 10 or even 11 wins, depending on playing in a conference championship game or not. Basically, I see is as a max of 3 losses as a standard, and we'd be right there every year under Pelini if we'd have just one mor play each year, but that of course is all highnsight.

QFT. 9 wins isn't the same anymore.

What about the automatic wins that Nebraska got in the Big 8? Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas St., and Oklahoma St. were pretty much automatic 4 wins a season. Add in a few easy nonconference games... What automatic wins does Nebraska have now?

 

[da skers]

I agree. With the current possibility of playing 14 games, 13 and a normal occasion, the old "9 wins" as a standard to me has moved up to the 10 or even 11 wins, depending on playing in a conference championship game or not. Basically, I see is as a max of 3 losses as a standard, and we'd be right there every year under Pelini if we'd have just one mor play each year, but that of course is all highnsight.

QFT. 9 wins isn't the same anymore.

What about the automatic wins that Nebraska got in the Big 8? Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas St., and Oklahoma St. were pretty much automatic 4 wins a season. Add in a few easy nonconference games... What automatic wins does Nebraska have now?

Spring game.

 

[Stickney]

I think people remember the bad, more than the good, and I think BAD losses are a solid indicator of NU fans' current quandary with Bo.

So, using that theory:

Number of 20+ losses in first four years (I did this quickly):

BD -- 2

TO -- 2

FS -- 2

BC -- 8

BP -- 5

I don't think anything is more unpalatable than being uncomepetitive on the field. A loss is fine, if the team is competitive, but big losses are just ugly.

The 2 big losses to WI and MI this year, I think, are the basis for a great deal of the angst in NU fans' minds.

 

[AustinHuskr]

I think people remember the bad, more than the good, and I think BAD losses are a solid indicator of NU fans' current quandary with Bo.

So, using that theory:

Number of 20+ losses in first four years (I did this quickly):

BD -- 2

TO -- 2

FS -- 2

BC -- 8

BP -- 5

I don't think anything is more unpalatable than being uncomepetitive on the field. A loss is fine, if the team is competitive, but big losses are just ugly.

The 2 big losses to WI and MI this year, I think, are the basis for a great deal of the angst in NU fans' minds.

Uuummm.... make that 3 big losses. Even though "just by 17" the loss to SC was about as bad as it gets. The way NU looked in the 2nd half made the 2009 B12C with Zac Lee handing off to Burkhead (only to slam his head into a brick wall play after play for 0 yards)..... look like the NE Patriots and Tom Brady.

The reason for the ANGST in Husker nation is 2 things:

1) No progress. I don't care how you want to slice and dice it but Bo's teams have gotten worse as the season has progressed ever since that 2009 B12C ended. Any coincidence that also happened to be the time that most of BC's players graduated? You can also file this under "lack of player development"

2) BAD recruiting. And I mean B A D! Just ask Cory Raymond.