flfmrredfan

On ‎11‎/‎12‎/‎2017 at 0:40 AM, BoneyardHusker said:

This article seems rather accurate. Although it has a bit of that defender of Pelini feel to it, it makes you want to shake your head at things over the past 15 years.

 

 

Mr. Crawford wasn't defending Pelini, rather he was pointing out facts.

 

One incident he left out, was Osborne's rebuke of Perlman via Osborne's public statement in support of Pelini, after the P-man rebuked Pelini for his actions during the A&M rigged game.  I thought it was humorous at the time, an AD rebuking the Chancellor.  Thus, another reason why a vindictive P-man did not let Osborne help choose his successor.  The results speak for themselves P-man.  And to think, he could not understand why the football program did not do better under his "leadership".  Perlman, one of the worst chancellors, football-wise, that NU has had in the modern times.

1 hour ago, Hilltop said:

Kind of a fun read from the past...  Obviously the situation is different but it's interesting to read how much perspectives can change with time.

 

"January 2, 1979

Nebraska: Is it time for a coaching change (1979 version)?

By Samson McKettlecorn
Bugeater Daily News

If you are a Husker fan, you have a Sooner wishbone hangover this morning. Again. But this year it seems like a strange dream in which you swear that your beloved Huskers beat the Oklahoma Sooners on Friday this year, sparing you from choking on that proverbial wishbone the day after Thanksgiving for the sixth year in a row. But the dream is real, and Coach Tom Osborne’s first win against the Sooners as head coach seems a moot point after drawing the Sooners for a rematch in the Orange Bowl – and losing.

But let’s be positive, the Huskers did beat them in November, when they came to Lincoln ranked #1 in the nation! Yes, the Sooners fumbled six times. Yes, it looked like the Sooners won even though they didn’t. Yes, Billy Sims made our defense look like a 8-man Nebraska high school defense were trying to tackle him. If this Sooner-domination of the Huskers continues, it may become Sooner Magic. Yikes.

Let’s assess the state of the football program. After starting this decade with two national championships, the already legendary Bob Devaney passed the reigns to his protégé, Coach Osborne. It’s worth noting, he did so with a championship staff and recruiting classes that come from back-to-back national titles.

First six years of Coach Osborne? Lots of wins, yes. The competition? Well… OK, so it’s not just Oklahoma that has the Cornhuskers number; so does Missouri. Four losses to the Tigers in the past six contests. Ouch.

The truth is that most Husker faithful agree: The losses to Missouri feel like someone just stole our combine tires; the losses to Oklahoma feel hopeless. Perhaps loosing six of seven to the Sooners is enough. How many more Oklahoma (or Missouri!) losses are needed before we realize that Tom Osborne is not Bob Devaney?

What if a change is needed now? What if?"

Whether or not this is real, it does describe rather accurately, the mood back then towards Osborne's program by fans and boosters.  History also tells us it was around this time that Osborne was contemplating the offer at Colorado.  I remember Devaney was constantly defending Osborne to detract from all the wolves howling, although it's understandable why: Osborne was his pick after all.  As Isle of View posts, Devaney was wise, and he was proven correct in choosing Osborne to succeed him as HC.

 

Looking back, Solich's first six years compares very favorably to Osborne's first six, except he was in the MNC game where Osborne had to wait until his 10th year to get into the title game.  I never cease to be amazed at how fans try to compare Solich's first six years to Osborne's years in the '90s, when he and his staff were at their peak. 

 

 

But as long as I'm here: Tom Osborne actually did listen to his critics, and nearly 20 seasons into his head coaching career he changed his recruiting philosophy, focusing more on speed, more on defense and more on faraway high school football hotbeds.

 

Still beating this dead horse? It's hard to take your knowledge of NU football seriously if you think that Osborne suddenly woke up during the '90s and realized that he must start to recruit speed! Guy, let me introduce you to Irving Fryer, and Broderick Thomas to Jane a few. Or, are they not speedy enough for you?

And, it wasn't his critics he listened to, rather, it was his friends, like Bobby Bowden (who in turn learned from Jimmy Johnson at Miami) along with hiring assistants like Kevin Steele, which lead to the defensive changes in the '90s, of putting linebackers at defensive ends, and defensive backs at linebacker positions.

Oh it's much easier to pinpoint than that, flmilmflm. Tom Osborne woke up on January 2, 1991 after getting trounced by Georgia Tech in the Citrus Bowl warning his staff that they might get fired and knowing that his own job was on the line. While Nebraska could still chalk up 6 or 7 wins in the old Big 8, Osborne's strong but predictable offenses were getting shut down by the speedy and talent rich teams like Ga. Tech, Florida, Miami, Florida State and Oklahoma and Colorado in our own conference. The "critics" said Nebraska's offense was too predictable, and they were half-right. You still needed defensive speed on the corners to shut down the power option, and unfortunately for us, the elite teams now boasted that kind of defensive speed. As mentioned, Tom sought advice from the coaches who had bested him. Bowden was a friend. That doesn't mean Osborne didn't listen to the criticism. It's certainly to TO's credit that he was willing to change his philosophy 20 years into his career. That's what good coaches do.

 

Osborne's recruiting changes revolved mostly around the defense, although grabbing a savvier, speedier quarterback from one of those "coastal talent" regions certainly helped, as we remember Florida's Tommie Frazier better than we do Aurora, Nebraska's Tom Haase, the starting QB against Georgia Tech on January 1, 1991.

 

Irving Fryar (not Fryer) and Broderick Thomas certainly were fast.

 

Is that all you can bring to the discussion?

Again, it's hard to take your posts seriously, when you spout unsubstantiated rumors of firings and your continued disparaging of a HOF coach by claiming he and his staff weren't smart enough to figure out that they needed to recruit speed before 1990,despite my pointing out a few examples showing the opposite. To be honest, it's more an indication of your lack of knowledge of Osborne and his staff.

 

Yes, he and his defensive staff made subtle changes, however, not in recruiting as you claim, but in the placement of players as I pointed out. The same changes that Miami, under JJ and his staff made prior, and then Bowden and his staff at FSU followed.

 

Oh, and thanks to coach Steele, along with Kordel Stewart committing to CU, Frazier ended up at NU.

But as long as I'm here: Tom Osborne actually did listen to his critics, and nearly 20 seasons into his head coaching career he changed his recruiting philosophy, focusing more on speed, more on defense and more on faraway high school football hotbeds.

 

Still beating this dead horse? It's hard to take your knowledge of NU football seriously if you think that Osborne suddenly woke up during the '90s and realized that he must start to recruit speed! Guy, let me introduce you to Irving Fryer, and Broderick Thomas to name a few. Or, are they not speedy enough for you?

 

And, it wasn't his critics he listened to, rather, it was his friends, like Bobby Bowden (who in turn learned from Jimmy Johnson at Miami) along with hiring assistants like Kevin Steele, which lead to the defensive changes in the '90s, of putting linebackers at defensive ends, and defensive backs at linebacker positions.

It embarrasses me that 58,869,434 people in this country voted for a woman who clearly broke the law, set up pay for play schemes to enrich herself using her position as SOS, and was arms running in Libya to jihadists.

 

I understand the hate on the part of a lot of people regarding Trump. I really do. But for crime's sake there were others on the ballot to vote for besides a criminal.

 

This is a sad testament to the sorry educational system in this country. And the moral corruption.

 

I've heard differently. Not sure that Frost wants any part of the "greatest" fans that gave him the Martinez/Armstrong treatment.

 

Nah. Frost learned how to deal with the "greatest" fans while he as at NU. Fans don't have any power over players, unless they give them the power. They certainly can't fire anyone. It's the administration that has to give Frost pause, if he truly has aspirations to coach at NU. That administration, in the form of two incompetent ADs, along with a complicit and incompetent chancellor, has made two of the most damaging decisions regarding coaches, that have put NU in the position it finds itself in. NU had two coaches who brought the football program to basically where Harbaugh has Michigan now. They both went to the CCG In their second year; one winning and one losing. But, to the short sighted administrators, that, along with other accomplishments, wasn't enough, and both were eventually fired.

 

I wouldn't put my trust in the school's administration to watch my back. Urban Meyer was right in his observations about the administration back in 2003/2004, and how he would not work for a program that fires a coach who won nine games.

 

Ha ha! The title of this thread is: "Where we discuss our fondness - or lack thereof - for former coaches now departed." Don't we have any fondness? No fondness at all for any of them? Really? Okay, here's some.

 

Turner Gill. Could you ask for a better role model for young men to look up to? I mean, he was great at his job and got along well with everyone—players, other coaches, fans, everyone. Was there ever a controversy or scandal this guy was involved in? If so, it must have minor because I can't remember any. And it seems like he has surrounded himself with like minded staff members in his new gig at Liberty. If I had a high school aged son who was looking at small schools to play football for, I'd feel he was in good hands playing for Gill and his staff. :

Turner Gill left the quarterback position in shambles for Callahan and Pelini when Nebraska tried to modernize the offense. Horrible. Just horrible.

 

I never cease to be amazed at fans who expect coaching staffs, who were fired (for whatever reason they want to believe), feel it is that staff's responsibility to recruit players for the replacement coaching staff which fit their in-coming offense. See for example, Joe Dailey and how he was mercilessly trashed.

 

if Bo had the demeanor and attitude of Mike Riley, I still believe he would still be here. Those shenanigans and that garbage behavior really wear thin in a hurry if youre not winning at the highest of levels. Rubs way too many people the wrong way. So yeah, his ousting was due to reasons on top of on-field performance. It was a package deal. which goes back to my other point, that Mike Riley demeanor would buy him more time in the case of the same performance circumstances

 

 

 

Uh, according to the current AD, Riley has to win the "right" games. Whatever the flux that means.

Personally, I think he's right in that a segment of Husker fans, particularly on social media and message boards, are completely reactive and overly critical toward players - he's right that if a player is performing to what a fan deems acceptable, that fan loves the player, and if not, the criticism is withering in many cases.

 

Martinez was a prime example of that - other than Jamal Lord, he may have been the most unfairly criticized QB in Nebraska history - by the end of 2013, the media and fans' criticism of the program were reaching a peak (remember all the rumors about how Bo had already been fired and they were just letting the string play out?).

You better add Joe Dailey to that list as well. I'd say he is at the top. I read so much garbage spewed his way by so many "Nowledable" fans on forums for what happened in 2004. He was also thrown under the bus by the coaching staff after that season. No wonder he transferred.

 

So, yeah, kudos to your comment regarding many forum fans deserving a kick in their arse.

Oops. My bad.

 

Not only were the emails found on Huma's cell phone, but her husband's (the weiner) too. And he has no security clearance whatsoever.

 

Pardon the interruption. Continue with the excuses please. They are hilarious.

Sheesh. Because they came from Huma Abedin's cell phone!

 

Good grief! The amount of excuses made for a felon around here is beyond the pale.

The dirty truth is that, had Callahan had a competent D-coordinator, he may still be coaching here.

There's absolutely no truth in that. First, Callahan was incompetent as a HC to begin with. See his stint at Oakland. Second, he could have offered the DC to Pelini, although I doubt Pelini would have worked for him, much less under a department with SPEM at the helm, after the way he was dumped by SPEM. Last, Callahan's offenses were not that good. He padded his stats against scrubs. See USC in 2007 as but one example.

Those of you jumping on CM, why don't you read post #376 again, specifically this:

 

"1. Dimensions of Navy's OL this year: OT - 6'4" 300lbs, OG - 6'3" 294lbs, C - 6'2" 271lbs, OG - 6'3" 297lbs, OT - 6'4" 281lbs. Behind them you have 3 guys who are in the 295+ range, including a 330 pounder - all are 6'2" or taller. That's basically no different than the dimensions of most of our OL starters and backups."

 

He stated exactly what many of you thought he didn't, yet instead, you selectively choose to jump all over his later hyperbolic statement.

 

By the way, how come none of you jumping on CM, didn't jump on LOMS for his false statement, which provoked CM's response in the first place?

 

That's a rhetorical question, of course, because I know why: your agenda wouldn't let you read what you should have read.

As long as P-man hired SPEM, and I believe he would have, or someone like him, since Byrne would have left anyway, Solich was a goner. Results on the football field were not the main cause of his firing, as evidence by Solich's accomplishments, which were on-par with Osborne's and Devaney's results earlier in their careers.

 

Tragically, underestimating the egos of P-man and SPEM, and the damage they did to the NU football program is a serious error continuously committed by many NU fans to this day.

I think Tom would have been better at protecting Solich from himself, ...

 

Yeah? In what way?

 

Do you believe Devaney did the same for Osborne?

Devaney could have shielded Osborne from getting fired, but not from fan grumbling. And it was mostly muttering and grumbling about Oklahoma and bowl game losses, never serious talk about firing Osborne, who always kept Nebraska football relevant.

There was never any serious talk about firing because the AD, Devaney, would never have pulled a SPEM. He was smart enough to know what he had.

 

It was Tom who interviewed for the head coaching position of hated conference rival Colorado in 1978 (iirc). He wasn't in danger of being fired, he just thought Nebraska fans would never appreciate him. Was it a ploy for sympathy? Did Devaney talk him out of it? Don't know. I was a UNL student at the time, and I do remember the whole episode made the fans feel kinda stupid for our expectation level. But the grumbling wouldn't fully go away for another 15 seasons.

That is what entitlement minded fans do. Which is why it was important for Osborne to have the full support of his AD, unlike with Solich, and of course Pelini.

 

Long way of saying this thread will always exist. For every coach.

 

There isn't one for Osborne. And, thanks to Devaney, there is no reason for one.

I was watching a Devaney documentary on YouTube this morning (highly recommend it) and while reading about Bob, I came across this article with some on point comments from TO.

 

I defer to him: http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205498962

Too bad that Osborne was not able to step into the AD position like Devaney did when he promoted Osborne to replace him. He would have shielded Solich from the wolves (fans) as Devaney did him, and this thread would not exist. NU would have had three successive coaches who won 100 or more games, an unprecedented feat in the modern times.

Here is a better question, what would have happened had Solich's '01 team not lost to a Miami team full of future NFL players & a couple NFL All-stars? A team almost everyone ranks top 5 all-time. The last 2 games of 2001 were bad for Solich & Co. I really think Solich could have putted along with 9 win seasons had he been retained nothing great, but nothing as bad as Callahan/Cosgrove.

Outside of results like the mid to late '90s, SPEM would not have retained Solich.

So people are defending Solich by saying some of his teams were better than Osborne's 1990 club. Which was by far the worst team Osborne coached. Two of the 1990 team's losses were to Ga Tech and Colorado who split that year's national title.

No, I was not. I was pointing out how Osborne's tenure did NOT always consist of teams like those he had in the mid to late '90s. Reading comprehension people. Learn it, use it.

 

According to some, Osborne's whole career was like the mid to late '90s with talent laden teams. Yet they conveniently skip years like I point out. In fact, his 1977 team wasn't that good either, talent wise, and ended up in the Bluebonnet Bowl. He was given the proper support by a much smarter AD than NU has now, and as a result, the mid to late '90s happened, with some other highlights, like 1981-1983, mid '80s, and of course, the lows. All thanks to Devaney. Because if some of the fans on this forum were around then, they would have screamed for Osborne to be fired several times.

 

Miles is a great coach no matter how unconventional he is.

 

 

Never stated one way or another. I was merely pointing out to a poster (in a round about way) that talent alone does not guarantee a run like NU had in the mid to late '90s.

The amount of ignorance, and revisionism in some of the posts is just astounding. That is what Solich hate will do.

 

Solich got NU on the brink of a MNC in 1999 after winning the Big 12 conference.

 

He brought his team to the MNC in 2001.

 

Yes, those teams had talent, some of which Solich inherited. Yet, I read one post about Les Miles, and all of the talent he gets. In comparison, Miles won one MNC, lost one, and has two conference championships.

 

Yet, we can't know how things would have worked out had Solich stayed as head coach?!

 

The difference is that Miles knew the importance of recruiting and is good at it. It can be argued that he just continued the Saban way of SEC $$$$ recruiting, but either way he still got the athletes there.

 

So, where are all of Miles' National Championships? I mean, he does have all that talent. At least, according to you.

 

 

Also, Elf's point still stands, the players in 2003 didn't look anything like any team during the TO era.

You are either too young to remember, willfully ignorant of Osborne's career (outside of the mid to late '90s), a BRBer, or a troll, because your posts are chock full of Solich hate.

 

The players of the 1990 team, didn't look like anything resembling the '93 through '97 teams. And that 1990 team was preseason #1 in at least one of the polls. They ended the year with two consecutive blowouts, albeit, to at least one who won a share of the MNC. And, if it wasn't for Bienemy's gifts in the form of 4 fumbles, CU would have blown them out in Lincoln.

 

Solich's 2003 team would have defeated that 1990 team pretty easily.

 

For those who still think Solich couldn't recruit, does the name Mike Rozier mean anything to you?

 

Doing the wrong thing with the right intentions is still wrong.

Funny isn't it?

 

Perlman does something "wrong" for the right intentions and he is the worst.

 

Osborne does something "wrong" for the right intentions and he gets a pass.

 

That is a joke. Only intention Pman and SPEM had were to boost their egos.

 

Actually, it was Prickman who brought this thread here with his ridiculous excuses and whining about his well deserved trashed legacy when it comes to what matters most about UNL: football.

 

He needs to STFU and go away. His ego has done enough damage to NU football to last many lifetimes.

 

I will give Prickman his parting shot: he certainly is one rung above on the ladder over Graham Spannier.

Is this the general notion? That a university president's most important function is fielding a football team? I don't think any other university president out there will base their legacy upon the successes and failures of a f'ing football team.

 

Why don't you go over to the forum specifically dedicated to UNL academics, and make this point? It might serve you and Prickman better.

 

Actually, it was Prickman who brought this thread here with his ridiculous excuses and whining about his well deserved trashed legacy when it comes to what matters most about UNL: football.

 

He needs to STFU and go away. His ego has done enough damage to NU football to last many lifetimes.

 

I will give Prickman his parting shot: he certainly is one rung above on the ladder over Graham Spannier.

Maybe you should pay more attention to academics also...Might do you some good.

 

Yeah, we're on a forum discussing Husker FOOTBALL, and I should pay more attention to academics?

 

Hilarious!

 

No wonder some of you support the mediocrity that NU Football has sunk to. You can't see the forest for the trees!