AR Husker Fan

God, by nonsense, I hope you mean the reporting and not the substance of the report. Please tell me you mean the reporting!

Geez, one rated 4-stars, none rated 5. Not good.

Good point about Green Bay. The one exception is that they have Brent Farve - makes great decisions (most of the time) and has a wonderful arm. So while they are run oriented, Farve can take over with the passing game.

I hope you're right about the "recruiting speak". Maybe Bill is doing just that - not abandoning the run, but trying to construct a passing game to complement it.

I just hate to see the option abandoned - it is part of the tradition of the program.

What is worrisome about the West Coast offense is, as I see it, twofold. First, you have to "retool" the offensive line - convert it from a run-oriented group to a pass-blocking group. That's a tough transition, even assuming the members of the offensive line are the type of players that would excell in that type of blocking.

Second, the West Coast offense functions well when it has a quarterback who can read the defense quickly, and get the ball to the open man in short order. They don't have to be the strongest arm in the world, but they have to be quick decision-makers. It always seemed to me that the quarterbacks who excelled in that offense were "passing" quarterbacks from the time they started playing the position. Those that aren't seem to not have the feel for the passing game, passing lanes, and openings in the defense that is necessary to make it work. I may be wrong, but I don't see anyone on the roster that fits the bill.

Originally posted by Patrick Casser:

Bill Callahan. Are Huskers fans excited about this hire? I live in the Bay Area and have followed his Raiders years somewhat closely. I think he is a good football coach and a good guy, but he arrives in Lincoln with some baggage. Also, I thought NU would get a more dynamic personality, Callahan appears very staid to me.

The same could be said of Tom Osborne, and he did pretty well…

Ultimately, it comes down to how he is perceived by recruits. Does he connect one-on-one? Do parents like him? Does he appear honest, genuine, and interested in the kid as both a student and an athlete?

I don’t know, but my gut says, “Yes”.

Originally posted by Patrick Casser:

First, I commend NU for hiring this guy despite the recent media beating he took from his former players. Some of the shots lobbed at him by WR Tim Brown were unfair and made out of pure bitterness on Brown's part. I think Callahan will be better suited to college where he understands the tradition of college football.

 

He was dealt some bad cards in Oakland (which may be the worst coaching position in all of sports) but I think he didn't always handle the problems as well as he could have. For example, CB Charles Woodson bad-mouthed the coaching staff nearly all season long and Callahan waited until the final meaningless game of the season to suspend/deactivate him. He should have done it earlier in the season when the team had a chance to turn things around not when the season was essentially over - I thought he looked petty at that point.

A lot of that could be attributed to the difference in the pro world and the college world. College kids are more amenable to following the lead of the coach. And Oakland has always been a hotbed for discontent, it seems - or at least it seems to foster a setting in which players feel they can air the dirty laundry.

Originally posted by Patrick Casser:

With that said, I think his style will play better to college players where he will instantly garner more respect because of his long coaching resume.

I agree. When he tells a recruit that he can prepare him for a pro career if the recruit has the talent, he has instant credibility.

Sounds like a good choice - he has the background and the skills. I hope Alverez was correct about his recruiting...I think that is the most important thing at the moment.

I do wonder what offensive scheme he will bring. I have trouble imagining Nebraska not relying on the option, and one thing I loved about the team since the early '60s was the precision of the option.

On the one hand, I would like to see him announce what he intends to run. It might help lure or assure recruits who want a particular style.

On the other hand, announcing early means he's wedded to a particular style, and not to finding something that fits the talent on hand.

Still, I'm excited. Here's hoping for the best!

The hell of it is, he might have changed his mind again...until this happened.

I agree. My point was that letting Frank continue through the bowl game would not have hurt recruiting. Why let him go before then, unless it was to either improve recruiting, or from fear that under Frank the players would not play well enought to win (and thereby indirectly affect recruiting, possibly)? I just don't think that Frank's coaching would have resulted in a loss, and it's obvious that no one was waiting in the wings that would have given recruiting a boost, so why fire him before the bowl?

What worried me is that the failure to name someone now leaves kids up in the air as to what type of schemes will be run. Especially for offense, a kid wants to know that the program has the kind of scheme that suits his tastes and talent. If I'm an passing quarterback that can run, I have to wonder whether the search will result in a coach that is committed only to the run. If I'm a pure option quarterback, I have to wonder if the coach will run a passing offense. These are considerations for recruits.

I agree. What I saw from the defense reminded me of the best Nebraska has offered in that regard. I think they were, as a unit, a bit undersized in the line, but finding those 300+ pound studs is tough.

Where I see a decline was not in the formations, or the QB (Lord is not necessarily a worse passer than some others with whom Nebraska has won). I see less talent in two places. Primarily, the offensive line, and secondarily, at tailback (although I thought Davis did a pretty damn good job, actually - fought for every yard he could).

In years past, no one could touch Nebraska in the offensive line. Starters were fifth-year seniors or the absolute best of bred juniors. That's changed, from my distant vantage point. When the most talented lineman is a soph, well, that spells trouble for an offense like Nebraska's. That's where the swagger was lacking. I honestly feel that the o-line was not sure it could dominate, nor did the rest of the offense.

To me, that comes from a realization that they were not more talented than the players across from them - and that's unheard of in Nebraska. That's one reason I think SP is looking for a master recruiter - to bring in "best of breed" talent.

I know that living as far from Nebraska as I am, I don't have the insights other members of this board have. It just seems to me that when you look at everything, there is only one area lacking - recruiting. Nebraska's facilities? Top-notch. Fan base? Unrivaled. Tradition? Among the best in the nation. Resources? Whatever is needed the fans will give. Coaching? I don't see any obvious flaws in the game plan. What does that leave? The talent level.

Let him finish out the year, for one thing. Putting aside whether Frank represented the program correctly - I personally think he did - the one overriding negative of the way he was fired is that it raised the hackles of a lot of coaches. In their mind, bad enough that a 9-win coach is fired, but to not even let him finish the season...

This could be one of the impediments to getting serious consideration from coaches...

***SNIP***

 

I realize it appears as if the job has been “turned down” more times than Tonya Harding has stiffed Eric the Red, but I truly don’t believe any of the aforementioned candidates were ever really “offered” the job. They were exactly that, candidates. And candidates are typically led to believe they are the “top” candidate, to string them along until the other interviews are complete. This is normal during most negotiations. Remember those high school girlfriends? Didn’t want to ditch that one with the lazy eye until you could be sure one with 2 good eyes was interested. With that said, it doesn’t make the negative press any less staunch, as the media spins it into “Nebraska is denied AGAIN”.

 

***SNIP***

I believe this point is precisely correct. From reports here in Arkansas, including from Nutt himself, Nutt was not actually offered the job. He was told of the amount of money and other aspects of the job, but the plane waiting to take him to Nebraska was - again, according to Nutt - to conduct an interview; not to announce Nutt as the new coach.

I can't, of course, say that's correct for all candidates, but it fits.

More interesting to me is the possibility that there was a high profile coach that was targeted, showed no interest, and left the AD scrambling. For some reason, I don't think this was the case. Can't prove it, but it seems to me that if that were so, some hint of it would have leaked.

Beleive it or not, I think Nutt was the "first" choice, sort of. Meaning, he was top of the list, but not the sole candidate. I think the AD wanted to wait until the Razorbacks' bowl game to see how that turned out before going further. If Arkansas won - which they did - he could then say he was selecting a coach that had done something - with less resources - that Frank could not...beat Texas and Mizzou.

I think the AD looked at the program, and felt that although Frank could handle the X's and O's aspect of it, and was a good administrator, the one difference between Nebraska and either Oklahoma or Kansas State recently was recruiting. I mean, think about it...does either OU or KSU have more to offer recruits than Nebraska? If so, what? No major urban areas, no "hot spots", no beaches, etc.

So what was needed, in the AD's evaluation, was a good coach who could recruit. While Nutt is not well known outside the SEC, within it he is recognized as a guy that has managed to recruit a little better than would be expected given the NCAA sanctions and the negatives of Arkansas.

Regardless, I think that's the direction the AD wanted to go - someone who was a whiz-bang recruiter. I imagine he thinks that this is all that's been lacking...and it may well be.

But the way he fired Frank leaves a bad taste, regardless.

***SNIP***

 

Hey AR Husker, are you in Ark somewhere? What is your take on Nutt, do you think he would be good in Lincoln? sorry if you already answered this. just curious for your insight..

Yes, I'm in Arkasnas. Regarding my assessment of Nutt, see THEM HERE.

Ok, I've lost touch here.  Is it "official" that Nutt's not coming or is Steve P. still throwing cash into the pot????

As of midnight, it was still "undecided". Arkansas AD Frank Broyles was initially saying he thought it was 90% certain Nutt would go, but is not saying more along the lines of 60%. Seems that Arkansas is now offering what amounts to an Assistant AD position that would place Nutt in line to become AD once Broyles retires. There was a news conference scheduled for 6:00 p.m., but it didn't come off. The word out of Fayetteville now is that there will be a news conference tomorrow, one way or the other.

Apparently, Arkansas is still trying to sweeten the pot enough for Nutt to stay.

As a Husker fan living in Arkansas, I might be able to add some information about Houston Nutt.

First, addressing what Nebraska can offer that Arkansas can't, the simple answer is...just about everything. The offer to Nutt is now beyond the monetary level that Arkansas can offer - well over 1 million dollars (Nutt receives about $800,000 currently, which places him in the middle tier of pay for SEC Western Division coaches). Arkansas has already said they can't match the money.

Recruiting - Arkansas has no tradition to offer recruits, and has no major attractions - beaches, major cities, etc. Nebraska has the tradition.

Facilities - While Arkansas AD Frank Broyles is constantly upgrading, Arkansas still lags behind.

Elite status - Nebraska plays to a national stage; Arkansas does not.

Fan Support - Arkansas is, like Nebraska, the only major program in its state. But Arkansans are not nearly as committed...hence the lack of money to offer Nutt. When Arkansas went through a few years of 4 win seasons (before Nutt arrived), the stadiums were not sell-outs. Even now, they aren't always. Depends on the status of the opponent. Not true for Nebraska.

What can Arkansas offer that Nebraska can't? Just one thing - less pressure. That could be a problem if Nutt accepts. For the last three years, Nutt has been criticized for not taking Arkansas to the next level, and for the number of off-the-field problems from athletes. While Nebraska fans are forgiving, they are also demanding - far more so than Arkansas'. Nutt hasn't handled that well - he hasn't lashed out, but it has been clear that he has been hurt. Some of that may be due to the fact that he's Arkansas born and bred, but still...

What are Nutt's strong points?

1. Recruiting - I will say this...he is a tireless and constant recruiter. He has not been as sucessful as he would like due to negative recruiting that resulted from some minor NCAA infractions and some scholarship reductions (all due to actions that occurred before Nutt arrived, I might add).

2. He adapts to the talent. For the last three years, with a quarterback that is a poor passer, Arkansas has been a leader in rushing in the conference and the nation. When Nutt first arrived, he had a passing quarterback, and was a conference leader in passing - at a time when Steve Spurrier was in the conference.

3. A players coach - Players generally love playing for Nutt, and defend him to the death.

4. He has improved every program at which he has been the head coach. In Arkansas' case, he took virutally the same team that had been 4 and 7 the year before (and for the last three years), and immediately won 8 games - and he routinely wins 8 or 9 games while at a school that lacks any of the resources Nebraska has. He's won the SEC Western Division two or three times in 6 years; he hasn't lost to Texas - beaten them twice, in fact; beaten most of the major programs in the SEC - Alabama, Tennessee, etc.

Nutt's downsides? Well, other than the possible thin-skin, there is one potentially huge downside. One of Nutt's assistants is Mike Markeson (sp) - the offensive line coach. While Arkansas has had a good running game the last few years, I worry about Markeson following Nutt to Nebraska - he's been with Nutt at every stop. I don't see good fundementals from the Arkansas line.

Not trying to promote Nutt - I want the best for Nebraska available. Just wanted to provide some information.