If A New Coach-Turner Gill

[Colfax]

I believe great coaches adapt to their personal. Great coaches do not attempt to pound a square peg into a round hole. Great coaches adapt to game circumstances.

 

Modern college football is not professional football. Hopefully, it never becomes the boring professional game. Players in college are still developing fundamental technique. Some even so as 4th or 5th year players. Players in college make mistakes. Coaching basic technique is fundamental to the college game. Great high school players, because of athletism, can get away with bad technique. At the collegiate level as the speed of the game increases lack of or poorly coached fundamentals stand out. As the speed of the game increases through the different levels sound fundamentals become more important whether it be high school, college, and on to the pros.

 

The above concepts have been violated recently at Nebraska. Nebraska needs a head coach understanding the basics of sound coaching at the collegiate level. That head coach needs to understand there is a difference between the college game and the pro game. College players are not as advanced fundamentally as professional players.

 

Two names of potential outstanding young coaches stand out, Bo Pellini and Turner Gill. Both possess the knowledge, skill, desire, energy and youth required for our program. Both would be great choices.

 

I believe Turner Gill to be the right choice, however. He understands Nebraska. He has an intimate working relationship with our Athletic Director. No question he would listen to his mentor. He has a multitude of qualified Assisstants to call upon, some with ties to Nebraska. He is not bound to the pro game offense.

 

I believe defense wins championships regardless of the sport(with the exception of the recent World Series although great pitching is also great defense) but also I believe defense is easier to coach. Attacking or even reactive aggression(defense) is far easier to coach than controlled finess(offense). We need an offensive minded Head Coach. A great defensive coordinator understanding the teachings of basic fundamentals, the development of defensive schemes against multiple offensive sets, and with the ability to inspire the necessary controlled rage can be found and hired, particularly at a school with the history of the Blackshirts at Nebraska.

 

Turner Gill has that offensive mind set.

 

I credit Bill Callahan with assembling a great recruiting staff. I think this past year getting commitments from what perhaps is a group of outstanding high school offensive lineman and announcing those commitments early was a brilliant example of outstanding recruiting. I'm sure that was a key in the decision process of certain offensive skill players. I just don't think he nor his staff has demonstrated the ability to

develop the personal recruited.

 

I believe Turner Gill witnessed in some years how Nebraska took players of perhaps lesser skill and athleticism but still maintained a level of competiveness. I believe he could assemble a staff of equal or greater recruiting prowess, take the players on hand and add to that base to make them extremely competative in short order.

 

I believe Turner Gill is the logical choice.

[huskernumerouno]

Welcome to the board, nice well thought out first post.

 

I do not think we could go wrong with either one of those guys.

[melscott62]

I personally would rather go after a defensive minded coach like Pelini, but I would take Gill.

[TLS2]

Turner gets my vote as well. Nice post...welcome to the board.

[robsker]

I believe great coaches adapt to their personal. Great coaches do not attempt to pound a square peg into a round hole. Great coaches adapt to game circumstances.

 

Modern college football is not professional football. Hopefully, it never becomes the boring professional game. Players in college are still developing fundamental technique. Some even so as 4th or 5th year players. Players in college make mistakes. Coaching basic technique is fundamental to the college game. Great high school players, because of athletism, can get away with bad technique. At the collegiate level as the speed of the game increases lack of or poorly coached fundamentals stand out. As the speed of the game increases through the different levels sound fundamentals become more important whether it be high school, college, and on to the pros.

 

The above concepts have been violated recently at Nebraska. Nebraska needs a head coach understanding the basics of sound coaching at the collegiate level. That head coach needs to understand there is a difference between the college game and the pro game. College players are not as advanced fundamentally as professional players.

 

Two names of potential outstanding young coaches stand out, Bo Pellini and Turner Gill. Both possess the knowledge, skill, desire, energy and youth required for our program. Both would be great choices.

 

I believe Turner Gill to be the right choice, however. He understands Nebraska. He has an intimate working relationship with our Athletic Director. No question he would listen to his mentor. He has a multitude of qualified Assisstants to call upon, some with ties to Nebraska. He is not bound to the pro game offense.

 

I believe defense wins championships regardless of the sport(with the exception of the recent World Series although great pitching is also great defense) but also I believe defense is easier to coach. Attacking or even reactive aggression(defense) is far easier to coach than controlled finess(offense). We need an offensive minded Head Coach. A great defensive coordinator understanding the teachings of basic fundamentals, the development of defensive schemes against multiple offensive sets, and with the ability to inspire the necessary controlled rage can be found and hired, particularly at a school with the history of the Blackshirts at Nebraska.

 

Turner Gill has that offensive mind set.

 

I credit Bill Callahan with assembling a great recruiting staff. I think this past year getting commitments from what perhaps is a group of outstanding high school offensive lineman and announcing those commitments early was a brilliant example of outstanding recruiting. I'm sure that was a key in the decision process of certain offensive skill players. I just don't think he nor his staff has demonstrated the ability to

develop the personal recruited.

 

I believe Turner Gill witnessed in some years how Nebraska took players of perhaps lesser skill and athleticism but still maintained a level of competiveness. I believe he could assemble a staff of equal or greater recruiting prowess, take the players on hand and add to that base to make them extremely competative in short order.

 

I believe Turner Gill is the logical choice.

 

 

Nice post.

 

I disagree as to Turner Gill. Turner is clearly a great man of character. He is a good role model. He was a fine player and has a fine NU background. He would love the job and work tirelessly. All this is good. But, when he was a position coach at NU he was, frankly, unimpressive. Poor technique plagued his players and little to no improvement was seen over time. As a head coach, I doubt that he would command the attention of recruits.

 

As to your premise that offense is harder to coach than defense --- having been a long time defensive coordinator myself, I could not disagree more. Of course, well.... I am biased. Yet crafting a means to thwart an opponents offense is more challenging (and, I think, ultimately more critical for team success) than is coming up with an offense. Flim work is undeniably more difficult (and film dedication) for the defensive coaches. Discipline (or lack thereof) is much harder to instill on the defensive side of the ball (and the implications if disciplined play is not manifest is much worse).

 

So, again welcome and nice post. We happen to dissagree. I would think that Turner Gill would be a mistake.

 

As to the nature of the head coach, offensive or defensive minded ---- well that really matters not. Lets just hope the offensive coordinator runs the offense and the defensive coordinatoar runs the defense and the HC acts as a head coach and not either an OC or DC.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I agree that Gill was and is a good man, but I personally want a defensive minded coach in here that has a simple yet effective offense as well. I still live by the old saying "defense wins championships" and I want to be able to call our defense the Blackshirts again.

[junior4949]

I believe great coaches adapt to their personal. Great coaches do not attempt to pound a square peg into a round hole. Great coaches adapt to game circumstances.

 

Modern college football is not professional football. Hopefully, it never becomes the boring professional game. Players in college are still developing fundamental technique. Some even so as 4th or 5th year players. Players in college make mistakes. Coaching basic technique is fundamental to the college game. Great high school players, because of athletism, can get away with bad technique. At the collegiate level as the speed of the game increases lack of or poorly coached fundamentals stand out. As the speed of the game increases through the different levels sound fundamentals become more important whether it be high school, college, and on to the pros.

 

The above concepts have been violated recently at Nebraska. Nebraska needs a head coach understanding the basics of sound coaching at the collegiate level. That head coach needs to understand there is a difference between the college game and the pro game. College players are not as advanced fundamentally as professional players.

 

Two names of potential outstanding young coaches stand out, Bo Pellini and Turner Gill. Both possess the knowledge, skill, desire, energy and youth required for our program. Both would be great choices.

 

I believe Turner Gill to be the right choice, however. He understands Nebraska. He has an intimate working relationship with our Athletic Director. No question he would listen to his mentor. He has a multitude of qualified Assisstants to call upon, some with ties to Nebraska. He is not bound to the pro game offense.

 

I believe defense wins championships regardless of the sport(with the exception of the recent World Series although great pitching is also great defense) but also I believe defense is easier to coach. Attacking or even reactive aggression(defense) is far easier to coach than controlled finess(offense). We need an offensive minded Head Coach. A great defensive coordinator understanding the teachings of basic fundamentals, the development of defensive schemes against multiple offensive sets, and with the ability to inspire the necessary controlled rage can be found and hired, particularly at a school with the history of the Blackshirts at Nebraska.

 

Turner Gill has that offensive mind set.

 

I credit Bill Callahan with assembling a great recruiting staff. I think this past year getting commitments from what perhaps is a group of outstanding high school offensive lineman and announcing those commitments early was a brilliant example of outstanding recruiting. I'm sure that was a key in the decision process of certain offensive skill players. I just don't think he nor his staff has demonstrated the ability to

develop the personal recruited.

 

I believe Turner Gill witnessed in some years how Nebraska took players of perhaps lesser skill and athleticism but still maintained a level of competiveness. I believe he could assemble a staff of equal or greater recruiting prowess, take the players on hand and add to that base to make them extremely competative in short order.

 

I believe Turner Gill is the logical choice.

 

 

Nice post.

 

I disagree as to Turner Gill. Turner is clearly a great man of character. He is a good role model. He was a fine player and has a fine NU background. He would love the job and work tirelessly. All this is good. But, when he was a position coach at NU he was, frankly, unimpressive. Poor technique plagued his players and little to no improvement was seen over time. As a head coach, I doubt that he would command the attention of recruits.

 

As to your premise that offense is harder to coach than defense --- having been a long time defensive coordinator myself, I could not disagree more. Of course, well.... I am biased. Yet crafting a means to thwart an opponents offense is more challenging (and, I think, ultimately more critical for team success) than is coming up with an offense. Flim work is undeniably more difficult (and film dedication) for the defensive coaches. Discipline (or lack thereof) is much harder to instill on the defensive side of the ball (and the implications if disciplined play is not manifest is much worse).

 

So, again welcome and nice post. We happen to dissagree. I would think that Turner Gill would be a mistake.

 

As to the nature of the head coach, offensive or defensive minded ---- well that really matters not. Lets just hope the offensive coordinator runs the offense and the defensive coordinatoar runs the defense and the HC acts as a head coach and not either an OC or DC.

 

 

I also believe Gill would be a huge mistake.

[Spartness]

I disagree as to Turner Gill. Turner is clearly a great man of character. He is a good role model. He was a fine player and has a fine NU background. He would love the job and work tirelessly. All this is good. But, when he was a position coach at NU he was, frankly, unimpressive. Poor technique plagued his players and little to no improvement was seen over time. As a head coach, I doubt that he would command the attention of recruits.

 

This guy knows a lot about the game, and I take seriously what he says. Eric, DaveH and anyone else, do you think Gill wasn't teaching proper techique? I recall he coached Tommie Frazier and Scott Frost, and we know what they accomplished on the field. So while this poster knows a lot more about the game than me, I question if he is right about Gill's coaching ability. In fact there was a big difference with Frost from his junior year to his senior season. And Frazier kept getting better and better from his freshman year to his senior season.

[cb1954]

"I disagree as to Turner Gill. Turner is clearly a great man of character. He is a good role model. He was a fine player and has a fine NU background. He would love the job and work tirelessly. All this is good. But, when he was a position coach at NU he was, frankly, unimpressive. Poor technique plagued his players and little to no improvement was seen over time. As a head coach, I doubt that he would command the attention of recruits."

 

 

 

Good Grief!! Turner Gill was unimpressive as a position coach?? Go back and watch Tommie Frazier pass when he was a freshman with about a 44% passing completion rate, then watch his senior year with 56% and finish second in the Heisman voting (which he should have won). Same with Scott Frost from early in his first year to his senior and Eric Crouch won the Heisman for heavens sakes.

[Dan_F_30]

I just don't think he's seasoned enough to be Nebraska's head coach. He went to the worst program in NCAA D-I football in a bad conference. There is ONLY ONE WAY for that program to go and it is up so people make a huge deal out of 3 - 4 wins when a coach that offered a little guidance could and getting a couple wins can be a huge success. Now if he took buffalo to a 9-3 season or 10-2 in that conference then I would be impressed. I think he needs to move onto a bigger school in a different conference maybe in WAC or Big East or somewhere and try to win there before he comes to the Big 12 and coaches a storied program like Nebraska. Say you have a brand new Ferrari (Nebraska, LOL), would you let a 16 year old who is learning to drive on a 1960 Ford farm truck (Buffalo) take over the wheel of your car? Hell no. More HC experience is needed and with that said I'm not a fan of Pelini either....

[knapplc]

I have long thought that Turner would one day be the HC at Nebraska. I was not sorry to see him go to Buffalo - I felt that he needed to gain seasoning as a HC at another school (or two) before returning to his home here at Nebraska.

 

I think Turner's future will be here, but I don't know that he's ready for the reins just yet. He's still young, and God willing we'll have him sometime in the future, and maybe for a long time after that.

[robsker]

"I disagree as to Turner Gill. Turner is clearly a great man of character. He is a good role model. He was a fine player and has a fine NU background. He would love the job and work tirelessly. All this is good. But, when he was a position coach at NU he was, frankly, unimpressive. Poor technique plagued his players and little to no improvement was seen over time. As a head coach, I doubt that he would command the attention of recruits."

 

 

 

Good Grief!! Turner Gill was unimpressive as a position coach?? Go back and watch Tommie Frazier pass when he was a freshman with about a 44% passing completion rate, then watch his senior year with 56% and finish second in the Heisman voting (which he should have won). Same with Scott Frost from early in his first year to his senior and Eric Crouch won the Heisman for heavens sakes.

 

 

You do have a good point in that both Crouch and Frost improved. Yet both had poor mechanics throwing, both had poor field vision, both had limited ability to check off to secondary receivers --- and these skills did not improve with time. What did improve was running the option and both were very gifted, naturally for that purpose, and so both naturally improved and prospered. Perhpas I should clarify my point --- neither quarterback improved as passers, at least in terms of mechanics, delivery off of the wrong foot, staring down receivers, etc. They had modestly better passing numbers with time (largely due to better running games and better people around them providing better context to throw. Yet, I think it clear that at least then, Turner Gill did very little of impact in training these two men (Crouch and Frost) in terms of development as QB's in their passing game. Now it could be argued that he did not need to or that what not his emphasis at the time. But most coaches would not allow their HS QB's to retain the mechanics that either Crouch or Frost had --- much less a college coach. Therein lies my questioning Turner Gill.

 

That said, things may have changed and he has perhaps improved. And, he will likely not be the coach of the QB's were he to come here as a HC. But, if past performance is a predictor of future success (and admittedly, it is not always the case) I question the wisdom of giving Turner Gill serious consideration.

 

For that matter, i question Bo Pelini as well. Little experience. Several question marks there as well (different questions than with turner Gill). Lets get a certifiably successful HC who has been a HC already, who has successfully rebuilt a team already and is verifiably excellent. Give me Paul Johnson.

 

 

Johnson would be hired over Turner Gill by, I would think, 9/10 AD's. The question is whether he will be either considered or consider us.

[melscott62]

I disagree as to Turner Gill. Turner is clearly a great man of character. He is a good role model. He was a fine player and has a fine NU background. He would love the job and work tirelessly. All this is good. But, when he was a position coach at NU he was, frankly, unimpressive. Poor technique plagued his players and little to no improvement was seen over time. As a head coach, I doubt that he would command the attention of recruits.

 

This guy knows a lot about the game, and I take seriously what he says. Eric, DaveH and anyone else, do you think Gill wasn't teaching proper techique? I recall he coached Tommie Frazier and Scott Frost, and we know what they accomplished on the field. So while this poster knows a lot more about the game than me, I question if he is right about Gill's coaching ability. In fact there was a big difference with Frost from his junior year to his senior season. And Frazier kept getting better and better from his freshman year to his senior season.

 

 

yeah I would have to question that comment as well. frazier, frost, crouch. all consecutive, all under the same guy. i'd say the only knock on turner is experience. but his work at NU is certainly not a question. he aslo did a great job with lord as well.

 

on a side note can anyone think of a group of 3 quarterbacks to come from the same school in a row that were that good? heck you could throw berringer in there as well.

[TLS2]

Would we want to base an opinion of Turner's ability as a position coach on what he did when he was at NU. How long ago was that? He's had lots of different experiences and learned so much since then. Perhaps it might be more realistic to base an opinion on what Turner is doing now, what he has done in the past two years at Buffalo. ?

 

TLS2

 

I disagree as to Turner Gill. Turner is clearly a great man of character. But, when he was a position coach at NU he was, frankly, unimpressive. Poor technique plagued his players and little to no improvement was seen over time.

[melscott62]

"I disagree as to Turner Gill. Turner is clearly a great man of character. He is a good role model. He was a fine player and has a fine NU background. He would love the job and work tirelessly. All this is good. But, when he was a position coach at NU he was, frankly, unimpressive. Poor technique plagued his players and little to no improvement was seen over time. As a head coach, I doubt that he would command the attention of recruits."

 

 

 

Good Grief!! Turner Gill was unimpressive as a position coach?? Go back and watch Tommie Frazier pass when he was a freshman with about a 44% passing completion rate, then watch his senior year with 56% and finish second in the Heisman voting (which he should have won). Same with Scott Frost from early in his first year to his senior and Eric Crouch won the Heisman for heavens sakes.

 

 

You do have a good point in that both Crouch and Frost improved. Yet both had poor mechanics throwing, both had poor field vision, both had limited ability to check off to secondary receivers --- and these skills did not improve with time. What did improve was running the option and both were very gifted, naturally for that purpose, and so both naturally improved and prospered. Perhpas I should clarify my point --- neither quarterback improved as passers, at least in terms of mechanics, delivery off of the wrong foot, staring down receivers, etc. They had modestly better passing numbers with time (largely due to better running games and better people around them providing better context to throw. Yet, I think it clear that at least then, Turner Gill did very little of impact in training these two men (Crouch and Frost) in terms of development as QB's in their passing game. Now it could be argued that he did not need to or that what not his emphasis at the time. But most coaches would not allow their HS QB's to retain the mechanics that either Crouch or Frost had --- much less a college coach. Therein lies my questioning Turner Gill.

 

That said, things may have changed and he has perhaps improved. And, he will likely not be the coach of the QB's were he to come here as a HC. But, if past performance is a predictor of future success (and admittedly, it is not always the case) I question the wisdom of giving Turner Gill serious consideration.

 

For that matter, i question Bo Pelini as well. Little experience. Several question marks there as well (different questions than with turner Gill). Lets get a certifiably successful HC who has been a HC already, who has successfully rebuilt a team already and is verifiably excellent. Give me Paul Johnson.

 

 

Johnson would be hired over Turner Gill by, I would think, 9/10 AD's. The question is whether he will be either considered or consider us.

 

 

couple of things. first of all frost and crouch had terrible motions to begin with. I mean if walsh couldnt fix frost, who could? another thing to consider is that in our system throwing by the QB was not a huge priority. I dont think they spent the amount of time as say... florida with spurrier did on throwing. our QB's had a whole list of other responcibilities