If A New Coach-Turner Gill

[HUSKER 37]

 

Hmmmm. Sorry, but a knowledgeable source told me recently that Turner Gill didn't have a very good work ethic when he was coaching here. I think that comment came down from the top so don't count on TG to get the nod.

 

 

 

I heard the same thing from players back in the mid and late 90's. They all told me he was the last to practice and the first to leave.

 

Maybe he had his priorities in order while his kids were young.

Things change.

 

He's probably been married long enough that his Wife enjoys having him out of the house more.

I know Mine does.

[robsker]

I believe many of you are missing my point relative to Turner Gill "listening to his mentor."

 

How many of you think, if Turner Gill was named Head Coach, Tom Osborne and his years of experience, would not be called on occasionally for input or guidance to the "on the field activity"to benefit the rebirth of Nebraska football? How many of you think Tom Osborne does not have, one phone call away, an assortment of former retired assistant coaches willing to step up and offer insights and guidance? How would you like to be Turner Gill and perhaps a Nebraska linked offensive or defensive coordinator or position coach and not drool at the opportunity to have that sort of mentoring brain trust available? Do you think they would not be available for counsel? Do you think they would turn down Tom Osborne or Turner Gill? Charlie McBride, etc. built this program. They bleed RED more than the combined of this board.

 

Also do you think Tom Osborne would mention in his book how close he and Turner Gill were and are it he had "on time" issues with this man?

 

Turner Gill is the logical choice. He was and is a winner. Those suggesting position coaching issues relative to quarterbacking skills are just plane wrong. As mentioned one just name Frazier, Beringer, Frost, and Crouch and consider the option attack needs to discount that post. Enough said on that issue.

 

Relative to throwing motion I have never been a fan of the from the top move in the college game. I think the best throwing motion ,by far, I have ever seen in person is that of Chuck Long formally of Iowa. His was slightly side arm and a very easy ball to catch for the "collegiate caliber" receiver. I am not sure of its zip relative to todays modern pro game, however. Speed, speed speed, you know.

 

 

You point out a very real possibility were Gill to take the helm --- that there would be potentially a great deal of input coming from Osborne and/or others. This is precisely what a leader does not want or need. No coach (or leader at any level) wants or needs (or is helped) by a micro management from above. Such undermines the authority of that leader (coach) in the eyes of the platers. It is rarely a good thing. You can step into the same river only once.

 

Turner Gill, were he to be hire, would get my unqualified support (for whatever that is worth, admittedly, not much) and I would love to see him succeed. That said, there are many, many superior options (no pun intended) out there. At least, I hope NU can still attract a solid pool of candidates.

 

As an aside, the throwing motion issue I raised was just to illustrate a point --- the throwing motion itself was less the issue --- the point was that the QB's under Gill did not seem to develop any passing skills at all as time progressed and they were allowed to retain mechanics (and field vision and check-down skills) that a decent HS coach should have corrected (irrespective of option running skills exhibited by that same QB).

 

Again, I have nothing against Turner Gill --- he seems to be a good man. I just think that he is not the guy I would hire, or, for that matter, even consider (unless I had to). NU should shoot as high as possible and hope for the best. If none of that pans out, then Gill is likely going to be there --- no one else is beating down the doors to hire him. For what it is worth, Pelini is a step up (or two) but is still not where I would start. They need to go after a bonefide proven program builder who has had at least one, preferably more than one successful rebuilding project completed and is experienced as a HC.

 

OK, broken record, but what about Paul Johnson?

[Dan_F_30]

Maybe the brush Gill aside sentiment is because the people that do so do not want to have all the "good ol' boys" of Nebraska's past running the program, just like what happened in Oklahoma in the 90's. I know that is one of my reservations about having Gill as coach. I would like NEW blood, someone who will embrace the tradition of Nebraska and use it to his advantage but not necessarily had to be a part of it. I think if you limit yourself to the Nebraska Good Ol' Boys you are severly limiting your chances of finding a good coach.

 

Now don't get me wrong, Gill has done a good job at Buffalo, but it is in a bad conference and the team was at the bottom of the NCAA, so there is only one way to go and that is up. He's was going to be successful if he won a couple games. But if you think him going .500 at Buffalo makes him qualified to coach Nebraska in the Big 12 then you're dreaming. And sure he has the same experience that Meyer had when he went to Utah, maybe Gill should take that same route. Meyer went to a WAC team then to the SEC, Not MAC to SEC. If he's like Meyer is a good up and coming coach, which I agree but he's not to the level of Meyer, then he should go somewhere else at a mid-major and WIN or COMPETE for conference titles before the Big 12.

[Colfax]

'You point out a very real possibility were Gill to take the helm --- that there would be potentially a great deal of input coming from Osborne and/or others. This is precisely what a leader does not want or need. No coach (or leader at any level) wants or needs (or is helped) by a micro management from above. Such undermines the authority of that leader (coach) in the eyes of the platers. It is rarely a good thing. You can step into the same river only once."

 

"the brush Gill aside sentiment is because the people that do so do not want to have all the "good ol' boys" of Nebraska's past running the program, just like what happened in Oklahoma in the 90's. I know that is one of my reservations about having Gill as coach. I would like NEW blood, someone who will embrace the tradition of Nebraska and use it to his advantage but not necessarily had to be a part of it. I think if you limit yourself to the Nebraska Good Ol' Boys you are severly limiting your chances of finding a good coach."

 

 

Absolutely wrong. It has nothing to do with micro management and in fact you have heard Osborne talk at his press conference about that not being his style. To respond to another post simultaneous it has nothing to do with a bunch of "good ol boys" either.

 

All leaders have mentors, those individuals in there life that influenced and guided there management style. Great leaders seek counsel and are wise enough to recognize their times of need. They ask those trusted at that time of need. A great mentor does not meddle and does not involve him or herself unless asked. They do not micromanage. They have the wisdom to know when they themselves do not have the answer. They do usually have a full quiver of arrows, however. They themselves did not get to a mentoring position without their own assists from above or below them in the pecking order. Those are the arrows.

I suspect within the framework of that which this board discusses the relationship between Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne comes to mind relative to the mentor/leader concept.

 

I think an example of a professed leader without the proper mentoring system in place is the recently departed Athletic Director. The result is attempts to buy or hire that mentoring system with the result we are all now familiar.

 

Commenting on the "good ol boy" sentiment, Oklahoma and Nebraska are two different cultures. The skill and support of the present AD and his intimate knowledge of the Nebraska tradition sets this situation apart from the Oklahoma of the 90's.