No Coach this week/weekend...TO speaks!

[OKHUSKER]

Tom Osborne spoke Wednesday night on the Husker Sports Network.

 

Here's what Nebraska's interim athletic director had to say.

 

Is the process going as quickly as he thought it would?

"Yes, we're doing fine. I would say this, that things are pretty much on track."

 

Ideally, when do you expect to be done with interviews and moving into that next stage?

"Hopefully by next week. That would be my general timetable. But again, if it takes longer, it takes longer. We'd hope we'd be moving along pretty well by at least the middle of next week."

 

Is there a common characteristic amongst the candidates he's interviewed so far?

"I think they all understand the game quite well. We’re not going to talk to people that don’t have some track record and some people who have done well in coaching. All of them are very passionate about football. I haven’t really met a candidate yet who I thought was really driven by money. That always turns me off a little bit if I feel that their main interest is how much of a salary they can get. Now, having said that, it does seem that the going rate on salaries has really kind of gone through the roof maybe a little bit. A little bit amazing."

 

How many candidates would he like to interview?

"I have no set number in mind. You can overwhelm yourself with numbers to where you’re talking to so many people that you don’t really remember what the last person you interviewed said. But on the other hand you want to have a large enough pool that you were able to really examine some of the best qualities that some of the best coaches have. And I think we’ve been able to do that. I’m not saying that we’re done yet, but I think we’re really in pretty good shape right now."

 

Does he want to get former Husker players or people with connections to the program on the next staff?

"Well, first off I might just say that staff is really important. As a head coach, there's only one of you. You can't teach fundamentals to all of your players. You can't work on blocking and tackling with all your players, and so a great head coach with a mediocre staff is probably going to be mediocre...

 

Answering the question, he said, "There are two schools of thought. One is that if you have players who played at Nebraska or were at Nebraska at one time or another, they do understand the culture. They understand where North Platte is and where Oshkosh is. They know the importance of football to young people in this state. They know what walkons meant to programs in the past.

 

"And then on the other hand, an experienced coach with a solidified staff can come in here and sometimes save themselves a lot of time and grief simply because they all have a common terminology. They know each other. Their systems are all well in place and they don't have to spend several months trying to figure out what each one is doing. So it's kind of a trade off. But I guess it'd be nice to at least have a couple people with Nebraska ties, because they understand the state and they understand the culture."

 

What are some of the things his conversations with the coaching candidates consist of?

"We talk about staff, whether they would bring people on their staff, or whether there were some people around the country that they'd want to recruit as either coordinators or whatever. Just a variety of things. Usually I just let them talk and I listen a lot. Because I learn a lot more when I'm listening than when I'm talking."

[Wally]

Yup. I guess we had better cool our heels a bit. The announcement might come this weekend but don't be surprised if it takes another week or more.

[knapplc]

Once again, it is humbling to have this man as our de facto leader.

 

TO walks on the ground I worship.

[HuskerBruin]

Man, I love hearing that guy talk. There's just something so comforting and sincere about the way he talks. He's diplomatic without the B.S. coach speak.

 

I guess I'll get back to work until next week.

[Axl_sued_me]

It would seem like Bo Pelini is the guy if it takes until after this weekend to announce a coach.

[HuskerJosh]

I've lived in Nebraska all my life and I don't know where Oshkosh is in the state.

[Husker_x]

If he's got a timetable for an announcement in mind then it would seem that he's pretty much made his decision, provided a future interview doesn't rock his world. I trust Tom knows what he's doing. Reading between the lines it sounds like he's doing exactly what I hoped he would. He's going to hire a good staff, but have some with Nebraska ties. He won't tie the hands of the head coach, but he'll make it so it's a mutual agreement that this is a good idea.

 

What a shrewd guy.

[HuskerFreakz]

I've lived in Nebraska all my life and I don't know where Oshkosh is in the state.

 

It was only about 30 miles away from my home town and I played them in Athletics.

[Shansen]

Well if you travel West on I-80 and are going to either Colorado, Wyoming or point further West, you'll drive right by it. Basically it's out by North Platte.

[HuskerFreakz]

100 miles isn't right by North Platte, same quadrant maybe.

[Husker Runner]

I've lived in Nebraska all my life and I don't know where Oshkosh is in the state.

 

You have just been eliminated from consideration for a spot on the next coaching staff.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I like what I'm hearing here. He is not in a hurry just because other schools are. He is going to make sure that this is the right guy and staff.

[REDSTEEL]

There's a Husker sports network? What channel is that?

[HuskerBruin]

There's a Husker sports network? What channel is that?

 

Yeah, I've seen this referred to in the past and still don't know what it is. Is it video or just audio? Is it available online?

[HuskerJosh]

I've lived in Nebraska all my life and I don't know where Oshkosh is in the state.

 

You have just been eliminated from consideration for a spot on the next coaching staff.

 

Dammit, I thought I had a real chance!!!