Begin the Erstad Era

[Phil the Red]

Erstad is done talking, and now they're doing family pictures. Dr. Tom is there, and it looks like mom, dad, the kids and Grandpa. Cute pictures.

 

After seeing Darin in the presser, he reminds me a little of Bo. He seems to have the same brutally honest, direct approach, and you can sense a burning passion under the surface that is eerily reminiscent of a Pelini. I wasn't too sure at first, but now I can see this becoming a very successful hire. Time to get on board, GO BIG RED BASEBALL!

[Landlord]

Complex coaching philosophies, x's and o's and etc., can all easily be learned, having the right attitude, devotion and culture can't. We'll see what happens, but my gut feeling predicts this will be exactly what our program needed, and Darin's really encouraging lack of concern about money and desire to be here, at Nebraska, will hopefully result in several, several years of great things.

[PaulCrewe]

I am sorry but I'll be the first to bite. Let me state first I think there could be plenty of potential in this move, and respect Erstad the baseball player. However, I think this is a bad choice. I hope I am wrong and after three or four years of Super Regional wins/appearances, someone can dig up this thread and throw it in my face, but bad choice TO.

 

Being a player can help(which I am sure in many cases it can with DE), but there are just so many obligations and tasks off the field that I just don't think DE is ready for yet. There is the political side of dealing with adminstration and what nots, recruiting, managing a coaching staff, managing a pitching staff, etc. It would probably been more benefitial if he could have been an assistant a couple of more years of "learning on the job".

 

DE MUST make some great hires of assistants to lean on for help, again I know he stated thus will be the case. I agree with knapp and da skers, and think this may have a bit to do with Paul Meyers. I just am thinking that this option probably would have beent there at that time.

 

Again I hope to eat crow on this something fierce but I throw out a miny out there for this hire. Will Bolt or Todd Butler were more than ready. I hope WIll comes home like someone had speculated, but don't see him doing it. Time will tell and I hope I am wrong, but have to play the Debbie Downer card as of today.

[General Blackshirt]

One interesting tidbit - Erstad said one of the first people he called was Mike Anderson, who was very supportive. Anderson offered his support and help in getting going.

 

Anderson is a stand-up guy. Results on the field may not have been there, but I've never heard anything that makes me think Mike Anderson isn't a heck of a man. I've met him several times, and each time I was struck by how down-to-earth and genuine he seemed.

 

Bubba will be contacted and Erstad will stay in touch, but he'll be treated like any other recruit.

You've never heard any of the stories about him having loud cuss-word filled arguments in public places near children before, I take it?

[PaulCrewe]

Ok, so I am hearing more and more that Will Bolt is returning to the program so I will change my stance a little. Maybe a partial facepalm instead of a miny one. Still not sure. This wait and see game is gonna suck.

 

And FYI Sam McKeon twitted that Bubba "really likes DE". Let the Bubba speculation begin again.

[corncraze]

@JonNyatawa - Darin Erstad confirmed Texarkana coach (and former Husker) Will Bolt is "in the mix" as an assistant on the #Huskers new baseball staff

 

@KendallRogersPG - Additional note on Will Bolt. It sounds like he's headed up to #Nebraska to meet with Darin Erstad. Chances great he joins staff. #Huskers

[corncraze]

Ok, so I am hearing more and more that Will Bolt is returning to the program so I will change my stance a little. Maybe a partial facepalm instead of a miny one. Still not sure. This wait and see game is gonna suck.

 

And FYI Sam McKeon twitted that Bubba "really likes DE". Let the Bubba speculation begin again.

Here's his exact tweet

 

@swmckewonOWH - FYI...Bubba Starling really, really likes Darin Erstad.

[NUance]

I like the Erstad hire. It’s certainly going to raise the profile of NU baseball. And I think the coaching emphasis in baseball is more in practice, than in gametime decisions like football. Erstad will do just fine.

 

Now, if we can land Bubba, that would be two grandslams in an inning.

[dergibog]

Couple of things on the coaching situation.

When all the coaches were fired last week, players started getting calls from baseball coaches all over the country. Somebody (a relative of one of the players and a big booster) called Paul Meyers, and said "What the hell is going on? The only person in the baseball office is the secretary!" Within hours, the assistants were "unfired" and then the search began.

 

Osborne was headed back from Dallas on Monday night. He was flying coach! Of course, Osborne would have to fly "coach". So he was interviewing people Monday in Dallas, so he hadn't made up his mind at that point.

[Turn2]

Couple of things on the coaching situation.

When all the coaches were fired last week, players started getting calls from baseball coaches all over the country.

 

this comment underlines the fact that there is talent inside the program.

[da skers]

Wow, Erstad as head coach... Aside from the Big 10 move, this might be Osborne's most brilliant move as athletic director, or his most stupid.

Judging by many boosters it definitely is one of the more questionable. There is definitely two camps. One who think its a no brainer and the other group that thinks it was settling for something with a lot of question marks. That's not to say the ones in the second camp are against the hire but I think there is a sense that we perhaps missed an opportunity to bring in a really excellent coach judging by the interest in the opening.

 

I actually think there was more back and forth in the first couple hours of good hire/bad hire than there was with the Turner vs Bo. Of course in that instance I think everyone felt good about both...it was just a which was better.

[da skers]

I like the Erstad hire. It’s certainly going to raise the profile of NU baseball. And I think the coaching emphasis in baseball is more in practice, than in gametime decisions like football. Erstad will do just fine.

 

Now, if we can land Bubba, that would be two grandslams in an inning.

I'm sure if I were Bubba I'd be more impressed with DE than I ever would have been with MA.

 

I know of one high caliber pitcher with strong family ties to NU (Grandpa is a pretty good booster) that had written NU off early (the kid has several scholarships offers including several top baseball schools)for the simple reason that MA was the coach and had begun to get a reputation of failing to have players come anywhere near their full potential. I always argued the fact that we had pitchers drafted very well from NU but they insisted that at camps the perception was just the opposite.

[da skers]

The guy is obviously a good baseball coach...and knows Nebraska but as one friend said...this on the surface would be like hiring Garrison to replace Bo Pelini if he left.

Umm, kind of. But while Garrison was an asst HS coach for 3 years between playing and coaching at NU, Erstad played 14 years in the majors. That's a pretty big difference. Playing time doesn't necessarily equate into coaching experience, but there have been major leaguers (Pete Rose, Frank Robinson to name a couple) who go straight from playing to managing an MLB team, or at least a fairly high minor league team. Granted, most start lower in the minors or are asst coaches first.

Good point. I'm not sure how tongue in cheek his comment was. Obviously he was in the very questionable hire camp.

[Nebula]

The guy is obviously a good baseball coach...and knows Nebraska but as one friend said...this on the surface would be like hiring Garrison to replace Bo Pelini if he left.

Umm, kind of. But while Garrison was an asst HS coach for 3 years between playing and coaching at NU, Erstad played 14 years in the majors. That's a pretty big difference. Playing time doesn't necessarily equate into coaching experience, but there have been major leaguers (Pete Rose, Frank Robinson to name a couple) who go straight from playing to managing an MLB team, or at least a fairly high minor league team. Granted, most start lower in the minors or are asst coaches first.

Good point. I'm not sure how tongue in cheek his comment was. Obviously he was in the very questionable hire camp.

Sure, that makes sense considering his lack of experience. I always heard though (hearsay alert!) that Erstad was one of the coaches favorite players wherever he played, in terms of work effort off the field, a near reckless manner of playing at break neck speed at all times on the field, and in relation to locker room/clubhouse leadership.

 

Does that translate into being a championship caliber coach? Of course not. But I'm encouraged and optimistic. I think this hire is going to work out quite nicely.

[HuskerHacker]

DE + Will Bolt + Stud Pitching Coach = Wins!

 

Don't care what the speculation is. Facts are Facts. DE has been a winner at every level and in every organization. Will Bolt's profile will show the "EXACT" same success. (Winning at every level) The missing piece in my opinion isn't necessarily a stud recruiter but rather a stud pitching coach and for those that know how small the minor league baseball contracts are then one can easily assume that DE will not only be contacting several minor league coaches but also likely has been given financial room to entice said coach.

 

Lastly, someone above commented about DE's press conference and how Pelini like DE appeared. I'll admit, I too noticed it. Listening to him made me want to put on the glove and start working out. There was definitely passion in his presser answers and I for one can hardly wait for the 2012 season to begin. Bring on the rivals!! I know the sker's will be ready!

 

GBR!!!