Barney Cotton to help Beck coach from the booth, not the sidelines

[AFhusker]

bshirt, this may come as a shock to you, but Barney has been the Associate Head Coach/Offensive Line since he returned in 2008. He walked in the door with far more control than you're allowing for. It has been well-documented that we have bent over backwards to work with Barney and get him on the same page as everyone else, but he hasn't played ball - the fiasco with Milt Tenopir last year being the most notable instance. Barney isn't doing everything he can to make things work. He's obstinately staying his own course, and that is not going to fly here.

 

EZ-E has speculated that Barney is on his way out the door by way of the booth. It will not surprise me in the least if that happens. In fact, I rather expected it last February when Watson and Gilmore were moved on.

 

The problems with Milt haven't been overblown. Milt's respect for Cotton as a coach is almost nonexistent. The time that Osborne and Tenopir have spent trying like hell to get Barney to a level of even basic competency is mind boggling, and this has been at Bo's request, because he recognizes this as a huge problem.

 

The writing is on the wall with Cotton's move to the booth on this one. Spare me the Tenopir comparison, because Milt had proven himself as a coach, and was allowed to do those things. Cotton has not proven himself as a competent coach/coordinator in his time here in Lincoln. This move has see you later written all over it, much like it did for Ekeler last fall. If you get our your Bo cypher, you will see what this means. Next year Barney will likely still be in the "front office" where he can be the recipient of "Husker Welfare"

 

Thank you very much for telling it like it is. It gives me hope that the fan base isn't a bunch of brainless twits that assume everything that the staff past or present is unchallengeable. It's disgusting on how some people will defend a sinking ship like Barney. Actually I don't think that ship could ever float, but anyway the sooner he's gone the better. And unfortunately you hit the nail on the head with the "husker welfare" comment. He will get paid much like Jamrog to do nothing that helps the university.

Don't lump Jamrog in with Barney. He's actually done his job pretty well with the exception of getting a middle tier team to do a 2 for 1 with us which may not be very realistic now days. That actually falls as much on TO as it does Jamrog.

 

Until he schedules somebody with a heartbeat, then IMO he's not doing what he's paid to do.

This statment makes it obvious you have no clue what he actually does.

 

Ok all knowledgeable one, enlighten me and tell me what he does other than schedule a bunch of easy wins?

[knapplc]

Until he schedules somebody with a heartbeat, then IMO he's not doing what he's paid to do.

This statment makes it obvious you have no clue what he actually does.

 

That was a bit of a head-shaker for me, too. Not sure where that criticism even comes from.

[EndoQuan]

it's just a fact that Barney it a terrible coach and is a waste of money and a coaching position on the staff.

People really need to learn the difference between facts and opinions. And that's just my opinion, not a fact.

 

I't's amazing how many people claim their "opinions" are "facts" because....well.....because.......they say so!

 

No you two need to pull your head out of the sand and look at the facts. It's thinking like that that makes me want to throw up every time they call NU fans the best in the country. The facts back up the opinion that he sucks as a coach. Just look at the numbers while he's been here without your scarlet and cream glasses on.

 

 

What is so odd to me is that the poster refers to our previous offensive coordinator in mocking fashion as Callawatts, but he gets really defensive of any criticisms leveled against Cotton. The same guy also uses facts and information to form his opinions on Watson and passes off his opinion of Watson being an incompetent boob as a "fact" but it is when your "facts" are in disagreement with his "facts" that he again reverts back and starts attacking your "facts" as an opinion. A very odd dynamic indeed.

[knapplc]

This time around we are in year 4 (talking about Barney again) and while we have gotten some good rated recruits, it seems that they don't hit their potential. Now that could be the recruiting services being off base as we all know they can be, but with the results to this point, it has to be coaching because nobody has that bad of luck to have every OL miss their potential that they recruited.

 

Speaking specifically about the recruiting services comment here, I think we're back to a time in Husker history where you pretty much have to completely ignore the stars beside a kid's name when we recruit them. I'll put Bo's ability to analyze a kid's potential up against that of Scout or Rivals any day. If Bo recruits them, you can just about bet they're a five-star recruit for our system. And that distinction is all that matters.

[AFhusker]

it's just a fact that Barney it a terrible coach and is a waste of money and a coaching position on the staff.

People really need to learn the difference between facts and opinions. And that's just my opinion, not a fact.

 

I't's amazing how many people claim their "opinions" are "facts" because....well.....because.......they say so!

 

No you two need to pull your head out of the sand and look at the facts. It's thinking like that that makes me want to throw up every time they call NU fans the best in the country. The facts back up the opinion that he sucks as a coach. Just look at the numbers while he's been here without your scarlet and cream glasses on.

 

 

What is so odd to me is that the poster refers to our previous offensive coordinator in mocking fashion as Callawatts, but he gets really defensive of any criticisms leveled against Cotton. The same guy also uses facts and information to form his opinions on Watson and passes off his opinion of Watson being an incompetent boob as a "fact" but it is when your "facts" are in disagreement with his "facts" that he again reverts back and starts attacking your "facts" as an opinion. A very odd dynamic indeed.

 

I think this was meant for someone else, if not then you have me confused with somebody else. I have never used the term "Callawats" in my life. Or are you talking about BShirt and RedDenver?

[EndoQuan]

Until he schedules somebody with a heartbeat, then IMO he's not doing what he's paid to do.

This statment makes it obvious you have no clue what he actually does.

 

That was a bit of a head-shaker for me, too. Not sure where that criticism even comes from.

 

I have been critical of Jamrog because of some boneheaded things he has done and said since getting here, and certainly his requirement that players call him "Coach" and his headset are just a few of the things that make him an oddball character. That being said, as an administrator he has been alright, and he actually took the time to respond to some critical emails after we announced some future schedules filled with patsy games. One of the first acts when he got here was to throw the previous scheduling/schedulers under the bus because they filled it with some easy games. There were direct quotes where he took shots at people like Tim Cassidy because of how the upcoming years looked, and here is today announcing some future non-conference schedules that are at best, on par with those that he inherited. Again, kind of goes back to the PR campaign waged when we transitioned to Pelini as our coach, everything and anything from the previous regime needed to receive the "slash and burn" treatment, because as we all know, not only was Bill Callahan and his staff bad a coaching, but they also performed abortions on the side and volunteered as puppy killers at the Lincoln pound. Yep, a group of baby and puppy killing no good people who couldn't coach worth a lick.

[AFhusker]

This time around we are in year 4 (talking about Barney again) and while we have gotten some good rated recruits, it seems that they don't hit their potential. Now that could be the recruiting services being off base as we all know they can be, but with the results to this point, it has to be coaching because nobody has that bad of luck to have every OL miss their potential that they recruited.

 

Speaking specifically about the recruiting services comment here, I think we're back to a time in Husker history where you pretty much have to completely ignore the stars beside a kid's name when we recruit them. I'll put Bo's ability to analyze a kid's potential up against that of Scout or Rivals any day. If Bo recruits them, you can just about bet they're a five-star recruit for our system. And that distinction is all that matters.

 

Or they are family members that need a scholly like Marlowe.

 

I wouldn't go as far as you, especially since he's a defensive coach so he needs someone with a good eye for talent on the offensive side to complement him. Hopefully that is Beck and we will be fine.

[AFhusker]

Until he schedules somebody with a heartbeat, then IMO he's not doing what he's paid to do.

This statment makes it obvious you have no clue what he actually does.

 

That was a bit of a head-shaker for me, too. Not sure where that criticism even comes from.

 

I have been critical of Jamrog because of some boneheaded things he has done and said since getting here, and certainly his requirement that players call him "Coach" and his headset are just a few of the things that make him an oddball character. That being said, as an administrator he has been alright, and he actually took the time to respond to some critical emails after we announced some future schedules filled with patsy games. One of the first acts when he got here was to throw the previous scheduling/schedulers under the bus because they filled it with some easy games. There were direct quotes where he took shots at people like Tim Cassidy because of how the upcoming years looked, and here is today announcing some future non-conference schedules that are at best, on par with those that he inherited. Again, kind of goes back to the PR campaign waged when we transitioned to Pelini as our coach, everything and anything from the previous regime needed to receive the "slash and burn" treatment, because as we all know, not only was Bill Callahan and his staff bad a coaching, but they also performed abortions on the side and volunteered as puppy killers at the Lincoln pound. Yep, a group of baby and puppy killing no good people who couldn't coach worth a lick.

 

Somebody get it!

[zoogs]

The part about Tenopir was to highlight that the "spin" in defense of this move is to point out that Uncle Milty was up in the box for games, and he was successful with it, so give Barney some slack. While it is true that Milt Tenopir was up in the box and he is universally accepted in football circles as one of the best OL coaches, the same doesn't necessarily hold true for Cotton.

 

I mean, if you look at something like Apple Corporation, Steve Jobs is the straw that stirs that drink. Sure he has had tons of resources and great people around him to make these things happen, but if you traded me for him tomorrow, that company wouldn't achieve the kind of success they have because I'm not Jobs, and I would likely want to make changes, and while I would be perched in the same spot he is, my view on the whole world is miles apart from Jobs. Same applies here with Milt and Barney, just because they are both perched up in the pressbox on gameday, doesn't really indicate much of anything about potential "Milt-esque" success we might have up front.

 

Very much agree on the Cotton analysis. Speaking specifically about results, he's not getting it done, and he needs to get "promoted" out of his position. Barney is a Made Man, to use a Mafia term, so he's never going to sleep with the fishes like Watson & Gilmore, but he's done as Consigliere. He'll get his brass watch and his cushy desk job, but he's not going to be calling shots anymore. And that's a good thing.

 

Is that really you, knapp? Yikes, you're going on the warpath today!

 

 

Bo, why am I out?

 

You're not a wartime consigliere, Barn.

[knapplc]

I have been critical of Jamrog because of some boneheaded things he has done and said since getting here, and certainly his requirement that players call him "Coach" and his headset are just a few of the things that make him an oddball character. That being said, as an administrator he has been alright, and he actually took the time to respond to some critical emails after we announced some future schedules filled with patsy games. One of the first acts when he got here was to throw the previous scheduling/schedulers under the bus because they filled it with some easy games. There were direct quotes where he took shots at people like Tim Cassidy because of how the upcoming years looked, and here is today announcing some future non-conference schedules that are at best, on par with those that he inherited. Again, kind of goes back to the PR campaign waged when we transitioned to Pelini as our coach, everything and anything from the previous regime needed to receive the "slash and burn" treatment, because as we all know, not only was Bill Callahan and his staff bad a coaching, but they also performed abortions on the side and volunteered as puppy killers at the Lincoln pound. Yep, a group of baby and puppy killing no good people who couldn't coach worth a lick.

 

We just jumped off the cliff here. There was never any kind of concerted effort by the NU Administration to disparage the Callahan Era. All the criticism you heard came from those outside the current organization, from former players to fans. You did not hear comments from Perlman, Osborne, Bo Pelini or anyone else where they publicly disparaged Callahan, Cosgrove or Pederson. If you can point to those, they'll be the first time I've seen them.

 

Certainly it cannot be ignored that under Pederson/Callahan (and mostly Pederson, as we're finding out as time goes on) there was an effort to steer the culture of this program away from what it was under Osborne and Solich. For that, Pederson definitely deserves criticism - far more public criticism than he's received from official sources. The fact that there hasn't been a public tar-and-feather session speaks volumes of the character of our current AD and his staff.

 

That's not to say that there haven't been references to Callahan, Cosgrove and/or Pederson - but you cannot avoid them. You can't simply pretend those years didn't exist, and you cannot refer to them in positive terms. The years under Pederson, especially after he fired Solich, were the darkest time of our program in the last 45 years. Necessarily references will be negative, and the fact that they are largely glossed over when referred to at all rather obviates the "puppy killers and abortions" reference.

 

If we're talking about the fans, meh. The fans are going to say whatever they want, and you can't stop them. They express themselves differently than those working at Stadium Drive, and their comments and attitudes can't be applied to the Athletic Department.

[knapplc]

The part about Tenopir was to highlight that the "spin" in defense of this move is to point out that Uncle Milty was up in the box for games, and he was successful with it, so give Barney some slack. While it is true that Milt Tenopir was up in the box and he is universally accepted in football circles as one of the best OL coaches, the same doesn't necessarily hold true for Cotton.

 

I mean, if you look at something like Apple Corporation, Steve Jobs is the straw that stirs that drink. Sure he has had tons of resources and great people around him to make these things happen, but if you traded me for him tomorrow, that company wouldn't achieve the kind of success they have because I'm not Jobs, and I would likely want to make changes, and while I would be perched in the same spot he is, my view on the whole world is miles apart from Jobs. Same applies here with Milt and Barney, just because they are both perched up in the pressbox on gameday, doesn't really indicate much of anything about potential "Milt-esque" success we might have up front.

 

Very much agree on the Cotton analysis. Speaking specifically about results, he's not getting it done, and he needs to get "promoted" out of his position. Barney is a Made Man, to use a Mafia term, so he's never going to sleep with the fishes like Watson & Gilmore, but he's done as Consigliere. He'll get his brass watch and his cushy desk job, but he's not going to be calling shots anymore. And that's a good thing.

 

Is that really you, knapp? Yikes, you're going on the warpath today!

 

 

Bo, why am I out?

 

You're not a wartime consigliere, Barn.

 

That's exactly the scene I pictured when I wrote that. Great, great movie.

 

But warpath? I'm not riled up about this thread at all. Probably you're joking and I'm not catching that in the black-and-white of the forums, yes?

[zoogs]

Oh, I just mean, and not just today, you are coming down hard on Barney. I am in full agreement with you on that, though. I don't mean riled up.

 

Regarding that PR campaign though, there was definitely a concerted rhetoric effort. I don't know you could say that it was nefarious, it just rings fairly hollow. "Bringing Nebraska Back"...instead of looking to the future. Callahan failed here because he lost the team in '07 and didn't win enough, but not because of silly things like he didn't "get" Nebraska and Bo "does", or because he "destroyed" the walk-on program, things like that.

[EndoQuan]

I have been critical of Jamrog because of some boneheaded things he has done and said since getting here, and certainly his requirement that players call him "Coach" and his headset are just a few of the things that make him an oddball character. That being said, as an administrator he has been alright, and he actually took the time to respond to some critical emails after we announced some future schedules filled with patsy games. One of the first acts when he got here was to throw the previous scheduling/schedulers under the bus because they filled it with some easy games. There were direct quotes where he took shots at people like Tim Cassidy because of how the upcoming years looked, and here is today announcing some future non-conference schedules that are at best, on par with those that he inherited. Again, kind of goes back to the PR campaign waged when we transitioned to Pelini as our coach, everything and anything from the previous regime needed to receive the "slash and burn" treatment, because as we all know, not only was Bill Callahan and his staff bad a coaching, but they also performed abortions on the side and volunteered as puppy killers at the Lincoln pound. Yep, a group of baby and puppy killing no good people who couldn't coach worth a lick.

 

We just jumped off the cliff here. There was never any kind of concerted effort by the NU Administration to disparage the Callahan Era. All the criticism you heard came from those outside the current organization, from former players to fans. You did not hear comments from Perlman, Osborne, Bo Pelini or anyone else where they publicly disparaged Callahan, Cosgrove or Pederson. If you can point to those, they'll be the first time I've seen them.

 

Certainly it cannot be ignored that under Pederson/Callahan (and mostly Pederson, as we're finding out as time goes on) there was an effort to steer the culture of this program away from what it was under Osborne and Solich. For that, Pederson definitely deserves criticism - far more public criticism than he's received from official sources. The fact that there hasn't been a public tar-and-feather session speaks volumes of the character of our current AD and his staff.

 

That's not to say that there haven't been references to Callahan, Cosgrove and/or Pederson - but you cannot avoid them. You can't simply pretend those years didn't exist, and you cannot refer to them in positive terms. The years under Pederson, especially after he fired Solich, were the darkest time of our program in the last 45 years. Necessarily references will be negative, and the fact that they are largely glossed over when referred to at all rather obviates the "puppy killers and abortions" reference.

 

If we're talking about the fans, meh. The fans are going to say whatever they want, and you can't stop them. They express themselves differently than those working at Stadium Drive, and their comments and attitudes can't be applied to the Athletic Department.

 

 

A number of these comments and these attitudes have been more internal and a public tar and feather session. At the same time, when you know what the message internally has been, and you look at what has been said publicly, it is more of reading between what is said. Simple and subtle comments by Bo about "we put the stars on recruits" are comments charged with incredible angst and a very public effort from the program to distance themselves from the past. The message was clear, do everything and anything you can to reinforce that idea and put time and space between yourselves and the previous staff. The same holds true for the scheduling.

 

Jamrog in 2008---

"It looks like they wanted to schedule a bunch of wins. We can't do anything about it. We can't do anything about the guarantees that were set, unless you want to cancel the contracts. But we aren't interested in doing that."

 

He knew there was an opportunity there to take the a shot, and he took it.

[da skers]

Until he schedules somebody with a heartbeat, then IMO he's not doing what he's paid to do.

This statment makes it obvious you have no clue what he actually does.

 

That was a bit of a head-shaker for me, too. Not sure where that criticism even comes from.

 

I have been critical of Jamrog because of some boneheaded things he has done and said since getting here, and certainly his requirement that players call him "Coach" and his headset are just a few of the things that make him an oddball character. That being said, as an administrator he has been alright, and he actually took the time to respond to some critical emails after we announced some future schedules filled with patsy games. One of the first acts when he got here was to throw the previous scheduling/schedulers under the bus because they filled it with some easy games. There were direct quotes where he took shots at people like Tim Cassidy because of how the upcoming years looked, and here is today announcing some future non-conference schedules that are at best, on par with those that he inherited. Again, kind of goes back to the PR campaign waged when we transitioned to Pelini as our coach, everything and anything from the previous regime needed to receive the "slash and burn" treatment, because as we all know, not only was Bill Callahan and his staff bad a coaching, but they also performed abortions on the side and volunteered as puppy killers at the Lincoln pound. Yep, a group of baby and puppy killing no good people who couldn't coach worth a lick.

 

Somebody get it!

I agree with the fact the scheduling is weak but thats only a small part of what he actually does and its by far his largest criticism because its the most public. The reality is in the scheduling aspect he's more of a middle man. He makes the contacts to see who will listen but he doesn't really get to set the offer being made. He then has to spin what ever is given to him and see if he can make it work. His bashing of Cassidy was unfair because Steve P was the one who controlled the offers and who would work in the scheduling. Not a lot of that has changed. He's give a budget based on the team and unfortunately its pretty hard to get teams like Boise State to play for what we offer. One of the things that TO continually talks about is his frustration of teams to want so much to come play at NU. He has admitted he's been be somewhat reluctant or at the very least slow to adjust his thinking when it comes to that. That has hurt scheduling. At the same time I see where it comes from because you can't lose money to play someone either or at the very least you cant damage your budget. Besides the reality is that we could probably schedule UNK and it would still sell out so why cave to the high 6 or 7 figures to get teams that aren't that much better here.

 

 

That being said the real meat of Jamrog's job (probably 95% or more) does nothing with scheduling. It has more to do with logistics which is a nightmare with the numbers he has to deal with both team and prospect wise. He also is very key with walkons as well as instate recruiting and record compliance. Look at the number of Nebraska kids on the 2 deep. Many of the relationships that got those here started with Jamhrog.

[knapplc]

A number of these comments and these attitudes have been more internal and a public tar and feather session. At the same time, when you know what the message internally has been, and you look at what has been said publicly, it is more of reading between what is said. Simple and subtle comments by Bo about "we put the stars on recruits" are comments charged with incredible angst and a very public effort from the program to distance themselves from the past. The message was clear, do everything and anything you can to reinforce that idea and put time and space between yourselves and the previous staff. The same holds true for the scheduling.

 

Jamrog in 2008---

"It looks like they wanted to schedule a bunch of wins. We can't do anything about it. We can't do anything about the guarantees that were set, unless you want to cancel the contracts. But we aren't interested in doing that."

 

He knew there was an opportunity there to take the a shot, and he took it.

Absolutely those were comments meant to distance the current regime from the past, but my God - can you blame them? The Pederson Era was the single biggest crime in this football program's history. It deserves mountains of scorn, heaps of derision, and it gets.... next to nothing.

 

And you seem to be conveniently forgetting the internal - and overtly external - messages from 2002-2007. NOTHING coming out of Stadium Drive today is even remotely as bad as what Pederson and Callahan were generating regarding Frank's era, and even going so far as to denounce the Osborne years. You either are ignorant of that or you agree with that, but regardless, you cannot cry about the commentary of the Pederson Era without first putting it into context.