Ross Els new ST coordinator

[Not since 97]

We never go after a punt.... When was the last time we tried to block one?

We don't play special teams anymore, we used to thrive on the block punt and return game, but Notre Dame had the 4 horsemen and OU had Bud Wilkinson too

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

I like the move. Special teams were dismal under JP and they need a jump start. Els does have some experience as Special Teams coach under Solich at Ohio. I don't think he can do worse than JP.

 

Huh?

 

Maher - 19/22 Field Goals, 54 punts/45 yard average

Henery - Cannot even begin to type all his achievements

Kunalic - Pretty damn good too

 

I realize there is more to ST than kicking, but these are some of the best players the nation has seen the last few years at the position and you are calling our coaching in this area dismal???

Most likely referring to the kick coverage aspect of the kick game under JP.

Yep. More to special teams than just the kickers.

[kchusker_chris]

I'm puzzled by the insistence of folks on this board to always hire the 'splash hire'. There is no guarantee that this type of hire would be successful.

I'm puzzled at folks on this board who don't see the value in that "splash hire". The ones that are almost against it...as if it's below Nebraska to hire someone proven. Is it the "walk-on" mentality of Husker fans...where we want people to work/earn their possition? These "splash" guys got to the level they are at for a reason. All things equal, who would you rather have running your company...someone with decades of experience and proven success (splash hire)...or someone with entry level experience and the word "potential" headlining their resume?

 

If I was a bettting man, I'd say the "splash hire" likely has a better chance of being successful...but that's just me. No one claims it's a guarentee...but I'd play the odds if my job was on the line.

[Joe_5700]

I'm puzzled by the insistence of folks on this board to always hire the 'splash hire'. There is no guarantee that this type of hire would be successful.

I'm puzzled at folks on this board who don't see the value in that "splash hire". The ones that are almost against it...as if it's below Nebraska to hire someone proven. Is it the "walk-on" mentality of Husker fans...where we want people to work/earn their possition? These "splash" guys got to the level they are at for a reason. All things equal, who would you rather have running your company...someone with decades of experience and proven success (splash hire)...or someone with entry level experience and the word "potential" headlining their resume?

 

If I was a bettting man, I'd say the "splash hire" likely has a better chance of being successful...but that's just me. No one claims it's a guarentee...but I'd play the odds if my job was on the line.

 

I tend to agree with most of what you say. I thought the timing was right to finally have a big name splash hire. Bo's job is definately not on the line as you are implying... I do however think that the hiring of Pooch for the DC job will add stability to the coaching staff for years to come. I think whoever the big splash hire would be, they would be using the DC position at Nebraska to springboard themselves right back into a HC job.

[Mavric]

We never go after a punt.... When was the last time we tried to block one?

 

This might just be part of Bo's coaching mentality.

 

A punt means your defense is about to come off the field.. so it's not crazy to think Bo favors that situation over a possible penalty that keeps his defense on the field.

 

There are good arguments for both "block" and "return" calls...

Well ... we tried to block one against Michigan and everyone came unglued that it was a terrible idea after we got the roughing the punter call.

[kchusker_chris]

I tend to agree with most of what you say. I thought the timing was right to finally have a big name splash hire. Bo's job is definately not on the line as you are implying... I do however think that the hiring of Pooch for the DC job will add stability to the coaching staff for years to come. I think whoever the big splash hire would be, they would be using the DC position at Nebraska to springboard themselves right back into a HC job.

definately agree about the DC position and turnover w/ a splash hire. it's why I think college football's current system for handling staff is broken - and I'd go outside the box if I was in charge. a staff is currently formed the same way it was 100 years ago. difference is back then $$ didn't dictate the staff like it does today. but I think Auburn made a pretty good decision with their splash hire for OC 2 seasons ago. He was only there 2 season...but he brought them a MNC that probably would have evaded them without Gus.

 

and i think you misunderstood me. it's not "on the line" as in he's sitting on the hot seat, or needs to worry about where he'll be coaching in 2012. but, it's college football...Bo's job is on the line at the beginning of every season. Bo is one 5-7 season from not having a job. To me, that's "on the line". He's also 1 B1G championship, and/or 1 MNC from having some solid job security for the next 4-5 years. Who's more likely to keep us from having a 5-7 season...Stoops or JP at DC? I'd say Stoops.

[The Dude]

I tend to agree with most of what you say. I thought the timing was right to finally have a big name splash hire. Bo's job is definately not on the line as you are implying... I do however think that the hiring of Pooch for the DC job will add stability to the coaching staff for years to come. I think whoever the big splash hire would be, they would be using the DC position at Nebraska to springboard themselves right back into a HC job.

definately agree about the DC position and turnover w/ a splash hire. it's why I think college football's current system for handling staff is broken - and I'd go outside the box if I was in charge. a staff is currently formed the same way it was 100 years ago. difference is back then $$ didn't dictate the staff like it does today. but I think Auburn made a pretty good decision with their splash hire for OC 2 seasons ago. He was only there 2 season...but he brought them a MNC that probably would have evaded them without Gus.

 

and i think you misunderstood me. it's not "on the line" as in he's sitting on the hot seat, or needs to worry about where he'll be coaching in 2012. but, it's college football...Bo's job is on the line at the beginning of every season. Bo is one 5-7 season from not having a job. To me, that's "on the line". He's also 1 B1G championship, and/or 1 MNC from having some solid job security for the next 4-5 years. Who's more likely to keep us from having a 5-7 season...Stoops or JP at DC? I'd say Stoops.

It'll be Bo's defense. I wouldn't worry about JP leading us to a 5-7 season.

[kchusker_chris]

I tend to agree with most of what you say. I thought the timing was right to finally have a big name splash hire. Bo's job is definately not on the line as you are implying... I do however think that the hiring of Pooch for the DC job will add stability to the coaching staff for years to come. I think whoever the big splash hire would be, they would be using the DC position at Nebraska to springboard themselves right back into a HC job.

definately agree about the DC position and turnover w/ a splash hire. it's why I think college football's current system for handling staff is broken - and I'd go outside the box if I was in charge. a staff is currently formed the same way it was 100 years ago. difference is back then $$ didn't dictate the staff like it does today. but I think Auburn made a pretty good decision with their splash hire for OC 2 seasons ago. He was only there 2 season...but he brought them a MNC that probably would have evaded them without Gus.

 

and i think you misunderstood me. it's not "on the line" as in he's sitting on the hot seat, or needs to worry about where he'll be coaching in 2012. but, it's college football...Bo's job is on the line at the beginning of every season. Bo is one 5-7 season from not having a job. To me, that's "on the line". He's also 1 B1G championship, and/or 1 MNC from having some solid job security for the next 4-5 years. Who's more likely to keep us from having a 5-7 season...Stoops or JP at DC? I'd say Stoops.

It'll be Bo's defense. I wouldn't worry about JP leading us to a 5-7 season.

true, but I wouldn't expect him to lead us to a B1G championship before Stoops either... (it's all hypothetical because we'll never know )

[The Dude]

I tend to agree with most of what you say. I thought the timing was right to finally have a big name splash hire. Bo's job is definately not on the line as you are implying... I do however think that the hiring of Pooch for the DC job will add stability to the coaching staff for years to come. I think whoever the big splash hire would be, they would be using the DC position at Nebraska to springboard themselves right back into a HC job.

definately agree about the DC position and turnover w/ a splash hire. it's why I think college football's current system for handling staff is broken - and I'd go outside the box if I was in charge. a staff is currently formed the same way it was 100 years ago. difference is back then $$ didn't dictate the staff like it does today. but I think Auburn made a pretty good decision with their splash hire for OC 2 seasons ago. He was only there 2 season...but he brought them a MNC that probably would have evaded them without Gus.

 

and i think you misunderstood me. it's not "on the line" as in he's sitting on the hot seat, or needs to worry about where he'll be coaching in 2012. but, it's college football...Bo's job is on the line at the beginning of every season. Bo is one 5-7 season from not having a job. To me, that's "on the line". He's also 1 B1G championship, and/or 1 MNC from having some solid job security for the next 4-5 years. Who's more likely to keep us from having a 5-7 season...Stoops or JP at DC? I'd say Stoops.

It'll be Bo's defense. I wouldn't worry about JP leading us to a 5-7 season.

true, but I wouldn't expect him to lead us to a B1G championship before Stoops either... (it's all hypothetical because we'll never know )

Probably. But it's still Bo running the show, and I'd take him over Stoops anyday.

[kchusker_chris]

It'll be Bo's defense. I wouldn't worry about JP leading us to a 5-7 season.

And here's kind of another thing that bothers me with this hire. Had Bo promoted JP to DC, reassigned a couple of his duties to someone else, but left JP coaching the DL or have him remain RC I would have understood the decision. Like you said, it will be Bo's defense, so JP would be more co-coordinator. It would have freed us up to hire a great recruiter, quarterbacks coach, or even a DT coach. But by promoting JP, and reassigning all of his prior duties...knowing that it will be Bo's defense...JP is now technically dead weight. (not really, but you know what I mean). They could likely put me at DC...and it would still play out the same because this will be a defense coordinated by Bo. So why waste an assistants position on something Bo's technically going to do anyway. Els now has more work, Fisher now has more work, and JP is a figurehead. What will be JPs duties, and overall is it the most effective way to distribute your staff load? I wouldn't hire someone to do a job I'm already going to be doing...what's the point?

[Danny Bateman]

It'll be Bo's defense. I wouldn't worry about JP leading us to a 5-7 season.

And here's kind of another thing that bothers me with this hire. Had Bo promoted JP to DC, reassigned a couple of his duties to someone else, but left JP coaching the DL or have him remain RC I would have understood the decision. Like you said, it will be Bo's defense, so JP would be more co-coordinator. It would have freed us up to hire a great recruiter, quarterbacks coach, or even a DT coach. But by promoting JP, and reassigning all of his prior duties...knowing that it will be Bo's defense...JP is now technically dead weight. (not really, but you know what I mean). They could likely put me at DC...and it would still play out the same because this will be a defense coordinated by Bo. So why waste an assistants position on something Bo's technically going to do anyway. Els now has more work, Fisher now has more work, and JP is a figurehead. What will be JPs duties, and overall is it the most effective way to distribute your staff load? I wouldn't hire someone to do a job I'm already going to be doing...what's the point?

Bo clearly felt JP was the man for the job. There are several positives to the move, IMHO.

 

1) JP is clearly a cheaper alternative to a Mike Stoops or a Ron Zook or probably even a Larry Johnson Sr would've been as a DC. Hell even if those wild McBride out of retirement rumors somehow came to fruition, he probably would've even commanded a larger paycheck than JP.

 

2) Secondly, we keep our best recruiter on the team. If JP wasn't given the DC title, he likely leaves to pursue other opportunities, namely, DC at another school. This would've been a huge loss for Nebraska recruiting. Papuchis has proven time and again to keep us in on big time targets we otherwise wouldn't have even had a shot at. Now, Coach Raymond and Coach Garrison and Coach Beck and even Kaz with his Florida all look to be excellent on the trail (least of which Kaz but hopefully he can get us in on a few more Florida guys at least)... but why not try to keep as much recruiting talent as possible on staff? Keeping JP retains our best one.

 

3) There's legitimacy to the "continuity" argument. The players know JP, they love JP, and there's something to be said for that. With him as our DC, we have someone that our defensive players know and are comfortable with, and that is a big plus. You don't run the risk of an outside guy not working out, or not gelling with the staff, or not agreeing with Bo's system/wanting to implement their own (i.e., Stoops), or any other number of possible negatives. JP has been on staff and knows how our defense runs. He's been working with Bo for his entire career, so he likely knows Bo's system as well as anyone. Hell, he's been around Bo even longer than Carl had (at least professionally). This is good: Even if Bo does indeed take the reigns of the D and call plays, Coach Pap can be right under his wing and further refine his understanding of the system and how it is designed to work. This may pave the way for JP to be more of a legimate coordinator in the future, if and when Bo relinquishes control. Should Bo decide to leave someday, we have a capable DC or even head coach candidate at that point already on staff.

 

It's not a flashy hire, but Bo truly wants full control of his team, and if he believed this was the way to go and TO supported him n his decision, I'm happy with it. It shows Bo is in charge, and it's truly his decision to make and not us as fans.

 

IMO, we should think of JP as a DC in training right now as opposed to a useless figurehead that is dead weight.

[da skers]

It'll be Bo's defense. I wouldn't worry about JP leading us to a 5-7 season.

And here's kind of another thing that bothers me with this hire. Had Bo promoted JP to DC, reassigned a couple of his duties to someone else, but left JP coaching the DL or have him remain RC I would have understood the decision. Like you said, it will be Bo's defense, so JP would be more co-coordinator. It would have freed us up to hire a great recruiter, quarterbacks coach, or even a DT coach. But by promoting JP, and reassigning all of his prior duties...knowing that it will be Bo's defense...JP is now technically dead weight. (not really, but you know what I mean). They could likely put me at DC...and it would still play out the same because this will be a defense coordinated by Bo. So why waste an assistants position on something Bo's technically going to do anyway. Els now has more work, Fisher now has more work, and JP is a figurehead. What will be JPs duties, and overall is it the most effective way to distribute your staff load? I wouldn't hire someone to do a job I'm already going to be doing...what's the point?

So you think JP just waits for Bo to hand him a list of what he wants done? Bo likes working on the defensive side. He'll probably call some of the game. Most of the time its about 50/50 from what I understand. But JP's going to be running that part of practice, running the meetings, breaking down film on the next guys we're playing, game planning etc and I promise you Bo won't be there a large portion of the time as he's doing other duties required as a head coach.