Perfect Storm Brewing?

[MoneyBall]

When Nebraska was on top, it had a local (TO) who was head man. Throw money at all those others, and your just throwing away money. They don't care about Nebraska or its football program, but they would come here for the fringe benefits of money. If Callahan taught us anything, it should have been that. He recruited 4 and 5 star talent to Nebraska, but it was ininspired talent playing for the name on the back of the jersey, not for Nebraska. Why would any other coach ever come here for any other reason than for the money. Yeah, Richt or Kelly would win 9 games a year, but how long would they remain in place before glam job came open? Callahan and Pelini won 8 and 9 games for the most part, but didn't have the love of the program or state in order for it to ever succeed for a long lasting time. Fire Eichorst, fire Riley and bring in Trev Alberts as AD and he will bring in Scot Frost. Those two men know Nebraska Football and love the program still to this day. This would then bring in your alums that made this program what it once was. Stop with throwing money at the hot new hire like a bunch of spoiled rotten bitches and realize that this is not Alabama or Texas. Get back to what made NU football great, and that is pride in the program, and pride in the STATE of Nebraska. Thats how its been proven to be done in the past, and thats the only way it will ever get back to its ways. Devaney made it work for 9 years, but it was Osborne who sustained this program for 25 years and made it what it was, more than most will admit or realize. It was Osbornes program.

Well said.

[suh_fan93]

Nebraska just needs a solid/good football coach. Someone who knows the game and will embrace the traditions we have here and more than anything else someone who will know how to motivate his players to be the best football players they can possibly be.

 

I still think Scott Frost would have been the right hire here in terms of future. His proven success as an offensive coordinator at Oregon,, having previous ties to the program and knowing the tradition that was set here previously are all reasons he stands out to me. I also think he would be a helluva recruiter which of course is crucial.

 

Eichorst f'd up. Like badly. Nebraska deserves to have a great coach running this program. I've even heard other people say college football as a whole was simply better when Nebraska was good.

 

I can write all the wishful thoughts I want but in the end I think it's safe to say we're stuck. Pearlman, Eichorst and Riley aren't going anywhere at least this year. I'd be shocked even if after another sh**ty season of Nebraska football next year that Eichorst would have the nuts or wherewithal to fire Riley even then.

 

Sigh....

[BoNeyard]

And even if Frost failed this year we could look for the future of him turning it around.

 

Riley's future in terms of sucess or simply his career is limited. The man is already 62 years old. Fail this year, and hope things turn around in 3-4 years and he is 65 years old.......

 

Eichorst also hired Al Golden at Miami who is probably out after this year.

 

Great resume.

[Nebhawk]

Money will not hire the right coach. Money can help build facilities, and provide for great luxuries, but the right coach is the coach who will come here and coach for coaching the Huskers. Money is great, but it also as put Nebraska in this situation. Firing coaches after 9 win seasons. Hiring the wrong coaches to take their place. That money sure helped the program didn't it!

 

Point to all the SEC programs you want, and then again ask yourself where there going. Auburn won a title with Gene Chizek and Cam. Wheres Chizek? Malzahn played for a title with Chizeks players, but look at what he is doing now?..! Saban is still the king of the conference. Miles is the Queen and all the rest are Jokers.

 

Frost is the only option that will turn things around and get the program rolling again. Devaney wasn't from Nebraska. Osborne was his OC when they won. Where was Devaney before Osborne? Johnny Rodgers put Devaney on the map, along with Osborne. Devaney was starting to fail before Osborne and Rodgers showed up on the doorstep.

 

Alberts has the hunger to make things happen. Frost has the knowledge. Forget about hiring SEC AD's. The only way they know how to build programs is by buying players and paying off coaches after they get caught to keep quiet.

[BoNeyard]

I was for Frost this time around.

 

I will forever be for Frost.

 

I admit Frost might not be the guy who turns things around, but I would be more willing to let a Nebraska guy try 4-5 years to turn things around, then an almost retired outside guy.

 

Give Frost a chance. Apologize to everyone this year that this was a mistake and this year is lost, then go get Frost. Let him try. Move on before we get too far into Riley's system and then Frost has to come in here and try to rebuild again.

[RADAR]

Frost needs to go to a MAC school first, he is still in diapers as a coach

[Nebhawk]

It has been proven now that not just any coach can handle this job. Why keep hiring them? Only a person who knows this program and state can handle the pressure of coaching here. Not saying it has to be Frost, but who else? If your not a diehard Husker or once was a die hard Husker, you won't have that in your gut for the job. Right now, this job might be viewed as a stepping stone job for some candidates out there. Hire one that views this as a destination. Hire an AD that views this as the once in a lifetime job.

 

Those things all point towards Alberts and Frost. At least Alberts needs to be hired. Let him then figure out who is next. It starts with someone who knows the program and has some insight.

 

As far as this season goes, I won't ever root against this team or players. RIley might get somethings changed enough to win some more games and make a bowl. Right now, odds are hugely against him and the players. Could it be a matter of hitting rock bottom, before things get better? Is this rock bottom, or can things get worse?

 

Time is of the essence. The thing is Riley beat USC when they were #1. There is a good chance that if Michigan St stays in the Top 5, Nebraska could beat them. IF that happens, all of these thread will seem like non-sense, because he will do something that hasn't been done since Osborne retired. Then how does Big Red nation react? Thats what I see coming down the line.....lose to bad teams and beat the ones who we haven't beaten in years.......Riley factor 2.0

[shyndy]

If we beat Msu but go 5-7? f#*k that it might buy him a season.

[ndobney]

Yesterday's performance has me, a pretty mellow, "give the new guy a chance - one year is not enough" and "we can't afford (reputation and continuity, not $$$) another coaching change" kind of guy. But I found myself lamenting that there really is no way out at this point.

 

Then I read through several of the posts in various threads and a scenario began to form in my head.

 

Unless this team continues to implode and we start seeing not only losses, but blowouts and teams giving up, I don't see any publicly acceptable reason to release this staff after one year.

 

So here is the storm. With a new AD, the change in coaches can always be justified, "new guy wants to choose his team". But our AD is new too, and the "give him some time to establish things" honeymoon protects SE as well.

 

Now, here is where the gale force winds pick up. The man that picked the AD is leaving soon from all reports. I don't think it could happen this next year, but if Perlman exits, this becomes possible:

 

1. New Chancellor wants "his guy" in the AD position (we buy a top notch AD from the SEC or somewhere)

2. New AD chooses (obtains funding to buy) a new top notch coach

3. New top notch coach, per stipulations in his contract, hires (buys) recognized top notch assistants. (in contract: "You will hire coordinators that have been at top 10 teams and have these following characteristics -- 1. xxxx 2. xxxxx, etc) Leave ZERO room for bringing in buddies, unless those buddies are proven talents.

 

This scenario give legitimacy to replacing recent hires.

 

"Fixing" Nebraska football, at this point, can only be done with $$$$$$, and lots of it. The question is, can Nebraska football be fixed at all? If fixing means returning to the dominance we had in the 90s. Not sure it can, but if it can, MONEY will be the key.

I think most people are argeeing with this right now. Even the most optimistic people are begining to feel this way. I do believe there is no way out right now. I'm not sure money would fix the situation either. To much money is invested in other teams to suceed over us. Have you ever seen the numbers in the ESPN/SEC contract.

[FrustratedHuskerFan]

I don't care how awful this sounds...I want the team to tank so we get a new lease on life as a program. The sooner this circus is over, the better

[BoNeyard]

Frost has stolen a QB recruit from us. Frost and Oregon come to Lincoln next year. God help us. This staff couldnt figure Oregon out when they were just 60 miles apart.

 

Riley hangs his hat on getting that one big upset a year while at Oregon State. The thing people seem to forget, there were also loses to the likes of Sacremento State and other teams they should have beaten. Those wins vs 1 USC or #2 California were ended with 7-8 win seasons.

[HuskerSG]

My thought is this. While they'll tell us that they're 100% behind the new coaches and their scheme, I don't buy it. I think a bunch of the players have bought in, but not everyone (Especially on defense). Unfortunately, you need pretty much everyone to buy in to what they're being taught. I think that what we're seeing are a group of kids playing their hearts out, but a lot of them are falling into old tendencies that cost us points. On defense, it's tough to point out some guys that are 100% "in", but guys like Gerry, Weber, Akinmoladun are ones that look to me like they are buying in. I'm thinking Davie is one guy that has had a hard time with the transition. Injuries play a part as well, but that's an excuse that losers use. Every team has key injuries. Winning is a mindset and a belief. If the mindset isn't right, we'll always see failure. If Alex Lewis is a face of the program as a Captain and a leader, we're in a world of hurt the rest of the year.

[Savage Husker]

There's a storm brewing but it's not close to hitting, yet.

 

As crappy of a showing this season has been, they need a class or two, need to load up on talent (starting/playing this many walkons is proof of lack of depth), and at least need to get their own QB in there to run "their" offense. They need to filter out the players that don't buy in and revamp the team psyche.

 

If Gangwish really said "Our goal isn't to beat anyone. It's to be the best team we can be," That is another captain with an attitude I won't buy. You play every game to win, not this show up and be the best we can be crap. If your goal isn't to beat your opponent on EVERY play, you might as well look for moral victories to pat your back with because that's all you're working for. Lewis again is an embarrassment to himself. Tommy walking off and not talking to media - a la TMart, who said this last offseason he regretted not talking to media - was not the move of a leader. He left others to answer questions for him. (Yes, I understand MR/DL throwing him under the bus isn't pretty, either). 3 of our "captains" making those moves in one night, I hope that's not reflective of the rest of the team because that is scary and next week could be a blood bath if they don't pull together.

 

With new chancellor, I doubt s/he won't make sweeping changes immediately and as long as Eichorst is AD, Riley isn't going anywhere for at least 2-3 years.

 

Not at all happy, encouraged, or optimistic of this season but will watch and cheer them like I do every week. Until the coaches pull their heads out of their butts and the players clean it up on the field and step up, gonna be a difficult season.

[Stumpy1]

People think we have endless amounts of money and we actually don't. If we fire the AD, Riley and crew along with what we owe Bo, we wouldn't have enough cash to pay for a top coach. Better hope like hell that frost would come here for half of what Riley is making.

[Dagerow]

I agree with the OP. The problem is it's going to cost a lot, not just for the new coach, but also to pay the old ones (and not just Bo and Riley, but their assistance and even SE). That's not chump change. It's a lot, especially when a new coach will cost a lot.

 

And we don't need any experiments (like Frost). We need a proven winner who can recruit. We may have to pay $5-7 m to get him, but if your going to do it right, do it right the first time.

 

(Nothing against Frost personally, but he only started coaching recently, and isn't that much of a house hold name. You need a coach that is so well know, any recruit will answer his calls, and most any small town will get excited if he comes in to recruit one of their own. A football celebrity, that brings excitement just with his name.)