Cronyism: The kiss of death for a head coach

[Hujan]

The kiss of death for a head coach is nepotism cronyism: hiring one's unqualified buddies as assistants and then stubbornly sticking with them when they prove their incompetence on the field.

 

Bill Callahan: 2004-2007

Bo Pelini: 2007-2014

Mike Riley: 2014- ?

 

 

The thing that turned Riley from a "questionable" hire to a bad one, IMO, was when he brought over all his past/former cronies from OSU. Riley as a CEO, calming-influence coach with top-flight coordinators who know their stuff inside and out could have been workable. But letting Langsdorf cut his teeth as an OC and rolling out a dog-eared Banker is just not going to get it done.

[ticks]

I'm reserving judgement on Langsdorf. I honestly don't know how I would approach playcalling in this system given that our execution is so poor on plays that are designed to keep us on schedule. We have improved on WR screens, but I don't think I've ever seen a team so inept at RB and interior screens. These are high percentage plays (or should be) that may go down as passes in the box score, but they are effectively running plays. Tommy seldom puts the ball where it needs to be when it needs to be there, and our offensive linemen either whiff on defenders or draw drive killing illegal block penalties.

 

I was skeptical of the Banker hiring, and nothing I have seen has been particularly reassuring. I don't understand the scheme. I see coverage switches at times, but it seems to play like man-to-man in that our defenders almost always have their back to the ball and there seldom seems to be any deep help. Blitzes are never disguised and are of the 'all or nothing' variety, which puts a struggling secondary under a great deal of duress against any competent QB/offensive line. I am just thankful that we are facing Big Ten offenses that are generally ill-suited to exploiting this the way Big 12 offenses are.

[BoNeyard]

Langsdorff has potential. Really don't think he has his personnel yet on the roster to show what he can do. Guy really helped Eli Manning in New York for the year he was there, and in the past has developed good QBs at Oregon State...

 

Banker....Banker is awful. Was wanted out at Oregon State for years. Got outcoached year in and year out against the same PAC teams over and over.

[Hujan]

Langsdorff has potential. Really don't think he has his personnel yet on the roster to show what he can do. Guy really helped Eli Manning in New York for the year he was there, and in the past has developed good QBs at Oregon State...

 

Banker....Banker is awful. Was wanted out at Oregon State for years. Got outcoached year in and year out against the same PAC teams over and over.

 

Not sure how much credit Langsdorf should get for this:

 

 

[alwayshusking]

I hate to be that guy, but it's why he's here. Banker, Read, and Cavanaugh were all on the chopping block at Oregon State. He had a choice, fire his good friends and stay in Corvallis or reunite the gang in Lincoln.

[knapplc]

Name one coach, anywhere, who after being hired at a new school has hired a staff of strangers. It doesn't happen. It was a silly gripe against Pelini and it's a silly gripe against Riley.

 

Coaches hire guys they know. That's fine. They need to be able to fire guys they know who are underperforming. If they can't or won't, that's not fine.

[BoNeyard]

Name one coach, anywhere, who after being hired at a new school has hired a staff of strangers. It doesn't happen. It was a silly gripe against Pelini and it's a silly gripe against Riley.

 

Coaches hire guys they know. That's fine. They need to be able to fire guys they know who are underperforming. If they can't or won't, that's not fine.

 

For a guy who has been coaching for 40+ years, his network should be very large. I am sure Riley knows plenty of qualified coaches. He chose to bring a Defensive Coordinator who had not been performing well for years.

[alwayshusking]

Name one coach, anywhere, who after being hired at a new school has hired a staff of strangers. It doesn't happen. It was a silly gripe against Pelini and it's a silly gripe against Riley.

 

Coaches hire guys they know. That's fine. They need to be able to fire guys they know who are underperforming. If they can't or won't, that's not fine.

 

Right but he wouldn't do it at Oregon State, why do people think it's going to happen here? He's fiercely loyal.

[It'sNotAFakeID]

I like the thought, OP, but the word you're looking for is cronyism. Not nepotism.

[Hujan]

Name one coach, anywhere, who after being hired at a new school has hired a staff of strangers. It doesn't happen. It was a silly gripe against Pelini and it's a silly gripe against Riley.

 

Coaches hire guys they know. That's fine. They need to be able to fire guys they know who are underperforming. If they can't or won't, that's not fine.

 

I would actually argue that Pelini didn't do what you say he did. Most of the people on that staff were new to him, with the exception of Cotton, Brown, and Saunders.

 

Pete Carroll basically went and assemble a crack coaching staff when he took over at USC rather than relying on the same old, same old. I doubt Harbaugh brought everyone from USD to Stanford and I can't imagine he took his cronies from the 49ers to Michigan.

 

Riley said he was going to scour the country to hire "experts" in their respective positions and at teaching young men. It must be a coincidence that all the experts were already in Corvallis.

[lo country]

Langsdorff has potential. Really don't think he has his personnel yet on the roster to show what he can do. Guy really helped Eli Manning in New York for the year he was there, and in the past has developed good QBs at Oregon State...

 

Banker....Banker is awful. Was wanted out at Oregon State for years. Got outcoached year in and year out against the same PAC teams over and over.

He was with Riley at OSU. Riley had 4 season out of 13 with 9 or more wins. Ranked no higher than #20. Best season was 10-4 (finished #21). Thats what Langs is capable of doing with his guys........

[Hujan]

I like the thought, OP, but the word you're looking for is cronyism. Not nepotism.

 

Hmmm:

 

nep·o·tism

ˈnepəˌtizəm/

noun

1. the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs.

   https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=nepotism

[Red Five]

 

 

Name one coach, anywhere, who after being hired at a new school has hired a staff of strangers. It doesn't happen. It was a silly gripe against Pelini and it's a silly gripe against Riley.

 

Coaches hire guys they know. That's fine. They need to be able to fire guys they know who are underperforming. If they can't or won't, that's not fine.

I would actually argue that Pelini didn't do what you say he did. Most of the people on that staff were new to him, with the exception of Cotton, Brown, and Saunders.

Eckler and Papuchis were GAs or interns at LSU with Bo.

 

And Carl!

[It'sNotAFakeID]

 

I like the thought, OP, but the word you're looking for is cronyism. Not nepotism.

 

Hmmm:

 

nep·o·tism

ˈnepəˌtizəm/

noun

1. the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs.

   https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=nepotism

 

 

Ah ha! I counter with:

 

cro·ny·ism

ˈkrōnēˌizəm/

noun

derogatory

1. the appointment of friends and associates to positions of authority, without proper regard to their qualifications.

[knapplc]

 

 

Name one coach, anywhere, who after being hired at a new school has hired a staff of strangers. It doesn't happen. It was a silly gripe against Pelini and it's a silly gripe against Riley.

 

Coaches hire guys they know. That's fine. They need to be able to fire guys they know who are underperforming. If they can't or won't, that's not fine.

I would actually argue that Pelini didn't do what you say he did. Most of the people on that staff were new to him, with the exception of Cotton, Brown, and Saunders.

 

Eckler and Papuchis were GAs or interns at LSU with Bo.

 

And Carl!

 

Yep. Bo had about as many buddies on his initial staff as Riley.

 

It's a totally normal thing to do. Just about every coach does it, and it's not going to stop when Riley goes. The next coach will bring in "his guys" as will the next.

 

 

The only time "hiring your buddies" is a problem is when your buddies don't get the job done, and you don't fire them. But that also seems to be a pretty common theme amongst coaches.