Cronyism: The kiss of death for a head coach

[VectorVictor]

I think the thing I am struggling with is that the new coaching staff doesn't seem to be all that better than the last.

 

O line was supposed to be all Barney's fault. Well, it still is pretty bad under Cavanaugh.

 

People think the WR coach is amazing, but we are still seeing a lot of drops by the receivers.

 

The RB coaching situation is a disaster, and they can't seem to figure out what they want to do there.

 

The defense has traded a poor run defense for a terrible pass defense.

 

Agree with one change--the RBs themselves appear to be better than we thought. The problem is that the coaches are mismanaging them almost every single week, and it's getting worse.

[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.

 

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.

 

 

Fair enough. I guess my beef is that Riley seems to have guys who were simply his friends instead of finding "known" entities who happened to be high caliber. It's reasonable for guys to want to hire known entities that share their schematic goals, etc., but I'm not sure how common or acceptable it is to hire guys who are mediocre just because they're your friends. As someone else pointed out, Riley has a very wide network of coaches he "knows" and has some relationship with. Snuggling up to his woobie assistants just because they are his binkies is a bullsh#t, weak move.

 

The Nebraska job gave Riley the opportunity and, frankly, an expectation to push the reset button, and shift from the play-calling HC to a CEO HC who relies on coach-in-waiting type coordinators. Let's be honest: The one and only coaching qualification that Riley, at age 62, had for the Nebraska job was his demeanor. He's friendly, respectful, calming, nice to the media, etc. Fine. I get it. You want the Riley to rinse the taste of Bo out of the program's mouth. But if that's the plan, then if you're Eichorst, you tell Riley: "But your friends are coming with you. The checkbook is open. Go out and hire top-flight coordinators who can manage the Xs and Os while you be the face of the program. Don't just use this gig as an opportunity to bring your entourage up to the penthouse."

 

That didn't happen and now we have Mr. Rogers and his stoned, loser friends putting their feet all up on the couches and eating all our food and drinking all our drink with nothing to show for it.

 

I understand the point you are making but I feel it is unfair and goes too far. We can't say all of the staff are doing that poorly frankly. There are some aspects of this team, despite the win/loss numbers stinking that are reasonably good. Overall, our tackling is better and there have been decent periods of O Line play. Our RBs are simply not great so we are not getting the something out of nothing runs we got so much of from Ameer last year. Those are hurting and are putting us in too many 2nd and 8 or more.

 

 

Yeah, I'm exaggerating for effect, no doubt. Bray is a solid coach. Williams, too. But other than that, I am very underwhelmed by the staff.

 

Not sure where you're seeing solid o-line play. Also, our RBs are fine. It's Newby who is terrible. I think there's decent chance that a steady diet of Wilbon, Ozigbo. and Janovich would cure what ails us.

[Count 'Bility]

The biggest warning signal to me was when Ed Orgeron made it publicly known that he was interested in a job at Nebraska, and Riley made zero effort to add him to his staff. You can't just let a recruiter of that caliber pass you by, especially when you KNOW he's interested. LSU was quick to snatch him up and now they have the #1 recruiting class in the country.

theyve been putting together elite top classes for years. Long before oregeron was there.

[Dansker]

The biggest warning signal to me was when Ed Orgeron made it publicly known that he was interested in a job at Nebraska, and Riley made zero effort to add him to his staff. You can't just let a recruiter of that caliber pass you by, especially when you KNOW he's interested. LSU was quick to snatch him up and now they have the #1 recruiting class in the country.

 

This to me was a major disappointment, too. I remember Orgeron was practically begging Riley to hire him at Nebraska. He is a high energy recruiter known to build programs over the years and you ignore his interest in YOU? What.... ? Big let down for me and threw up a red flag.

[Hujan]

The biggest warning signal to me was when Ed Orgeron made it publicly known that he was interested in a job at Nebraska, and Riley made zero effort to add him to his staff. You can't just let a recruiter of that caliber pass you by, especially when you KNOW he's interested. LSU was quick to snatch him up and now they have the #1 recruiting class in the country.

 

Agreed.

[Dansker]

Riley will learn very quick that breaking even or losing records at Nebraska ain't the same thing as Oregon State. In fact, part of me says he already knows. You can see it in his eyes.

[huskerfan92]

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.

 

Well we've got to hire a guy with better buddies.

[bhamHusker]

 

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.

well idk if this was a stranger BC maybe they had contacts but I think when Bill Snyder came back he hired the oc from Utah or Houston or something

 

 

He hired Co-OCs (from San Diego State and Arizona) upon his return, both were former Snyder assistants. He also hired co-DCs (from Maryland and Illinois), one was a former assistant of his, the other was a former player from before Snyder's initial tenure at KSU that he knew. Both OCs remain at their positions, both DCs have moved on to other schools. The current DC was promoted from within Snyder's current staff.

 

Besides that, the fact that a coach hires one or two guys new to him (as Riley did with this current staff) doesn't invalidate the point knap is making.

[MichiganDad3]

Courtesy of FTW, here is Bo's final staff. Not all of them were cronies, and remember, when he was hired he kept the offensive staff.

 

2014, now let's take a look at Pelini's final staff:

Tim Beck 4 years as OC/QB Coach 7 years overall

Alma mater: UCF

John Papuchis 3 years as DC 7 years overall

Alma mater: Virginia Tech

Ron Brown 4 years as RB coach 24 years overall

Alma mater: Brown/Nebraska

Barney Cotton 2 years as AHC/TE coach previously OL coach

Alma mater: Nebraska

Ross Els 4 years as LB coach

Alma mater: Nebraska-Omaha

Rich Fisher 4 years as WR coach

Alma mater: Colorado

John Garrison 2 years as OL coah

Alma mater: Nebraska

Rick Kaczenski 3 years as DL coach

Alma mater: Notre Dame

James Dobson 7 years as S&C

Alma mater: Wisconsin

Charlton Warren 1 year as Sec coach

Alma mater: Air Force

Joe Ganz served as a GA and QB assistant

Alma mater: Nebraska

*Marvin Sanders also served as Sec coach in 2008 and 2009

Alma mater: Nebraska

[MichiganDad3]

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

Fair enough. I guess my beef is that Riley seems to have guys who were simply his friends instead of finding "known" entities who happened to be high caliber. It's reasonable for guys to want to hire known entities that share their schematic goals, etc., but I'm not sure how common or acceptable it is to hire guys who are mediocre just because they're your friends. As someone else pointed out, Riley has a very wide network of coaches he "knows" and has some relationship with. Snuggling up to his woobie assistants just because they are his binkies is a bullsh#t, weak move.

 

The Nebraska job gave Riley the opportunity and, frankly, an expectation to push the reset button, and shift from the play-calling HC to a CEO HC who relies on coach-in-waiting type coordinators. Let's be honest: The one and only coaching qualification that Riley, at age 62, had for the Nebraska job was his demeanor. He's friendly, respectful, calming, nice to the media, etc. Fine. I get it. You want the Riley to rinse the taste of Bo out of the program's mouth. But if that's the plan, then if you're Eichorst, you tell Riley: "But your friends are coming with you. The checkbook is open. Go out and hire top-flight coordinators who can manage the Xs and Os while you be the face of the program. Don't just use this gig as an opportunity to bring your entourage up to the penthouse."

 

That didn't happen and now we have Mr. Rogers and his stoned, loser friends putting their feet all up on the couches and eating all our food and drinking all our drink with nothing to show for it.

 

I understand the point you are making but I feel it is unfair and goes too far. We can't say all of the staff are doing that poorly frankly. There are some aspects of this team, despite the win/loss numbers stinking that are reasonably good. Overall, our tackling is better and there have been decent periods of O Line play. Our RBs are simply not great so we are not getting the something out of nothing runs we got so much of from Ameer last year. Those are hurting and are putting us in too many 2nd and 8 or more.

 

Teams lose great players every year. That is not an excuse for the worst start in 45 years. This staff is simply not very good, just look at all the simple mistakes they make over and over. That is a lack of attention to detail. Football requires great teamwork, and attention to detail is key. These coaches are sloppy.

[I AM FOOT FOOT]

 

The biggest warning signal to me was when Ed Orgeron made it publicly known that he was interested in a job at Nebraska, and Riley made zero effort to add him to his staff. You can't just let a recruiter of that caliber pass you by, especially when you KNOW he's interested. LSU was quick to snatch him up and now they have the #1 recruiting class in the country.

theyve been putting together elite top classes for years. Long before oregeron was there.

 

when this was brought to MR attention he said that's nice and left it at that. Coach O would of been an asset to this staff and team. but that's nice he went to LSU.