Is the 63 year old the guy pulling the Huskers into the future.

[mnhusker]

The article below is just one recent item I selected however it is not intended to be the only item supporting my thinking. For this article I think urgency is required to be successful in any profession and this article touches on the topic. When I consider what Riley has done Nebraska is looking more and more like a program poised for success than it has been at any time since Tom retired. The article on setting up a recruiting department to support the aggressive work being done already is an example of future thinking. Not sitting on crappy assistant coaches is a great example. The use of camps for recruiting is another example.

Hiring Diaco is a great example, my reason may be different than some think, I like the idea of getting the Husker Admin. to be willing to open up the checkbook, he (Diaco) may or may not be awesome but I think showing players and recruits that we are bringing in the best coaches money can buy adds something, it makes them think hey this program cares enough to bring in awesome coaches for me. (They may or may not be awesome but I think to an athlete they associate money with success).

 

I guess to wrap up, I really hope Riley can be successful, but if he is not I like the machine he is building and if Riley is replaced or retires I hope that the new Big Red Machine and open check book attitude set up the Huskers for future success.

 

 

http://www.omaha.com/huskers/blogs/an-urgent-spring-awaits-mike-riley-who-s-learning-rapidly/article_11950946-f7bb-11e6-b479-871e75c0d794.html

[JJ Husker]

Good article, and I agree with you. Even if Riley doesn't attain the level we want to see, he will have the program headed in the right direction. I do not believe that was the case with Pelini or Callahan. Callahan drove it into the ground and Pelini brought it back slightly but then stagnated with the thought that 9 wins was good enough so screw everybody outside the football room. Riley may not get the championships but he most definitely is laying the groundwork for them to be possible again. Some may disagree but that simply wasn't ever going to be the situation with the previous 2 coaches.

[84HuskerLaw]

I think to those outside the department, the hiring of Solich was certainly sufficient for most pundits to expect Nebrask to continue to be a perennial powerhouse program but after just a couple years, it became apparent to those who were paying close attention that he was just not 'a closer' or otherwise failed to recruit wisely. He was handed the keys to the greatest program, arguably in the modern football era, at its pinnacle and within just 4 years, we were, as someone once said 'gravitating toward mediocrity'. Many didn't agree at the time but I could see it quite clearly. Very few people didn't like Frank and he was and is a good person and a good football coach but not a great one certainly.

 

The program as a whole, didn't really slip down much further after Frank left but it never did rise back up much, if any. Whether it is on the rise now is a serious question and there is plenty of room for debate at this point. The next two seasons are going to be huge in determining that answer. If, after two more seasons, we find ourselves still mired in the '9 wins' syndrome, then it will once again be time to discuss more changes. I really like Mike Riley and he is doing some very positive things in many ways. Despite the tough record last year, the team was in fact very competitive and demonstrated the program is still within reach of loftier outcomes. 2017 is going to tell us much more about his pure coaching and motivational skills as he is going to have field a team without ANY meaningful QB experience which most coaches will say is a big big challenge to say the least. An experienced game manager at QB is worth 2 or 3 wins compared to a raw rookie, even if that rookie has superior athletic ability and so on. Even QBs such as Tommie Frazier and Scott Frost (as a junior mind you) and Eric Crouch and so on were far better QBs as experienced veterans.

 

The schedule is tough enough in '17 and even more daunting in '18. If our QB play is good or better in September, we will win a bunch of games more than likely. If it is freshman like, then it will be another long and gut wrenching one scary game after another type of season. By 2018, we will either be well prepared with the kind of athletic talent and 'seasoning' for Riley to put on his best show, despite the schedule difficulty. Again, we will need to see the team compete with each and every opponent and go toe to toe with the teams in the top twenty (if not the top 5). First we need to field a legit top 15 team and then find our way into the top ten caliber and once there, our recruiting will see the number of 4 star and 5 star guys doubling in the signing classes. Thence comes the 'national relevance' we all seek. Riley can do it - when it comes to the Xs and Os and the game planning, etc. He appears capable of being a great person that can lead a great team if he can manage the build it from the ground up in time.

 

The Big Ten is becoming the top football conference which makes the road that much tougher but the rewards will be there as a result.

[Crashman44b]

Good article, and I agree with you. Even if Riley doesn't attain the level we want to see, he will have the program headed in the right direction. I do not believe that was the case with Pelini or Callahan. Callahan drove it into the ground and Pelini brought it back slightly but then stagnated with the thought that 9 wins was good enough so screw everybody outside the football room. Riley may not get the championships but he most definitely is laying the groundwork for them to be possible again. Some may disagree but that simply wasn't ever going to be the situation with the previous 2 coaches.

The first sign of the demise was 11-23-2001. That's when the first crack appeared. Callahan was a good defensive coordinator away from a lengthy tenure at NU until the pros called again. He doesnt deserve credit for running the program into the ground. The cupboard was FAR from dry when Pelini arrived but it was pretty bare when Callahan got to NU. Frankie didn't do us any favors except maintaining the identity that NU was still a power house for a few years.

[TITANIC VS LUSITANIA]

Can I get summary

[Redux]

Can I get summary

Yes, no, no, yes, maybe?

[BigRedBuster]

I like the direction the program is going under Riley. He is the CEO we needed and it appears that he has a vision of what he wants the overall program to be. That includes all the way from recruiting to on the field performance to life outside of football for these young athletes. Will it all turn into championships under his leadership? I have no clue. But...if he doesn't.....I believe if he is making changes in the program that will benefit whomever comes after him.

 

The behind the scenes stuff like the recruiting department is a prime example of this.

[JJ Husker]

 

Good article, and I agree with you. Even if Riley doesn't attain the level we want to see, he will have the program headed in the right direction. I do not believe that was the case with Pelini or Callahan. Callahan drove it into the ground and Pelini brought it back slightly but then stagnated with the thought that 9 wins was good enough so screw everybody outside the football room. Riley may not get the championships but he most definitely is laying the groundwork for them to be possible again. Some may disagree but that simply wasn't ever going to be the situation with the previous 2 coaches.

The first sign of the demise was 11-23-2001. That's when the first crack appeared. Callahan was a good defensive coordinator away from a lengthy tenure at NU until the pros called again. He doesnt deserve credit for running the program into the ground. The cupboard was FAR from dry when Pelini arrived but it was pretty bare when Callahan got to NU. Frankie didn't do us any favors except maintaining the identity that NU was still a power house for a few years.

 

 

The last thing HB needs is another thread debating this topic but I do have to respond to this.

I've never made any claims that Frankie didn't leave the cupboard bare and yes the demise began under his watch with the debacle in Boulder but if you think Callahan (not a defensive coordinator btw) and Pederson did this program any favors and didn't run it into the ground, well, I have to ask how you recovered from that coma you were apparently in.

 

Your last sentence makes no sense whatsoever. Frankie may seemingly not have done us any favors in the cupboard department (although even that is debatable due to the difference in types of players needed before Callahan arrived) but the biggest loss by far that this program has ever suffered was the loss of identity that occurred under Callahan. So, maintaining that identity was a huge favor considering he was following one of the greatest head coaches at one of the most successful programs ever.

 

Do you actually follow Nebraska football?

[junior4949]

 

Good article, and I agree with you. Even if Riley doesn't attain the level we want to see, he will have the program headed in the right direction. I do not believe that was the case with Pelini or Callahan. Callahan drove it into the ground and Pelini brought it back slightly but then stagnated with the thought that 9 wins was good enough so screw everybody outside the football room. Riley may not get the championships but he most definitely is laying the groundwork for them to be possible again. Some may disagree but that simply wasn't ever going to be the situation with the previous 2 coaches.

The first sign of the demise was 11-23-2001. That's when the first crack appeared. Callahan was a good defensive coordinator away from a lengthy tenure at NU until the pros called again. He doesnt deserve credit for running the program into the ground. The cupboard was FAR from dry when Pelini arrived but it was pretty bare when Callahan got to NU. Frankie didn't do us any favors except maintaining the identity that NU was still a power house for a few years.

 

 

Fabian Washington, Barrett Ruud, Josh & Daniel Bullocks, Incognito, Adam Carriker, and Stewart Bradley all say hello. What do these guys have in common? They were brought into the program by Solich, and they were all top 3 round NFL draft picks. This cupboard that was far from dry when Pelini arrived amounted to a grand total sum of just two top 3 round NFL draft picks in Suh and Amukamara. Revisionist history anyone?