Nebraska OL: The Lost Art Is Returning Soon

[skers83]

1 hour ago, Undone said:

 

Unbelievable that we had an athletic director that looked at Riley and his coaches and said "these are the guys to turn this program around."

 

And unbelievable that they got another job coaching after the s**t show they put on here.

[Husker in WI]

2 minutes ago, skers83 said:

And unbelievable that they got another job coaching after the s**t show they put on here.

 

I mean none of them exactly landed on their feet. Riley got an 'analyst' job which seemed pretty much like a retirement plan from Oregon State. I doubt he actually does much related to football there. Langsdorf took a job as an 'offensive assistant' and has only been a QB coach since. Diaco took an analyst job before being promoted to position coach and then coordinator at a G5 school before Purdue hired him. I'd say it tanked (or at least set back) their careers significantly.

 

Ironically Cavanaugh is one that got a lateral move, same job at Syracuse. And I don't know if it's true, but I thought someone theorized his comments about only having time for the starters were a dig at Riley's practice/weight room structure, or lack thereof. Also heard a claim (from Sipple I think?) that Banker's "bloodbath" comment was directed at Riley leading soft practices. I don't know if either of those have any truth, but it's possible Cavanaugh's attitude towards the backups had more to do with the situation here than his overall coaching philosophy. A counter point to both of those is they were both long term Riley assistants at OSU, and it would be surprising if the practices were that much different. 

[BigRedBuster]

4 minutes ago, Husker in WI said:

Ironically Cavanaugh is one that got a lateral move, same job at Syracuse. And I don't know if it's true, but I thought someone theorized his comments about only having time for the starters were a dig at Riley's practice/weight room structure, or lack thereof. Also heard a claim (from Sipple I think?) that Banker's "bloodbath" comment was directed at Riley leading soft practices. I don't know if either of those have any truth, but it's possible Cavanaugh's attitude towards the backups had more to do with the situation here than his overall coaching philosophy. A counter point to both of those is they were both long term Riley assistants at OSU, and it would be surprising if the practices were that much different. 

I remember reports coming out that Cavanaugh wanted to run practice and the O line differently but Riley wouldn't let him.

[Toe]

7 hours ago, Undone said:

Unbelievable that we had an athletic director that looked at Riley and his coaches and said "these are the guys to turn this program around."

 

 

They tried to sell us on the idea that Riley was the Bill Snyder of the PAC. He, um, wasn't.

 

There's something I've long felt about coaches who come up through the coaching ranks at lower-tier schools like Oregon State and don't have any recent-ish experience at a top-tier program. It's like their whole system and approach to coaching is built around covering for the deficiencies of the lesser players that make up their teams. And then when they get hired for a top-tier coaching job, it's like they don't really even know what to do with the higher quality players that make up their new teams!

[runningblind]

9 minutes ago, Toe said:

 

They tried to sell us on the idea that Riley was the Bill Snyder of the PAC. He, um, wasn't.

 

There's something I've long felt about coaches who come up through the coaching ranks at lower-tier schools like Oregon State and don't have any recent-ish experience at a top-tier program. It's like their whole system and approach to coaching is built around covering for the deficiencies of the lesser players that make up their teams. And then when they get hired for a top-tier coaching job, it's like they don't really even know what to do with the higher quality players that make up their new teams!

That actually makes a lot of sense.  I never thought of it from that angle. 

 

Like the Peter principle in the business world "promoted to the level of incompetence".

[Hilltop]

13 hours ago, Toe said:

 

They tried to sell us on the idea that Riley was the Bill Snyder of the PAC. He, um, wasn't.

 

There's something I've long felt about coaches who come up through the coaching ranks at lower-tier schools like Oregon State and don't have any recent-ish experience at a top-tier program. It's like their whole system and approach to coaching is built around covering for the deficiencies of the lesser players that make up their teams. And then when they get hired for a top-tier coaching job, it's like they don't really even know what to do with the higher quality players that make up their new teams!

It was a stretch and easy for us to scoff at in hindsight.  In reality, USC wanted him to replace Pete but OSU signed him to a pretty good contract and kept him there.  Prior to that, the NFL even gave him a chance.  People who knew the game obviously thought he could coach.  I don't think Riley really wanted to leave but when they had a rough season, and Nebraska came calling, it was his best move from a financial standpoint.  It wasn't a good fit obviously but I think Riley's best coaching days were behind him at that point.     

[Ulty]

21 minutes ago, Hilltop said:

People who knew the game obviously thought he could coach. 

 

21 minutes ago, Hilltop said:

It wasn't a good fit obviously but I think Riley's best coaching days were behind him at that point.     

Even Riley's best days were not up to Nebraska's standards.

 

[Toe]

1 hour ago, Hilltop said:

Prior to that, the NFL even gave him a chance.

 

And when he got that chance, he went 14-34 (.292)...

 

1 hour ago, Hilltop said:

I don't think Riley really wanted to leave but when they had a rough season, and Nebraska came calling, it was his best move from a financial standpoint.  It wasn't a good fit obviously but I think Riley's best coaching days were behind him at that point.     

 

Yep. He did have a few good years in the mid-00s. But by the time Eichorst, in his infinite wisdom, hired Riley, he'd had just two conference wins that season. Brilliant hire, Shawn.

[BigRedBuster]

Are we really rehashing all of this when we are two weeks away from real football?

[Toe]

@BigRedBuster Got anything better to do?

[GBRFAN]

1 hour ago, Toe said:

@BigRedBuster Got anything better to do?

Yes discuss the current staff and the 150+ players that are preparing for OSU

[runningblind]

5 hours ago, GBRFAN said:

Yes discuss the current staff and the 150+ players

that are preparing for OSU

 

8 hours ago, BigRedBuster said:

Are we really rehashing all of this when we are two weeks away from real football?

 

 

I get your arguments, but until we get an actual game to discuss I get the other side too. It'll have been 11 months and we didn't even get a spring game.  There is nothing but speculation off of some media interviews and some 2 minute twitter videos to talk about so we fill the time with whatever pops up.

 

 

[Toe]

5 hours ago, GBRFAN said:

Yes discuss the current staff and the 150+ players that are preparing for OSU

 

Alright, then discuss them. Literally no one is stopping you.

[84HuskerLaw]

9 hours ago, runningblind said:

 

 

 

I get your arguments, but until we get an actual game to discuss I get the other side too. It'll have been 11 months and we didn't even get a spring game.  There is nothing but speculation off of some media interviews and some 2 minute twitter videos to talk about so we fill the time with whatever pops up.

 

 

This has been a problem for years.  DONU has no sports info director SID so the media and fans are starved for good info to gather and discuss.  

There is a great opportunity to build the brand, recruit, publicize and so on and basically nothing. 

It goes way back to later Solich years when information started to be kept out (if it ain’t good dont say anything).  Times have changed I guess but fans used to know a lot about players as students and personally (majors, backgrounds, etc) and the practices were open, video and reporting, interviews etc etc. 

Now we get snippets.  

Coaches were involved in community activities, events, etc. 

Info blackout in some ways.  

[Xmas32]

15 minutes ago, 84HuskerLaw said:

This has been a problem for years.  DONU has no sports info director SID so the media and fans are starved for good info to gather and discuss.  

There is a great opportunity to build the brand, recruit, publicize and so on and basically nothing. 

It goes way back to later Solich years when information started to be kept out (if it ain’t good dont say anything).  Times have changed I guess but fans used to know a lot about players as students and personally (majors, backgrounds, etc) and the practices were open, video and reporting, interviews etc etc. 

Now we get snippets.  

Coaches were involved in community activities, events, etc. 

Info blackout in some ways.  

 

This has all pivoted to individual player's social media accounts (and probably rightfully so, who better to tell someone's story than the player themself right?).  You can still find their major on the Huskers.com website.

 

As for the testing information, I just don't see that coming back.  Colleges have gotten pretty protective over stuff like that as it's the 'secret sauce' if you will.  Plus, let's be honest, when Nebraska was publishing those numbers NU was an elite team and at the bleeding edge of S&C so if nothing else, you could argue it was an intimidation tactic to the rest of the Big 8.  I do think Duval does a good job of shooting out video clips during conditioning sessions so there's that.