ColoradoHusk
Heisman Trophy Winner
McCarney got fired a couple weeks ago, so he is available.GOAT said:
Mike Reilly won't be fired
- Thread starter SECHusker
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GOAT
Banned
I think many fans would be happy with Frost, only because he's from Nebraska and played for us. If not for that, his name wouldn't even be mentioned. On the other hand, I don't think Bielema would be a popular hire at all. Venables is probably the best of the three you mentioned. Still, my choice is Richt... great coach, high character, Nebraska roots, still has family here.
84HuskerLaw
All-Conference
After pondering the future of Husker football since the game yesterday, I have gone through several phases and perspectives. At first, my reaction was simply disgust and a sense of hopelessness immediately set in as what I felt was realization that the team and program had slipped much further down the slope into football mediocrity or worse. Dread and a sense of loss, almost like when one experiences the death of a friend or acquaintance perhaps. There was an overwhelming feeling that something that had been a part of my life for almost 50 years was gone, perhaps forever. I had feared this day might come but always been hoping I was wrong and that somehow things would once again turn around. As I said, this was my overall response. I felt this way since late in the game yesterday afternoon until the past hour or so.
After reading so many of the comments on this board in so many different threads (basically there are about a dozen on the same basic topic - what's wrong and why and how can we fix things? I actually was finding myself becoming more and more negative about the coaches, the program and the possibilities of saving it. In complete frustration I shut my computer off and turned on the TV to watch more boring programming (none of which I care in the slightest about seeing). Quickly, my mind returned to thoughts of the program again.
Then, almost suddenly, I came around to looking at the positives once again. I just kept thinking that there is no way the program could sink this far this fast. I was long aware of the issues within the program and the overall talent inadequacies, etc. But, we are still Nebraska and we still have some pretty good football players on this team scattered throughout the depth chart. Our biggest problem is a serious lack of depth in almost every position.
Riley and his assistants are reasonably good coaches. They have to be as they have survived in a tough profession for many years and have held positions near the top. There are literally thousands of football coaches in America and only a handful get to be Head Coaches at major conference programs and last for a career. There have been only a handful of champions (conference and national) in the past 18 years since 1997. Perhaps maybe 40 schools total when you think about it across the 4 major conferences and the national titles. That is not many. Most of them have had a couple coaching changes at least during the same time span that Nebraska has had 4. Riley won titles in the CFL and was a HC at an NFL team. You don't get hired by the professionals without some dam good references and the ability to demonstrate thorough and complete knowledge of the game of football. These thoughts make me once again believe Riley can actually do this job. I have listened to enough of his pressers to know he 'knows' football and he can identify the problems as well as the areas of success of the team in each game. At least, he has generally touched on the things that I identified. I don't have access to films and replays to watch each and every play, etc. but my reactions to his statements and answers to questions have been that Riley is realistic, honest in assessments and aware of what is going on (both good and bad). He is not pretending or attempting to conceal our issues. This I think is very important. Prior staffs didn't always admit their shortcomings.
Recruiting is therefore the KEY to our future. We have the resources, the coaching, the support, the fans, a top notch conference with the opportunity to play and win against good but not overwhelming competition, etc. Now, it is just a matter of finding and attracting the top level talent. We've done it before and we can do it again.
Riley has found a few diamonds in the rough as it appears Pat Obrien QB is one. Assuming we hang on to him, he is showing his senior year to be one of those rare ones that Nebraska would not have had a chance to get. We have a bunch of talented pass catchers already and Obrien and perhaps a 2017 QB recruit will follow as well giving us the depth and future we are needing at the MOST critical position for Riley and Company to develop for their offense.
We need to bring in one top notch running back this winter or next certainly as a number of our backs will be gone in couple years.
We always need linement (about 3 offense and 2 defense each year). I believe we have young guys for the next couple years so we have a chance to get some in and develop them if we start this winter and next.
Tommy Armstrong is playing well at tiimes and unquestionably is better than last year. I believe he will improve another big step over the coming 10 months as well under the coaching of this staff. Having a quality back up will also be good too as the coaches may be free to let Tommy take more chances in the run game. Right now we just can't afford to use him as a running back. He goes down and we are apparently sunk.
There is need for LBs and DBs of course as those guys are never fast enough and we always need depth to make it through the long seasons. We have recruits in many of the positions that seem to be reasonably good. A couple appear to be diamonds in the rough. We don't have enough stars in terms of rankings but I believe we are finding some talented guys. The class - if it holds up under this negative season outcome - will make the team better almost certainly.
I believe we will be better next year as the number of seniors who are major contributors without solid back ups this year is fairly limited. We will be OK next year, especially if we get more reps to our younger players in the remaining games this year. We need to focus on NEXT year as much as anything. Plan ahead and develop for the future. This year is OVER in terms of results or rewards.
I remain positive in the end that things are going to get better. It is always darkest just before the dawn as they say! i believe a new dawn is coming soon and there will be brighter days ahead. they will be here before we know it. Keep the faith my fellow Huskers. Be positive and support the team. They will keep working and will get better. We are not being outclassed in these games. We are few missing pieces and plays away from a winning season and a few more good players away from being a contender in the conference. We know the Big Ten champs were the nation's best last year. There is a chance for a repeat. If we become winners in our conference, we will be able to compete nationally as well. It is not hopeless and we should keep our heads up and eyes and hearts focused on the future. It is ours if we want it.
After reading so many of the comments on this board in so many different threads (basically there are about a dozen on the same basic topic - what's wrong and why and how can we fix things? I actually was finding myself becoming more and more negative about the coaches, the program and the possibilities of saving it. In complete frustration I shut my computer off and turned on the TV to watch more boring programming (none of which I care in the slightest about seeing). Quickly, my mind returned to thoughts of the program again.
Then, almost suddenly, I came around to looking at the positives once again. I just kept thinking that there is no way the program could sink this far this fast. I was long aware of the issues within the program and the overall talent inadequacies, etc. But, we are still Nebraska and we still have some pretty good football players on this team scattered throughout the depth chart. Our biggest problem is a serious lack of depth in almost every position.
Riley and his assistants are reasonably good coaches. They have to be as they have survived in a tough profession for many years and have held positions near the top. There are literally thousands of football coaches in America and only a handful get to be Head Coaches at major conference programs and last for a career. There have been only a handful of champions (conference and national) in the past 18 years since 1997. Perhaps maybe 40 schools total when you think about it across the 4 major conferences and the national titles. That is not many. Most of them have had a couple coaching changes at least during the same time span that Nebraska has had 4. Riley won titles in the CFL and was a HC at an NFL team. You don't get hired by the professionals without some dam good references and the ability to demonstrate thorough and complete knowledge of the game of football. These thoughts make me once again believe Riley can actually do this job. I have listened to enough of his pressers to know he 'knows' football and he can identify the problems as well as the areas of success of the team in each game. At least, he has generally touched on the things that I identified. I don't have access to films and replays to watch each and every play, etc. but my reactions to his statements and answers to questions have been that Riley is realistic, honest in assessments and aware of what is going on (both good and bad). He is not pretending or attempting to conceal our issues. This I think is very important. Prior staffs didn't always admit their shortcomings.
Recruiting is therefore the KEY to our future. We have the resources, the coaching, the support, the fans, a top notch conference with the opportunity to play and win against good but not overwhelming competition, etc. Now, it is just a matter of finding and attracting the top level talent. We've done it before and we can do it again.
Riley has found a few diamonds in the rough as it appears Pat Obrien QB is one. Assuming we hang on to him, he is showing his senior year to be one of those rare ones that Nebraska would not have had a chance to get. We have a bunch of talented pass catchers already and Obrien and perhaps a 2017 QB recruit will follow as well giving us the depth and future we are needing at the MOST critical position for Riley and Company to develop for their offense.
We need to bring in one top notch running back this winter or next certainly as a number of our backs will be gone in couple years.
We always need linement (about 3 offense and 2 defense each year). I believe we have young guys for the next couple years so we have a chance to get some in and develop them if we start this winter and next.
Tommy Armstrong is playing well at tiimes and unquestionably is better than last year. I believe he will improve another big step over the coming 10 months as well under the coaching of this staff. Having a quality back up will also be good too as the coaches may be free to let Tommy take more chances in the run game. Right now we just can't afford to use him as a running back. He goes down and we are apparently sunk.
There is need for LBs and DBs of course as those guys are never fast enough and we always need depth to make it through the long seasons. We have recruits in many of the positions that seem to be reasonably good. A couple appear to be diamonds in the rough. We don't have enough stars in terms of rankings but I believe we are finding some talented guys. The class - if it holds up under this negative season outcome - will make the team better almost certainly.
I believe we will be better next year as the number of seniors who are major contributors without solid back ups this year is fairly limited. We will be OK next year, especially if we get more reps to our younger players in the remaining games this year. We need to focus on NEXT year as much as anything. Plan ahead and develop for the future. This year is OVER in terms of results or rewards.
I remain positive in the end that things are going to get better. It is always darkest just before the dawn as they say! i believe a new dawn is coming soon and there will be brighter days ahead. they will be here before we know it. Keep the faith my fellow Huskers. Be positive and support the team. They will keep working and will get better. We are not being outclassed in these games. We are few missing pieces and plays away from a winning season and a few more good players away from being a contender in the conference. We know the Big Ten champs were the nation's best last year. There is a chance for a repeat. If we become winners in our conference, we will be able to compete nationally as well. It is not hopeless and we should keep our heads up and eyes and hearts focused on the future. It is ours if we want it.
huskerfan74
All-American
Dansker
Starter
I've been advocating for us to go in a different direction. I am by no means panicking about this season. It's unfortunate that all of our losses have been by the slimmest of margins. With that said, I see no progress midway through the season. It's become clear that the staff is still evaluating players and mixing things up. A great coach finds out what he has to work with during the offseason and then prepares a system on both sides of the ball that is best suited for the skills of the personnel available. Right now it isn't looking good for Mike. There have been too many questionable calls that all fall back on him. The biggest issue that I have with him and his staff is they hold no accountability. You want to blame players? Fine, go ahead but first, let's talk about your record as a coach. It's a tough pill to swallow but you get what you pay for in this business and in today's world of sports, we live in a world that is a "What have you done for me lately?"
If we get curb stomped by Michigan State and Iowa then I think all is lost. Financially, it doesn't make sense to get rid of Riley. You've got to give people chances. I think most people are kidding themselves. They expected a lot from Mike Riley and expectations were a little too high which here at Nebraska that's normal. Mike will learn fast that we have a higher standard and this is not Oregon. This is Nebraska and one of the most prestigious programs in the country. Now with that said people have come off their high horse, they want to fire everyone. Unless we can receive enough booster support, nothing will change especially while Perlman and Eichorst are behind the 8-ball. That I can tell you.
If we get curb stomped by Michigan State and Iowa then I think all is lost. Financially, it doesn't make sense to get rid of Riley. You've got to give people chances. I think most people are kidding themselves. They expected a lot from Mike Riley and expectations were a little too high which here at Nebraska that's normal. Mike will learn fast that we have a higher standard and this is not Oregon. This is Nebraska and one of the most prestigious programs in the country. Now with that said people have come off their high horse, they want to fire everyone. Unless we can receive enough booster support, nothing will change especially while Perlman and Eichorst are behind the 8-ball. That I can tell you.
GOAT
Banned
Eichorst is no better than Pederson. His top priority for the program is to have a guy who is media-friendly and who won't ruffle any feathers, someone who will smile and be polite and say all the right things. Whether or not we win or lose, whether we're a top program or not, is all secondary.
I posted the definition in the word and highlighted that as it pertains to this thread. You can make it into whatever you want it to be, and that is out of my control. Someone in the post above just posted "BIG FAT"...should anyone who knows an overweight person claim offense, because in another venue and in a different context someone, somewhere not like it?
If I get spanked or banned by the mods, so be it. But this idea that anyone can censor anyone else just by claiming it "triggers them" (which is the new buzz term for this sort of thing) needs to stop.
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VectorVictor
Heisman Trophy Winner
There ya go! Fixed it for you! *dusts hands off*
Seriously, though, Gill deserves another FBS shot. Not sure it should be at DoNU...but the reason he ultimately failed at Kansas was at least 60% political--very caustic climate down there, as many of the boosters of substance didn't take too kindly to a man of color leading their program.
As for head coach, GOAT is on to something with Richt. He'd be willing to bring on specialists and folks like Ed Ogereon(sp) to help fill in gaps and shore up deficiencies (like recruiting) that Nebraska has to contend with.
Joe_5700
Starter
I would be in favor of Turner Gill. I liked what he did with lowly Buffalo in a short period of time. Agree also that he wasn't given a fair chance at Kansas.
StPaulHusker
Banned
Gill took over a bad Kansas team and made them worse.
Anyone that thinks they have a inkling of comprehending what it takes to be the Athletic Director at this university is lying to themselves, much less the entire message board. Running an athletic department goes way beyond a football program, much less 8 games into a new coach's first season. I point and laugh at people that regurgitate this sentiment because it's really low hanging fruit. If that's the only thing you can say to imply you know what you're talking about, you're probably not worthy of an intelligent conversation in the first place.
It's time that you accept that Nebraska doesn't have a way of doing things. Accept that the the triple option is long gone. Hell, even accept that the run game is not going to be the first option under Langsdorf. It's not at all what we are used to but I think Nebraska fans could use someone proving to them that something other than the triple option can work at this university. It's absolutely vital to move forward. Your desire to hold onto something that doesn't exist is silly. Tom Osborne and his approach was a once in a lifetime success. If Riley can get a QB and a team to execute that pass to set up the run, he will be successful. 10 other universities in this conference prove it can be done. It's absolutely imperative to break the idiotic mentality that people cling onto with complete ignorance that the 80's and 90's are going to return.