NU gets "C+" grade from ESPN on hiring process

I just sent the gentleman that wrote the story, the following email...

I'm not rightly sure what scale you were using to come up with your grades, and looking over how you graded some of the other teams, made me shake my head. Of those teams, only 5 are so are "national powers", the rest of them are decent at best, so Houston, Duke, and Georgia Tech teams getting a "B" or better is simply asinine. None of those teams are in a competitive conference.

 

So, if you could explain your grading system, then I am all ears...

 
We probably could have gotten a proven coach if asking price was in the budget Tom O. envisioned. I think Bo brings an up tempo personality to the "whole" team, not just the defense. I think that's where he will show his one of the best qualities. Defense is a given, when he gets the players he needs. Don't know if he has enough players right now, he needs time for that to come together. His fire and desire seem to say an A hire, but a grade of C is probably fair enough at this time.

GBR!!!

 
Eric the Red said:
bethelbacker said:
Link

Nebraska

Final analysis: Osborne might have worried too much about hiring a coach with Nebraska ties. A program like Nebraska should have been able to lure a proven head coach.

Overall grade: C+
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more.....the boosters decided this, not TO
Click to expand...
While I agree that the boosters made this decision rather than TO, I don't agree with ESPN that we could land a big name HC. Petrino's probably going to make 3+ million. Rodriguez had a 4 million buyout, and I would assume he's going to be raking in 2+ million. With the buyout we have of not only Clownahan, we also have Pud's buyout. I don't think many people associated with NU wanted to have to pay this kind of money out.

IMO, getting into bidding wars for a HC is just as stupid as getting into shootouts like we did against Ball State. I realize it's big business for these coaches, and they want to milk as much as they can. However, I really don't like the loyalty issues that come into play here. Rodriguez just left his "dream" job and alma matre. I'm just not sure this is the way to go if we want long and continued success as a football program.

 
First off, ESPN doesn't even have the story correct. Callahan was given an extension after the first game of the '07 season, not before. And Pelini didn't spend the last four years at LSU, he spent 1 at OU and 3 at LSU. That's all you need to know.

 
HuskerInKC16 said:
First off, ESPN doesn't even have the story correct. Callahan was given an extension after the first game of the '07 season, not before. And Pelini didn't spend the last four years at LSU, he spent 1 at OU and 3 at LSU. That's all you need to know.
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Beat me to it (3 vs 4 years). I think that Cally's extension was agreed upon before the season, but some other things needed to be hammered out, but you're most technically correct. I find it strange that an organization as huge as ESPN can't even keep track of the records of major college athletic teams well enough to get simple time lines or spelling correct. I wish I knew enough about every team to see how often they screw up on simple things.

 
And, while the "B" from ESPN doesn't mean much, they also ignore the function of the search committee/firm. They make it sound like Osborne took over and did a rapid search at the end of the season-- but feelers were already out.

 
eh. I see ESPN's point: a program like NU shouldn't have to be looking at unproven coaches. At the least we should be hiring successful mid major coaches, as CU and Florida did, if not cherrypicking a guy from a low level BCS school, like Michigan.

However, in our case i'm afraid the fan base wouldn't have been receptive enough to such a coach. Call it stubborness or imaturity, but right now the only person that would go over is someone with past ties to NU.

Bo was a good hire for us given the timing, but in general i think we'd be critical of any top program that hires a guy with no HC experience.

Hopefully Bo succeeds, but if he doesn't at least the fans will see that the return to Nebraska roots isn't the guarantee of success some think it to be. At that point, we should be ready to move forward in the more traditional sense with an "outsider".

 
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if any of you read TMQ yesterday, he was talking about how the Illusion of a SuperCoach is just that, an illusion. just because Alabama, Atlanta Falcons, Arkansas, and Michigan made big splashes with coaches like that, doesn't mean that Bo Pelini can't coach.

there are a lot of variables that go into winning games, winning titles, and keeping that kind of success going for a long time. just ask Dr. Tom. one thing that doesn't guarantee wins is overpaying for a coach that would basically do the same things as a coordinator with no experience.

 
I think it's a reasonable risk. He is considered one of the hottest, if not the hottest assistant coach, out there. Bob Stoops was an assistant coach when OU hired him. Also, hiring a proven coach can be a risk. Will he have the loyalty and passion for the program? This seems to be lacking so often after hires, for example Nick Saban.

Bo has shown a lot of passion for NU so far, something we never really saw with B.C. when he came here. He has also shown the ability to handle multi-tasks, working for both NU and LSU at the same time. He said it's no big deal. Being able to handle multi-tasks is an important trait for a H.C. And he did prepare the team well for the Alamo bowl, which we beat MSU 17-3.

You should feel good that he seems to have a feel and a connection with Husker football. The 10 months he was coaching the defense here had a tremendous impact on him. This is his "dream job." He told the LSU players such. He has shown to be a man of his word, by, for example, hiring Ron Brown. He told Brown if he ever got a H.C. job that he wanted him on his staff, and he did just that.

The likelyhood to hire a proven coach that would have Pelini's passion for this program and this be his number 1 job would be slim to none. There are far more positives here than negatives. Plus, I think he has matured in four years. It's a decent risk. And I see the chances of him staying longer here are greater than if NU hired a proven coach from the outside.

 
bethelbacker said:
Link

Nebraska

The process:

Grade: B

The hire:

Grade: C

Final analysis: Osborne might have worried too much about hiring a coach with Nebraska ties. A program like Nebraska should have been able to lure a proven head coach.

Overall grade: C+
Click to expand...
Could have been a B- but the writer thought a proven head coach would have been the difference in the grade.

That's how I took it.

 
The '08 season can't get here soon enough! Seriously though, from what a lot of people are saying, it's almost as if Bo is clueless on how to build a program to a national title contender...why? Because he doesn't have head coaching experience?? He's been under direct tutelage from some of the best college coaches in the league. He's going to be coaching a national championshi caliber defense in the national championship game. I'm sure Bo has some ideas on how to build a program, probably ideas that are in the heads and utilized by "big-time" coaches such as the Meyers or the Tressels.

Don't crucify the guy yet, but don't praise him either, just have confidence that he'll do the best damn job he's capable of doing here. (which, for the record, I think he'll do pretty good).

At least we know he's proven in one thing, and that's coaching a good defense. Which, after watching ours for the past few years, that's all I ask for.

 
Does it really matter what ESPN says?? Only thing that matters is what us Husker Fans think!! For the most part we all would give this whole thing a B if not better so lets take ESPN for what there worth which isnt much an move on!!!

 
It's just some guy's opinion. He has his, we all have ours.

BTW-- he's grading the quality of the hire IN HIS OPINION, not the results or even predicted results on the field.

This is why I always say.

Opinions vary... ;)

GO BO!!

 
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