NU Identity: Do we need a Defense Minded or Offense Minded Coach?

[Hayseed]

Yes, the last thing we need is another coaching thread.  However, I didn't want to center on specific coaches (the Who) but 

rather the general coaching mindset (the How ) that we need at Nebraska.  Thus this very simple poll. 

Do you prefer a defensive minded coach - someone who has demonstrated an ability to develop a strong defensive identity  

Do you prefer an offensive minded coach - someone who has demonstrated an ability to develop a strong offensive identity.

Special teams falls into both camps - thus it is not a third option. (Did I just mention the Triple Option - don't get any ideas)

The cop out answer is of course:  "We want someone who is good at both!"  That would be a poor poll as it would be the obvious answer for 99.9% of us. 

At this time it appears we need a defensive coach.  But when we hired Frost, it appeared we need an offensive coach. That didn't pan out as we thought.

Our recent track record

Bill Calahan and Scott Frost were hired for offense

Bo was hired for defense

Mike Riley was hire for who in the h$%# knows why

Mr. 50% was hired because the unqualified AD got bailed out of Miami by his Wisconsin friend and had zero options to replace Bo. It was similar to the Pederson scramble after everyone turned him down and we ended up with excellent pro line coach/ misfit college coach Callahan.
Let's not do that this time.

 

[thexyz]

I feel this can go both ways. Offensive minded coach NEEDS to have a strong DC and a defensive minded coach NEEDS a strong OC. The past hires have completely dropped the ball and brought clowns in to be coordinators. I just want a HC that will bring in strong coordinators that can control the game. What a novel idea, but damn, it has been a long time since we have had a staff like that!

I think that getting the most qualified coach whether a defensive or offensive minded one is what you do. And then having that person have quality coordinators. Good assistants across the board. That’s certainly right with respect to what’s happened in the past. You only get one shot to start off with so getting that right is critical especially with where we’re at. Adjusting, adapting and responding or suffering the consequences. 

 

[84HuskerLaw]

I’d say, all other things being equal, you want the best overall coach, that favors neither offense or defense or even STs.  To win, you must build a great team.  
 

Imo, looking back, Callahan and Frost were way too offense focused.  Pelini was a defense guy.  Riley maybe was a general type but he just had so little gravitas in recruiting that he wasn’t effective at any of the three phases in many ways.  Same with Frank, though was a better overall coach than Riley he was the worst by far in recruiting.  
 

Urban checks every box imo.  I admit I’m less familiar with many of the names being tossed around by the outsiders.  But that’s the issue with most of the names.  A number of possible coaches lack one or more of the important attributes (recruiting rep, X & Os, experience, ‘fit’, availability, etc.).  
 

i know beggars can’t be choosers BUT Nebraska football is not a beggar (yet).  We have everything in the way of $, facilities, fans, national stature, tradition, conference affiliation, etc.  Our biggest challenge is proximity to large #s of highly regarded high school recruits.  But, this is not the challenge it once was due to the portal, NIL, travel is easier, etc.  And with NIL, the ‘local’ prospects are easier to retain when competing vs area smaller schools.    Television coverage of nearly every game is everywhere in FBS.  With needing 25-30 players a year, a good coach can find 12 within the 500 mile radius.  Add 6 nationally and 7 transfers.  Pick up 8 walkons and you’re done.  
 

So , offense or defense ‘minded’, it probably doesn’t matter SO long as, no area of the team is given less attention.
 

 

[Undone]

Offense. 
 

the game has switched. The rules, refeeere’s and tv want scoring. We need to score 28-35 to be in games. Just in them.

Isn't this kind of circular, though? If your defense is good, you'll be in games if you're averaging 24ish points per game.

Source: Wisconsin's, Purdue's, and Iowa's points per game average from 2021 that was actually lower than ours - in yet those teams won 8, 8, and 10 regular season games respectively.

 

[B1GRED]

I hear from my source at the university that is close to the search, that it's going to be a hates losing, grinding minded coach.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

You know how to get both?

Find a coach who loves his linemen more than anything.

Our identity become Linemen U.  Big, smart, quick linemen on both sides of the ball.  If you're a Big Boy high school lineman, you know that playing for Coach X will get you scouted for the NFL. 

Because when you're solid in the trenches, it makes all the skill positions look better, regardless of the scheme you choose. 

Go ahead and make Coach X a former lineman himself. That sets the tone. 

I don't know who this Coach X is. Do I have to do everything around here?

 

[TGHusker]

You know how to get both?

Find a coach who loves his linemen more than anything.

Our identity become Linemen U.  Big, smart, quick linemen on both sides of the ball.  If you're a Big Boy high school lineman, you know that playing for Coach X will get you scouted for the NFL. 

Because when you're solid in the trenches, it makes all the skill positions look better, regardless of the scheme you choose. 

Go ahead and make Coach X a former lineman himself. That sets the tone. 

I don't know who this Coach X is. Do I have to do everything around here?

excellent point.  That has been our biggest complaint for how many years??  We haven't had a dominant defensive lineman since Gregory and the OL - who was our last 1st team all conference lineman or All American?  

 

[thexyz]

You know how to get both?

Find a coach who loves his linemen more than anything.

Our identity become Linemen U.  Big, smart, quick linemen on both sides of the ball.  If you're a Big Boy high school lineman, you know that playing for Coach X will get you scouted for the NFL. 

Because when you're solid in the trenches, it makes all the skill positions look better, regardless of the scheme you choose. 

Go ahead and make Coach X a former lineman himself. That sets the tone. 

I don't know who this Coach X is. Do I have to do everything around here?

Or, a offensive coordinator too that has linesman coaching expertise. That’s what I like about Jeff Grimes. He’s about physicality and being disruptive. 

 

[RavHuskr]

You know how to get both?

Find a coach who loves his linemen more than anything.

Our identity become Linemen U.  Big, smart, quick linemen on both sides of the ball.  If you're a Big Boy high school lineman, you know that playing for Coach X will get you scouted for the NFL. 

Because when you're solid in the trenches, it makes all the skill positions look better, regardless of the scheme you choose. 

Go ahead and make Coach X a former lineman himself. That sets the tone. 

I don't know who this Coach X is. Do I have to do everything around here?

We had that guy here.  It was Bill Callahan.  Guy could and still can coach offensive linemen.  The rest of it well maybe not so much.

 

[junior4949]

We had that guy here.  It was Bill Callahan.  Guy could and still can coach offensive linemen.  The rest of it well maybe not so much.

While I acknowledge this is how he's for the most part made his living, I never could understand why our OL was so bad when he was here.  Poor Zac Taylor was running for his life back there.  We did not have any sort of dominating OL when Callahan was here.

 

[junior4949]

You know how to get both?

Find a coach who loves his linemen more than anything.

Our identity become Linemen U.  Big, smart, quick linemen on both sides of the ball.  If you're a Big Boy high school lineman, you know that playing for Coach X will get you scouted for the NFL. 

Because when you're solid in the trenches, it makes all the skill positions look better, regardless of the scheme you choose. 

Go ahead and make Coach X a former lineman himself. That sets the tone. 

I don't know who this Coach X is. Do I have to do everything around here?

This is the primary reason I'm high on Campbell.  He played DL in college, and he has spent at least part of his career as an OL coach.  

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

We had that guy here.  It was Bill Callahan.  Guy could and still can coach offensive linemen.  The rest of it well maybe not so much.

Right. I'm trying to think of offensive and defensive linemen interchangeably. The guys who aren't called "skill positions."  In some cases, guys who played the wrong side of the line in high school. Treat them as skill positions and court them as your recruiting priority. Every quarterback, cornerback, receiver and running back knows their game will look a lot better when badass linemen have their back. 

Callahan was doing his own culture change attempting to modernize the Huskers. We already were Lineman U. But the beauty of being Lineman U is that it has the same advantage regardless of your modern or traditional scheme. 

Coaches are more likely to have more experience on either offense or defense, but any good HC is going to choose a better coordinator to make up for it. We've had a little problem with HCs who prefer subservient coordinators who are more loyal than they are good. 

 

[HANC]

I agree with Guy…until we put emphasis on the line of scrimmage, we will struggle. BC was a line guy and we recruited well, just didn’t happen on the field, although we did get to a CC game…. Campbell is a line guy and would bring that mindset. He also recruits very well to Ames. He has put guys in nfl. he is not number one on my list, but we could do a lot worse

 

[Go Furself]

We need Luke Fickell.

 

[junior4949]

We need Luke Fickell.

We can't hire him.  His average recruiting class rank isn't high enough.  It's what I've been reading on here anyway.