Yesterday's performance has me, a pretty mellow, "give the new guy a chance - one year is not enough" and "we can't afford (reputation and continuity, not $$$) another coaching change" kind of guy. But I found myself lamenting that there really is no way out at this point.
Then I read through several of the posts in various threads and a scenario began to form in my head.
Unless this team continues to implode and we start seeing not only losses, but blowouts and teams giving up, I don't see any publicly acceptable reason to release this staff after one year.
So here is the storm. With a new AD, the change in coaches can always be justified, "new guy wants to choose his team". But our AD is new too, and the "give him some time to establish things" honeymoon protects SE as well.
Now, here is where the gale force winds pick up. The man that picked the AD is leaving soon from all reports. I don't think it could happen this next year, but if Perlman exits, this becomes possible:
1. New Chancellor wants "his guy" in the AD position (we buy a top notch AD from the SEC or somewhere)
2. New AD chooses (obtains funding to buy) a new top notch coach
3. New top notch coach, per stipulations in his contract, hires (buys) recognized top notch assistants. (in contract: "You will hire coordinators that have been at top 10 teams and have these following characteristics -- 1. xxxx 2. xxxxx, etc) Leave ZERO room for bringing in buddies, unless those buddies are proven talents.
This scenario give legitimacy to replacing recent hires.
"Fixing" Nebraska football, at this point, can only be done with $$$$$$, and lots of it. The question is, can Nebraska football be fixed at all? If fixing means returning to the dominance we had in the 90s. Not sure it can, but if it can, MONEY will be the key.