Stewart Mandel is not a Boliever

[Junior]

Has Bo done a great job? Nope. Has he done a bad job? Nope. I'd say he's right about in the good enough range.

Interesting. Which season, as a fan, did you consider to be "good enough"?

Probably the one with 4 losses.

 

[NUpolo8]

next really needs to be the year.

i had something else posted, but i edited because i decided not to (in the words of every sitcom character in the early 90's, and everyone in the midwest through the rest of the 90's) "go there." it is really hard to talk about this without sounding like a broken record, whether you are optimistic or pessimistic.

that is why i like what mandel had to say. we should no longer expect better, but demand better. clearly these teams are under-performing and it is due to coaching.

Ok, so "demand better" and please tell me how you will do it and what will it change.

Because clearly, those answers should come from an anonymous person on a free message board, not from the guy making 3 million and the assistants who all just got raises.

 

[carlfense]

Has Bo done a great job? Nope. Has he done a bad job? Nope. I'd say he's right about in the good enough range.

Interesting. Which season, as a fan, did you consider to be "good enough"?

Probably the one with 4 losses.

I'm expecting some version of "well none of the seasons were good enough but if you average them all together they're good enough."

 

[Saunders]

Ok, so "demand better" and please tell me how you will do it and what will it change.

We'll try a different coach. Maybe they'll be better. Maybe they'll be worse. Maybe they'll be roughly the same.

It's going to happen eventually but the sooner the better, IMO. The Nebraska brand is fading fast. When fan support/money and winning are your biggest strengths (as opposed to proximity to recruits, weather, beaches, etc.) our status quo is death by a thousand cuts.

If we don't demand better we won't get better.

Edit: It's somewhat disturbing that one of the more commonly heard phrases defending Pelini's performance is some variation of "things could be worse!" I'm not as old as knapplc but I can remember fans expecting a bit more.

I find it odd that some think finding a new coach is like buying a new pair of pants.

Where are you seeing that?

Never mind . . . just keep worrying about how much worse things could be.

Where are you seeing that?

You stated "we'll just get a new coach" as if it's as easy as buying a hamburger. You can't fire Bo unless he fails and has a bad season, or you'll see another huge split in the fanbase, just like there was a decade ago. We've seen it before.

 

[Ulty]

You stated "we'll just get a new coach" as if it's as easy as buying a hamburger. You can't fire Bo unless he fails and has a bad season, or you'll see another huge split in the fanbase, just like there was a decade ago. We've seen it before.

Get real.

Buying a hamburger is a hell of a lot easier than buying a pair of pants.

 

[sd'sker]

You stated "we'll just get a new coach" as if it's as easy as buying a hamburger. You can't fire Bo unless he fails and has a bad season, or you'll see another huge split in the fanbase, just like there was a decade ago. We've seen it before.

what would constitute bo failing?

 

[Saunders]

Can you name schools in the last 40 years that have fired a coach for job performance that had a 9 games that season?

i will guess not many, if any. but so what? does every school have the same standards as nebraska? 9 wins is not our standard, competing for championships is.

and a good contract would ease most prospective coach's minds. psu got a top notch coach in bill o'brien after nearly insurmountable sanctions. and franklin, who i think is a good coach that would have been worth the risk, to come while still recovering from the sanctions.

No, but I would say FSU, Florida, Miami, Georgia, Michigan, USC, Texas, etc... all do. And O'Brien was in a win/win scenario. He walked into a situation that nobody really wanted, and got a nice bump and showcase job with no real pressure.

 

[Saunders]

next really needs to be the year.

i had something else posted, but i edited because i decided not to (in the words of every sitcom character in the early 90's, and everyone in the midwest through the rest of the 90's) "go there." it is really hard to talk about this without sounding like a broken record, whether you are optimistic or pessimistic.

that is why i like what mandel had to say. we should no longer expect better, but demand better. clearly these teams are under-performing and it is due to coaching.

Ok, so "demand better" and please tell me how you will do it and what will it change.

Because clearly, those answers should come from an anonymous person on a free message board, not from the guy making 3 million and the assistants who all just got raises.

Irrelevant.

 

[carlfense]

Never mind . . . just keep worrying about how much worse things could be.

Where are you seeing that?

I'm glad that you asked . . . and then answered your own question in your very next sentence. You're clearly quite fearful that our only options are Bo or some Callahan-esque coach.

You stated "we'll just get a new coach" as if it's as easy as buying a hamburger. You can't fire Bo unless he fails and has a bad season, or you'll see another huge split in the fanbase, just like there was a decade ago. We've seen it before.

There is already a huge split in the fan base. Right now.

I didn't say that "we'll just get a new coach" but that is an entirely true statement. We would. If you had continued reading you'd see my thoughts about that new coach . . .

 

[Saunders]

You stated "we'll just get a new coach" as if it's as easy as buying a hamburger. You can't fire Bo unless he fails and has a bad season, or you'll see another huge split in the fanbase, just like there was a decade ago. We've seen it before.

what would constitute bo failing?

At this point? Anything less than 9 wins. IMO, he's doing just enough to keep the job. And mostly, that's because I don't think we'd easily have someone lined up who is an upgrade, because of the win/loss floor.

 

[Saunders]

Never mind . . . just keep worrying about how much worse things could be.

Where are you seeing that?

I'm glad that you asked . . . and then answered your own question in your very next sentence. You're clearly quite fearful that our only options are Bo or some Callahan-esque coach.

You stated "we'll just get a new coach" as if it's as easy as buying a hamburger. You can't fire Bo unless he fails and has a bad season, or you'll see another huge split in the fanbase, just like there was a decade ago. We've seen it before.

There is already a huge split in the fan base. Right now.

I didn't say that "we'll just get a new coach" but that is an entirely true statement. We would. If you had continued reading you'd see my thoughts about that new coach . . .

I'm not worrying. I'm pointing out factual things that happened.

And no, the split in the fanbase isn't anywhere near what it was a decade ago. Not even close. And yes, you did say "we'll get a new coach" as your response for demanding better.

 

[carlfense]

And O'Brien was in a win/win scenario. He walked into a situation that nobody really wanted, and got a nice bump and showcase job with no real pressure.

oh boy.

Well . . . this conversation might be done.

 

[zoogs]

No it's more like "Come to Nebraska, you have to do a bad job to get fired."

Yeah, a bit of semantics here, but this statement is more moderate...and you could substitute it into my post without loss of meaning. First-class programs demand excellence, which is stressful but it comes with the territory. "Just don't do bad, and you'll stay around until you want to go" is exactly the kind of thing that chips at the Nebraska luster, and again, results in what you ask for.

I can't think of any schools, but it's an interesting question. I just don't pay too much attention to other places. You may very well be right, and the current 9-win status quo is resulting in a reluctance that is very, very standard. I'm not sure.

I think you and I disagree only very slightly. Bo has by no means done a bad job, in pure W/L results. I think this puts him in borderline territory, whereas you think it makes him safe. Pretty close, but even if he's safe, there has to be heat on him right now, IMO, or it really is "Don't be bad" instead of "Be great."

 

[NUpolo8]

Why is it irrevelant? Because it doesn't help your argument?

I know it's a fun thing to do here, "well Mr smarty pants, what ARE the answers?" And I have my theories, but if you agree that things aren't perfect, why is it my job, or sd'skers, or Knapplc's or anyones for that matter to solve it. Nebraska pays a lot of money to the coaching staff to do that. And they aren't. By their own admission they aren't.

And just because they're still here doesn't mean "they're the guys for the department", either. I'm betting this is a watershed year in more ways than one.

And I'm noticing the goalposts being moved already. "Just you wait until the 2015 class!" "Give this staff a few more years and THEN YOULL SEE".

 

[carlfense]

I'm not worrying. I'm pointing out factual things that happened.

Oh, you're worrying. And that's fine. Just don't let it lower your standards any further than it already has.