girlknowsfootball
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Something to consider are the details of Nebraska football since 2003. Around 2003 is when we started to see a descend in our program.
Tom Osborne had ran his option offense for over 20 years. When he retired (1998), Solich continued the same offense through 2003. The reason Solich was fired was because everyone could see the recruit quality decreasing with each signing class he was there. In 2002 he finished with a 7-7 record. Something unheard of at Nebraska at that point in time. It was believed He was having trouble winning because recruiting the same quality of players that had come to play for Osborne failed. And it just wasn't the same perception and honor to come play for Solich.
When Solich was coach from 98-03' he went 9-4, 12-1, 10-2, 11-2, 7-7, 10-3. The 7-7 season was proof of the recruiting classes dropping down in talent as fans we're starting to see some talent defenciences. The following year he did better but was canned by AD Peterson and Pelini (DC) took over for the bowl game (they won). Everyone at that time was asking for Pelini to be hired as the next HC, but Pearlman had brought in Peterson and Peterson had already been working on hiring his friend Bill Callahan. When Callahan came, he took the team 180 degrees. We had players who fit an option/run offense and a physical attacking defense. Callahan wanted finese/pocket passing/West Coast Pro set players. So he recruited to that. He recruited well to that because prior to Nebraska he had operated an offense that sat atop of the NFL. The Raiders had just played the Buccaneers in the Super Bowl and had showcased a great offense (they got beat badly due to sucky defense). People knew who Callahan was and Cali players wanted to play in an NFL offense for an NFL coach. But the transition from Option offense -> WC Pro sets was a complete 180 and required a totally different type of recruit. That, coupled with Callahan's lax coaching style, lack of discipline with players, and embarrassing defense, resulted in team cliques, popular players putting down young players, etc. Our championship, team, brotherhood culture quickly faded, but our recruiting sure did improve. (Callahan was brought in to be the anthesis of Solich. To take Nebraska into the future of football. We were told the option days were over, football was evolving).
Callahan goes 5-6, 8-4, 9-5, 5-7... the defense struggles immensely. But Callahan pulls in a top 5 class and several other great recruiting classes, he just fails to develop the talent.
AD Peterson is canned, Osborne is brought back to save the program and restore the black shirt defense. So Osborne hires the guy everyone wanted in place of Solich, the guy who just won a National Championship at LSU with one of the best defenses in college football. Bo Pelini gets hired to fix the defense. He keeps Shawn Watson to run the already productive Offense and we go on. Year 1 the defense improves immensely... guys already on the team who had been poor performers begin to emerge as NFL prospects...Suh, Amukamara, Hagg, O'Hanlon, Crick, etc. In a short amount of time we rise back to B12 champion contenders and play stride for stride with Texas. But the offense stalls out and by year 2, can't perform, can't even get first downs. Watson gets canned and Tim Beck is brought up to move from a Pro Style/Spread to a Spread.
The offense becomes productive again and Nebraska begins to move from a Pocket Passer QB to recruiting dual threat QB's. We get Cody Green, Taylor Martinez, Tommy Armstrong. Pelini does well, wins at least 9 games each year he is there. But Osborne retires, Pearlman hires Eickhorst and we begin to see Pelini's firey field personality seep deep into his administrative life. Pelini's disrespect for Eickhorst and disapproval of his job at Nebraska coupled with the media's painted image of Pelini leads to a diminished, more unorganized focus on recruiting and a lashing out at fans and administration. As the recruiting suffers and Pelini's outbursts grow, Eickhorst chooses to let a coach with a .750 win percentage over 7 years go and he hires a person to be strong in the areas Pelini was weak. He wants a nice guy, who will restore media relations, fan credibility, and who will unite the team. He doesn't go after a proven winner. Mike Riley, a .500 coach with a personality that can win anyone's heart with kindness... is hired. And here we are today.... again, looking for someone to be strong in the areas a coach is weak.
There's a few reasons I wanted to tell this story. I know most of you already know it. So it wasn't for education sake. It is to (a) bring attention to the systemic philosophy swing every 4-5 years since Solich's departure, and (b) to bring attention to the truth that Nebraska always looks for the next hire to be strong where the prior hire was weak, often neglecting to also find the strong characteristics the prior coach held that fans would like to see continue. This leaves us with a see saw effect of yo-yo from one valued charastic to the next. I've included examples below:
(a) systematic philosophy
Osborne -> Solich - Option offense/physical attacking defense continued with Solich in philosophy.
Solich -> Callahan - moves to West Coast Pro set NFL offense/Off the ball assess and then attack cosgrove defense philosophy
Callahan -> Pelini - moves to WC Pro Set which transitions to Dual Threat Spread/physical attacking defense
Pelini -> Riley - moved back to Pro Set NFL offense/off the ball assess and attack Banker defense which transitions to a 3-4 disco assess and react defense
*you see an offensive philosophy swing from one skill set of recruit (long lean/pro passer/220lbRB) and philosophy of offensive scheme to the opposite on offense (smaller jet sweep/slot WR/DT QB with run option/ smaller shifted RB) with each coaching change. And a similar situation with each defensive coaching change.
(B) Strength/Weakness yo-yo
From Osborne -> Solich - keep tradition, consistency, culture going. Solich fails to recruit well.
From Solich -> Callahan - Callahan is brought in to fix recruiting and bring Nebraska into future of football because the option is "fading in college football". Callahan is brought in to be the opposite of Solich.
From Callahan -> Pelini - Pelini is brought in to restore winning culture, tradition, physicality and defense. He is brought in to bring Nebraska back to what it was and to be the opposite of Callahan. Callahan was weak in defense...Pelini was strong.
From Pelini -> Riley - Riley was brought in to restore public perception of Nebraska and improve Media/Fan relations. Pelini had been weak in brand relations and university perception.
*with each hire, a weakness in the previous staff had been identified and the next hire is sought to be strong in these particular weak areas of previous HC, often neglecting to seek qualities to be able to continue what the previous staff did do well and establish continuity in the kind of player needed for the system.
Tom Osborne had ran his option offense for over 20 years. When he retired (1998), Solich continued the same offense through 2003. The reason Solich was fired was because everyone could see the recruit quality decreasing with each signing class he was there. In 2002 he finished with a 7-7 record. Something unheard of at Nebraska at that point in time. It was believed He was having trouble winning because recruiting the same quality of players that had come to play for Osborne failed. And it just wasn't the same perception and honor to come play for Solich.
When Solich was coach from 98-03' he went 9-4, 12-1, 10-2, 11-2, 7-7, 10-3. The 7-7 season was proof of the recruiting classes dropping down in talent as fans we're starting to see some talent defenciences. The following year he did better but was canned by AD Peterson and Pelini (DC) took over for the bowl game (they won). Everyone at that time was asking for Pelini to be hired as the next HC, but Pearlman had brought in Peterson and Peterson had already been working on hiring his friend Bill Callahan. When Callahan came, he took the team 180 degrees. We had players who fit an option/run offense and a physical attacking defense. Callahan wanted finese/pocket passing/West Coast Pro set players. So he recruited to that. He recruited well to that because prior to Nebraska he had operated an offense that sat atop of the NFL. The Raiders had just played the Buccaneers in the Super Bowl and had showcased a great offense (they got beat badly due to sucky defense). People knew who Callahan was and Cali players wanted to play in an NFL offense for an NFL coach. But the transition from Option offense -> WC Pro sets was a complete 180 and required a totally different type of recruit. That, coupled with Callahan's lax coaching style, lack of discipline with players, and embarrassing defense, resulted in team cliques, popular players putting down young players, etc. Our championship, team, brotherhood culture quickly faded, but our recruiting sure did improve. (Callahan was brought in to be the anthesis of Solich. To take Nebraska into the future of football. We were told the option days were over, football was evolving).
Callahan goes 5-6, 8-4, 9-5, 5-7... the defense struggles immensely. But Callahan pulls in a top 5 class and several other great recruiting classes, he just fails to develop the talent.
AD Peterson is canned, Osborne is brought back to save the program and restore the black shirt defense. So Osborne hires the guy everyone wanted in place of Solich, the guy who just won a National Championship at LSU with one of the best defenses in college football. Bo Pelini gets hired to fix the defense. He keeps Shawn Watson to run the already productive Offense and we go on. Year 1 the defense improves immensely... guys already on the team who had been poor performers begin to emerge as NFL prospects...Suh, Amukamara, Hagg, O'Hanlon, Crick, etc. In a short amount of time we rise back to B12 champion contenders and play stride for stride with Texas. But the offense stalls out and by year 2, can't perform, can't even get first downs. Watson gets canned and Tim Beck is brought up to move from a Pro Style/Spread to a Spread.
The offense becomes productive again and Nebraska begins to move from a Pocket Passer QB to recruiting dual threat QB's. We get Cody Green, Taylor Martinez, Tommy Armstrong. Pelini does well, wins at least 9 games each year he is there. But Osborne retires, Pearlman hires Eickhorst and we begin to see Pelini's firey field personality seep deep into his administrative life. Pelini's disrespect for Eickhorst and disapproval of his job at Nebraska coupled with the media's painted image of Pelini leads to a diminished, more unorganized focus on recruiting and a lashing out at fans and administration. As the recruiting suffers and Pelini's outbursts grow, Eickhorst chooses to let a coach with a .750 win percentage over 7 years go and he hires a person to be strong in the areas Pelini was weak. He wants a nice guy, who will restore media relations, fan credibility, and who will unite the team. He doesn't go after a proven winner. Mike Riley, a .500 coach with a personality that can win anyone's heart with kindness... is hired. And here we are today.... again, looking for someone to be strong in the areas a coach is weak.
There's a few reasons I wanted to tell this story. I know most of you already know it. So it wasn't for education sake. It is to (a) bring attention to the systemic philosophy swing every 4-5 years since Solich's departure, and (b) to bring attention to the truth that Nebraska always looks for the next hire to be strong where the prior hire was weak, often neglecting to also find the strong characteristics the prior coach held that fans would like to see continue. This leaves us with a see saw effect of yo-yo from one valued charastic to the next. I've included examples below:
(a) systematic philosophy
Osborne -> Solich - Option offense/physical attacking defense continued with Solich in philosophy.
Solich -> Callahan - moves to West Coast Pro set NFL offense/Off the ball assess and then attack cosgrove defense philosophy
Callahan -> Pelini - moves to WC Pro Set which transitions to Dual Threat Spread/physical attacking defense
Pelini -> Riley - moved back to Pro Set NFL offense/off the ball assess and attack Banker defense which transitions to a 3-4 disco assess and react defense
*you see an offensive philosophy swing from one skill set of recruit (long lean/pro passer/220lbRB) and philosophy of offensive scheme to the opposite on offense (smaller jet sweep/slot WR/DT QB with run option/ smaller shifted RB) with each coaching change. And a similar situation with each defensive coaching change.
(B) Strength/Weakness yo-yo
From Osborne -> Solich - keep tradition, consistency, culture going. Solich fails to recruit well.
From Solich -> Callahan - Callahan is brought in to fix recruiting and bring Nebraska into future of football because the option is "fading in college football". Callahan is brought in to be the opposite of Solich.
From Callahan -> Pelini - Pelini is brought in to restore winning culture, tradition, physicality and defense. He is brought in to bring Nebraska back to what it was and to be the opposite of Callahan. Callahan was weak in defense...Pelini was strong.
From Pelini -> Riley - Riley was brought in to restore public perception of Nebraska and improve Media/Fan relations. Pelini had been weak in brand relations and university perception.
*with each hire, a weakness in the previous staff had been identified and the next hire is sought to be strong in these particular weak areas of previous HC, often neglecting to seek qualities to be able to continue what the previous staff did do well and establish continuity in the kind of player needed for the system.
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Whether you read it or not is on you not on me. I'm sorry you felt your time was wasted.