My expectations for keeping Bo (and staff) passed the 2014 season :
1. Fundamentals must dramitically improve (turnovers and poor tackling).
2. Discipline must be instilled (the ridiculous and ill timed penalties and general poor decision making/game management).
3. Better strength and conditioning:
The increase in injuries to our team over the past 2-3 seasons has to stop. IMO, the past 2-3 seasons we're losing guys at a much higher rate than our oppenents. For me, that makes the injury bug more of a trend than an exception or bad luck. It used to be our opponents that walked away battered in bruised. I suspect i'll get flack for this expectation.
4. Take down the iron curtain:
Ii'm not saying let just anyone in to see practices, but there should be some local/husker media members that can see practices and provide us a bit more insight into the general goings on, etc. They're not going to give away plays or trade secrets. I don't expect some of the younger fans to agree with this as the "iron curtain" for many programs has been instilled this whole century. I used to feel "closer" to this program than i currently do. The only thing i really grasp about this team is what I see between the lines on game days. There's little player accessibility and there's the instilled us agains the world (including the fans) mentality that I don't see has a postive for anyone associated with the program.
This kind of ties into #5.
5. Stop with the rhetoric:
When a coach is winning games at an elite level, he's "earned" the credibility to thumb his nose at the fans, media, officials, etc.(see Nick Saban/Urban Meyer) Yes, Bo has improved the program beyond Callahan, but not to the point where he doesn't have to show SOME humiltiy and contrition for the final product. His implied attitude that the fans/media shouldn't be critical of he or his coaches performance is hypocrtical. He knew the overall performance expectations and agreed with them as his own expectations. Now he feels he and his staff our above reproach by everyone but himself? Can't have it both ways. (and thats why he gets paid a boat load just like every other public figure/celebrity thats in the "fish bowl")
6. Continue to improve recruiting and player development:
The recruting aspect might already be addressed considering the ranking of the past couple of classes, and the current group of commits and possibilities looks strong. However, the development aspect I still question. This ties into my other expectations in that we still have seniors making true freshman types of mistakes. Plus, there seems to be a major drop off in skill (talent or development?) versus a slight decline, especially on the offensive side. Perhaps its scheme issue. IMO, Bo's program has yet to develop a complete QB; maybe TA will buck that trend.
I'm not on either bandwagon at this point. Previous to the 2012 season I would've kept Bo at most cost/considered myself on the Bo bandwagon. By the end of last season, I was off the bandwagon, but gun to my head, I'd keep Bo if the choices were to fire him or give him a 10 year contract. Today, gun to my head, I think my answer would be the opposite. With that stated, unless Eichorst has a great replacement sealed and delivered, I'd be inclined to give Bo another shot to better the ship in 2014, but any signs of groundhog day/not meeting the above expectations and I wouldn't wait til the end of the season to pull the trigger.
One thing I purposely left off my expecations is W/L. I don't think thats the best way to judge a program overall. There're coaches out there with lesser W/L than Bo that I think could actually do better here than Bo between the lines (one example would be Paul Rhodes). For non-football related matters though (academics, players staying out of trouble, illegal recruiting), I'd stuggle to put anyone above Bo. Acceptable W/L comes with a sound, consistent program.
Thanks for letting me vent.