Too legit to quit: Callahan won't resign

HuskerfaninOkieland

Heisman Trophy Winner
I know this guy is giving us coach-speak and trying to save/cover his a$$, but I have a baaaaaad feeling Osborne is going to be willing to give this guy another year with the understanding there are some coaching staff changes. I don't care what rumors have been circulated about what Osborne has said or what rumors are floating around about possible threats from boosters not giving up the money....I wouldn't put it past Osborne to give Callahan another year or two <_< <_<

ESPN

Callahan won't resign even if offered buyout

Associated Press

 

Updated: November 6, 2007, 5:11 PM ET

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LINCOLN, Neb. -- If Nebraska interim athletic director Tom Osborne wants Bill Callahan out as football coach, he'll probably have to fire him.

 

Callahan said Tuesday he would not resign before the season ends, even if he were offered a buyout worth more than he is entitled to by his contract.

 

"That term 'resignation' is not in our vocabulary," Callahan said.

 

The Huskers (4-6, 1-5 Big 12) go into Saturday's final home game against Kansas State on their first five-game losing streak since 1958. They've been outscored 226-98 in those five games.

 

Last week's 76-39 loss at Kansas marked the most points allowed by a Nebraska team and ratcheted up the fans' outcry against Callahan.

 

Osborne has not asked for a resignation and doesn't plan to, athletic department communications chief Randy York said Tuesday. Osborne has said he'll evaluate Callahan at the end of the season.

 

Callahan's new contract, signed in September, calls for him to be paid $3.125 million if he's fired this month. He said he wouldn't be tempted to step down if he were promised more money to resign now and remove the uncertainty surrounding the program.

 

"You need to understand this isn't about money. I didn't get into coaching for money, for buyouts or anything like that," Callahan said.

 

The fallout of the season hasn't changed his feelings for Nebraska, he said. Callahan has often said he wants to finish his career at Nebraska.

 

"I sincerely want to be here," he said. "I think I indicated that when I signed a contract extension. If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't have signed the extension."

 

Callahan said it's embarrassing for a program such as Nebraska to lose five straight and no one feels worse about it than him.

 

The Huskers led Texas 17-9 in the fourth quarter before losing 28-25 two weeks ago. Otherwise, they haven't been competitive in their losses this season. They have one of the nation's worst defenses, allowing 35.9 points and 477.6 yards a game.

 

"Gosh, I don't think we wanted to do this," he said. "These coaches didn't purposely tell these kids, 'Hey, don't go out there and tackle today' or 'Don't go out there and rush the passer.'

 

"Our guys coach to the best of their ability, and they did the best they could. It hasn't been good enough at this point. Hopefully, Saturday we can rectify this," he said.

 

Callahan said much of his fan correspondence has been supportive. Of course, there have been lots of negative, as well.

 

"It's a game," he said. "I understand here in Nebraska it's more than a game. It's life. It's the most important thing to Nebraskans, and I share that passion."

 

Callahan said he won't leave on his own volition, even if it means relieving pressure on himself, his staff and their families.

 

"There is a message if you do resign, that you've quit on your football team," he said. "There is no quit in this staff. We're going to keep plugging away and keep pushing and keep coaching and try to get through this."

 
I just cannot figure out why he is so stubborn that we did not fire Cosgrove when the poop start hitting the fan? I think if he had fired Cos probably after Ball St or at least OSU he might have saved some grace from you guys but since he did not and he is the head coach and ultimately responsible for the performance of the team he signed his own death warrant by not pulling the trigger.

 
I look at it this way. With the boosters coming back on now that Osborne is back it's NOT a money issue for TO or the university. If TO keeps BC around then there is a reason, something he has seen in him and I trust his judgement.

Don't forget that as stubborn as TO is it's gotten him a long way in this state. Also remember that Charlie, Milt and possibly a few others have been around from time to time. There is a chance that TO will also rely on these former members and trusted confidants to help in his evaluation of the coaching staff.

My last point is this. TO will not make changes unless he plans to be around for a while. He will also not saddle a new AD with the task of removing any coaches nor will he make changes and then expect a new AD to take over and deal with the hand that TO has dealt him. In short I believe TO will be the AD for at least all of next season and potentially a portion of the following season.

 
I just cannot figure out why he is so stubborn that we did not fire Cosgrove when the poop start hitting the fan? I think if he had fired Cos probably after Ball St or at least OSU he might have saved some grace from you guys but since he did not and he is the head coach and ultimately responsible for the performance of the team he signed his own death warrant by not pulling the trigger.
:yeah

I feel like I'm following you around the forum! You say good things, though, and I totally agree with that ^^^. Our soon-to-be-former DC should have been canned long ago, before this season, and if not then FOR SURE after Ball State. The fact that Cally kept him on makes me question Cally's sanity, and I agree that by keeping Cos he has signed his own death warrant.

 
Here's my 2 cents fwiw...TO might just tell Billy C that he can come back if he fires COZ, Elmo, & Wags. However Billy C won't go for that. He's not going to cut loose his best buddy. My theory for this, is Billy C doesn't want to be responsible for putting his best bud in bad financial situation. I fully believe that COZ will have the hardest time finding employment as an assistant anywhere. Most schools or pro teams will look at his track record as a DC and see how bad he's done and won't want to risk the same fate. He might be able to gain employment as a position coach at a D2 school, but really no higher. Billy C doesn't want that on his conscience. This will force TO's hand to fire Billy C and a new HC, who will then fire anyone they don't want on their staff. Either way IMO Billy C isn't coming back. :)

 
Here's my 2 cents. BC doesn't like TO. When he came in, he fired all even the office staff. I'm sure he had a lot more to do with the pictures of former players being taken down than Pud did. He didn't want anything around the program that still represented TO or the past. Right now, BC is tempting TO to fire him. He showed that by how he totally ignored TO at halftime and then right after the game. Great leaders, managers, etc. do not put up with insubordination. BC won't resign because in his warped mind he thinks he wins if TO has to fire him.

 
The only thing that could ever make me question TO is if he kept Callahan on board another season. It simply is a decision which makes no sense. Callahan has no record for success. It's not just the defense which has stunk it up this year. Our offense and special teams have been sub-par most week, too. Not to mention the general morale of the team couldn't be lower. We are getting our asses kicked week after week on a historic level, and Callahan has not one straight answer to give anyone about the situation. Why the hell doesn't he fire the whole bloody defensive staff? They're obviously worthless as soggy toast.

No, I doubt TO will keep Clownahan on another season. There's nothing to be gained from it. If he wants Memorial stadium to fill up next season, this guy's gotta go. There's too much at stake, and Callahan's already ruined too much as it is.

Please Tom. For all of us...

X

 
The responsibility for the success or failure of the football team stops with Callahan. He is gone before year end without a doubt.

 
I can see what you are saying guru and I hope this is all resolved soon. I trust whatever decision T.O. makes and I know he'll make the best decision for the program. If he chooses to keep Callahan there is nothing anyone can do about it. All we can do as fans is support the kids. I don't want to go through a whole season again of this negative crap because it sucks considering we all look forward to this time of year and right now we all just want it to be over. That makes absolutely no sense.

 
Now, that's the kind of fight I want to see out of a coach. I don't care if it's hard-headedness, I want to see a coach that's loyal, that is going to do whatever it takes to right the ship. I'm sure TO is going to demand some staff changes, and the D-coordinator and his staff is definitely going to change, but I don't think I would be opposed to see Callahan stay.

We criticize this guy up and down for his record this year, and rightly so. He wanted 4 years, and we gave him that much rope to hang himself with, but I am actually impressed that the guy is taking this much criticism and is still hanging in there and saying he wants to be with this program till the end. I want that type of fight in him. If he was really looking at an Offensive Coordinator for the NFL, I don't think he would have said this. This actually gives me hope.

As far as the scheme, our O is coming back under Ganz, and I still believe that our WCO can do some damage. Hell, we even ran the option TWICE this week. Maybe I'm a super-optomist, but I don't think things will be terrible if Callahan stays in the driver seat and makes some serious defensive changes. Just like Solich, I think Callahan would be willing to let go some of his staff to save his a$$ and his ca$h.

Whatever TO decides, I'm OK with.

 
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I don't think Callahan and crew are worth keeping, but all this media attention to Callahan resigning appears to be starting to play into his hands. He is being attacked so much and coming back with statements like he is not a quitter. He is probably gaining support rather than losing it because of his 'honorable' intentions

Callahan said much of his fan correspondence has been supportive. Of course, there have been lots of negative, as well.
"It's a game," he said. "I understand here in Nebraska it's more than a game. It's life. It's the most important thing to Nebraskans, and I share that passion."

Callahan said he won't leave on his own volition, even if it means relieving pressure on himself, his staff and their families.

"There is a message if you do resign, that you've quit on your football team," he said. "There is no quit in this staff. We're going to keep plugging away and keep pushing and keep coaching and try to get through this."
There are few Callahan supporters on this board because they are attacked in the same way Callahan is, so they just don't post. I don't think that this board is a true representation of how all Husker fans feel.

T.O. is an honorable man, and he may see a glimpse of that in Callahan because he doesn't turn tail and run from all of the criticism. I'd like to see a little slack in the posts that just say the same thing over and over. Let T.O do his job the way he sees fit, there's not much we can do about it anyway.

Then again, I may be wrong. :hmmph

 
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