Top Coaches Before They Were Top Coaches - Why Riley Deserves A Chance

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Landlord

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I feel like the only two things I can consistently offer this board are highlight videos and research that isn't scientific but that is more in-depth than a mere peasant fan with too much time on their hands should ever be looking into in regards to something that doesn't actually affect them any.

Whatever.

A very big deal is being made out of Riley's underwhelming W-L record and lack of hardware throughout his coaching career. It's a fair point. A few people have brought up Nick Saban as an example of a top-tier coach that wasn't exactly a homerun hire on paper at first. So I took a look at a handful of top or quality coaches that started somewhere else and struggled under similar circumstances due to lack of budget/resources/support.

Let's start with the most obvious:

Nick Saban

5 years at Michigan State

6, 6, 7, 6, 9 wins respectively

0-3 in bowl games (all minor)

34-24-1 overall, 23-16-1 in conference

Mark Dantonio

3 years at Cincinnati

7, 4, 7 wins respectively

1-0 in bowl games (Fort Worth Bowl)

18-17 overall, 11-11 in conference

Steve Spurrier

3 years at Duke

5, 7, 8 wins respectively

0-1 in bowl games (minor)

20-13-1 overall, 11-9-1 in conference

Les Miles

4 years at Oklahoma State

4, 8, 9, 7 wins respectively

1-2 in bowl games (W Houston, L Cotton, L Alamo)

28-21 overall, 16-16 in conference

Mack Brown

3 years at Tulane

1, 4, 6 wins respectively

0-1 in bowl games (minor)

11-23 overall

10 years at North Carolina

1, 1, 6, 7, 9, 10, 8, 7, 10, 10 wins respectively

3-2 in bowl games (all minor)

69-46-1 overall, 40-35-1 in conference

Gary Andersen

4 years at Utah State

4, 4, 7, 11 wins respectively

1-1 in bowl games (Both Potato Bowl)

26-24 overall, 16-13 in conference

Mike Riley

14 years at Oregon State

3, 5, 8, 7, 5, 10, 9, 9, 8, 5, 3, 9, 7, 5 wins respectively

6-2 in bowl games (all minor)

93-80 overall, 58-63 in conference

Anyone have other ideas of coaches? These are honestly just off the top of my head I don't have a database to search through or anything.

 
it took 14 years before someone asked Mike to dance at a big school?

 
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Hunter94 said:
it took 14 years before someone asked Mike to dance at a big school?
Click to expand...

No. He got offered head coaching jobs at USC twice, and at Alabama, and turned them down. Everyone thought he would stay in Corvalis forever since it's where he was born and raised.

 
Idaho isn't real, it's a boogeyland that parents make up to scare their children into eating their soup sandwiches.

 
Thank goodness people smarter than us are able to look past something as simple as just "wins and losses". A simple person can be fooled by a pretty little win/loss record, without looking for actual substance.

Sounds familiar.

I can't wait to see how it all plays out.

 
Hmmm....this may be nitpicking but it is important...only coach on that list with a losing conference record. I can understand why with the powerhouses there.

 
Yeah, my angerconfusion has subsided from earlier. I wish Riley the best, and hope to see him lifting some trophies next season.

 
He was also hired by the San Diego Chargers to be their head football coach, and lasted three years.

This guy is one of the top coaches in the country. He's just never had the keys to a program like Nebraska. Whether he'll succeed here I think we're all waiting to find out. But clearly, not for nothing is this hire getting such universal widespread acclaim. Eichorst did a really good job, and I kinda want to snidely say, "See, this is what happens when you don't let boosters dictate."

I'm really happy we got a guy like him to come here.

 
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Riley has his chance right now, and not in the power of any of us to give it or deny it.

Riley hasn't lost a game yet as Nebraska head coach, so what's not to like?

 
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