Wanted: Hall of Fame Coach
9 comments so far
October 24, 2007 by
If taken literally, Lincoln Journal-Star writer Steve Sipple’s recent blog post about a mid-season Bill Callahan resignation would officially ignite the search for the Huskers next head football coach.
“We want Bo!” is the chant we may begin to hear in Memorial stadium in the coming weeks. As impressive as Bo Pelini’s resume has become, the Bo Nebraska really needs might be Schembechler. If you consider what kind of coach could survive the insanely high expectations of Lincoln, Nebraska you realize how few coaches could live up to that standard.
Just look at the coaches in recent years that have consistently been in BCS bowls or close to it. Bob Stoops has taken Oklahoma to four BCS bowls in six years and seems poised to make it five out of seven. Pete Carroll has taken USC to five straight BCS bowls and can make it six in a row this season. Jim Tressel has taken Ohio State to four BCS bowls in five years and seems set to make it five of six. Urban Meyer lead Utah to the BCS in 2004 and Florida to the national title a year ago. He could make it three BCS bowls in four years with another one this season. Mack Brown took Texas to two BCS bowls in the past three years and could still make it this season. Les Miles made it to the Sugar Bowl a year ago at LSU and is poised for a BCS return this season. Lloyd Carr has taken Michigan to BCS bowls in three of the past four seasons and could still make it four of five this year.
That’s seven guys that have any hope of approaching Osborne’s pace of 19 BCS bowls in 25 years. Even if you throw out Osborne’s last five seasons (to bring it back to a Schembechler-type career), it’s still 14 of 20 or nearly three out of four. And at that point (say 1992), Osborne was still getting a lot of grief for not winning more. In fact, some Husker fans wouldn’t want Schembechler just because he didn’t win more even though he won four out of five games in his 21 years at Michigan.
Faced with how impossible it would seem for any coach to maintain that pace (notice the absence of names like Bowden, Paterno, Spurrier, Fulmer, Beamer, Richt, and Rodriguez) and it becomes clear both how ridiculously high the standards Osborne set would be to approach and how few coaches have any hope of doing so.
And yet, will Husker fans accept anything less? If someone came in and provided a Solich-esque six bowls in six years with a conference title and an additional BCS appearance, shouldn’t that be good enough? I’m not saying Solich should have been retained because that 2004 squad (with Joe Dailey, Mike Stuntz or Allan Evridge at the helm) would not have contended for the Big 12 North division and it seems unlikely for 2005 either. But if that became the new standard in perpetuity, could the coach keep his job? Probably not.
Like the Sooners or Gators, the Huskers will probably shuffle through coaches until they can hit on a top echelon guy. That may sound attractive, but it can mean a lot of rebuilding years instead of being consistently above average like a Texas Tech, that’s been willing to settle for less.
Yes, “we want Bo”, but maybe not Pelini.
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Andrew Oct 24 07
Don't you mean Pete Carrol has taken USC to bowls, Bob Stopps took Oklahoma to bowls, not USC.
OU7times Oct 24 07
Steve, I'm sure "Bo schembechler" would be impressed with your post...if he were still alive.
doombob Oct 24 07
I just don't want someone who thinks it is a wise decision to run a program like an NFL team. These guys aren't great players yet. Most of them are only OK, with plenty of athletic ability. If you took Blaine Gabbert and threw him onto the field right now, he would look ridiculous. "Game Speed" is something that has to be developed by coaching. We need a guy who does not take it upon himself to do everything, we need someone who is willing to delegate tasks to a staff that is talented in each of their respective areas. While that happens, the head coach can fill everyone with the fire and emotion and tradition that it takes for young guys to enter the field of battle.
Dwayne Oct 24 07
It is difficult to try to compare what Osborne achieved in his 25 years versus the programs that have endured the changes that have occurred in the past 10 years. It is a completely different game. And even with those changes, the passion still remains and I would argue that it has even grown because many programs that never did have opportunities to win big are doing it right before our very eyes. I am very curious to see how this thing unfolds in the next year or two. For me the bottom line is not just wins and losses. Performance ultimately, or lack there-of, determines what is and what isn't acceptable. Starting with the coaches. I never would've guessed that this is where Husker nation would be. Staring down the barrel of a 4-8 season in year four of the Callahan era. The losses this season have been bad. Will BRN do a "draft board" of available coaches, and coaches who they think may fit the program? I would be interested in seeing this. A list that includes their stats, bio, photo, etc.??? I've heard names mentioned and some of these I have no clue what they look like. After all, this guy will be sitting across from a recruit's parents and it would be nice to see what they'll be seeing. One last thing, Darren mentioned in another blog that fans do not have a vote. That is correct. We only have a voice, and I think a lot of fans voices have been heard this season which may or may not have affected what has transpired this season.
AggieCoach.com Oct 24 07
Sorry, but he will be coming to A&M first. Read all about it at www.AggieCoach.com.
ze bop Oct 24 07
I don't know, I think Calli 'won' the 'Buy Out Bowl' last Saturday which would hypothetically give Big Red first dibs on Bo P.
Yo, zE bOp likey the Bo boP!
Greg Morrow Oct 24 07
I thought it was ridiculous to fire Solich for exactly the reasoning you're leading too, Steve.
"Frankly," I was looking forward to seeing how Dailey would develop as the most likely starter as a true soph. Herian was still healthy and wouldn't have been called upon to move the chains, like he was in the WCO. Just be wide open once or twice, a game.
I thought Dailey tossed a nice ball, in the one game he played in, in '03. His ability to take a hit was my concern, but he'd learn....
I'm hopeful Callahan can still pull through and be granted another year. I always pull for what (and who) we've got.
But, even with such a diminished offense, the '03 Penn St. game reminds me of the brutal effectiveness of the Power I set.
It just didn't have any diversity of "toys," I-Back speed, or a Quarterback who didn't "short hop" two or three passes (to wide open guys) a game.
Oh, now I'm reminded of why Frank got fired again.
ze bop Oct 25 07
Must differ on at least one thing: Daily couldn't throw the ball into the Grand Canyon even if he'd taken one of those burro rides to it's core. He ended up as a db, I think, at NC.
cvldfg Oct 28 07
Dailey is a WR at UNC. He wants to get into coaching. He has a terrible throw. Last year when he split time with T.J. Yates, he had more INT than TD.