How DID They Do It?: New Coaches in Year 1 at Rebuilding National Programs
3 comments so far
October 1, 2008 by
Facts are facts: Nebraska should be 3-3 after six games this season. Based on what we've seen thus far, you have to hunt and dig to find realistic reasons Nebraska should beat either Missouri or Texas Tech. Odds are they won't but in college football those odds can change, or even become irrelevant, from week to week as the roulette wheel that is CFB2.0 spins again each Saturday. But as I've perked up from last Saturday night's sure-to-be-.500 blues, I've started to feel like these next two games are a major opportunity for the Huskers. This is how you get back.
Before the season started, one of things I felt Bo Pelini needed to do was win a game he had no business winning. Nebraska has one of those this week and likely another one the next. After that Oklahoma looks like the only other game where Nebraska will be a decisive underdog. Those were the three trophy bucks on the schedule coming in and I just knew Pelini needed to bag one of them.
After taking a look at some other recent high profile coaching hires at dormant national powers, that might not even be true. As unsatisfying as it sounds, recent history shows that simple competitiveness against the top teams on your schedule is really the key component.
We'll start back in 1999 with Bob Stoops because he's from Youngstown too, a former defensive coordinator and therefore exactly the same as Bo Pelini. Right?
BOB STOOPS, OU '99
First Season: 7-5
Previous Season: 5-6
Second Season: 13-0, National Champions
Set-up: OU hadn't been ranked in the final AP or Coaches Polls since 1993.
Major Achievement of Year One: Waxed #10 (PS#8) A&M 51-6 in Week 6 in Norman.
Big Finish: Lost Independence Bowl to Ole Miss 25-27; was never ranked in the Top 25.
MARK RICHT, UGA '01
First Season: 8-4
Previous Season: 8-4
Second Season: 13-1, Sugar Bowl and SEC Champions
Set-up: Took over for Jim Donnan who was perpetually in the 8-4 range/losing ground in the SEC.
Major Achievement of Year One: Went to #5 Tennessee and beat the Vols 26-24; beat GT for first time in four years.
Big Finish: Lost Music City Bowl to Boston College 16-20; ended the season ranked #22/25.
PETE CARROLL, USC '01
First Season: 6-6
Previous Season: 5-7
Second Season: 11-2, Pac-10 Co-Champs, Orange Bowl Champions, ranked #4 in final polls.
Set-up: Carroll was SC's third or fourth choice after Paul Hackett was fired for going 19-18 over 3 seasons.
Major Achievement of Year One: Lost four of his first five games but they were against PS#11 KSU, at PS#8 Oregon, and at PS#14 Washington by a total of nine points.
Big Finish: Lost Las Vegas Bowl to Utah 6-10; was never ranked in the Top 25.
NICK SABAN, UA '07
First Season: 7-6
Previous Season: 6-7
Second Season: Pending but looking good.
Set-up: One of the most passionate fanbases in college football, yearning against the yoke of expectations left behind by Bear Bryant. Saban represented the 4th new coach in just 10 seasons.
Major Achievement of Year One: Beating #16 Arkansas, trouncing rival and eventual SEC East Champs #21 Tennessee 41-17 and/or nearly upsetting eventual national champion LSU 34-41.
Big Finish: Won Independence Bowl against Colorado 30-24 to end four game losing skid.
The point here is not to say that Pelini is or could be the next Saban, Carroll, Richt or Stoops. It's simply to show what four guys charged with a very similar task to Pelini's did in their first years at their respective schools and the unifying theme is competitiveness.
Pete Carroll went 6-6 but hung with the toughest teams on his schedule. Bob Stoops knocked off the highest ranked team he played all season and stayed tight in high profile games against Notre Dame and Texas. Mark Richt did what his predecessor could not with a marquee win against top 5 Tennessee. Nick Saban didn't end the Iron Bowl drought, or even finish strong, but he wasn't outclassed in any contest.
Overall, those four coaches went a collective 28-21 (.571 WIN%) but, of the 21 games they lost, they lost only by an average of 6.43 points, none by more than two touchdowns.
With the high-flying Tigers and Raiders on the slate for the next two weeks Nebraska will be a longshot to win either contest but, as cliched as it might seem, if the Huskers can hang around in these tough games and make that a trademark for year one, it can result in a lot of momentum for the program.
That said, I still want to beat the hell out of Mizzou because that's good too.
Did you enjoy this article?
Get Husker news by email
Follow us on Twitter
Related Stories: Bo Pelini
Post a comment
bnahusker Oct 01 08
Great Post. I think it re-enforces the thought that if they just look like they care, it will be an improvement. That test has been passed.
As far as it being good if the Huskers beat Mizzou......... I live among "them", and would just about trade an 0-7 finish for a win this week! (just about) I can't bring myself to think what work is going to be like next week if it isn't a competitive game.
If any of you have been to Spingfield, MO you will understand me when I say that "Cashew Kitty" would be a great dinner this Saturday!
GBR
Bob
tom Oct 02 08
I have a close cadre of Husker friends surrounding me in the KC area and not only would I have Mizzou fans ribbing us, but KU and Wildcat fans feel the need get a few jabs as well. This week has been interesting already. I've had a few people tell me that the Huskers aren't relevant anymore. I say to them, why are they saying on local sports radio "This is the game MU has circled on their calendar since the off season." I've heard the media refer to it as a huge game for the Tigers. Oh, well.
Jason Oct 02 08
This story generated some good discussion over here.