Optimism for Rhule is Warranted

[Clevinger]

What stands out to me most about Rhule’s hire is that we finally had an AD study what led to success in the Big 10, work with inside knowledge of what made us successful before, and then go find a guy who could fulfill those visions. It is our first merit-based, top choice hire who wants to restore our identity. Contrast that to the visionless, identity-less, reactionary past changes with ADs:

Solich: Recruiting is mediocre. Get an NFL guy and sell that!

Callahan: The defense sucks and is wimpy! Bring in a hard ass defense guy!

Pelini: My god! He is crazy and no one likes him! Get a nice guy!

Riley: My god! What have we done?! He just sucks! We need a Nebraska guy!

Frost: Well…that was a disaster! Let’s double down! He’s a Nebraska guy!

Frost (again): Shit! He still sucks! What now?


Enter Rhule. He and Trev obviously want to reestablish our identity and line of scrimmage dominance. He is excellent at finding and developing players. He is second to none at establishing relationships with high school coaches, which helps both scouting and recruiting. Players love his family-like atmospheres and speak highly of him. He develops and utilizes walk ons. He adapts his offenses to the players he has.

We are finally returning to our identity. The old Nebraska was actually what was suited for the Big 10, not all the fake identities we have tried to assume since then.

I know everyone is beaten down by the misery of the last two decades. However, I think Rhule was just what we needed, and optimism is warranted.

 

[JOHNNY N]

This is the 1st coach that had a plan since Callahan.

 

[aNUstart]

Good take. Pelini is the guy I was most frustrated by. I supported him longer than most of the people I know and was more tolerant of his on-field antics as I liked his old school approach and the toughness he instilled. Obviously his personality did him in, and it was a big mistake to develop a bunker mentality and attempt to turn the team against the fans. I've described Rhule as being like Pelini in a way, but polished and without the crazy - so I too am optimistic.

 

[Dr_Alan_Grant]

This is the 1st coach that had a plan since Callahan.

Riley had a plan. One last paychec......ride..... before the other few rides he is doing......

 

[Clevinger]

This is the 1st coach that had a plan since Callahan.

I would say he is the first post-Osborne hire who simultaneously understands our identity, embraces our identity, and has demonstrated the ability to build our identity.

 

[dinglefritz]

Good take. Pelini is the guy I was most frustrated by. I supported him longer than most of the people I know and was more tolerant of his on-field antics as I liked his old school approach and the toughness he instilled. Obviously his personality did him in, and it was a big mistake to develop a bunker mentality and attempt to turn the team against the fans. I've described Rhule as being like Pelini in a way, but polished and without the crazy - so I too am optimistic.

Tom tried very hard to work with Bo to become a better coach. Like it or not dealing with media and fans is a very important job of a P5 head coach’s job. They went so far as to hire a PR coach for him and started a PR campaign. At one time a Dr friend of mine with ties to NU said they were trying medication to moderate his behavior. He just was not cut out for the pressure cooker at NU IMO. I would like to see now how he would do at a program like a Sunbelt team that was in a spot with a lot of talent close by.

 

[dinglefritz]

I would say he is the first post-Osborne hire who simultaneously understands our identity, embraces our identity, and has demonstrated the ability to build our identity.

I think to a degree Bo did.

 

[JOHNNY N]

Riley had a plan. One last paychec......ride..... before the other few rides he is doing......

While true, that wasn't exactly the plan I was talking about.

 

[headcard]

 

[otismotis08]

Hoping this thread doesn't need to be resurrected/appended in a few years.

 

[Clevinger]

I think to a degree Bo did.

I think he fell down on the last two.

1) Fans—key to our tradition and identity—were treated like an enemy.

2) He never demonstrated that he could recruit and develop what he needed.

 

[Clevinger]

Hoping this thread doesn't need to be resurrected/appended in a few years.

I can’t predict the future, but I think the reasoning behind Rhule’s hire is sound and that he is a high quality coach.

 

[Harry Caray]

View embedded media

Ok but Frost met those criteria too: Power 5 experience, Background on Offense, Prior Acquaintance with the Program. He didn't quite meet the 45 year old benchmark, but he was 43, just two years difference.

 

[Clevinger]

Ok but Frost met those criteria too: Power 5 experience, Background on Offense, Prior Acquaintance with the Program. He didn't quite meet the 45 year old benchmark, but he was 43, just two years difference.

Frost’s problem was his arrogance. He felt like he was the chosen one and could force what worked at UCF on the Big 10. He also failed to correct and adapt when things didn’t work, again because he is arrogant.

 

[headcard]

Ok but Frost met those criteria too: Power 5 experience, Background on Offense, Prior Acquaintance with the Program. He didn't quite meet the 45 year old benchmark, but he was 43, just two years difference.

He was too young and wasn't familiar with the conference as a coach, which according to them are red flags. His only P5 experience was also a coordinator, not exactly the same as running the show.

 

[RedCap]

Maybe and I hope you are right. BUT I'm going to reserve judgment and optimism until results are proven on the field. Yes, I admit it, Frost ruined my optimism about Nebraska football with his spectacular flame out. So show me the results.

 

[dinglefritz]

I can’t predict the future, but I think the reasoning behind Rhule’s hire is sound and that he is a high quality coach.

He was by far the most logical choice and IMO the best fit. I’m not wild about the money and length of contract but Mel Tucker’s deal wrecked the curve

 

[TruHusker]

The problem with all the comparisons are they were made after the fact. There wasn't a big shout of desention when Solich took over, Callahan was a successful pro coach unlike Rhule, Bo was welcomed with open arms by the masses at the time, Riley certainly had detractors and may have actually surpassed some of the others on at least wins, then Frost comes in to save the day and who would have thought it would have turned out like it did.

I will withhold judgment until there is real evidence and not just a perception of "we are back."

 

[phoenix4nu]

Tom tried very hard to work with Bo to become a better coach. Like it or not dealing with media and fans is a very important job of a P5 head coach’s job. They went so far as to hire a PR coach for him and started a PR campaign. At one time a Dr friend of mine with ties to NU said they were trying medication to moderate his behavior. He just was not cut out for the pressure cooker at NU IMO. I would like to see now how he would do at a program like a Sunbelt team that was in a spot with a lot of talent close by.

Has your DR friend ever heard of HIPAA? Lol.

 

[Harry Caray]

He was too young and wasn't familiar with the conference as a coach, which according to them are red flags. His only P5 experience was also a coordinator, not exactly the same as running the show.

It's hard to say Frost was too young when Kirby Smart, Ryan Day, Josh Heupel, and Lincoln Riley are all younger than Frost. Dabo too was in his 30s when he took over at Clemson. The article just says Power 5 experience as a coordinator is enough, did not need to be head coaching experience. Smart, Day, Heupel, Riley were all just coordinators at the Power 5 level before getting their first Power 5 head coaching job.

 

[dinglefritz]

Has your DR friend ever heard of HIPAA? Lol.

He wasn’t Bo’s Dr. There’s always things that leak out.

 

[headcard]

It's hard to say Frost was too young when Kirby Smart, Ryan Day, Josh Heupel, and Lincoln Riley are all younger than Frost. Dabo too was in his 30s when he took over at Clemson. The article just says Power 5 experience as a coordinator is enough, did not need to be head coaching experience. Smart, Day, Heupel, Riley were all just coordinators at the Power 5 level before getting their first Power 5 head coaching job.

OK. But that's what their data said, he was too young and didn't have experience at the school or in the conference as a coach, and they were right. He was a failure.

 

[dinglefritz]

The problem with all the comparisons are they were made after the fact. There wasn't a big shout of desention when Solich took over, Callahan was a successful pro coach unlike Rhule, Bo was welcomed with open arms by the masses at the time, Riley certainly had detractors and may have actually surpassed some of the others on at least wins, then Frost comes in to save the day and who would have thought it would have turned out like it did.

I will withhold judgment until there is real evidence and not just a perception of "we are back."

Your perception of Callahan would be disputed by some Raider fans but your logic is reasonable.

 

[dinglefritz]

Maybe and I hope you are right. BUT I'm going to reserve judgment and optimism until results are proven on the field. Yes, I admit it, Frost ruined my optimism about Nebraska football with his spectacular flame out. So show me the results.

Reasonable take.

 

[Wasker77]

What stands out to me most about Rhule’s hire is that we finally had an AD study what led to success in the Big 10, work with inside knowledge of what made us successful before, and then go find a guy who could fulfill those visions. It is our first merit-based, top choice hire who wants to restore our identity. Contrast that to the visionless, identity-less, reactionary past changes with ADs:

Solich: Recruiting is mediocre. Get an NFL guy and sell that!

Callahan: The defense sucks and is wimpy! Bring in a hard ass defense guy!

Pelini: My god! He is crazy and no one likes him! Get a nice guy!

Riley: My god! What have we done?! He just sucks! We need a Nebraska guy!

Frost: Well…that was a disaster! Let’s double down! He’s a Nebraska guy!

Frost (again): Shit! He still sucks! What now?


Enter Rhule. He and Trev obviously want to reestablish our identity and line of scrimmage dominance. He is excellent at finding and developing players. He is second to none at establishing relationships with high school coaches, which helps both scouting and recruiting. Players love his family-like atmospheres and speak highly of him. He develops and utilizes walk ons. He adapts his offenses to the players he has.

We are finally returning to our identity. The old Nebraska was actually what was suited for the Big 10, not all the fake identities we have tried to assume since then.

I know everyone is beaten down by the misery of the last two decades. However, I think Rhule was just what we needed, and optimism is warranted.

You just outlined why I am going to be hopeful but remain guarded. Instead of making a bunch of prognostications on what Rhule will do or won't do I think we should be patient and see how it plays out next fall. I am not talking wins, but how the team is run under Rhule's leadership. I think if we are honest there were definitely early warning signs with both Riley and Frost. Your memories maybe better than me but with Riley I was upset with how he managed his very first game with BYU. Frost and the first Colorado game always sticks out to me.

 

[itseasyas1-2-3]

The problem with all the comparisons are they were made after the fact. There wasn't a big shout of desention when Solich took over, Callahan was a successful pro coach unlike Rhule, Bo was welcomed with open arms by the masses at the time, Riley certainly had detractors and may have actually surpassed some of the others on at least wins, then Frost comes in to save the day and who would have thought it would have turned out like it did.

I will withhold judgment until there is real evidence and not just a perception of "we are back."

How successful was Callahan as a Head Coach in the NFL? 18-24 not too successful Tru.

Rhule was 11-27. 7 games less successful than Callahan.

But Rhule didn't take over a 2-time Division Champion and AFC Championship-winning team from Gruden like Callahan did.

 

[itseasyas1-2-3]

Your perception of Callahan would be disputed by some Raider fans but your logic is reasonable.

By Year 2 the whole team wanted to Code Red the dude.

 

[dinglefritz]

How successful was Callahan as a Head Coach in the NFL? 18-24 not too successful Tru.

Rhule was 11-27. 7 games less successful than Callahan.

But Rhule didn't take over a 2-time Division Champion and AFC Championship-winning team from Gruden like Callahan did.

Most importantly Callahan had never had success as a D1 head coach previous to going to the NFL. The comparison is kind of apples to oranges

 

[dinglefritz]

By Year 2 the whole team wanted to Code Red the dude.

One of my old buddies was good friends with some former Raider players. There comment was “he ruined the Raiders”. I didn’t agree with that sentiment. I think a revolt led by that idiot Tim Brown and then his starting center going AWOL the night before the Super Bowl ruined the Raiders.

 

[Clevinger]

Maybe and I hope you are right. BUT I'm going to reserve judgment and optimism until results are proven on the field. Yes, I admit it, Frost ruined my optimism about Nebraska football with his spectacular flame out. So show me the results.

I think one can remain objective while still being hopeful and supportive.

I think we have a great coach. Try to enjoy the ride.

 

[Clevinger]

The problem with all the comparisons are they were made after the fact. There wasn't a big shout of desention when Solich took over, Callahan was a successful pro coach unlike Rhule, Bo was welcomed with open arms by the masses at the time, Riley certainly had detractors and may have actually surpassed some of the others on at least wins, then Frost comes in to save the day and who would have thought it would have turned out like it did.

I will withhold judgment until there is real evidence and not just a perception of "we are back."

No one is saying we are back. Certainly wait for solid, sustained results for that assertion.

I am just saying that we hired a great coach who suits our needs well. With that, I am saying the doom and gloom hangover from Frost is unwarranted.

 

[Yantzeee]

How successful was Callahan as a Head Coach in the NFL? 18-24 not too successful Tru.

Rhule was 11-27. 7 games less successful than Callahan.

But Rhule didn't take over a 2-time Division Champion and AFC Championship-winning team from Gruden like Callahan did.

Matt was also a little naïve thinking he had 4 full years to right the ship in the NFL. GMs might tell you that but you’ve got to realize that’s never going to happen, especially when his predecessor flipped the redskins around in 3 and Rivera came into a much worse situation.

I really hope Matt learned from that and I think he did. He’s got that 3 to 4 years tag on him but he’s got to push to do it sooner the best he can. And by that I mean keep that sense of wanting to win now and the sense of urgency. No competitor even wants to lose and if you start going “well that’s ok to lose, I’m building” you’ve by definition accepted being a loser.

 

[Clevinger]

You just outlined why I am going to be hopeful but remain guarded. Instead of making a bunch of prognostications on what Rhule will do or won't do I think we should be patient and see how it plays out next fall. I am not talking wins, but how the team is run under Rhule's leadership. I think if we are honest there were definitely early warning signs with both Riley and Frost. Your memories maybe better than me but with Riley I was upset with how he managed his very first game with BYU. Frost and the first Colorado game always sticks out to me.

My reaction to Riley being hired was instantly “WTF!” It went downhill from there. It was doomed from the start.

 

[Harry Caray]

OK. But that's what their data said, he was too young and didn't have experience at the school or in the conference as a coach, and they were right. He was a failure.

The article said "some sort of prior acquaintance with the program". I'd say Frost was pretty well-acquainted with the Nebraska Football program.

 

[Clevinger]

The article said "some sort of prior acquaintance with the program". I'd say Frost was well acquainted with the Nebraska Football program.

He was, but he came in arrogantly with the idea that he could UCF the Big 10 and never adapted, even long after problems were glaring.

He didn’t embrace our identity, develop talent, or adapt to the Big 10.

I think Milton and some of his 2017 players had a lot to do with their undefeated year. Outside of that he has had losing records every year as a head coach.

 

[dinglefritz]

Matt was also a little naïve thinking he had 4 full years to right the ship in the NFL. GMs might tell you that but you’ve got to realize that’s never going to happen, especially when his predecessor flipped the redskins around in 3 and Rivera came into a much worse situation.

I really hope Matt learned from that and I think he did. He’s got that 3 to 4 years tag on him but he’s got to push to do it sooner the best he can. And by that I mean keep that sense of wanting to win now and the sense of urgency. No competitor even wants to lose and if you start going “well that’s ok to lose, I’m building” you’ve by definition accepted being a loser.

Most NFL coaches don’t control their roster. Carolina’s #1 problem was their GM and hence the QB situation.

 

[dinglefritz]

My reaction to Riley being hired was instantly “WTF!” It went downhill from there. It was doomed from the start.

My reaction was similar to that. I didn’t do cartwheels when we hired Bo either. Eichorst was clearly over his head but I’ll go to my grave believing Riley would have won 8 his last year if he hadn’t been forced to fire Banker so Eichorst could hire Diaco.

 

[JOHNNY N]

Ok but Frost met those criteria too: Power 5 experience, Background on Offense, Prior Acquaintance with the Program. He didn't quite meet the 45 year old benchmark, but he was 43, just two years difference.

Frost failed here because he lacked the ability to be the adult in the room.

Rhule doesn't strike me as a guy who has thar problem.

 

[Clevinger]

My reaction was similar to that. I didn’t do cartwheels when we hired Bo either. Eichorst was clearly over his head but I’ll go to my grave believing Riley would have won 8 his last year if he hadn’t been forced to fire Banker so Eichorst could hire Diaco.

I felt cautious optimism about Solich, Callahan, and Pelini. Frost I was admittedly excited about and his disaster surprised me.

 

[inWV]

He was, but he came in arrogantly with the idea that he could UCF the Big 10 and never adapted, even long after problems were glaring.

He didn’t embrace our identity, develop talent, or adapt to the Big 10.

I think Milton and some of his 2017 players had a lot to do with their undefeated year. Outside of that he has had losing records every year as a head coach.

Frost ran an offense at UCF that Chip Kelly developed, and had the players to make it hum in the American. He never had the players at NU to be successful in the B1G with this approach.