As we continue to get to know Riley and Riley gets to know the Huskers, it is apparent that he his meeting the key requirements to succeed as HC. Here's my grade of his performance of the key elements of the job using the old Exceeds, meets or below expectations measure.
1. Recruiting - Exceeds expectations. HCMR has built a reputation and connections over the past several decades that are serving him well at a Blue Blood college football program. He is a great teacher, leader and motivator. His sincerity and values are golden with both players and families. He has hired well to maximize his recruiting success and made the hard choices to upgrade his staff primarily to succeed at this element. His recruiting team is off the charts and the hire of Billy Devaney could be a real game changer.
2. Embracing culture - Exceeds expectations. This has frankly been one of the most disappointing aspects of the last two regimes. Callahan didn't want it and Bo didn't get it. Nebraska is simply different and that difference is important. We love the Blackshirt tradition, the Bones, our reputation of hard-hitting, hard working teams. Our legacy of excellence, the pro-like adulation of a college team. We are Husker football's greatest asset. Riley gets it and his staff sells it.
3. Representing state and university - Exceeds expectations. To put it simply, I am proud to have Mike Riley represent our state and school. He is thoughtful, articulate, respectful and humble. In some ways, he was brought in to fight our last battle, which is a suspect rationale. But the bottom line is he articulated the struggles throughout the last year without throwing anyone under a bus. No embarrassing incidents - not even close.
4. Self and organizational awareness - meets expectations. Probably a little harsh on my end, because Mike really did a great job of navigating a sh!t storm. He kept his cool under fire and the team ultimately improved which is the main barometer. The hire of Billy Devaney probably should raise this grade up an exceeds expectation. However, my one criticism, lodged on this site many times by many posters, is he needed to scheme the offense better with an awareness of his QB's limitations and the early struggles of his D.
5. Teaching -Exceeds Expectations. He hired a staff with two criteria - great teachers and great recruiters. I think the staff generally meets that goal. Obviously, Williams and Bray are off the charts. I am very optimistic about Coach Cav, Langsdorf, Parella, Read and Stewart. I am hopeful for Banker and Stewart. We are being successful at recruiting in part because of the reputation of these coaches as teachers.
6. Game performance - Below expectations. I expect this grade to change and change drastically. If you do the other 5 elements well, the performance of this element will follow. NU was trending the right way toward the end of the season and very few people speaking objectively would call this off-season anything less than a homerun. But the proof is in the pudding and until the on-field performance rises, it is what it is.
Conclusion - Mike Riley and his staff have changed the barometric pressure of Nebraska football and he has exceeded my expectations. Nearly all of the questions I had about him have been answered with an overwhelming Hip Hip Hooray. His quest for excellence and appreciation of Husker history and values is impressive. The guy is a winner for the right reasons and I truly believe better, if not legendary, days lie ahead.
1. Recruiting - Exceeds expectations. HCMR has built a reputation and connections over the past several decades that are serving him well at a Blue Blood college football program. He is a great teacher, leader and motivator. His sincerity and values are golden with both players and families. He has hired well to maximize his recruiting success and made the hard choices to upgrade his staff primarily to succeed at this element. His recruiting team is off the charts and the hire of Billy Devaney could be a real game changer.
2. Embracing culture - Exceeds expectations. This has frankly been one of the most disappointing aspects of the last two regimes. Callahan didn't want it and Bo didn't get it. Nebraska is simply different and that difference is important. We love the Blackshirt tradition, the Bones, our reputation of hard-hitting, hard working teams. Our legacy of excellence, the pro-like adulation of a college team. We are Husker football's greatest asset. Riley gets it and his staff sells it.
3. Representing state and university - Exceeds expectations. To put it simply, I am proud to have Mike Riley represent our state and school. He is thoughtful, articulate, respectful and humble. In some ways, he was brought in to fight our last battle, which is a suspect rationale. But the bottom line is he articulated the struggles throughout the last year without throwing anyone under a bus. No embarrassing incidents - not even close.
4. Self and organizational awareness - meets expectations. Probably a little harsh on my end, because Mike really did a great job of navigating a sh!t storm. He kept his cool under fire and the team ultimately improved which is the main barometer. The hire of Billy Devaney probably should raise this grade up an exceeds expectation. However, my one criticism, lodged on this site many times by many posters, is he needed to scheme the offense better with an awareness of his QB's limitations and the early struggles of his D.
5. Teaching -Exceeds Expectations. He hired a staff with two criteria - great teachers and great recruiters. I think the staff generally meets that goal. Obviously, Williams and Bray are off the charts. I am very optimistic about Coach Cav, Langsdorf, Parella, Read and Stewart. I am hopeful for Banker and Stewart. We are being successful at recruiting in part because of the reputation of these coaches as teachers.
6. Game performance - Below expectations. I expect this grade to change and change drastically. If you do the other 5 elements well, the performance of this element will follow. NU was trending the right way toward the end of the season and very few people speaking objectively would call this off-season anything less than a homerun. But the proof is in the pudding and until the on-field performance rises, it is what it is.
Conclusion - Mike Riley and his staff have changed the barometric pressure of Nebraska football and he has exceeded my expectations. Nearly all of the questions I had about him have been answered with an overwhelming Hip Hip Hooray. His quest for excellence and appreciation of Husker history and values is impressive. The guy is a winner for the right reasons and I truly believe better, if not legendary, days lie ahead.
