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Coach Question Twist

jflores

Offensive Coordinator
Feb 3, 2004
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Who do you think the finalists will *be*? Not your wishlist, but guys you think run the gauntlet to the end.

Standard fare - Frost, Mullen
"Out there" pick - Frank Wilson UTSA or Moorhead PSU OC
 
I know this board desperately wants a proven HC, but I am a big fan of Moorhead.
 
Art Briles. Proven winner everywhere he has gone. Will make Nebraska a Top 10 program within four years. Knows how to get the best players, and how to push them to win, at places like Houston and Baylor.

Blah blah blah, I know he had some scandals at Baylor. He also had an administration and a fanbase actively supporting that because he was winning. That wouldn't necessary happen at Nebraska.
 
Art Briles. Proven winner everywhere he has gone. Will make Nebraska a Top 10 program within four years. Knows how to get the best players, and how to push them to win, at places like Houston and Baylor.

Blah blah blah, I know he had some scandals at Baylor. He also had an administration and a fanbase actively supporting that because he was winning. That wouldn't necessary happen at Nebraska.

There's no way even an aggressive NU administration even looks up Briles phone number.
 
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I know this board desperately wants a proven HC, but I am a big fan of Moorhead.


Proven head coaches are few and far between. If you look at the list of the Top 30 guys expected to make a move this year, Chip Kelly is really the only one of big boy CFB notoriety.

Most the candidates range from Mullen level success, down to "they are young but expected to do great things with more resources".

A lot of the proven coaches, as least as we'd throw around proven (conference title or better experience) are pretty old (Miles, Johnson, Stoops) etc.
 
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Some other guys I really like that are a little off the radar.

Willie Fitz
Troy Calhoun
Jeff Brohm
 
Art Briles. Proven winner everywhere he has gone. Will make Nebraska a Top 10 program within four years. Knows how to get the best players, and how to push them to win, at places like Houston and Baylor.

Blah blah blah, I know he had some scandals at Baylor. He also had an administration and a fanbase actively supporting that because he was winning. That wouldn't necessary happen at Nebraska.
I think Briles is unhirable. But Petrino on the other hand.....
 
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IF, If the job opens up, and I'll get hell for this, but I'd take a shot at Belima again (because I still believe he was at least targeted by Eichorst in 2013). He has won, and what he does offensively fits what Nebraska needs to do to be successful. And maybe now that he's older, maybe he's grown up a bit?
 
IF, If the job opens up, and I'll get hell for this, but I'd take a shot at Belima again (because I still believe he was at least targeted by Eichorst in 2013). He has won, and what he does offensively fits what Nebraska needs to do to be successful. And maybe now that he's older, maybe he's grown up a bit?

I am there with you. I would take that fat slob I guess. Here is the thing about Belima, had still probably has some recruiting influence in the Big 10 region and also now would have some SEC region reach. Plus we know what he looks like in red, the WKU mascot. Plus he would have a deep desire to stick it to Wisconsin any chance he could get.

If it were me I would make a really hard run at Fitz at Northwestern. Has a track record at a tough place to get high level athletes and also know the Big 10 region and foot print well.
 
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I am there with you. I would take that fat slob I guess. Here is the thing about Belima, had still probably has some recruiting influence in the Big 10 region and also now would have some SEC region reach. Plus we know what he looks like in red, the WKU mascot. Plus he would have a deep desire to stick it to Wisconsin any chance he could get.

If it were me I would make a really hard run at Fitz at Northwestern. Has a track record at a tough place to get high level athletes and also know the Big 10 region and foot print well.

I've always thought Fitz was a great coach, and he gets a LOT done at Northwestern with very little to work with, but he also is a Northwestern grad and is probably their coach until he retires.
 
I've always thought Fitz was a great coach, and he gets a LOT done at Northwestern with very little to work with, but he also is a Northwestern grad and is probably their coach until he retires.

What has he really done at Northwestern? Look at it objectively. I know the admission standards are tough, but they are tough at other schools too.
 
I've always thought Fitz was a great coach, and he gets a LOT done at Northwestern with very little to work with, but he also is a Northwestern grad and is probably their coach until he retires.

Yep! And I can't blame him for that. Maybe they could convince him that if he wants a real shot at a Big 10 title he could get it at Nebraska.
 
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Art Briles. Proven winner everywhere he has gone. Will make Nebraska a Top 10 program within four years. Knows how to get the best players, and how to push them to win, at places like Houston and Baylor.

Blah blah blah, I know he had some scandals at Baylor. He also had an administration and a fanbase actively supporting that because he was winning. That wouldn't necessary happen at Nebraska.
THis may be the dumbest thing I've ever heard. The only place you will ever see this guy again doing anything productive will be hell.
 
What has he really done at Northwestern? Look at it objectively. I know the admission standards are tough, but they are tough at other schools too.

I only mean that he fields a good, well-coached team almost every year with lackluster talent. I don't mean that he ever really gets them ready to contend for a title.
 
I only mean that he fields a good, well-coached team almost every year with lackluster talent. I don't mean that he ever really gets them ready to contend for a title.

My youngest camped at Northwestern, so I got to see that side of him. He is a decent coach, but if you put him at Ohio St, he is more Luke Fickel than Urban Meyer.
 
I know NFL guys are likely out of the question. But...... Would you all be against picking up the phone and calling Sean Payton??
 
This guy has intrigued me too. However, I think he is a bit of a gamble. And we can't afford a gamble this time. My choice? Chip Kelly. Pay him whatever he wants

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This guy has intrigued me too. However, I think he is a bit of a gamble. And we can't afford a gamble this time. My choice? Chip Kelly. Pay him whatever he wants

If Chip Kelly wants to coach college again it will be at UCLA or Florida. He does not like recruiting.

Matt Campbell from Iowa State might be a candidate depending on how the Cyclones do this year. Should have beaten Iowa this year and won 2 of their last 3 last year including a 56-point blowout over Texas Tech. If he can get the Cyclones to a bowl this year he'll be a hot name - that is one of the hardest jobs in all of college football.
 
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This guy has intrigued me too. However, I think he is a bit of a gamble. And we can't afford a gamble this time. My choice? Chip Kelly. Pay him whatever he wants

Yep. I agree that we can't afford gambles anymore. We've already been down that road. We need a slam-dunk hire that will get us winning again, period. If Chip Kelly is the guy, then sure.

There is only one problem there: It's Nebraska, and Kelly doesn't like recruiting. Recruiting is a huuuuuge part of this job, unlike some other coaching jobs where the recruits are just all around and its not as hard to do it. So, he would have to keep a staff of excellent recruiters around him. We do have a few of those here already...
 
A) Mullen, Kelly and Frost.

B) Whittingham and Patterson.

Not interested in Niumatalolo, Fritz or Johnson.
 
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Get good assistants as recruiters. Williams, Williams, Parella and Bray are the ones doing all the recruiting now. Also investing in social media guys is huge. This staff does a good job with it and MR isn't involved very much.
 
Get good assistants as recruiters. Williams, Williams, Parella and Bray are the ones doing all the recruiting now. Also investing in social media guys is huge. This staff does a good job with it and MR isn't involved very much.

That's exactly why, regardless of what happens, I want those four you named (and probably Diaco) to stay.
 
That's exactly why, regardless of what happens, I want those four you named (and probably Diaco) to stay.
Agree 100%. I think an offensive mastermind like Brohm and keeping the D staff could win big right away.
 
Agree 100%. I think an offensive mastermind like Brohm and keeping the D staff could win big right away.

Brohm JUST took the Purdue job. I don't think he's leaving, nor do I think he's a slam-dunk hire. But, I get your point. We really need:

1.) A badass HC.
2.) A tough as nails O-line coach who can recruit and develop.
3.) A smattering of a couple of other position coaches where the needs are.
4.) A really, really awesome OC.

That's it. A HC and like, 1/3 of a coaching staff. Everyone else, and this is absolutely to Riley's credit, seems to be pretty good at their jobs. I really don't want them going anywhere. I think Diaco has tremendous upside, too, he just needs a couple of seasons to get everything functioning.
 
Here's the problem with these keep the defense assistants scenarios. That doesn't happen if you are spending 5-7 million a year on a coach. No big time coach is getting his staff dictated to him. So the only way that happens is if you hire a first time HC or an inexperienced HC who the AD could dictate assistants.
 
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Here's the problem with these keep the defense assistants scenarios. That doesn't happen if you are spending 5-7 million a year on a coach. No big time coach is getting his staff dictated to him. So the only way that happens is if you hire a first time HC or an inexperienced HC who the AD could dictate assistants.
That is absolutely true, but I see those guys as assistants any good coach would want. There arent many DC's more highly regarded than Diaco. Also every knows the Williams recruiting chops, etc
 
So now we like Diaco again? I haven't been all that impressed so far other than the 2nd-half against Oregon when they took their pedal off the gas. We are currently sitting at 92nd in total defense and 114th in passing defense, despite playing two no-name schools at home.
 
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So now we like Diaco again? I haven't been all that impressed so far other than the 2nd-half against Oregon when they took their pedal off the gas. We are currently sitting at 92nd in total defense and 114th in passing defense, despite playing two no-name schools at home.
You feel free to make up your own mind. I think he is a good DC and the Oregon let off the gas narrative is complete BS.
 
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