ADVERTISEMENT

Dana Holgorson

In an alternate reality, Kirk Ferentz is on the phone with Hologorsen, an Iowa native, the minute he's out at Houston. Ferentz gets props for a bold hire to spice up his offense.

In the real world, Ferentz doesn't give Hologorsen a second thought and hires someone like Paul Chryst or Joe Philbin to run the exact same offense Iowa already runs.
 
In an alternate reality, Kirk Ferentz is on the phone with Hologorsen, an Iowa native, the minute he's out at Houston. Ferentz gets props for a bold hire to spice up his offense.

In the real world, Ferentz doesn't give Hologorsen a second thought and hires someone like Paul Chryst or Joe Philbin to run the exact same offense Iowa already runs.
It would make tons more sense and then he could take over as head coach when Ferentz retires. Luckily none of that will
Happen though
 
  • Like
Reactions: headcard
Rhule and Holgorsen would at least have something in common. Both are collecting or trying to collect big paychecks from their previous employer. Holgorsen is due $15 million from Houston. Rhule is still working on getting his money from the Panthers.
 
Rumor is Belichick might be getting fired. You think he’d be up for the full time driver? 🤔🤨
Bill Belichick Yes GIF by New England Patriots
 
Let's just say I know something of this situation.
Maybe you know something, but you aren't making sense. I made a comment about him quitting after being burned out. That was in reference to him leaving Washington due to being burned out. I don't care what you know or don't know about Frost. Kind of a potential issue hiring a burned out guy to work under a HC that wasn't exactly known as a grinder.
 
Maybe you know something, but you aren't making sense. I made a comment about him quitting after being burned out. That was in reference to him leaving Washington due to being burned out. I don't care what you know or don't know about Frost. Kind of a potential issue hiring a burned out guy to work under a HC that wasn't exactly known as a grinder.
OK, OK, it's not life altering. Don't start a tantrum.
 
I'd be shocked by this for a lot of reasons

Why?

Which part? Sharing play calling duties or retaining Satt? The way they worded it on reddit was Holgersen would be QB/CO-OC and Satt as TE/CO-OC.

Seems most likely to me if he's going to be a coach.

Could also be Holgerson just wants a analyst role to recharge for a year, reevaluate what he wants to do for the rest of his career.

You do see this happen. I think maybe with an analyst role, he still gets paid by Houston and the mitigation clause doesn't apply? I could be wrong on that, but I think that's why you see coaches do it. His contract is structured so that he gets paid 100% of his annual salary for 2024 and 2025, but then it drops down to 60% after that. So, of the $15M they owe him in the next 4 years, $9M of that is due in the next two years. Doing this for a year allows him to collect a big chunk of it without doing much while keeping his foot in the door with football. Again, I could be wrong though, I haven't read his contract to see how it's structured. But that's my understanding of why some fired coaches go that route.
 
old news? moved on?

didn't we just go 5-7 while not spending the publicly stated allotment for assistant coaches?
He was talking about the time we hired a financial advisor to coach the offense. It’s been a while. Are you still clinging to that mistake as well?
 
  • Like
Reactions: king_kong_
He was talking about the time we hired a financial advisor to coach the offense. It’s been a while. Are you still clinging to that mistake as well?
Not clinging, just laughing

Partly because we already have two coaches who’ve never run a room before and another being rumored to coach the QBs

Obviously we are all hoping it works out in the form of actual wins and not just more offseason/off field accomplishments

Guess we’ll see in 2026 and beyond. Long time to wait.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ATX Husker
Not clinging, just laughing

Partly because we already have two coaches who’ve never run a room before and another being rumored to coach the QBs

Obviously we are all hoping it works out in the form of actual wins and not just more offseason/off field accomplishments

Guess we’ll see in 2026 and beyond. Long time to wait.
Who is being rumored to coach QBs?
 
Holgersen was 20 games above even at WVU and went bowling every year but one with an average Rivals recruiting ranking of 38. So yes, he's a bit of a drunk and a scamp, but he seems to know how to put an offense together.
 
Holgersen was 20 games above even at WVU and went bowling every year but one with an average Rivals recruiting ranking of 38. So yes, he's a bit of a drunk and a scamp, but he seems to know how to put an offense together.
I could probably look into the mirror and agree 😉
 
My brother and I were referred to as reprobates by a professor's wife back in the day. Later, that word appeared a couple of times on my GRE and of course I thanked her as I now had an idea of what it meant.
eternally doomed? I think the professor might want to reassess what office they hold.
 
I would find out what Holgorsen wants to do and make it work. If he wants to be the OC/QB coach at Nebraska then I think you bring him in and let him cook. Satterfield seems like Rhule's long-term guy, but he has to realize Holgorsen is at another level and he should take the opportunity to learn if he wants to be great someday.

On the other hand, maybe Holgorsen just wants to be an analyst, or a part-time consultant, or even a one-time consultant on some specific issue(s), with an eye towards returning to head coaching sooner rather than later. In that case you take what you can get and you are still better off.
I kinda wonder if Holgorsen wants to reinvent himself with his next coaching gig. Maybe he's looking to change his offensive approach from the Hal Mumme version of the Run & Shoot, to something that incorporates versatility-- like the QB under center, use a fullback, Kyle Shanahan offensive concepts stuff that Rhule has been talking about all along? Maybe Holgorsen has the title of passing game coordinator and QB coach in this scenario?
 
I kinda wonder if Holgorsen wants to reinvent himself with his next coaching gig. Maybe he's looking to change his offensive approach from the Hal Mumme version of the Run & Shoot, to something that incorporates versatility-- like the QB under center, use a fullback, Kyle Shanahan offensive concepts stuff that Rhule has been talking about all along? Maybe Holgorsen has the title of passing game coordinator and QB coach in this scenario?

You think he comes to Nebraska for that? Really?
 
  • Like
Reactions: litespeedhuskerfan
In an alternate reality, Kirk Ferentz is on the phone with Hologorsen, an Iowa native, the minute he's out at Houston. Ferentz gets props for a bold hire to spice up his offense.

In the real world, Ferentz doesn't give Hologorsen a second thought and hires someone like Paul Chryst or Joe Philbin to run the exact same offense Iowa already runs.
Joe Philbin would be a great hire. One of the best offensive line coaches in the business and he had a lot of success in the NFL as an OC. And a former NFL head coach.

In the real world, Joe Philbin would be a better hire than Dana Holgorsen.
 
You think he comes to Nebraska for that? Really?
Maybe. He's getting $4.5 million a year in buyout money over the next four years from what I've read. More coaches go the analyst or TV commentator route when they get fired with guaranteed money due. Take the lower pay and have their former employer foot the difference. In this scenario, Holgorsen takes a cheaper money deal as an assistant on a year to year basis. Work with a very talented QB, develop him into a 1st rounder and parlay that into his next job. But as we all know, most people go the analyst route. And that would be OK too, especially if the new proposal passes that would allow analysts to coach on the field.
 
Maybe. He's getting $4.5 million a year in buyout money over the next four years from what I've read. More coaches go the analyst or TV commentator route when they get fired with guaranteed money due. Take the lower pay and have their former employer foot the difference. In this scenario, Holgorsen takes a cheaper money deal as an assistant on a year to year basis. Work with a very talented QB, develop him into a 1st rounder and parlay that into his next job. But as we all know, most people go the analyst route. And that would be OK too, especially if the new proposal passes that would allow analysts to coach on the field.

If it's learning new concepts to change his offensive approach and reinvent himself that he's after, there are far better places for him to go than Nebraska. Sorry, but we'd be hiring him to gain his offensive knowledge, not the other way around.
 
If it's learning new concepts to change his offensive approach and reinvent himself that he's after, there are far better places for him to go than Nebraska. Sorry, but we'd be hiring him to gain his offensive knowledge, not the other way around.
Rhule is still developing an offensive approach, but we know the general direction it's going. If what Holgersen has to offer (deep experience in passing offenses) can help Rhule get from playbook point A to B, I hope he comes onboard. He has coached a lot of productive QBs and he would be a valuable add based on that alone.
 
Last edited:
Given that Rhule is still developing an offensive approach, but we know the general direction it's going. If what Holgersen has to offer (deep experience in passing offenses) can help Rhule get from playbook point A to B, I hope he comes onboard. He has coached a lot of productive QBs and he would be a valuable add based on that alone.

Yeah, totally agree. I hope we get him in some capacity for sure. I was responding to Dean's post that he may be coming to NU to learn from us. That's not what's happening.
 
If it's learning new concepts to change his offensive approach and reinvent himself that he's after, there are far better places for him to go than Nebraska. Sorry, but we'd be hiring him to gain his offensive knowledge, not the other way around.
I disagree. Sure, Holgorsen would be brought in to improve our offense. But a lot of these great coaches, maybe Dana is one of them, have a learners mindset.

NU wants to run a pro-style offense based on what Shanahan, McVey, LaFleur are running. Last year, they obviously were not able to run it well. But it was not the fault of the offense-- more likely the players and the OC, right? Holgorsen might want to learn more about the offense and integrate those elements into what he does. That's just a possible theory.
 
Holgorsen has far more success than anyone on this staff in the running game. He also has more passing. He could easily step in to help the running game and be a big improvement.



The offense concepts require repetition in practice and muscle memory so I think it would be critical it was a coaching position
 
I disagree. Sure, Holgorsen would be brought in to improve our offense. But a lot of these great coaches, maybe Dana is one of them, have a learners mindset.

NU wants to run a pro-style offense based on what Shanahan, McVey, LaFleur are running. Last year, they obviously were not able to run it well. But it was not the fault of the offense-- more likely the players and the OC, right? Holgorsen might want to learn more about the offense and integrate those elements into what he does. That's just a possible theory.

Well, I'm sorry but it's a horrible theory. I mean, let's just say that's what he's after. Again, why in God's name would he come to Nebraska to learn it? Hell, by your own admission, we're still trying to learn it.
 
I disagree. Sure, Holgorsen would be brought in to improve our offense. But a lot of these great coaches, maybe Dana is one of them, have a learners mindset.

NU wants to run a pro-style offense based on what Shanahan, McVey, LaFleur are running. Last year, they obviously were not able to run it well. But it was not the fault of the offense-- more likely the players and the OC, right? Holgorsen might want to learn more about the offense and integrate those elements into what he does. That's just a possible theory.
We might have the least experienced offensive staff in P5. Nobody is coming here to learn from us.
 
Well, I'm sorry but it's a horrible theory. I mean, let's just say that's what he's after. Again, why in God's name would he come to Nebraska to learn it? Hell, by your own admission, we're still trying to learn it.
Maybe it is a horrible theory. And therefore maybe he doesn't join the staff. But he already has the money coming. He's not coming here unless there's something more in it for him. That was just a theory and yes, it is a bit unbelievable.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Landomatic
I think he'll come because we need him and he needs us...

Both entities need a strong showing and in the case of Nebraska, NU needs to turn things around quickly. Which I would assume is the same for Dana for his career.

Help turn that offensive ship around while tuning up the 2 Elite 11 QBs and DONU is definitely a place he could showcase his abilities....
 
It's very premature to assume anything at this point. There has been other speculation about QB coach names but so far none of them have materialized into reality. This might be the same thing, just an exploration of possibilities. I think the real takeaway is that Rhule clearly is wanting to do things to improve the offense. A new/different QB coach likely is in the future at some point but it may or not be him. We all remember that Rhule struck out on getting the QB coach he wanted with the initial staff. And now he's continued to look around.
 
The first thought that came to mind is Dana could be a quick replacement for Satterfield if the offense starts off slow on offense. And yes Matt has fired his OC mid year before.

Having Dana on staff and Satterfield calling the plays still is like batting Steve Balboni in the 7th game of the World Series in the bottom of the 9th down 2 with bases loaded and 2 outs vs pinch hitting David Ortiz. Just doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Maybe Satterfield will just be Dana’s Surrogate.
Maybe he will just handout towels in equipment issue. Great low impact job for Satterfield.
 
He was the OC/QB coach at Okie State in 2010. The Cowboys scored a lot of points that season and their only two losses were in shootouts to NU and OU. The guy has been operating at a high level in college football offenses for nearly 15 years.
 
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT