Ekeler and DL coach Terry Bradden PC 3-4-25

[Dean Pope]

That, or his ability to get the talent to come and work for him, or something else. But, he’s jettisoned some of the problems and that’s a good sign.

It's all about availability. Sometimes the guys you want to bring in are not available, don't want to leave their current job at the moment or just prefer other opportunities.

Take the NFL for instance. The hottest coaching name is Lions OC Ben Johnson. If teams want him, they have to hire him as a head coach. Johnson will need to prove he can take on head coaching duties as well as still run an offense. But who is he going to bring with him? Detroit was on the verge of winning a championship, but now injuries have taken a toll. What coaches will leave that situation to join him in New York, Chicago or Jacksonville? He'll probably have to take some assistant position coaches with him to start with. But as a certain expert on this board will tell you, assistant position coaches in the NFL are not qualified to run a college room let alone the NFL.

 

[Dean Pope]

Foley was brought in by Rhule as during his stints at Temple and Baylor, Foley's STs were Top 25 and at Carolina 2020 STs finished 15th, 28th in 2021 and 4th in 2022. That's why he brought him here. With Foley's record of coaching STs in his career show's the problem here was more than the coaching as over half the problem were the players.

By reputation, Foley was a good special teams coach before he got here. I remember hearing that he was a great hire. I think that's why Rhule gave him as much time as he did. It's also why I feel Nebraska's special teams problems are more systemic than a coaching issue. Their entire approach to all things special teams needs to be looked at.

 

[Dean Pope]

Glad Rhule didn't try and bring him back. Know that's a friend but like I said earlier in the year there was no way you could bring him back AND convince fans you are serious about being a winning program.

It's one of the realities of coaching. Good coaches get fired. I think Foley is actually a good football coach. He's very popular and widely respected in the profession. But the results speak for themselves. It was time for a change.

 

[HBK4life]

It's one of the realities of coaching. Good coaches get fired. I think Foley is actually a good football coach. He's very popular and widely respected in the profession. But the results speak for themselves. It was time for a change.

He sounds like a good guy, but N the end this is a results driven business. And he wasn't getting results. Our ST were a disaster.

 

[Bugeater]

Good luck to Coach Foley, it didn't work out but hopefully he gets another shot and does well.

 

[HBK4life]

Will wants Ekeler back.

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I wonder where Sipp got Ekeler's name from?

 

[HBK4life]

 

[Big bo fan]

By reputation, Foley was a good special teams coach before he got here. I remember hearing that he was a great hire. I think that's why Rhule gave him as much time as he did. It's also why I feel Nebraska's special teams problems are more systemic than a coaching issue. Their entire approach to all things special teams needs to be looked at.

Yep and that’s why Rhule said a complete overhaul on special teams is needed. He wasn’t just talking about replacing foley with that statement.

 

[Huskers123456]

Obviously we have to get special teams right, first and foremost, but it would be nice if we could add another recruiter at the same time. Ekeler used to be a good recruiter, I assume being at Tennessee he is.

 

[Pennsyhusker]

Good coach, bad coach, it does not matter. Our special teams have been awful and Rhule needed a fall guy. Now he has a chance to hit the reset button and do things differently. Obviously, in addition to a new coach, Rhule himself needs to change the practice routine and make sure there is a greater focus on ST in practice. He also needs to make sure we have better players such as the long snapper.

 

[PeliniTheCrutch]

How was Foley during other stints with Ruhle? It's obvious he stunk up the place here but he couldn't have been as bad everywhere else as he was here right??

If so lord hammercy wtf was he doing in Lincoln to begin with?


Holla

Post #51

 

[HuskerAlum92]

Post #51

There is no post #51. Which is the point apparently.

 

[PeliniTheCrutch]

There is no post #51. Which is the point apparently.

HA!

You must have Skulz on ignore!

 

[HBK4life]

Obviously we have to get special teams right, first and foremost, but it would be nice if we could add another recruiter at the same time. Ekeler used to be a good recruiter, I assume being at Tennessee he is.

 

[ZaneHickey]

Foley was brought in by Rhule as during his stints at Temple and Baylor, Foley's STs were Top 25 and at Carolina 2020 STs finished 15th, 28th in 2021 and 4th in 2022. That's why he brought him here. With Foley's record of coaching STs in his career show's the problem here was more than the coaching as over half the problem were the players.

Good reminder. Our special teams play was bad. I don’t know the specifics as to why/how Coach Foley was coaching the wrong things, the wrong way. Sometimes players just aren’t great, also…and coupled with a lack of depth…😬

I am just glad Cam J found a coach in the pros to tell him to snap the ball right. That has made all the difference. Now, he is a good football player! 😉

 

[kakdawg]

It's one of the realities of coaching. Good coaches get fired. I think Foley is actually a good football coach. He's very popular and widely respected in the profession. But the results speak for themselves. It was time for a change.

I wish I could say he was a good coach. I don't know enough of his history. So for me I have to judge him based on what I seen here. That said I'd be lying if I told you I think he's a coach. Maybe there was a time when he WAS but I wasn't there and didn't see it.

Reminds me of Scott Frost and his term here. He may go back to UCF and light it up again. But when he was here he absolutely was NOT a good coach . So I can only base them off of what I saw here when I literally was paying close attention. I'm sure folks at UCF would probably tell you Frost was a good coach also. So I guess it's perspective.

Circumstances matter so I won't leave that out but at some point we have to use the record as somewhat of a guide. Or in case of Foley the results. Good man? I'm sure. Likeable? Absolutely. Probably great to be around as well but that's best I can say for him based on what I've watched in his time at Nebraska.



Holla

 

[HuskerAlum92]

HA!

You must have Skulz on ignore!

I do. It’s funny scrolling through threads and seeing multiple posters calling him names, but without the crap that prompted those responses.

 

[kakdawg]

I do. It’s funny scrolling through threads and seeing multiple posters calling him names, but without the crap that prompted those responses.

I gotta couple blocked as well and it is funny.


Holla

 

[WHCSC]

I wonder where Sipp got Ekeler's name from?

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He reads this board for his insider info

 

[HBK4life]

He reads this board for his insider info

He's been riding Sean's coattails for years. Sipp about as insider as skull and bonerz.😂

 

[headcard]

He took entirely too long for this. There was no reason to not do it during one of the bye weeks or even the offseason. Some people knew immediately this was a bad hire, why did it take so long for Rhule to figure it out?

That is some serious revisionist history. Foley had a good track record as a ST Coach and I don’t recall anyone questioning his hiring at the time.

His Special Teams sucked here and he needs to be gone, but the I told you so on this one is kind of comical.

 

[scarletred]

That is some serious revisionist history. Foley had a good track record as a ST Coach and I don’t recall anyone questioning his hiring at the time.

His Special Teams sucked here and he needs to be gone, but the I told you so on this one is kind of comical.

Well hell we didn’t question SF staff when he arrived but I’m sure there were quite a few of us had our reservations over some of the assistants..

 

[HBK4life]

 

[SkulzNBonz]

He's been riding Sean's coattails for years. Sipp about as insider as skull and bonerz.😂

I never once claimed to be an insider you pvssy ass little cvnt and I don't even need to know you to say this! You prove it every day of youir life! What a little bitch! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

[HBK4life]

I never once claimed to be an insider you pvssy ass little cvnt and I don't even need to know you to say this! You prove it every day of youir life! What a little bitch! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

#triggered

 

[huskerfan66]

Hmmm will Compton asking for help contacting the athletic department??

 

[TFrazier]

Hmmm will Compton asking for help contacting the athletic department??

He should just film a pregame hype video with Mike Ekeler as the topic and tweet it at the football program.

 

[dinglefritz]

It's one of the realities of coaching. Good coaches get fired. I think Foley is actually a good football coach. He's very popular and widely respected in the profession. But the results speak for themselves. It was time for a change.

There’s a huge difference between coaching college kids who have never played in the kind of pressure that comes with 92,000 rabid fans versus NFL players who have pretty much seen it all and have played at a high level for years. It’s possible Foley was a great pro coach who wasnt great at teaching college players.

I’ll also say that the majority of special teams gaffes were obvious individual mistakes. I think all of the blocked extra points and field goals were poor snaps including the one in the bowl game. Yeah the ball hit the holder in the hands but the snap was too low. Ultimately Foley paid the price for his unit’s under performance. That’s the way the cookie crumbles

 

[Huskers123456]

Hmmm will Compton asking for help contacting the athletic department??

He's trying to strong arm Rhule. Makes me almost hope Ekeler doesn't get an interview. Compton could do all this behind the scenes without being an attention whore.

 

[V-Doub]

There’s a huge difference between coaching college kids who have never played in the kind of pressure that comes with 92,000 rabid fans versus NFL players who have pretty much seen it all and have played at a high level for years. It’s possible Foley was a great pro coach who wasnt great at teaching college players.

I’ll also say that the majority of special teams gaffes were obvious individual mistakes. I think all of the blocked extra points and field goals were poor snaps including the one in the bowl game. Yeah the ball hit the holder in the hands but the snap was too low. Ultimately Foley paid the price for his unit’s under performance. That’s the way the cookie crumbles

Some really good NFL coaches are masters at the Xs and 0s of… offense, defense or special teams but they aren’t great teachers or motivators. As you said, you have a team full of pros, veteran professionals. Oftentimes they just need to be “coordinated” and don’t to be mentored, developed and motivated.

Don’t know if that has anything to do with Foley’s follies as our ST coach? Do I know it’s a common criticism/observation when coaches move from the NFL to college.

 

[WHCSC]

Was it Eckler that got the tattoo just to get a recruit?

 

[huskerfan66]

Was it Eckler that got the tattoo just to get a recruit?

I thought so

 

[TFrazier]

Was it Eckler that got the tattoo just to get a recruit?

Yes a tattoo to get Will Compton.

Mike Ekeler, newest Tennessee football assistant, once got tattoo to help win a recruiting battle

Mike Ekeler once offered space on his biceps to help win a pledge from a recruit. Ekeler, 49, is set to join Tennessee's staff as its 10th assistant.

www.knoxnews.com

 

[headcard]

Well hell we didn’t question SF staff when he arrived but I’m sure there were quite a few of us had our reservations over some of the assistants..

Sure, but this whole I knew Foley sucked from the start bit is a joke. That poster didn’t question the hire at that time, Foley had a good track record and there really wasn’t much of a reason to doubt that hire. It’s wasn’t like McGuire, or Fisher, or Rudd, or one of those out of left field WTH hires.

Speaking of Fost staff, DeWitt was axed here for his bad Special Teams, and was good both before and after Nebraska. Same with Ross Els on Pelini’s staff. Special Teams seems like a real wild card, hope we can hire a great one this time.

 

[Huskers123456]

Was it Eckler that got the tattoo just to get a recruit?

Fake tattoo. For Compton. And he bit. Kind of cringe on both their parts.

 

[huntered]

He's trying to strong arm Rhule. Makes me almost hope Ekeler doesn't get an interview. Compton could do all this behind the scenes without being an attention whore.

isn't that his business?

 

[RBigredMax]

I wonder where Sipp got Ekeler's name from?

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I like listening to Sip on their podcast - but he’s kind of like that one guy in meetings who doesn’t really offer up original thoughts and parrots what ever Robin and Sean say. Then he repeats it and adds a little commentary which is made up fluff. He’s an expert at it.

 

[Vanhusker]

isn't that his business?

It is his business and I believe Rhule absolutely could already be working on the hire. In that case, if he does hire Eckler it would be said that Compton influenced it. Probably doesn't matter in the end but with Compton's access I think he should have done it on the down low.

 

[kakdawg]

That is some serious revisionist history. Foley had a good track record as a ST Coach and I don’t recall anyone questioning his hiring at the time.

His Special Teams sucked here and he needs to be gone, but the I told you so on this one is kind of comical.

Yeah I didn't know anything about Foley previously. I never questioned his hire. Didn't really have a reason to. After going back and looking he was a pretty good ST coach before he got to Nebraska. He was bad here and there is really no way to spin it otherwise.

But to act like he was a questionable hire is probably misleading. I had a couple hires I questioned and one I hated and KNEW it was an accident waiting to happen. That was Satterfield of course. Even tried against my best judgement to to see the good and repeatedly give him the benefit of the doubt but in the end he was who I thought he was.


Holla

 

[Zeke2005]

It is his business and I believe Rhule absolutely could already be working on the hire. In that case, if he does hire Eckler it would be said that Compton influenced it. Probably doesn't matter in the end but with Compton's access I think he should have done it on the down low.

Is will Compton a consultant to Matt Rhule or something? I thought he is just a blowhard Husker hype guy