I'll start with the fact that I'm not an insider. Due to my work I talk to a lot of people who are connected with connected people. I'm very leery of 3rd hand information, so if I don't hear the same thing from multiple sources, I don't believe it. If I hear 2 things that completely contradict, I don't compromise, I throw the info out. I've been vocal on a lot recently and rubbed a lot the wrong way, but I'll air everything I'm reasonably confident in:
1. Money was a major issue. From the boosters to the regents to the university leadership, if a 20 million dollar write off was going to happen, and hamper the budget for the next 5 years, we were not going to have the money to hire a top staff. It would have been change for the sake of change as we would have had to pay a Riley type salary to a G5 or an assistant. For all the promises of funds to aid in the buyout, there was more money that was threatened to be pulled if Frost was let go. This was a very contentious situation on both sides and financially the option was truly keep Frost, or hire the best coach they could find in the 3 million a year range with an assistant pool that was less than what is out there now. I know some will say this is BS, but I have heard this unanimously from all of my sources. The money wasn't there to make a big time move.
2. Research was conducted on the attractiveness of the position if Scott was let go, and this research wasn't pretty. The last 4 coaches who have come here have basically killed their careers. A lot of small name coaches who would have been in our pool would have rejected without the big contract that we couldn't afford. The book on us is; it is tough to get talent to come here, the fan base is ruthless and impatient, and you have 3 years to get it right or you are out.
3. Coaching changes have been in the works for weeks. OL and QB were done deals weeks ago, and I believe it was communicated weeks ago. RB was hitting a breaking point, and finally hit when Stepp (who had been MIA) was trotted out instead of Yant against OSU... There has been little rhyme or reason to the rotation, and Coach Frost has been baffled at the personnel that has been run out to execute his play calls. OC change caught me completely off guard. I didn't even know that to be on the radar. The WR rotation though has been as bad as the RB rotation, which I'm sure played a part. Frost does not micromanage personnel. He is too busy calling plays. Held and Lubick were cut for personnel groupings and decisions... Held I have on good authority, Lubick I'm assuming.
4. Internet boards affect the team... They see our posts. If they aren't looking at them, they get texts of quotes. We say that they should rise above while most on here can't rise above. Many on here take offense to being called out and we don't even know each other's real names, but we think bashing on 18 year old kids and their teammates should be fine... The fire Frost crowd has been a very large distraction, and has a lot of players pressing as there is a lot of loyalty to coach... If you find a poster who claims everyone hates the staff and is going to transfer because he was retained, then I will guarantee you that that poster has no inside knowledge of what is going on, and frankly is full of crap. There are unhappy players, but the overall culture is behind this staff.
5. Frost wants it more than any of us. He was a brash cocky 20 year old and some who knew him then still hold it against him. He has made tongue in cheek comments about "Hoping that the big 10 has to adjust to us" that some have misquoted and held against him. Everything I have heard though indicates that Frost is still a Wood River Nebraska kid who grew up with coaches for parents and bleeding Red on gamedays. Each loss hurts him as much as it does us... Probably more because he is a part of it.
I could go on, but I'm going to get ripped apart by many anyway. People want to hear what they want to hear in 2021. For those that wanted this read, here you go... For everyone else, this was a report, not an opinion piece, so I don't care if you don't like what I had to say.
Night all...
1. Money was a major issue. From the boosters to the regents to the university leadership, if a 20 million dollar write off was going to happen, and hamper the budget for the next 5 years, we were not going to have the money to hire a top staff. It would have been change for the sake of change as we would have had to pay a Riley type salary to a G5 or an assistant. For all the promises of funds to aid in the buyout, there was more money that was threatened to be pulled if Frost was let go. This was a very contentious situation on both sides and financially the option was truly keep Frost, or hire the best coach they could find in the 3 million a year range with an assistant pool that was less than what is out there now. I know some will say this is BS, but I have heard this unanimously from all of my sources. The money wasn't there to make a big time move.
2. Research was conducted on the attractiveness of the position if Scott was let go, and this research wasn't pretty. The last 4 coaches who have come here have basically killed their careers. A lot of small name coaches who would have been in our pool would have rejected without the big contract that we couldn't afford. The book on us is; it is tough to get talent to come here, the fan base is ruthless and impatient, and you have 3 years to get it right or you are out.
3. Coaching changes have been in the works for weeks. OL and QB were done deals weeks ago, and I believe it was communicated weeks ago. RB was hitting a breaking point, and finally hit when Stepp (who had been MIA) was trotted out instead of Yant against OSU... There has been little rhyme or reason to the rotation, and Coach Frost has been baffled at the personnel that has been run out to execute his play calls. OC change caught me completely off guard. I didn't even know that to be on the radar. The WR rotation though has been as bad as the RB rotation, which I'm sure played a part. Frost does not micromanage personnel. He is too busy calling plays. Held and Lubick were cut for personnel groupings and decisions... Held I have on good authority, Lubick I'm assuming.
4. Internet boards affect the team... They see our posts. If they aren't looking at them, they get texts of quotes. We say that they should rise above while most on here can't rise above. Many on here take offense to being called out and we don't even know each other's real names, but we think bashing on 18 year old kids and their teammates should be fine... The fire Frost crowd has been a very large distraction, and has a lot of players pressing as there is a lot of loyalty to coach... If you find a poster who claims everyone hates the staff and is going to transfer because he was retained, then I will guarantee you that that poster has no inside knowledge of what is going on, and frankly is full of crap. There are unhappy players, but the overall culture is behind this staff.
5. Frost wants it more than any of us. He was a brash cocky 20 year old and some who knew him then still hold it against him. He has made tongue in cheek comments about "Hoping that the big 10 has to adjust to us" that some have misquoted and held against him. Everything I have heard though indicates that Frost is still a Wood River Nebraska kid who grew up with coaches for parents and bleeding Red on gamedays. Each loss hurts him as much as it does us... Probably more because he is a part of it.
I could go on, but I'm going to get ripped apart by many anyway. People want to hear what they want to hear in 2021. For those that wanted this read, here you go... For everyone else, this was a report, not an opinion piece, so I don't care if you don't like what I had to say.
Night all...
