It’s as baseless as saying the AD is forcing all these changes.
However, I find it more practical that Rhule is doing an autopsy of the offense and saying OC, WR coach isn’t good enough and bringing in a new OC and letting him choose his key staff members and trusting him to get it done.
This narrative that Rhule doesn’t know how to run a program is baseless as well. You don’t get to that level without being an extreme competitor. I think Rhule is capable and doing all of this on his very own … like a big boy.
In the long run, this portal action and having to get down to 105 may be, probably will be, the best thing that has happened to Matt in his career.
On the surface, the defense is being ripped apart and we have another 40+ players to go. Matt is a teddy bear who is having his very soft veneer, and his "love" for these departures hardened in ways that will be good for him.
Going forward it will be the onus on winning NOW, not waiting to develop kids that he genuinely likes moving on after all the work, the staff, the time, the money and the investment Matt and NU put into these kids.
" For what?" To try to develop them here only to have them take that investment to a new location.
Cut throat coaches have assistants and players come and go and it bothers them very little because they are in the business for themselves only. Matt is more of a soft touch.
It took TO 20 years to develop into the type of coach like Switzer, Bowden, McCartney, Danny Ford, Jackie Sherrill, Galen Hall, etc, and other coaches till he finally realized that you can't just keep getting beat by the thugs from Miami (Fla), FSU, and OU. It took McCartney in Colorado, who on the surface was religious, less than a few years to arm that squad with lots of uninspiring citizens who were tremendous talents on the field.
The harder Matt's demeanor becomes, the more successful he might become. We tried a couple like Gilbert and Mazz, but they didn't have what it takes. This year he got a dose of dealing with Mazzucua, and he didn't like it.
We can't have all upstanding citizens and choir boys as the main cogs of the system. Well, we can, but we'll also continue to get our asses kicked.
Matt has to understand that there are rare ones like Dylan who will probably be here for 3 years, but the majority of the others will not show the same loyalty to him as he shows to them. It just is what it is. Money, money, money.