No time to panic

[Pennsyhusker]

The first half yesterday was awful to watch. But even more awful was tracking this board and seeing all the calls for Riley to be fired.

We lost to a good team on the road by 7 points. The Big Ten West is wide open and if our defense can start to gel and gain experience we will be in the thick of it. We have a good recruiting class going and a solid coaching staff.

This is no time to panic and certainly it is not time to fire our coach. Riley has made mistakes. Primarily in his initial staff hirings on defense. How many different coaches have we now had for the secondary? It shows.

Stability is what is now needed. Not drama and turmoil.

 

[romaman]

The first half yesterday was awful to watch. But even more awful was tracking this board and seeing all the calls for Riley to be fired.

We lost to a good team on the road by 7 points. The Big Ten West is wide open and if our defense can start to gel and gain experience we will be in the thick of it. We have a good recruiting class going and a solid coaching staff.

This is no time to panic and certainly it is not time to fire our coach. Riley has made mistakes. Primarily in his initial staff hirings on defense. How many different coaches have we now had for the secondary? It shows.

Stability is what is now needed. Not drama and turmoil.

I hope you are correct in your assessment, I do believe that the Ducks let off the gas yesterday. Which lead to our comeback and almost winning the game, however that first half was awful to be nice about it. I can see why some fans want Riley and the staff gone, but it will not happen unless the season just completely tanks. I will stay positive and hope that this staff gets it figured before the tough part of schedule rolls around, if not expect another 70-7 loss to the likes of Ohio State and Wisconsin.

 

[scarletred]

I'm behind Riley, getting ready to leave Eugene this morning but I still am not sure Riley is going to lead us to a conference Championship from talking to some Duck fans last night.

Of Riley was 1-6 against Oregon when they have had their best run the last decade in their school history.

Riley loves to pass and gives up on the running game at times, or maybe that is just Langs.

Need to beat Wisconsin, Iowa and NW for us to have a successful season.

 

[hddude55]

The first half yesterday was awful to watch. But even more awful was tracking this board and seeing all the calls for Riley to be fired.

We lost to a good team on the road by 7 points...

You could be right, but not so fast. After last year's game we congratulated ourselves on beating a very good Oregon team, albeit with a huge assist from their coach's boneheaded decisions. Yesterday, we had a great comeback against an Oregon team with many of the same players but a different coach. Only their coach knows why they stopped attacking with their passing game. And only time will tell if they are still a 4-8 team. Their defense looks very vulnerable, just as they were last year. Unfortunately our new qb was throwing high most of the day and forcing passes. He played well for about two quarters but the last quarter and a half was dreadful aganst a defense that will likely get torched by some very good PAC teams.

 

[onechase]

I like MR. I think he is a nice guy. I am not sure he should be the Football Coach at Nebraska based off of his past coaching history.

 

[TFrazier]

I'm behind Riley, getting ready to leave Eugene this morning but I still am not sure Riley is going to lead us to a conference Championship from talking to some Duck fans last night.

Of Riley was 1-6 against Oregon when they have had their best run the last decade in their school history.

Riley loves to pass and gives up on the running game at times, or maybe that is just Langs.

Need to beat Wisconsin, Iowa and NW for us to have a successful season.

Last time I checked...Riley is the head coach for Nebraska so it would seem "both" coaches would rather pass and forget the running game in certain games regardless what they tell the Nebraska media.

 

[suhnami]

Oregon is not "a good team"

 

[Frozone]

The first half yesterday was awful to watch. But even more awful was tracking this board and seeing all the calls for Riley to be fired.

We lost to a good team on the road by 7 points. The Big Ten West is wide open and if our defense can start to gel and gain experience we will be in the thick of it. We have a good recruiting class going and a solid coaching staff.

This is no time to panic and certainly it is not time to fire our coach. Riley has made mistakes. Primarily in his initial staff hirings on defense. How many different coaches have we now had for the secondary? It shows.

Stability is what is now needed. Not drama and turmoil.

This is pretty much where I am. Love HCMR and really want to see him succeed here, but figured we'd be 1-1 at this point and knew that this was going to be a rebuilding year. Diaco's first season at Notre Dame had some ugly moments, too. Improvement in Big Ten season is what I want to see, and even in a rebuild year, making a run at the Division Title still isn't out of the question--nothing that happened yesterday changed that. Wisco is probably the best of the bunch, and we match up fairly well if we continue to stop the run (and we get them at home).

 

[RedSea]

It might not have been a "rebuilding year" if Riley had made good decisions when he took on this "one more shot" at coaching. He's in his third rebuilding year. And I think the verdict is still out on whether even now we actually have a "solid coaching staff." We still don't know whether this new defense (which we are told can't really be ready to go this year) will improve a lot or not. I'm not for firing Riley now, but if we aren't at least second in the Weak West this year, I think it will be time to ask whether he's had his shot.

 

[jlb321]

my own personal opinion is that at the time of the hire a reasonable expectation by the end of year 3 would be the following

1. Improved representation of the program by the head coach
2. Similar win-loss record to the staff that was replaced
3. Improved on field competitiveness with elite teams
4 Improved recruiting

With a jump by year 5 to fielding teams that are superior to the teams that were fielded by the staff you were hired to replace.

A lot of football left in year 3 - so all of those goals are achievable.
#1 is a slam dunk yes
#2-4 seem to be an incomplete and if I had to guess we might come up short. One can argue recruiting but we still haven't SIGNED a class that is clearly better than the prior staffs classes - but things seem to be encouraging.

If I had to guess - due to some mistakes that were made with initial hires etc, the above goals are likely going to need to be pushed back and reassessed in years 4-5.

But as I said these modest goals are still in play for this year so who knows.


My hope was that by year 3 it would be clear that the Riley was a good hire. At present, I think it is an incomplete. I cannot say at this time whether it was a good or bad hire - just that the jury remains out.

 

[B1G RED RULES]

The first half yesterday was awful to watch. But even more awful was tracking this board and seeing all the calls for Riley to be fired.

We lost to a good team on the road by 7 points. The Big Ten West is wide open and if our defense can start to gel and gain experience we will be in the thick of it. We have a good recruiting class going and a solid coaching staff.

This is no time to panic and certainly it is not time to fire our coach. Riley has made mistakes. Primarily in his initial staff hirings on defense. How many different coaches have we now had for the secondary? It shows.

Stability is what is now needed. Not drama and turmoil.

Sorry - bought into this "rah rah" speech for the last 14 years. We see these posts annually when the whole organization unltimately disappoints. I'll take passionate fans versus folks settling.

I do agree firing is crazy because Nebraska has not shown even a hint of ability that they can hire a coach that can sniff a championship. Time for Nebraska to have a season of significance, until then they deserve the lack of respect they have here. If you haven't noticed, the national respect left long ago.

 

[HuskerO]

Oregon is not "a good team"

Not yet determined.

 

[dinglefritz]

Not yet determined.

IF I were a betting man I would bet that they will post a significantly better record than last year. Leavitt is a very good DC.

 

[HuskerO]

IF I were a betting man I would bet that they will post a significantly better record than last year. Leavitt is a very good DC.

Yup. Their remaining schedule; Wyoming, ASU, Cal, Wash St, Stanford, Utah, UCLA, Washington, Zona and Oregon St.

Every game winnable except maybe Washington.

 

[SnohomishRed]

The first half yesterday was awful to watch. But even more awful was tracking this board and seeing all the calls for Riley to be fired.

We lost to a good team on the road by 7 points. The Big Ten West is wide open and if our defense can start to gel and gain experience we will be in the thick of it. We have a good recruiting class going and a solid coaching staff.

This is no time to panic and certainly it is not time to fire our coach. Riley has made mistakes. Primarily in his initial staff hirings on defense. How many different coaches have we now had for the secondary? It shows.

Stability is what is now needed. Not drama and turmoil.

Our defense after two games is ranked 122 out of 129 teams in total defense and 118 in scoring defense - its time to panic. But these are our coaches for the next couple of years good or bad so calling for firings is pointless

 

[Pennsyhusker]

Our defense after two games is ranked 122 out of 129 teams in total defense and 118 in scoring defense - its time to panic. But these are our coaches for the next couple of years good or bad so calling for firings is pointless

In some ways I don't disagree with this. Look, the deal is this: our program right now is a cluster****ed mess and everyone knows it. Our talent is way down, recruiting is lagging again after a fast start, it took Riley two years to figure out who his coaches should be, our new defensive coordinator speaks like Moon Unit Zappa, our defense so far makes Cosgrove look like Monte Kiffin, our hot shot savior QB looks like the kind of athlete Tulane recruits, our AD is a clueless zit, and our national reputation is right up there with Purdue and Syracuse.

But who on here thinks if we fire Riley that the next AD would hire "the guy" who would be that splash hire who could turn things around quickly? Not even the almighty Osborne hired the right people. Solich? What a joke. Pelini? Bigger joke. Nope... another coaching change with another mediocre hire and this program may never recover.

I honestly think we need to give Riley more time. I too doubt he is the guy, but I also doubt my own abilities as a prognosticator of football fortunes. I just don't think it is time to burn it all down and start again

 

[dinglefritz]

Our defense after two games is ranked 122 out of 129 teams in total defense and 118 in scoring defense - its time to panic. But these are our coaches for the next couple of years good or bad so calling for firings is pointless

Anybody that thought that our defense was going to magically be transformed this early in the season was delusional. I liked what I saw in the 2nd half in Eugene and it wasn't all because Oregon maybe got a little more conservative in their play calls. We've got a lot of youth on defense and the learning curve is probably going to be steep.

 

[Rocky Mtn Husker]

I'm behind Riley, getting ready to leave Eugene this morning but I still am not sure Riley is going to lead us to a conference Championship from talking to some Duck fans last night.

Of Riley was 1-6 against Oregon when they have had their best run the last decade in their school history.

Riley loves to pass and gives up on the running game at times, or maybe that is just Langs.

Need to beat Wisconsin, Iowa and NW for us to have a successful season.

Shocking news. OK I'm being facetious. I have to admit, I started to drink some of the "just wait 'till Riley gets OUR facilities" koolaid. And I'm not even calling for Riley to be fired--I actually like him and think he stays as long as he can keep the stadium filled. But to expect an extreme makeover based on his track record? I think that's just wishful thinking.

 

[SnohomishRed]

Anybody that thought that our defense was going to magically be transformed this early in the season was delusional. I liked what I saw in the 2nd half in Eugene and it wasn't all because Oregon maybe got a little more conservative in their play calls. We've got a lot of youth on defense and the learning curve is probably going to be steep.

122nd out of 129 teams is not some learning glitch, it is still possible for a turn around but this so far is a disaster

 

[Tuco Salamanca]

As has been said before......
Jump!!!

 

[SnohomishRed]

In some ways I don't disagree with this. Look, the deal is this: our program right now is a cluster****ed mess and everyone knows it. Our talent is way down, recruiting is lagging again after a fast start, it took Riley two years to figure out who his coaches should be, our new defensive coordinator speaks like Moon Unit Zappa, our defense so far makes Cosgrove look like Monte Kiffin, our hot shot savior QB looks like the kind of athlete Tulane recruits, our AD is a clueless zit, and our national reputation is right up there with Purdue and Syracuse.

But who on here thinks if we fire Riley that the next AD would hire "the guy" who would be that splash hire who could turn things around quickly? Not even the almighty Osborne hired the right people. Solich? What a joke. Pelini? Bigger joke. Nope... another coaching change with another mediocre hire and this program may never recover.

I honestly think we need to give Riley more time. I too doubt he is the guy, but I also doubt my own abilities as a prognosticator of football fortunes. I just don't think it is time to burn it all down and start again

All teams keep trying to find the winning coach NU will be no different. I think for us however the bar just keeps getting lower as of right now 9 wins is looking like a nice season. If Riley can keep the program with winning records he stays for for awhile

Now as far as AD - TO did not make great hires but his two coaches did at least keep it respectable for the most part . The AD's hired by Perlman, Peterson and Eichorst so far have not made good hires. I really think our AD's and in the past Perlman with all the in fighting and poor management skills are the main causes for our problems

I have said this before and will say it again - a complete blowup and meltdown may be in our best interest right now. If the fan base and booster have the expectation lowered to a winning record more up and coming new coaches may look at us as an opportunity rather than as a place where you get fired for winning 9 games a year

 

[SnohomishRed]

As has been said before......
Jump!!!

you first

 

[Pennsyhusker]

In some ways I don't disagree with this. Look, the deal is this: our program right now is a cluster****ed mess and everyone knows it. Our talent is way down, recruiting is lagging again after a fast start, it took Riley two years to figure out who his coaches should be, our new defensive coordinator speaks like Moon Unit Zappa, our defense so far makes Cosgrove look like Monte Kiffin, our hot shot savior QB looks like the kind of athlete Tulane recruits, our AD is a clueless zit, and our national reputation is right up there with Purdue and Syracuse.

But who on here thinks if we fire Riley that the next AD would hire "the guy" who would be that splash hire who could turn things around quickly? Not even the almighty Osborne hired the right people. Solich? What a joke. Pelini? Bigger joke. Nope... another coaching change with another mediocre hire and this program may never recover.

I honestly think we need to give Riley more time. I too doubt he is the guy, but I also doubt my own abilities as a prognosticator of football fortunes. I just don't think it is time to burn it all down and start again

I will amend my own statement here and elaborate further. I am not exaggerating when I posted that this program is nowhere near where we want it to be right now. No sugar coating... we are a mid tier team and program right now.

And yet I am a Mike Riley supporter. Why? A lot of people on here are disgruntled and point to other programs that were dumpster fires that a new coach turned around quickly: Penn State, Washington, USC, and so on. The difference between us and some of those programs is very important. They are in recruiting hot beds and we are not. When James Franklin was hired he had tons of 4 star players within 500 miles who he could sell immediate playing time to. The result was two straight fantastic recruiting classes.

Nebraska has no such advantage. Osborne understood this well which is why he:
1. Developed the walk on program
2. Developed strength and conditioning
3. Developed a clear "system"
4. Emphasized coaching staff continuity

But notice how all of that takes time. The name of the game at Nebraska has to be "development".
When Riley took over he did not inherit a talented roster like Stoops did at OU. And he found a recruiting culture and B1G footprint that Pelini had created that were mediocre.

So despite my misgivings about Riley, and my annoyance at how long it took him to fire some people, there is just no way I can support getting rid of him unless this season is a total meltdown. At a place like a Nebraska you have to build a program, a system, a culture. Pelini had to be fired because he had 7 years to do that and failed. Riley needs to be allowed a few more 9-4 seasons before we pull the rug out. We need to let him build his culture.

Of course, if we lose a ton of games this year and things get ugly, then who knows. But I don't see that happening.

Patience grasshoppers

 

[dinglefritz]

Everybody has strength and conditioning programs now. Just about everybody has good if not great facilities. Everybody is playing on a much more level scholarship field than they were when NU built it's program under Devaney and Osborne. IMO, we've got a staff in place that kids with NFL aspirations want to play for. That is our hook right now to get difference makers and their parents to look at Lincoln. At some point the stars will align and it will click IMO. The last thing we need to do now is start over. As Tom said after Frank got fired. Paraphrased but pretty darned close: "there were some concerns but I thought we could have fixed it with some changes without changing coaches." We've made some changes. Time to give it some time to work. I still excited about the future. LOTS of really good young players playing now. Sophomores and a few true freshmen playing all over the place. I posted it earlier this year, I think we're still a year away from being a really good team. I still believe that regardless of what our record is this year. Heck I think we would have been a really good team last year without the key injuries we suffered. We just didn't have the depth last year to overcome those especially at QB.

 

[ThereIsNoPlace]

I will amend my own statement here and elaborate further. I am not exaggerating when I posted that this program is nowhere near where we want it to be right now. No sugar coating... we are a mid tier team and program right now.

And yet I am a Mike Riley supporter. Why? A lot of people on here are disgruntled and point to other programs that were dumpster fires that a new coach turned around quickly: Penn State, Washington, USC, and so on. The difference between us and some of those programs is very important. They are in recruiting hot beds and we are not. When James Franklin was hired he had tons of 4 star players within 500 miles who he could sell immediate playing time to. The result was two straight fantastic recruiting classes.

Nebraska has no such advantage. Osborne understood this well which is why he:
1. Developed the walk on program
2. Developed strength and conditioning
3. Developed a clear "system"
4. Emphasized coaching staff continuity

But notice how all of that takes time. The name of the game at Nebraska has to be "development".
When Riley took over he did not inherit a talented roster like Stoops did at OU. And he found a recruiting culture and B1G footprint that Pelini had created that were mediocre.

So despite my misgivings about Riley, and my annoyance at how long it took him to fire some people, there is just no way I can support getting rid of him unless this season is a total meltdown. At a place like a Nebraska you have to build a program, a system, a culture. Pelini had to be fired because he had 7 years to do that and failed. Riley needs to be allowed a few more 9-4 seasons before we pull the rug out. We need to let him build his culture.

Of course, if we lose a ton of games this year and things get ugly, then who knows. But I don't see that happening.

Patience grasshoppers

Patience with a 64 yr old / career .500 coach. Sure buddy.

 

[Tuco Salamanca]

you first

I just jumped and landed on my feet because I ain't on the ledge like you.

 

[dinglefritz]

Patience with a 64 yr old / career .500 coach. Sure buddy.

How old was Frank?

 

[Truehuskerfan]

Here's a novel idea. How about we wait until the end of the season to judge how good of a job Riley is doing. I never will understand the impulse by so many people to jump the gun and make essentially final assessments when there is still a lot of season left to play.

 

[dinglefritz]

Here's a novel idea. How about we wait until the end of the season to judge how good of a job Riley is doing. I never will understand the impulse by so many people to jump the gun and make essentially final assessments when there is still a lot of season left to play.

post of the year.

 

[StrongArm517]

Oregon is not "a good team"

You don't know that yet. On offense they look damn good with a QB who can definitely sling it. Their D's a work in progress like ours. Time will tell.

 

[dinglefritz]

You don't know that yet. On offense they look damn good with a QB who can definitely sling it. Their D's a work in progress like ours. Time will tell.

Oregon's fans compare their QB favorably to Mariota. Not as fast but not a plodder either. The kid's gonna win a lot of games for them.

 

[nebcountry]

No reason for me to panic. Riley and Co need to win 7 games. I support the program, not the coaches. It's in our best interest, the program's best interest, for Riley to keep his job (imo). I want NU to win, and it hurts when we lose. The sad part is it hurts me a lot less than it used to.

I'm not the type of guy, I hope, that wants to "rub it in". Especially if it's after a Husker loss. But I can understand why some others are doing exactly that. We can't talk about the coaching staff unless we frame it in the most positive light, or be prepared to be treated poorly (understatement). I get the enthusiasm, but can we turn that into civil conversation rather then mudslinging. Some of the recent posts are purely backlash, not imo hoping for failure.

There's been quite a few topics that have been discussed here and elsewhere, that pointed to potential problems for this year and during Riley's tenure.