Let me just say this, Eichorst dug his own metaphorical grave and anyone with half decent foresight could have seen what happened to him coming. The timing, however, was disappointing in my opinion.
THAT BEING SAID...
Within minutes, this board was flooded with "Riley needs to go next" and "Hypothetical next coach is..." threads.
While I get that media outlets would capitalize on the narrative and offer their own lists to sell views and such, we as fans should recognize the necessity to keep Riley AT LEAST through the end of the season and preferably through the next. Many of you have said this but there are many, many more who do not see the path forward. My case for this rests on two points of view - the history, and the future.
History
Since TO retired, we have unexpectedly become a revolving door for head coaches and each successive firing has further tarnished our reputation in the eyes of the media, potential future hires, and and recruits alike. In 2003, we wrote the first lines of the narrative. Nebraska has unrealistic expectations, Nebraska is a fish bowl, Winning seasons won't ensure your security at Nebraska, etc. Our much hated former AD made a hire at the time that clashed with our culture and was ultimately wildly unsuccessful, but multiple hot names at the time turned us down for exactly those reasons. In 2007, we fired another coach. He probably did deserve to go, but in doing so, we sacrificed almost in its entirety what would have been arguably the greatest recruiting class in Nebraska history and in the process set our program back to "square one rebuilding" stage. In 2014, we fired the new coach as well. While it could be said again that the coach deserved to go, we strengthened the narrative about winning not being enough to succeed here. Due to off-the-field failures, Lord Boldemort left the cupboard bare of talent and our current coach came inherited a brainwashed locker room. Firing that coach while he is still in the rebuilding process and after less than three full years would further drag the prestige of our head coaching position through the dirt. We would hire a coach. Someone would take the job. But is there anyone that we would actually want who would come in here knowing that we expect 9 wins a year, strong recruiting classes, poise in front of the media, a healthy locker room, and if you can't do that in three years or less you're out?
Future
What would have happened if we had managed to keep the 2007 class in tact and forced a new DC hire? We'll never know. More importantly, our current HC has demonstrated the willingness to fire assistants, even long time friends, to improve our team. Our weakest link is only a position coach this time and I have no doubt HCMR will be willing to rectify that problem. Our 2018 class is on pace to be the strongest of the last decade and will continue the increase in talent and depth we've seen during his tenure here. We also have yet to see what HCMR can do with a full team of players he recruited. As a university that has been scorned by bad luck, bad hires, bad recruiting, and nepotism in the past we would be extremely unwise to terminate a coach who has, by most accounts, moved the culture, structure and professionalism of the program in a positive direction. If a car has a flat tire, you don't scrap the whole car, you change the tire.
To move forward, we need to support the current staff. With all they've done to date and considering what they stepped into, they deserve our support until they are no longer employed here. Riley is a CEO type coach and he has shown repeatedly that when something or someone is wrong he will address it immediately (in football terms). We have a strong 2018 recruiting class already with the potential for more, and our staff has made inroads in the '19 class as well. Burning it all down now would set us back to a point many on this board cannot comprehend. So please, stop with the coach recommendations. Stop with the Scott Frost threads. Stop with the Riley goes next threads. Stop with the negativity. A division 1 power 5 football program is incredibly complex and there are so many aspects beyond the field. Those other aspects form the foundation on with everything else balances. The foundation has been repaired and strengthened under Riley and we are at an inflection point. If we give Riley the continued benefit of the doubt for at least a while longer, we get to see what he can build on that foundation. If we don't we run the risk of the foundation crumbling completely.
Go Nebraska, Go Big Red, and for as long as he's here, Go Mike Riley.
THAT BEING SAID...
Within minutes, this board was flooded with "Riley needs to go next" and "Hypothetical next coach is..." threads.
While I get that media outlets would capitalize on the narrative and offer their own lists to sell views and such, we as fans should recognize the necessity to keep Riley AT LEAST through the end of the season and preferably through the next. Many of you have said this but there are many, many more who do not see the path forward. My case for this rests on two points of view - the history, and the future.
History
Since TO retired, we have unexpectedly become a revolving door for head coaches and each successive firing has further tarnished our reputation in the eyes of the media, potential future hires, and and recruits alike. In 2003, we wrote the first lines of the narrative. Nebraska has unrealistic expectations, Nebraska is a fish bowl, Winning seasons won't ensure your security at Nebraska, etc. Our much hated former AD made a hire at the time that clashed with our culture and was ultimately wildly unsuccessful, but multiple hot names at the time turned us down for exactly those reasons. In 2007, we fired another coach. He probably did deserve to go, but in doing so, we sacrificed almost in its entirety what would have been arguably the greatest recruiting class in Nebraska history and in the process set our program back to "square one rebuilding" stage. In 2014, we fired the new coach as well. While it could be said again that the coach deserved to go, we strengthened the narrative about winning not being enough to succeed here. Due to off-the-field failures, Lord Boldemort left the cupboard bare of talent and our current coach came inherited a brainwashed locker room. Firing that coach while he is still in the rebuilding process and after less than three full years would further drag the prestige of our head coaching position through the dirt. We would hire a coach. Someone would take the job. But is there anyone that we would actually want who would come in here knowing that we expect 9 wins a year, strong recruiting classes, poise in front of the media, a healthy locker room, and if you can't do that in three years or less you're out?
Future
What would have happened if we had managed to keep the 2007 class in tact and forced a new DC hire? We'll never know. More importantly, our current HC has demonstrated the willingness to fire assistants, even long time friends, to improve our team. Our weakest link is only a position coach this time and I have no doubt HCMR will be willing to rectify that problem. Our 2018 class is on pace to be the strongest of the last decade and will continue the increase in talent and depth we've seen during his tenure here. We also have yet to see what HCMR can do with a full team of players he recruited. As a university that has been scorned by bad luck, bad hires, bad recruiting, and nepotism in the past we would be extremely unwise to terminate a coach who has, by most accounts, moved the culture, structure and professionalism of the program in a positive direction. If a car has a flat tire, you don't scrap the whole car, you change the tire.
To move forward, we need to support the current staff. With all they've done to date and considering what they stepped into, they deserve our support until they are no longer employed here. Riley is a CEO type coach and he has shown repeatedly that when something or someone is wrong he will address it immediately (in football terms). We have a strong 2018 recruiting class already with the potential for more, and our staff has made inroads in the '19 class as well. Burning it all down now would set us back to a point many on this board cannot comprehend. So please, stop with the coach recommendations. Stop with the Scott Frost threads. Stop with the Riley goes next threads. Stop with the negativity. A division 1 power 5 football program is incredibly complex and there are so many aspects beyond the field. Those other aspects form the foundation on with everything else balances. The foundation has been repaired and strengthened under Riley and we are at an inflection point. If we give Riley the continued benefit of the doubt for at least a while longer, we get to see what he can build on that foundation. If we don't we run the risk of the foundation crumbling completely.
Go Nebraska, Go Big Red, and for as long as he's here, Go Mike Riley.
