As Bill Moos assesses the program through the Iowa game, I hope he's asking himself this question: "Who's the best coach for NU football?" Not who is the best former NU player to coach the program or what's the path of least resistance.
I like Coach Riley and up until probably the OSU game, was hopeful this season might turn around and generate some momentum to salvage his tenure. My expectations coming in were 9-3, potentially win the West and compete toe-to-toe with Wisconsin and OSU. It didn't take long to see that this was another season with poor fundamentals, decisions and execution, which rests at Coach Riley's doorstep. As much as it pains me to see this good man shown the door in only his 3rd season and to watch a recruiting class unravel, this team has underachieved and it's time to make a change. So the answer to my question above is that Mike Riley is certainly not the best coach for NU football going forward.
This leaves AD Moos with the task of finding the right guy. I don't think the path should automatically lead to someone who's familiar with the "Nebraska way." After all, we haven't really had anything that we'd proudly label that for almost 20 years. Instead, Moos should look for the coach who has the right experience, skills and understanding of the job and place to raise the standards and level of performance on the field. I think those last two elements are key, because Nebraska isn't for everyone and the pressure is unlike very few places. That means being okay with intense fan interactions, year-round media scrutiny and misplaced expectations given our recent history. A CEO coach off the field, who also demands discipline, toughness and great execution on it.
Despite my protests about not focusing on a Nebraska guy exclusively, I happen to think Scott Frost is one of the people who gets that, but he should be judged on his merits, not his Nebraska legacy alone. His tenure at UCF has helped turn me into one of his advocates, although I wasn't a supporter of him coming directly from a coordinator job to Nebraska three years ago. So count me in as a fan who supports a Frost hire.
But if he won't come or isn't deemed the right coach, I will get on board with others who can be. I'm far from an expert on assessing college football coaches, but based on some limited google searches, I feel the best fits on my short list would be Fuente, Campbell, Doeren or Mullen. These are the same names others have surfaced, so no real surprises here, I just think they give us the best chance to rebuild some semblance of what used to be in a way that we can rally around and feel good about again. I think they would embrace and handle all aspects of the job in ways that somehow Callahan, Pelini and Riley could not.
It's going to be a bumpy ride over the next month, but sometimes the only way to get to a good neighborhood is to drive through a bad one, so I believe if one of these coaches is selected, we have a new chance for optimism in a program and fan base that sorely needs it right now.
I like Coach Riley and up until probably the OSU game, was hopeful this season might turn around and generate some momentum to salvage his tenure. My expectations coming in were 9-3, potentially win the West and compete toe-to-toe with Wisconsin and OSU. It didn't take long to see that this was another season with poor fundamentals, decisions and execution, which rests at Coach Riley's doorstep. As much as it pains me to see this good man shown the door in only his 3rd season and to watch a recruiting class unravel, this team has underachieved and it's time to make a change. So the answer to my question above is that Mike Riley is certainly not the best coach for NU football going forward.
This leaves AD Moos with the task of finding the right guy. I don't think the path should automatically lead to someone who's familiar with the "Nebraska way." After all, we haven't really had anything that we'd proudly label that for almost 20 years. Instead, Moos should look for the coach who has the right experience, skills and understanding of the job and place to raise the standards and level of performance on the field. I think those last two elements are key, because Nebraska isn't for everyone and the pressure is unlike very few places. That means being okay with intense fan interactions, year-round media scrutiny and misplaced expectations given our recent history. A CEO coach off the field, who also demands discipline, toughness and great execution on it.
Despite my protests about not focusing on a Nebraska guy exclusively, I happen to think Scott Frost is one of the people who gets that, but he should be judged on his merits, not his Nebraska legacy alone. His tenure at UCF has helped turn me into one of his advocates, although I wasn't a supporter of him coming directly from a coordinator job to Nebraska three years ago. So count me in as a fan who supports a Frost hire.
But if he won't come or isn't deemed the right coach, I will get on board with others who can be. I'm far from an expert on assessing college football coaches, but based on some limited google searches, I feel the best fits on my short list would be Fuente, Campbell, Doeren or Mullen. These are the same names others have surfaced, so no real surprises here, I just think they give us the best chance to rebuild some semblance of what used to be in a way that we can rally around and feel good about again. I think they would embrace and handle all aspects of the job in ways that somehow Callahan, Pelini and Riley could not.
It's going to be a bumpy ride over the next month, but sometimes the only way to get to a good neighborhood is to drive through a bad one, so I believe if one of these coaches is selected, we have a new chance for optimism in a program and fan base that sorely needs it right now.
