OT - Nebraska AD Eichorst Doubles Down on Mike Riley
Per his Twitter account and CBSSports, Shawn Eichorst issued statement of support. He apparently can "see it in the eyes" of the players and coaches they will succeed. Here's to wishing and hoping.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/eye-on-college-football/253612…
November 2nd, 2015 at 2:25 PM ^
November 2nd, 2015 at 3:59 PM ^
In fact, I'll predict that he never fires him.
Remember when our job search was in disarray because we didn't hire a new coach right away like Nebraska did?
November 2nd, 2015 at 3:58 PM ^
"Public vote of confidence"
November 2nd, 2015 at 6:03 PM ^
Eichorst may beat Riley out the door.
November 2nd, 2015 at 2:26 PM ^
November 2nd, 2015 at 2:28 PM ^
Go Huskers!
November 2nd, 2015 at 2:29 PM ^
He gone.
November 2nd, 2015 at 2:34 PM ^
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November 2nd, 2015 at 2:34 PM ^
Riley was a bad decision then, and he is a bad decision now. To think a middling lifetime .500 coach in the latter part of his career was going to succeed at Nebraska was just idiotic. Bo Pelini was a good coach for them. They should have kept him or went after a big name.
November 2nd, 2015 at 3:03 PM ^
November 2nd, 2015 at 3:32 PM ^
Winning 9 games every year is mediocre? Then at least half of college football is worse than mediocre.
November 2nd, 2015 at 3:58 PM ^
November 2nd, 2015 at 4:13 PM ^
Sorry. For Nebraska, Pelini was Mediocre. Key qualifier being "For Nebraska". This isn't a MAC school or a service academy.
Yes, Pelini won 9 or 10 games each of the 7 seasons at Nebraska. But they also had 4 losses every single one of the 7 seasons he was there.
I shouldn't have to preach to this crowd about how "4 losses" are perceived by historically strong and proud programs who expect nothing less than a National Championship.
What would you say if Harbaugh is here 7 seasons and never has a better season than 10-4?... with 0 Conference Championships?
Edit: Dang, I'm slow today. Good post, Thad.
November 2nd, 2015 at 4:02 PM ^
In what world is winning nine games a year at Nebraska considered "a shade above mediocre"?
November 2nd, 2015 at 4:18 PM ^
November 2nd, 2015 at 8:02 PM ^
The eight or nine games won each year never seemed to be any big wins. And the four losses each year always included some crushing non-competitive losses.
I can see them wanting to make a change, but who they picked once they went to all that trouble was beyond puzzling.
November 2nd, 2015 at 9:04 PM ^
but he never lost to Purdue while giving up 55 points. Nebraska was horrible under Bill Callahan while running a West Coast offense so they go out and hire another West Coast O guy and they are horrible again. There are plenty of mistakes to make, but you should try not to repeat mistakes already made.
November 3rd, 2015 at 8:31 AM ^
November 3rd, 2015 at 6:13 AM ^
Bo Pelini was a good coach. I mean like 75% of FBS teams would kill for 4 loss seasons every year. The biggest problem he had at Nebraska is that he had to live up to Tom Osbourne. Osbourne was a legendary coach and those don't come around very often, I mean how many do we have in CFB today? I see about 3 in Saban, Meyer and Harbaugh. I get firing Pelini because you've been spoiled by legendary success and you'd like to see those days again but I don't get firing Pelini without a name in mind. Hiring Mike Riley was a huge mistake and the quicker they correct it the better. Nebraska needs to realized that they are no longer in the Big 12 and can't recruit Texas like they used to get talent. They traded playing 4 Texas teams and getting noticed by those recruits to a schedule of MN, WI, IA, the 2 IL schools and the 2 IN schools. Outside of IL and a handful IN kids that will go to ND/M/OSU that is that's the worst Power 5 talent base in the country. They need to find either a Barry Alverez and build on manballing guys to death (which with their talent probably won't win a National Title), a Mark Dantonio and develop the hell out of 3 star guys they get to make them NFL guys or an Art Briles/Chip Kelly and win with an offensive system (Bob Stitt?). Recruits these days were born the year Nebraska won its last National Title, they don't remember the glory days. I'm young so the Nebraska I know is the one that won the Big 12 North every year only to get its shit pushed in the conference title game against a real team like Texas and recruits these days are starting to be to young to remember those days. Nebraska needs to get its act together and fast before they become less blue blood and more Iowa and right now they are much closer to the second one. They do still have some positives like first class facilities and a university and community that invests in football but every year they don't win is another year the Iowaness creeps in.
November 3rd, 2015 at 10:01 AM ^
Nebraska never rooted on Texas for recruiting. They had maybe 5 players from Texas at a time.
November 3rd, 2015 at 8:27 AM ^
November 2nd, 2015 at 3:03 PM ^
i didnt check the stats but im pretty sure pelini won something like 9 games or more every season at nebraska which is incredible. also think he did fairly well in bowl games - no bcs or anything crazy but id imagine he went about .500 in respectable bowls.
its not 1975 or 1995 and they dont have tom osbourne anymore - its just not one of top 10-15 programs despite what many husker fans want to believe. not many available coaches could match pelini's record. and recruiting and coaching at nebraska is truly unique given the states lack of high school talent.
i think pelini did a great job and they were obviously foolish to fire him. he mightve been a little odd or misspoke on occasion but theyll struggle to find another coach who can win 9 games every season and keep that program consistently competitive
November 2nd, 2015 at 3:32 PM ^
Heck, it's not just Nebraska - they don't even border a state that is known for high school talent: Iowa, Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming, Oklahoma. On top of that, Lincoln is tiny.
November 2nd, 2015 at 3:43 PM ^
November 2nd, 2015 at 3:05 PM ^
November 2nd, 2015 at 4:21 PM ^
November 2nd, 2015 at 2:38 PM ^
I hate Nebraska so I hope Eichorst keeps hitting himself in the nuts for 20 years and Riley gets a lifetime contract. But I would be more surprised if both men were still in Lincoln next year.
Nebraskans are boiling for Eichorst's head. He might go soon, Riley gets a lame duck year, and then interim AD Bobby Husker hires Scott Frost.
November 2nd, 2015 at 2:39 PM ^
How many Big Ten teams would be better if Pelini was their coach? Half?
Rutgers
Maryland
Illinois
Purdue
Nebraska (zing)
Minnesota (not their fault, obviously)
Ok, 6/14
November 2nd, 2015 at 2:56 PM ^
Indiana gets you to half.
November 2nd, 2015 at 2:40 PM ^
Frank Solich is available.
It is mind boggling that they fired a guy with a 58-19 record after a 9-3 year.
November 2nd, 2015 at 2:46 PM ^
Not only did they do that, but then they did the same thing again a decade later with Bo Pelini. Going 67-27 at Nebraska (where it's hard to recruit) is pretty good. 9-3 at Nebraska is pretty good. 9-3 at Nebraska, when all your players were recruited to play in the Big 12, is even better.
November 2nd, 2015 at 2:52 PM ^
Man, it would never happen. But if Nebraska did hire Solich, I would actually be afraid of them again.
November 2nd, 2015 at 3:57 PM ^
Didn't Frank have almost an identical record to Tom Osbourne through their respective first 5 years? I heard something like that. In any case, I felt bad when he was fired.
He's 71 now...would have been good to see how he would have done had he gotten the chance to stay and retire at Nebraska. Probably no worse than the head coaches who took over for Nebraska...not to mention the football program overall would have had more recruiting stability since there would have been no other coaching changes post-Osbourne.
Nebraska fans are in for a wild ride ahead, and probably not in a good way.
November 2nd, 2015 at 4:40 PM ^
Some might say they got their deserved fate for firing a coach with such a good record. Nebraska has a great history, but they also cannot forget that they are in Nebraska. They're working with limited talent
November 2nd, 2015 at 2:42 PM ^
Eichorst should resign himself.
November 2nd, 2015 at 2:48 PM ^
I think Riley may survive, if only because there will be so many job openings this coming offseason that it may be tough to hire a good replacement. But if Scott Frost wants the job I think they may make a move.
November 2nd, 2015 at 2:58 PM ^
November 2nd, 2015 at 3:32 PM ^
He's not a sure thing or anything, but he could have great upside, and he certainly would excite the Nebraska fanbase.
November 2nd, 2015 at 4:08 PM ^
November 2nd, 2015 at 2:43 PM ^
If the huskers get the win this week all will be forgotten in Lincoln for this season and Riley will get a fresh start next year
November 2nd, 2015 at 2:46 PM ^
November 2nd, 2015 at 3:48 PM ^
Your gun is digging into my hip
November 2nd, 2015 at 3:01 PM ^
November 2nd, 2015 at 2:47 PM ^
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/brandon/spec-rel/112713aaa.html
From Brandon in support of Hoke. Comparing Hoke to Nick Saban. Saying people who don't like Hoke are "promoting a personal agenda that is not in the best interest of Michigan Football." Implying that only players recruited by Carr & Hoke contributed to Hoke's success.
November 2nd, 2015 at 2:54 PM ^
Agree that this has shades of Brandon / Hoke. The Nebraska situation is much worse for the AD though, because Pelini was actually successful in the Win / Loss column, whereas Brandon had replaced a coach who wasn't successful.
November 2nd, 2015 at 3:09 PM ^
November 2nd, 2015 at 3:21 PM ^
That release was aimed pretty squarely at keeping Peppers in the recruiting fold, IIRC.
November 2nd, 2015 at 2:48 PM ^
Frank Solich should still be the coach at Nebraska. Bo Pelini is a cretin in the Brian Kelly mold, and he deserved to be fired because he was setting a terrible example for the students. (That's not to say that Mike Riley was the right hire there, but Bo Pelini should not be put in a position of leadership of young men).