Time to re-evaluate our Athletic Directors job

[GOAT]

By the way, I don't really buy Eichorst's line, but that's what he said. And if we're not going to believe what he said, that opens up a whole bunch more possibilities that the "Riley was our first choice" crowd doesn't want to believe.

Here's what I wrote at the time:

I think Pelini has been on the way out since the Texas A&M game. Pearlman hasn't liked him since at least then and it was just getting enough support - and possibly getting Osborne sufficiently out of the way - to get it done. I think it was a done deal when Eichorst was hired, it was just a matter of when. Only winning a conference championship was going to change/delay that. That's not to say the firing was unjustified, just that it was a foregone conclusion.

I really don't know why it should be that hard to believe that Riley might not have been our first choice. Really the only reason to believe that is out of a "We're Nebraska and we should be able to get any coach we want" type of attitude that I don't think meshes with reality. I think the Wisconsin game this year sealed the deal as it - for all intents and purposes - eliminated us from the conference title race and provided plenty of ammunition along the way. There is absolutely no reason that Eichorst wasn't seriously checking into who would consider coming here since that game.

I, for one, would be extremely disappointed in Eichorst if Riley WAS our first and only choice. That is not intended as a slam against Riley. I was definitely aware of him from the pretty good run they had from 2006-2009 and definitely remember some pretty big upsets he pulled along the way. But he hasn't been able to sustain that success. After finishing 2nd in the Pac-10 in 2006 and 2007 and finishing 3rd in 2008 and 2009, they fell to 5th, 9th, 3rd, 7th and 10th since then, only finishing .500 in conference once in that span. Yes, Oregon State isn't the easiest place to win at. But why did they have pretty sustained success for about four years than been pretty bad four of the five years since?

Saying he turned down Alabama and USC sounds good but that's because we're on the other end of the history of those programs. When he turned down USC, they hadn't won a bowl game in five years and only been to one. Alabama was in basically the same boat with the additional trouble of NCAA sanctions and had to immediately fire the guy they hired instead.

I'm not anti-Riley. I'll see what he can do. But if he was our first choice, Eichorst should be fired. A 61-year-old who's been in a tough spot but has been generally trending downward for the last nine years is really the best we think we can do? I was definitely expecting more of a Tim-Miles-type - a younger guy with a ton of energy who's been working his way up through the smaller school ranks and is ready for a shot at the big time. Especially with all the stories of Eichorst and his positive energy mantra that's been in all the reports this week. Not that Riley isn't a great guy or have his own energy. But I was surprised to learn he is 61. I would have guessed 10 years younger. But when I see the pictures from when he got to Lincoln last night, he looks 10 years older.

This was an anybody-but-Pelini operation. Again, not that Pelini should still be here but they wanted him out and wanted everything to look smooth so it was rushed.

Not only was he not the first choice of anyone on this board or anyone in the media, he was not even mentioned? Why did no one even mention him and the Hello Mike Riley thread blew up with WTF-type comments but yet many are convinced that he was our first and only choice. Pearlman can find a million different ways for the statement "no one else was offered the job" to be factually accurate but not have anything to do with who our first choice was.

If we didn't at least call Gary Patterson and make him say no we didn't do our job. There is almost no chance he'd leave but I bet we spend a good chunk more on football than TCU does and maybe he's wanting to push the envelope but they're holding back. You don't know until you ask. Same with Art Briles. How was Kyle Whittingham not a better prospect? (I actually think Eichorst was talking to him as well but not sure what came of it.) He's 7-1 in bowl games, done at least as much and probably more than Riley and is younger. We definitely offered the job Bielema and were turned down. The more reliable sources are his current assistants who were expecting him to leave. They don't just make that up. I wasn't a fan of getting him but he's got better credentials than Riley. We were surely talking to McElwain before Florida jumped in, right? I sure hope so.

Again, I don't think Riley is a terrible hire. But when we knew this was coming for at least one year and probably several, were certain that's what we were doing for about a month then settle on a guy who's main selling point is other schools wanted him 12 years ago, he had some good seasons 8-10 years ago, he SHOULD do better at a bigger school and he's a nice guy, I'm not sure why we had to go for that four days after we fired our previous coach.

Shti mav. I remember that post. Really makes you think.

If the proper feelers were being put out. and riley was the best most experienced we could get. Well, then, that's a Nebraska problem.

Or just Nebraska reality.

I voiced my disapproval when Riley was hired, as well. I felt we needed a big-name "splash" hire" (still do) and I was even suspended from another board for voicing my concerns.

 

[Landlord]

Is there any just cause to actually fire our athletic director other than 60% of a bad season of football?

 

[MichiganDad3]

Just for reference, this is how much effort Eichorst put into the coaching search.

In his own words:

It’s also not that easy. Eichorst fired Bo Pelini Sunday morning. He met with Husker players Sunday night. When he got home, Eichorst “took a deep breath,” he said.


He started thinking about the qualities he wanted in Nebraska’s next coach. He wasn’t even looking at specific candidates yet, he said. Then he started going through his mental list. He zeroed in on Riley.

Ten years ago, the Oregon State coach popped up on Eichorst’s radar during South Carolina’s coaching search. Eichorst was an assistant athletic director at South Carolina.

South Carolina eventually chose Steve Spurrier, but Eichorst didn’t forget what he liked about Riley.

“He’s an elite coach,” Eichorst said. “He’s a teacher.”

Monday morning, following the first of five consecutive short nights of sleep, Eichorst determined that Riley was his No. 1 target. He contacted the Oregon State coach to see if he was interested. Riley was.

“At that point, I recruited my tail off like I’ve never done before,” Eichorst said. “I was focused, I was locked in, I knew what I wanted.”

OWH

Basically says it all. Liked him 10 years ago, put on his blinders and ignored how his Oregon St. teams have been lately and hired him. Plus can you imagine how South Carolina would look the last 10 with Riley instead of Spurrier? What a blunder that would've been.

It is also stupid to fire a coach before looking around for replacements.

 

[cm husker]

I didn't even call for callahan to be fired, because I trusted TO and whatever his decision would be.

I trust no one at NU now.

Clean house among the administration immediately.

 

[Count 'Bility]

By the way, I don't really buy Eichorst's line, but that's what he said. And if we're not going to believe what he said, that opens up a whole bunch more possibilities that the "Riley was our first choice" crowd doesn't want to believe.

Here's what I wrote at the time:

I think Pelini has been on the way out since the Texas A&M game. Pearlman hasn't liked him since at least then and it was just getting enough support - and possibly getting Osborne sufficiently out of the way - to get it done. I think it was a done deal when Eichorst was hired, it was just a matter of when. Only winning a conference championship was going to change/delay that. That's not to say the firing was unjustified, just that it was a foregone conclusion.

I really don't know why it should be that hard to believe that Riley might not have been our first choice. Really the only reason to believe that is out of a "We're Nebraska and we should be able to get any coach we want" type of attitude that I don't think meshes with reality. I think the Wisconsin game this year sealed the deal as it - for all intents and purposes - eliminated us from the conference title race and provided plenty of ammunition along the way. There is absolutely no reason that Eichorst wasn't seriously checking into who would consider coming here since that game.

I, for one, would be extremely disappointed in Eichorst if Riley WAS our first and only choice. That is not intended as a slam against Riley. I was definitely aware of him from the pretty good run they had from 2006-2009 and definitely remember some pretty big upsets he pulled along the way. But he hasn't been able to sustain that success. After finishing 2nd in the Pac-10 in 2006 and 2007 and finishing 3rd in 2008 and 2009, they fell to 5th, 9th, 3rd, 7th and 10th since then, only finishing .500 in conference once in that span. Yes, Oregon State isn't the easiest place to win at. But why did they have pretty sustained success for about four years than been pretty bad four of the five years since?

Saying he turned down Alabama and USC sounds good but that's because we're on the other end of the history of those programs. When he turned down USC, they hadn't won a bowl game in five years and only been to one. Alabama was in basically the same boat with the additional trouble of NCAA sanctions and had to immediately fire the guy they hired instead.

I'm not anti-Riley. I'll see what he can do. But if he was our first choice, Eichorst should be fired. A 61-year-old who's been in a tough spot but has been generally trending downward for the last nine years is really the best we think we can do? I was definitely expecting more of a Tim-Miles-type - a younger guy with a ton of energy who's been working his way up through the smaller school ranks and is ready for a shot at the big time. Especially with all the stories of Eichorst and his positive energy mantra that's been in all the reports this week. Not that Riley isn't a great guy or have his own energy. But I was surprised to learn he is 61. I would have guessed 10 years younger. But when I see the pictures from when he got to Lincoln last night, he looks 10 years older.

This was an anybody-but-Pelini operation. Again, not that Pelini should still be here but they wanted him out and wanted everything to look smooth so it was rushed.

Not only was he not the first choice of anyone on this board or anyone in the media, he was not even mentioned? Why did no one even mention him and the Hello Mike Riley thread blew up with WTF-type comments but yet many are convinced that he was our first and only choice. Pearlman can find a million different ways for the statement "no one else was offered the job" to be factually accurate but not have anything to do with who our first choice was.

If we didn't at least call Gary Patterson and make him say no we didn't do our job. There is almost no chance he'd leave but I bet we spend a good chunk more on football than TCU does and maybe he's wanting to push the envelope but they're holding back. You don't know until you ask. Same with Art Briles. How was Kyle Whittingham not a better prospect? (I actually think Eichorst was talking to him as well but not sure what came of it.) He's 7-1 in bowl games, done at least as much and probably more than Riley and is younger. We definitely offered the job Bielema and were turned down. The more reliable sources are his current assistants who were expecting him to leave. They don't just make that up. I wasn't a fan of getting him but he's got better credentials than Riley. We were surely talking to McElwain before Florida jumped in, right? I sure hope so.

Again, I don't think Riley is a terrible hire. But when we knew this was coming for at least one year and probably several, were certain that's what we were doing for about a month then settle on a guy who's main selling point is other schools wanted him 12 years ago, he had some good seasons 8-10 years ago, he SHOULD do better at a bigger school and he's a nice guy, I'm not sure why we had to go for that four days after we fired our previous coach.

Shti mav. I remember that post. Really makes you think.

If the proper feelers were being put out. and riley was the best most experienced we could get. Well, then, that's a Nebraska problem.

Or just Nebraska reality.

I voiced my disapproval when Riley was hired, as well. I felt we needed a big-name "splash" hire" (still do) and I was even suspended from another board for voicing my concerns.

But can we get that?

Thats a legit question. Is Nebraska really that prestigous? Look. Everything that Osborne left in terms of national prestige has been burned up. And was probably burned up when we fired Solich without disclosing what may have been the real reasons. It didnt look good. Now we've done it again. Though the circumstances and reasons are much more legit in the view of those who matter.

What Im getting at is that Osborne was hear for 25 year. We never had to expereince the revolving door of coaches and find out where this program stands in a national barometer. Then you fire a guy as successful as Solich, which after 7-7, for him to make necessary changes, and immediately start to trend back upwards, and still can him, well, what that did as far as any prestige this job had, was take a giant sh#t on it. We've been mediocre ( and im sick of this talk about becoming mediocre. We are. have been for 15 years) every since and so now it not as prestigeious anyway.

 

[GOAT]

Is there any just cause to actually fire our athletic director other than 60% of a bad season of football?

He was responsible for Riley's hire, and he himself said that Riley was his first and only choice. 'Nuff said.

 

[cm husker]

Is there any just cause to actually fire our athletic director other than 60% of a bad season of football?

Uhm, all of his decisions that have led us to this point?

 

[Red Dead Redemption]

I didn't even call for callahan to be fired, because I trusted TO and whatever his decision would be.

I trust no one at NU now.

:nod:

 

[Husker Q]

Hiring the football coach could be the single most important job at Nebraska. The football program basically pays for the entire athletic department. SE refused to listen and evaluate good candidates and made a terrible hire. Having an epic fail at the most vital part of your job is certainly grounds for termination. SE and the entire staff must go before we can be Nebraska again. The sooner the better

 

[C N Red]

Hiring the football coach could be the single most important job at Nebraska. The football program basically pays for the entire athletic department. SE refused to listen and evaluate good candidates and made a terrible hire. Having an epic fail at the most vital part of your job is certainly grounds for termination. SE and the entire staff must go before we can be Nebraska again. The sooner the better

And ALOT of academic things too!

 

[Hayseed]

They were talking on the radio up in Minnesota about Jerry Kill's sudden retirement due to health reasons and one of the guys brought up the point that it might be best to give the job to the assistant ,who has basically been the coach through Kill's health struggles,because this year there will be over 30 teams looking for a new coach and bidding up the top ones I presume. Just something to consider.

On the other hand, I believe there will be a bunch of AD's available....practically a buyer's market for that field.

 

[Enhance]

Genuine question - do university's or really anyone care what other university's are doing in terms of head coaching searches? Should another school needing a new head coach really have any impact on another school's search?

I don't care if every single team is looking for a head coach, personally. If a university needs a new coach they shouldn't hold out just because another school is looking. That's ridiculous.

 

[Hayseed]

Is there any just cause to actually fire our athletic director other than 60% of a bad season of football?

Just cause? We don't need no stinking just cause!!

 

[Hayseed]

Genuine question - do university's or really anyone care what other university's are doing in terms of head coaching searches? Should another school needing a new head coach really have any impact on another school's search?

I don't care if every single team is looking for a head coach, personally. If a university needs a new coach they shouldn't hold out just because another school is looking. That's ridiculous.

Maybe they don't care? Maybe they'd just fire their coach and not be able to hire a good one......and then they'd conspire with the local media to get all the fans on board? Maybe send a bunch of sock puppets around to the football boards to sway the conversation?

 

[Enhance]

Genuine question - do university's or really anyone care what other university's are doing in terms of head coaching searches? Should another school needing a new head coach really have any impact on another school's search?

I don't care if every single team is looking for a head coach, personally. If a university needs a new coach they shouldn't hold out just because another school is looking. That's ridiculous.

Maybe they don't care? Maybe they'd just fire their coach and not be able to hire a good one......and then they'd conspire with the local media to get all the fans on board? Maybe send a bunch of sock puppets around to the football boards to sway the conversation?

I'm not sure I'm following - are you suggesting that's what happened at Nebraska?

There are plenty of great coaches in this country every single year available for hire. It all comes down to identifying them and giving them the resources to be successful; not just at Nebraska but many programs.