Firing the head coach, Nebraska style

#1
Ohio Vol

Ohio Vol

Inquisitor of Offense
Joined
Jun 9, 2006
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#1
Today's game against Ball State served as the inspiration for this. There are large numbers of Tennessee fans who want to see a coaching change, so in the interest of serving as a warning like that that Elijah gave the Israelites, here you go.

Nebraska ran the option for close to 40 years with amazing success. Even when the wide-open passing game came into vogue, Nebraska kept plodding along, capping Tom Osborne's run with three national titles in four seasons (and coming one game against Texas away from a probable fourth). Frank Solich took over and saw his teams go 9-4, 12-1, 10-2, 11-2, 7-7, and 10-3 before being fired.

The contention against Solich was that Nebraska ran an "obsolete and predictable" offense, the implication being that a clear and decisive break from the option was needed in order to make Nebraska national contenders. They hired Bill Callahan, who brought the short passing game to Lincoln.

Since 2004, Nebraska has gone 25-16. They have lost to every single team in the Big XII with the exception of Baylor (awful) and Texas A&M (who they've played once). They have lost to Kansas by 25 points, Kansas State by 24 and 29, and Texas Tech by 60. Until defeating Texas A&M last year by 1 point, they had not beaten a team under Callahan that would finish with more than 8 wins. They have appeared in one Big XII title game and gotten stomped. Keep in mind who else is in the Big XII North (Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas State, Kansas, Missouri) and tell me that Nebraska should be there once in three years.

They missed a bowl game in 2004 for the first time since 1968 and had the first losing season since 1961. The bizarre ending to the Alamo Bowl against #20 Michigan is the biggest upset Nebraska has managed to pull with Callahan; they are the highest-ranked team the Huskers have defeated during his tenure. Last week they allowed over 350 rushing yards to USC. This week they allowed over 400 passing yards to BALL STATE. Face it. Nobody fears Nebraska.

By listening to the demands of people who had no idea what they were talking about, Nebraska sabotaged an entire program's history and forsook an entire legacy in exchange for something that was "trendy" and "modern".

Keep this in mind.
 
#3
#3
Nobody fears UT anymore, either, but I think that's where the comparison with Nebraska ends.
 
#4
#4
I agree with MG. We're not feared because of lack of confidence. We have the athletes, and we have the offensive coaching (maybe one exception is the O line). What we don't have and have not had in some time is the big D. The backs do not wrap, and the Mustang just doesn't work. I'm one who believes if we change the D side, then things will get bright. However, special teams cannot be defended by anyone on this board. According to the Tennessean, we're ranked last in 1-A and AA in punting. I don't know who the special team coach is, but that needs replacing today, not later.
 
#5
#5
Nebraska was more successful under Solich's last 6 years (59-19) than Fulmer's last six (53-23). Also, Nebraksa won a conference championship (1999) and played for a national championship (1/3/02). Nebraska was a second tier team trying to scrap back up to the first tier.

Tennessee has 1) played for but lost 2 conference championships, 2) not played for a NC. We are in worse shape than Nebraska was.

Whether it was the right move for Nebraska is debatable. Whether a new coach will give us a better first 6 years than Fulmers last 6 is unknown. But I can tell you this, Tennessee's program really stinks right now. And it is only going downward, the stats & trends don't lie.
 
#6
#6
Ohio Vol said:
Today's game against Ball State served as the inspiration for this. There are large numbers of Tennessee fans who want to see a coaching change, so in the interest of serving as a warning like that that Elijah gave the Israelites, here you go.
Nebraska ran the option for close to 40 years with amazing success. Even when the wide-open passing game came into vogue, Nebraska kept plodding along, capping Tom Osborne's run with three national titles in four seasons (and coming one game against Texas away from a probable fourth). Frank Solich took over and saw his teams go 9-4, 12-1, 10-2, 11-2, 7-7, and 10-3 before being fired.

The contention against Solich was that Nebraska ran an "obsolete and predictable" offense, the implication being that a clear and decisive break from the option was needed in order to make Nebraska national contenders. They hired Bill Callahan, who brought the short passing game to Lincoln.

Since 2004, Nebraska has gone 25-16. They have lost to every single team in the Big XII with the exception of Baylor (awful) and Texas A&M (who they've played once). They have lost to Kansas by 25 points, Kansas State by 24 and 29, and Texas Tech by 60. Until defeating Texas A&M last year by 1 point, they had not beaten a team under Callahan that would finish with more than 8 wins. They have appeared in one Big XII title game and gotten stomped. Keep in mind who else is in the Big XII North (Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas State, Kansas, Missouri) and tell me that Nebraska should be there once in three years.

They missed a bowl game in 2004 for the first time since 1968 and had the first losing season since 1961. The bizarre ending to the Alamo Bowl against #20 Michigan is the biggest upset Nebraska has managed to pull with Callahan; they are the highest-ranked team the Huskers have defeated during his tenure. Last week they allowed over 350 rushing yards to USC. This week they allowed over 400 passing yards to BALL STATE. Face it. Nobody fears Nebraska.

By listening to the demands of people who had no idea what they were talking about, Nebraska sabotaged an entire program's history and forsook an entire legacy in exchange for something that was "trendy" and "modern".

Keep this in mind.
Click to expand...

So what did "this Elijah" say? and who is the Elijah of the Tennesseeites? I am afraid to ask?
 
#7
#7
General Jack said:
Nebraska was more successful under Solich's last 6 years (59-19) than Fulmer's last six (53-23). Also, Nebraksa won a conference championship (1999) and played for a national championship (1/3/02). Nebraska was a second tier team trying to scrap back up to the first tier.

Tennessee has 1) played for but lost 2 conference championships, 2) not played for a NC. We are in worse shape than Nebraska was.

Whether it was the right move for Nebraska is debatable. Whether a new coach will give us a better first 6 years than Fulmers last 6 is unknown. But I can tell you this, Tennessee's program really stinks right now. And it is only going downward, the stats & trends don't lie.
Click to expand...

That says it all. My best friend is a Nebraska fan, and he didn't agree with Solich being fired. He said it happened because Nebraska hired a new AD who thought that a new exciting offense would get them on TV more. These are two completely different situations.
 
#9
#9
ledhed43 said:
That says it all. My best friend is a Nebraska fan, and he didn't agree with Solich being fired. He said it happened because Nebraska hired a new AD who thought that a new exciting offense would get them on TV more. These are two completely different situations.
Click to expand...

And I don't think that any UT fans want a gimmicky offense. Carroll doesn't run a gimmicky offense. Neither does Les Miles. They're creative and aggressive and vary their playcalling. I wouldn't even say it's our offense that is stagnant. It hit a rut at UF, but it has been our defense and especially Special Teams that have been the weak spots this year.
 
#10
#10
Firing the head coach, USC style
Firing the head coach, Florida style
Firing the head coach, Ohio State style

Maybe it isn't such a bad idea.
 
#11
#11
Frank Solich wasn't a great hire. Bill Callahan was a terrible hire. You don't hire a guy to coach college football that constantly blames his players for losses. I think while with Oakland he called his team the dumbest in the NFL, or something along those lines. While at Nebraska, I've heard him blame the players for the losses a few times. Regardless, I don't think keeping Solich on instead of getting Callahan would have yielded better results.
 
#12
#12
Left up to you Ohio Vol, Johnny Majors would have been in his 31st. year as our head coach! Gimme a break.
 
#13
#13
VOLnFLORIDA said:
So what did "this Elijah" say? and who is the Elijah of the Tennesseeites? I am afraid to ask?
Click to expand...

I was sitting at dinner and snapped up and thought, "Dang it, it was Samuel, not Elijah!"

Samuel was the prophet in Israel in the time before the kings. As he got older, the people started clamoring for a king, and God told Samuel to go warn the people of what it would be like with an earthly king ruling over them. Samuel read off a fairly long list of warnings, and the people still clamored for a king. God then told Samuel to go anoint Saul as king. If you want to know how the kings of Israel turned out, just read 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings (if you don't feel like doing that, it was a disaster that ended with Israel being exiled).

I'm not declaring myself Samuel of UT, I'm just warning you that there is a significant chance that it could backfire and the people will clamor for the days when Fulmer roamed the sidelines.
 
#14
#14
Ohio Vol said:
I was sitting at dinner and snapped up and thought, "Dang it, it was Samuel, not Elijah!"

Samuel was the prophet in Israel in the time before the kings. As he got older, the people started clamoring for a king, and God told Samuel to go warn the people of what it would be like with an earthly king ruling over them. Samuel read off a fairly long list of warnings, and the people still clamored for a king. God then told Samuel to go anoint Saul as king. If you want to know how the kings of Israel turned out, just read 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings (if you don't feel like doing that, it was a disaster that ended with Israel being exiled).

I'm not declaring myself Samuel of UT, I'm just warning you that there is a significant chance that it could backfire and the people will clamor for the days when Fulmer roamed the sidelines.
Click to expand...
Hey Samuel, does your sig have a hidden meaning? :eek:lol:
 
#15
#15
Keep preaching the option, Ohio Vol. Tell us all what your patron saint, Paul Johnson has done the last two weeks.
 
#16
#16
Ohio Vol, if Solich is so good, why hasn't anyone worth a damn snatched him up? Oh, that's right. He sucks.
 
#17
#17
hatvol96 said:
Keep preaching the option, Ohio Vol. Tell us all what your patron saint, Paul Johnson has done the last two weeks.
Click to expand...
Anybody who can go to a bowl game at Navy should be able to be the patron saint of whatever he wants.
 
#18
#18
I like Johnson, as I've said here before. However, if he was the wizard Ohio Vol makes him out to be, someone would have moved him up. Also, if going to bowl games at service academies is great, what does that make Fisher Deberry?
 
#19
#19
Supposedly, Johnson got really close to getting the Vandy job . . . which would have been a complete nightmare for us IMO.
 
#20
#20
I agree with that. Some form of option or other unconventional offense is the only way Vandy ever becomes a consistent problem.
 
#22
#22
Solich basically got slapped with the label of "couldn't win at Nebraska", which isn't entirely accurate. He simply wasn't as successful as Tom Osborne.

The reason I bring up Nebraska as an example is because there is definitely a parallel here...outcry over a "boring", "predictable", and "obsolete" offense with the implication being that something "modern" would bring about some sort of radical positive change. Nebraska demanded it and got it, and look where they are.

hatvol, Paul Johnson's Navy team is 1-1 the last two weeks. They lost 34-31 to Ball State after Kaipo-Noa etc etc was lost early in the second half and hung 46 on Duke today. The fact that Navy, with a backup quarterback running what is commonly derided as a high school offense, did nearly as well against Ball State as Nebraska did, speaks volumes more for Nebraska than it does Ball State. Defense has been Navy's downfall during Johnson's tenure, but his general attitude is that the defensive coordinator takes care of the defense without being lorded over.

My praise for Johnson is based off continually winning with substantially less talent than every other team in D1-A and probably half the teams in D-1AA. 300 colleges in the country won't look at a lineman who is less than 6'3", and he's got a three-year starter who's 5'11".
 
#23
#23
hmanvolfan said:
Hey Samuel, does your sig have a hidden meaning? :eek:lol:
Click to expand...

I noticed a few weeks ago that my title was listed as "member", and rather than change it to something less original I figured I'd go for something from a cheap romance novel.

Now, if we can get someone from Northwestern to proclaim themself "purple headed warrior", we might be onto something.
 
#24
#24
How did Navy do against that noted powerhouse Duke today? Actually, Ohio Vol, I'm just having fun with you. GA can tell you I have great respect for Johnson. I don't think you can win with that offense at the upper levels of college football, but it's perfect for the academies and schools of that ilk.
 
#25
#25
:good!:
General Jack said:
Nebraska was more successful under Solich's last 6 years (59-19) than Fulmer's last six (53-23). Also, Nebraksa won a conference championship (1999) and played for a national championship (1/3/02). Nebraska was a second tier team trying to scrap back up to the first tier.

Tennessee has 1) played for but lost 2 conference championships, 2) not played for a NC. We are in worse shape than Nebraska was.

Whether it was the right move for Nebraska is debatable. Whether a new coach will give us a better first 6 years than Fulmers last 6 is unknown. But I can tell you this, Tennessee's program really stinks right now. And it is only going downward, the stats & trends don't lie.
Click to expand...
 
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