[Husker] Coaching Changes $$$

[Gary Fead]

Good Morning All:

I'm not going to comment on whether changes are needed in the men's basketball coaching staff as I don't care to get into those arguments. I will refer to a comment made by another list subscriber Todd Richards in Tennessee, quoting here: 

"Do it in 2 or 3 or you won't ever do it."

In the world of Nebraska Athletics this is not a financially sound position to take. Quite honestly the University of Nebraska cannot afford to change head coaches every two to three years. The contract buyouts are too big, and no one is going to come in here without a four to five year contract and some clauses that make firing them cheap and easy. 

Right now Bill Callahan's base salary ($330,000 annually when last I looked) is greater than Barry Collier's, however if we let Coach Collier go I'm almost certain the base salary for the next basketball coach will be larger than Bill Callahan's and we simply cannot afford that. I would not look to the Warren Buffet's,  David Sokol's or Walter Scott's of the state of Nebraska to bail us out either, in fact it's hard to say whether any of them have even shown an interest in contributing to our current 50 million dollar debt on our most prized sport - football. 

Basketball is going to take a long time to build or rebuild depending on your point of view here and whether Barry stays or we replace him the next coach will not come in with a do it in 2 or 3 or your out the door mandate. Furthermore the jury is still out as to whether the Bill Callahan hire was actually a good hire, we'll have to wait a few more years to determine its place in Husker history. It's only been two years since the one man search committee found a football coach after 40 days and 40 nights of Husker agony, are we ready to do it all again and this time at a still higher price?

Gary Fead
Omaha