[Husker] Question

[Duane Feldman]

Wow, I have heard these levels of frustration, but am surprised to hear you express it so strongly.

I keep hearing from people that Solich left the football program in disarray and that is why BC started slowly,  "But now he has the program headed in the right direction."

Since we are continually winning more than the previous year, we are indeed "headed in the right direction."  BUT . . .

For perspective, in the last 45 years, BC is 22-15 (59% winning rate). You have to add Devaney's two 6-4 years AND Solich's 7-7 year (combined rate 56%) to get a three year period that is worse than the last three years.  ANY OTHER combination of three years from BD, TO and FS are better than the last three years.  Forget combination, no other year is worse than 9-3-1

For a different perspective, of the six worst football seasons in the past 45 years, BC has three of them.  

Only one year in the last 42 non-BC seasons has more losses than BC's "best" season (presumably last season -- either that or we are not headed in the right direction).

A still different perspective, Devaney turned Jennings from 3-5 to 9-2 in one year.  When he retracted to consecutive 6-4 years, he rebounded to a 9-2 season in the following year.  Solich slipped from 10-2 to 7-7 and returned to 9-3 the next season (10-3 if you count Pelini's bowl win).  The biggest "turnaround" so far in the last 50 years has been going from 10-3 to 5-6 in one year.  Going from 5-6 to 9-5 in two years isn't as dramatic.

Don't misunderstand, I am not advocating a coaching change -- for the same reason I felt Solich should have been given a chance to prove he could "turn it around."  Let's not make the same mistake twice.

You know, I was really excited when SP was named as Byrne's replacement.  Now I shudder at the recollection.  The above comparison is a small part of the bigger picture.  (Conversely, Sadler may prove out eventually).

Duane Feldman


----- Original Message ----
From: Gary Fead gwfead at cox.net


We've hired a football coach who is 22-15 after three years (I know Devaney, Osborne and Solich had a better record than this), so that's not better.