[Husker] Leadership = Success

[Steven Johnson]

This was an excellent post.  It almost looks as if we sold our sole to the 
devil... Not quite that dramatic or sinister, but compromising on heart and 
strength of character exposed the true "void" in the program.  If we can 
keep the heart of huskerland beating than we can slowly but surely get that 
transplant and start...block by block.

Steven J
Class of 83
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <scottbuff at earthlink.net>
To: <husker at tssi.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 8:38 PM
Subject: [Husker] Leadership = Success


> As a long-time Husker fan and lurker (mostly) on this list, I have 
> followed with great interest the rise and fall of our beloved football 
> program. This program has lost its roots, its vision and at the risk of 
> sounding overly dramatic, its soul.
>
> I'm a native Georgian - not a Nebraskan. In fact, I've only been in the 
> state twice. But my draw to this team dates to the mid-70s and the very 
> essence that Tom Osborne  epitomized. His tenure embodied values that I 
> hold myself as priorities: pride, workman-like perseverance, humility, and 
> yes, faith. Nebraska has always had a lot of good players and a few great 
> players but the team has always been fueled by efforts above and beyond 
> what natural talent we had. We may not have always had the best players 
> but we always got the most out of good, solid players. Nobody outworked 
> Nebraska. It's that almost blue-collar attitude toward finishing the job 
> that won titles and respect.
>
> This attitude was reflected by the leadership of Osborne. By most 
> accounts, he was the driving force behind the quarter-century of success. 
> But he's gone. Yeah, I know he's back as AD but ultimately it's the 
> long-term leadership skills of the head coach that's going to bring back 
> success on any regular basis. At this point in Husker history, TO can only 
> taxi the plane. What we need is a good pilot.
>
> Solich tried to carry on the tradition by staying the course but Osborne's 
> shoes were apparently too big to fill. So the university brought in 
> Callahan, who wanted to bring wide open, gotta-pass-the-ball-more football 
> to Nebraska. To do that, we were told we had to recruit different style 
> players. That hasn't worked out so well either. Probably not so much due 
> to the style of offense he brought in so much as the style of coaching and 
> recruiting he brought.
>
> Several years ago, I heard former Husker asst. coach Dave Gillespie speak 
> and he said then that Nebraska had to recruit a special kind of player. He 
> said the glitz programs offered great football, along with spotlight, 
> fame, beaches and glamor. But, he said, the kind of kids Nebraska were 
> looking for were kids that were a bit more grounded. He said they looked 
> for kids who liked to play football and..... believe it or not.... study. 
> We are an academic institution first, he said. Plus, "there's not many 
> beaches in Nebraska." I don't know anything about recruiting but I'm 
> betting that's a tall order to fill and requires matching a special 
> recruiter with a special kid.
>
> And that's what Nebraska is going to have to find to get back to 
> greatness - a coach that understands Nebraska football, has the skills to 
> recruit for Nebraska football and the leadership to gain the respect of 
> Nebraska fans and players. Callahan leaving Big Red country in short order 
> is a given. But getting that "doable" coach is also a tall order. Osborne 
> may be the only person who can do that. Time will tell.
>
> And time is what's going to have to be given once that coach is found. I'd 
> really hate to see us follow the same route as schools like Alabama, who 
> has gone through a bunch of guys trying to regain prominence, or Oklahoma 
> who went through a decade of less-than-mediocre and three coaches after 
> Switzer left. Bama's latest employing of hired gun Saban looks like a move 
> of desperation to me. He's a great coach but I group him in the same area 
> as other evil geniuses like Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer. I just don't 
> see this type coach working out at Nebraska. Too slick.
>
> Guys like Pete Carroll and Jim Tressel definitely are able and inspire 
> their players but they remind me too much of the Neuheisal guy that was at 
> Colorado for a while.... that glitz and glamor thing again....  too much 
> Hollywood. (Whatever happened to Skippy? Haven't heard of him in a while.)
>
> Nor do I think a Phillip Fulmer, a Charlie Weis or a Ron Zook would work 
> out in Huskerland. Really, now.... can you see the Nebraska embracing a 
> head coach whose persona is like these guys? Wrong personalities, wrong 
> styles. Plus, Weis is in worse shape than Callahan at this point.
>
> And any perceived win-at-any-cost coaches, like a Jim Leavitt or Pat Hill 
> wouldn't fit either. Nebraska wants to win but these guys strike me more 
> as brawlers than boxers.
> Guys like Bob Stoops or Mack Brown are closer to what we need. So is a 
> Frank Beamer or a Jeff Bower or Mark Richt. Maybe even a Bo Pelini or 
> Turner Gill. They seem to have the personality mix, the enthusiasm, the 
> maturity, the ability to connect with players, the recruiting prowess 
> along with the pigskin grey matter needed to fit the bill.
>
> Still, regardless of who is brought in, it's gonna take time. We've got to 
> find that bowl of porridge that's just right and eat it for a while before 
> we're back in top-25 form.
>
> Just my opinion.
>
> Scott
> Jefferson, Georgia
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