[Husker] Leadership = Success

Tue Nov 6 23:35:16 CST 2007

Woops...must be late...that would be soul...not sole...That kinda reminds 
me... a McFish would be OK right now :)
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steven Johnson" <jfpgroup at msn.com>
To: <husker at tssi.com>; <scottbuff at earthlink.net>
Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 11:23 PM
Subject: Re: [Husker] Leadership = Success


> 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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