Fire Bill Callahan - The 2006 Edition
If Internet traffic is any indication, it appears that the seeds of another Fire Bill Callahan movement are afoot. In the 48 hours since the loss to Oklahoma State, site traffic to Huskerzone.com - as driven by the search engines - has exploded, fueled by the search phrase “Fire Bill Callahan.”
We’ve started our own initiative, now referring to Bill CaLLLahan with red Ls in his last name, indicating the number of losses on the year.
As to the firing the coach? I think a better question for the fans is At what point do you become fed up with the program and your interest in Husker football starts to wane? My neighbor decided after Saturday’s loss that he is done as a season ticket holder and donor to the program. His biggest gripe, “the guy doesn’t show any emotion. For once I’d like to see his press conference after a loss and be pissed off. At least then I’d know he actually cared about the program.”
I feel a similar sentiment, if we have been recruiting these stellar athletes for the past three season, why aren’t they be developed to their potential. A coaching staff develops game plans and gets the most out of their players. Coaches all around college football are doing it with less ‘talent.’ This year - especially now that we’ve hit the final stretch - it seems as though the Huskers are stopping to catch their breath while better athletes keep on running.
I’m a lifelong Husker fan who gets to as many games as I can - although with a 2-week old and a 21 month old at home, I’ll be cutting back my in-person attendance for a while. My support is with the Huskers, but the coaching staff may be a different story.
What do you think? Please sound off in the Comments.
October 31st, 2006 at 9:26 am
Nice work with the repeating Ls.
We might also start calling him Bill Loserhan.
Unless he runs the table from here. Then we can be gentlemen again.
October 31st, 2006 at 9:47 am
In a year and a half, Mike Gundy took an average Oklahoma State team to the level where they can compete in the Big12 south with with a philosophy of recruiting character over talent.
It took 1 year for Urban Meyer to turn around Florida.
The problem with Nebraska isn’t talent. It is 100% coaching. Callahan is not the right fit for Nebraska and neither is Steve Pederson.
November 2nd, 2006 at 11:09 pm
Nebraska fans deserve better, much better. I hate hearing about long time supporters who are giving up, but couldnt we see this coming 3 years ago?
How long will ‘fans’ brag about Callahan’s #1 recruiting classes ony to watch BC rely on Solich recruits? And watch Callahan as he is unable to grow talent in these players?
Charlie Weiss and Urban Meyer turned their teams around fast. Solich turned the Huskers around in one year only to be fired - then he arrives at Ohio and in his second year is on a winning streak!
The excuses are over, this experiment has failed. Bill Must Go (and Steve too).
November 5th, 2006 at 10:51 am
Yep…it’s as if all of Bill’s supporters don’t want to be wrong so they back him at all costs. I point out to these people, that while VERY upset at Solich’s firing, I was willing to give the coach a chance. I was turned off after going 5-6 with the same talent as the 10-3 season. I even attended the KU game that year and found myself rooting for KU because they were playing hard. Just so people know, I am was a HUGE NU fan. I still have games from the early 90’s on dvd (close to 40 of em.)
November 5th, 2006 at 11:25 am
Not that I am a big Frank Solich fan, but I wonder when people are going to notice that he took a very, very bad Ohio team to the top of the MAC-East in his second season. Granted, they have a 1 game lead with 2 games to play — against two teams who are a combined 2-10 in conference play (and combined 3-16 on the season).
And could possible take them to their first bowl game in 38 years…
November 11th, 2006 at 8:56 am
wow fire another coach?…nebraska exspects too much out of our guys..look at rutgers…the big come up…nebraskas havin its down years..and these so called long time fans..and fans when we won a lot…thats not a loyal fan..
November 11th, 2006 at 10:11 am
Wow, I think it is ridiculous for fans to follow and support the team blindly.
Even former players are questioning the repeated statements by the coaching staff that Nebraska is lacking in talent.
College footall is a different game than it was 10 years ago and you’d be crazy to think that anyone will see a repeat of what Nebraska accomplished in the late 90s.
But telling recruits who were in attendance at the USC game not to expect the Huskers to play to win, the numerous times it has appeared the coaching staff has given up in blowout games, and the inconsistencies surrounding play calling (and the apparent lack of game-planning). That is what pisses people off about Billy Boy and staff.
November 14th, 2006 at 3:29 pm
Often on websites we hear people talk about ‘loyal fans’ , and it seems that some folks think different things when they hear that term. For me it means loyalty to the program, what it was and what it stood for. For me, it was never totally about WINS vs LOSSES, it was more about HOW we won (and lost) that I miss. I am sad for NU football now for what we lost 3 years ago, so I am wondering if I am no longer a ‘loyal fan’? Maybe there are those who are ‘loyal’ no matter waht the state of affairs of Husker Nation. Sadly for me it’s not that easy.
November 29th, 2006 at 6:50 pm
Shawn says that Cally told recruits “not to expect the Huskers to play to win”, where did that come from? I follow the boards as time allows, and I’ve never seen that. I’m not Callahan lover or hater, but I do know that CFB has changed. I also believe that we were NOT heading in a good direction with Solich. When I think about reasons for the change, all I have to do is remember 63-36. Yes, Cally’s had worse losses, but we are heading in the right direction. You and your site are not doing “Husker Nation” any favors.
November 30th, 2006 at 1:58 pm
Where is your proof of a ‘right direction’?? Funny how you can throw out the window what BC has done, Worst loss in NU history, first losing season since 61, first NU coach to refer to opponents and fans as ‘f****king hillbillies’ while still ON THE FIELD, first NU coach to harass an official on the field with the throat slash gesture, first NU coach who refers to players going elsewhere as ‘prima donnas’, first NU coach to ruin the dreams of Nebraska youth who dreamed of playing for NU via the walk on program, first NU coach to receive a RAISE after a losing season,etc..
Now we have an out of state foreigner, kicked out of the NFL by his own players after a humiliating 2nd season with the raiders, AND we pay him in excess of 2 million dollars a year - almost 2 times more than we paid anyone else previously. Funny how you can look at all the humiliating things even in this the 3rd year of the experiment and call it ‘heading in the right direction’??!! This year- running out the clock on national TV while behind 3 scores, folks looking for us to showcase the WCO and we kept the ball on the ground to keep them(USC) from scoring so much,( what class) , KU racking up almost 600 yards against us IN LINCOLN, getting blown away by a non ranked OSU team, using every trick play in the book to put away Colorado when we could have used those plays and the element of surprise to beat OU this week in the CCG, we can go on and on and on , but you will only see what you want to see I guess…
In case you haven’t checked yet this year, the BIG 12 is ranked 6th. Look where the BIG 12 was during Frank’s tenure. Better yet, take a look at how many BIG 12 teams were in the top 10 during the seasons Frank coached. Compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges. Frank spent most of his life as a husker and he was one helluva husker. We owe it to him to measure BC with the same yardstick as we did him. Keep in mind that Frank Solich EARNED his husker jersey. I think we all bought BC his.