Matt (I’m in a daze) Hayes of The Sporting News doesn’t like our choice of Bo Pelini for head coach.
Nebraska: Bo Pelini, C-. The depth of failure in the Bill Callahan era: an abominable showing on the field, fear of change off it. You don’t settle for Pelini because he spent one year in Lincoln and knows “the Nebraska way.”
When Jim Grobe says he wants to hire his own staff, you say “whatever you want” and close the deal.
I try to make it a habit not to engage in ignorant discussions, but I’ll make an exception here.
We didn’t “settle” for Pelini. He is the right fit at the right time in Husker history. As for Grobe hiring his own staff, we just went down that road. Dazed Hayes may not like it, but the combined efforts of Osborne and Pelini makes for a powerful team that will return us to national prominence. And it will happen our way, inside the cornbelt.
January 5th, 2008 at 11:10 am
Somebody tell me I am way off here but, if I remember right he gave the Bill Callahan hiring an (A) 4 years ago.
January 5th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
As far as Matt Hayes goes I think Dean Wermer said it best, “Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life son.”
January 5th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
After reading the article, it shows how out of touch this guy really is. Giving UCLA an A for hiring a guy that should not be coaching in NCAA athletics for many reasons is not a good hire. Baltimore’s offense was horrible this year and mediocre stops in Colorado and Washington marred in NCAA investigations and Rick N. suing the NCAA should have kept him from getting that job. In 2 years when the NCAA finds some violations, like they have at all his past head coaching gigs, what will the grade be then? I’ll gladly take a C-, just like I would have gladly taken some of Nebraska’s 50th ranked defense from 2006 last year!!
January 5th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
I noticed from Hayes’ Bio he is from Orlando. I can’t believe there aren’t any dentist in Orlando but Hayes’ picture tells the story.
January 6th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Get ready to let me have it boys. Nebraska settled on the safe, popular choice. That doesn’t mean Pelini won’t be sucessful, I just believe they rushed the process and no one else was really given a chance.
January 6th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
I think that Tom did what the loud majority in this state wanted. Bottom line is if he didn’t feel comfortable doing it, then I don’t think he would have. But if for some reason the Bo experiment doesn’t work out, then we have no one to blame but ourselves. Who would you have hired?
January 6th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
But Brad, the Bo experiment isn’t going to fail. I don’t care what Hayes says. Him being from Orlando probably didnt know that this is what we wanted and he probably didnt know that only about 5% of us wanted Grobe. BO BIG RED!
January 6th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
*Oops. I put “know” twice*
January 6th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Not being an insider, I don’t know who was actually interested, or who NU could have interested.
I can’t stand the arguement that I’ve heard that we couldn’t get a proven winner. How do you know Mark Richt of Georgia wouldn’t be interested? What about Paul Johnson of Navy? What about former Auburn Coach Terry Bowden, Cental Michagan Coach Butch Jones, Kirk Ferentz of Iowa, or Hawaii’s June Jones?
You want a Nebraska connection…Frank Solich, Tom Rathman, Monte or Lane Kiffin.
Pelini was the safe choice. I’m not saying he won’t win, but I’m not sold on him yet. Four years ago it would have been a HUGE mistake. Then again, firing Frank was a HUGE mistake.
My opinion — Terry Bowden was my choice. RD, you know where I live. I’m waiting for you to come kick my ass.
January 6th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
@RD
Hit him once for me please.
January 6th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Ed=Matt Hayes.
What about Paul Johnson of Navy? What about former Auburn Coach Terry Bowden, Cental Michagan Coach Butch Jones, Kirk Ferentz of Iowa, or Hawaii’s June Jones?
What About Richie Kotite he wasn’t offered either. Wayne Fontes neither.
January 6th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
@ED
Mark Richt would’ve been fine for me, but seriously man, why on earth would he leave Georgia? My first choice is was and always would’ve been Bo Pelini. That’s not to say I am not going to be happy with someone else. I would NOT have been happy with Paul Johnson, June Jones, Butch Jones, or Kirk Ferentz. I could’ve lived with Terry Bowden. My second choice was Boise St’s coach. Man, that game against Oklahoma last year was awesome and took some serious BALLS!
Let’s face it, after 4 years of Loserhan and Cosgrove, they could have hired Micheal Jackson, Tito, and Bubbles to coach this team and had better results. Let’s just not let recruits sleep over at coach’s house!
@Pete
I agree, he will not lose. However, it is always a possibility and I am willing to take that risk.
January 6th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
I’m trying to figure out why you keep calling him the safe choice. For never being a head coach wouldn’t you call him the “put your head on a chopping block” choice? To me all the other names you listed would have been the safe way to go.
If this doesn’t work out Tom is gonna have a horrible reputation for picking coaches. For Tom I think hiring Bo couldn’t be any futher away from being safe.
I wouldn’t be to worried if I were Tom though, Bo will make these guy’s cry for there mommy’s by the time he is done with them, but then again I guess Billy C made Marlon Lucky cry for his mommy, so that doesn’t say much. Even if we lose with Bo, I promise you there will be blood and bodies on the field. He will create a team that play’s 100% all four quarters. There will be pain and suffering!!!
Bo Big Red!!!
January 6th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Well put dizzy!
January 6th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
One other reason why Pelini should have been the only choice is this audio. I thought his press conference when he was hired was powerfull but it pales compared to this.
http://fastandfuriousfootball.com/CollegeDefense/Bo%20Pelini%20LSU%20defense.wav
January 6th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Amen dizz. I never understood labeling Pellini as a ’safe’ choice. I think Solich was probably the ultimate in safe choices when he was named head man.
Ed, I think the only reason you bring up a Bowden, any Bowden, is because you know how much it pisses me off. Well played, sir.
My pleasure Brad.
January 7th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
@the blogger formerly known as ForeverRed
you hit the nail on the head, Bo is the peoples choice, and the biggest gamble.
If one more person brings up Paul f*&^ing Johnson, please answer this question? We need defensive help and Paul Johnson’s flexbone is the answer how? So we step back two years at least to install the flexbone and the blackshirt tradition is left up to Paul Johnson and his hire to rectify, sounds like a great plan to me seeings how are offense was the main problem right? Tom Osborne has always done what he thought was best for Nebraska. such as going away from a passing type offense to the option, going for two when a tie would have won the championship in 84, changing from the 5-2 defense to a attacking 4-3. Choosing Frank S As much as Frank S is ostracized he still was a winner, and I believe would have turned around his mid career swoon if the 2003 staff would have been allowed to build and grow. Bo was a gamble, but I guarantee Tom knows more about what it takes to do the job than anyone of us. He has always done it his way which when you think of it is truly the Nebraska way. So don’t say safe because that is not right. Trust Tom to do what we have all been waiting for him to do. restore NU back to it spot among college football elites.