A lot of the "Kool-aid drinkers" talk about how great these coaches will be after they get their players in. So I thought I'd take a look and see how the teams that lost coaches to Nebraska fared. And also, how the schools that hired former Husker coaches did as well. It's a sobering statistic:
Teams that lost coaches:
Oakland Raiders (Bill Callahan, Jay Norvell, Randy Jordan): +1 win (4-12 to 5-11)
Fresno State (Dennis Wagner): +1 (9-5 to 9-3)
Wisconsin (Kevin Cosgrove): +2.5 (7-6 to 9-3)
Utah (Bill Busch): +2 (10-2 to 12-0)
Purdue (Phil Elmassian): -1.5 (9-4 to 7-5)
Mississippi State (John Blake): +1.5 (2-10 to 3-8)
Teams that gained coaches:
Iowa State (Barney Cotton): +4.5 (2-9 to 7-5)
Minnesota State (Jeff Jamrog, Tim Albin): +6 (0-11 to 6-5)
Oklahoma (Bo Pelini): +0.5 (12-2 to 12-1)
North Carolina (Marvin Sanders): +4 (2-10 to 6-6)
Nebraska: -4 (10-3 to 5-6)
The verdict:
5 out of 6 teams that lost coaches to Nebraska IMPROVED their record as a result.
All 4 teams that gained former Nebraska coaches also IMPROVED their record, 3 of which very significantly. (And the 4th team, Oklahoma, really didn't have much room for improving their record anyway...)
So, when you evaluate year 1 of this coaching change, there is no other possible grade: F
Fortunately, we're wiping the slate clean, and everybody starts at 0-0. We'll see how 2005 goes...
What amazes me is that the sports media has yet to be consistent. The sports media called the .500 season a disaster and something HAD to be done. Frank went and fired coaches that he had worked with his ENTIRE life, for the good of the program. He assembled some good coaches, and took the team to 10-3. (Notice no 70-10 losses under Frank's tenure.) After which Steve Pederson said "the program needs to go in a new direction".
ReplyDeletePederson gave the new coaching staff (Frank's) one year, and they gave him 3 more wins including the bowl victory. Callahans group gave us utter kaos, and Steve doesn't see a problem. When Steve Pederson sees a problem with 10-3, and doesn't see a problem with 5-6, we have cause to worry.
A comment on the coaches we gained. My brother attend school in Madison, WISC. He comments everytime I see him that he continues to run into people that couldn't believe we hired Callahan to begin with, but then to have Callahan take Cosgrove off Wisconsins hands was like a dream come true.
Pederson will always be known as the A.D. that killed the tradition at Nebraska.
Rod H.
Would Barry Alvarez still retire this season if Kevin Cosgrove was still his defensive coordinator? Me thinks not.
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