Boyd Epley leaves the Huskers

The Lincoln Journal-Star is reporting that Boyd Epley is leaving the Huskers to become the director of coaching performance at the National Strength & Conditioning Association. Epley was considered by some as the "father of modern strength conditioning" and his creation of the Husker Power program gets a lot of credit for the Huskers performance over the past 35 years. Epley recently led the North Stadium Expansion Project, which seemed to me to be an odd fit for a legend in athletic training. Now, with that task done, he's returning to his roots.

Epley's reassignment away from strength & conditioning came amongst rumors of friction between him and then-head coach Frank Solich. While denied at the time, it's interested to note that both gentlemen were removed from their jobs in Steve Pederson's first year at the helm of Husker athletics. Coincedence? Personally, I'm doubtful. A couple of years ago, Pederson commented about disunity and blame-passing in the Athletic Department. Who were two of Steve Pederson's biggest staff changes? Frank Solich and Boyd Epley; both long time contributors to the success of Husker football. Hmmm.

I hate to bring up the whole Solich firing again, because it's past history whether it was right or wrong. But Epley leaving the Huskers to return to strength coaching reinforces my hypothesis about the coaching change. It wasn't so much recruiting or 7-7 or 9-3 or 38-9 or 16-12 or 42nd or whatever statistics people like to throw out.