Does Nebraska take a look at Woods?

[SwirlinLingerie]

Chad's column got me thinking. Seems like there is a pretty good chance the head football job will open in Lincoln later this fall.

Does Alberts interview Woods? I tend to think they'd want a bigger name, but Alberts seems like a shrewd guy. Woods' name is going to start surfacing among smart football folks - at least as a guy to talk to. My guess is Woods will blow ADs and presidents away once they have in-depth, in-person discussions.

And hiring someone with the formula for how to win at a place like Iowa would be near the top of my list if I'm Alberts. The fact Woods would probably bring along quite a bit of talent from Iowa' current staff would be a bonus.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

That'd be surprising if Woods was #1 on their list. I agree NE could be in the market depending on how this yr goes for them. It felt like Alberts put Frost on notice. But they'd have to try and get someone with some HC experience to take over. I don't think they'd go for a 1st time rookie HC no matter who it is. But I could be wrong.

Woods would be my first pick for taking over for KF in say 3 or 4 yrs whenever KF hangs it up. Will Woods stick around however long that takes? How's the whole BF thing play out? I mean how many more yrs of having offenses ranked 100 or lower can he have and keep his gig? Surely the hell he isn't in line for HC I'd say with how the last 5 yrs have gone he's coached himself out of that conversation.

 

[guffus]

My guess is that Scott Frost is going to get a long leash at Nebraska because firing Frost means it's time to lower expectations at Nebraska.

Cause if Scott Frost could not even come close to any kind of success, then who could they find that could? They have tried hiring top college assistants, an ex-NFL head coach, an existing P5 coach, and young up and comers like Scott Frost. What's left? Nebraska is no longer a destination. It's where coaches go to die.

If Nebraska were to offer the job to ISU's Campbell, would he even be interested? Nebraska is screwed at this point if they fire Frost. Unless he goes 3-9 again, they have to give him at least 2 more years to turn things around.

 

[okeefe4prez]

My guess is that Scott Frost is going to get a long leash at Nebraska because firing Frost means it's time to lower expectations at Nebraska.

Cause if Scott Frost could not even come close to any kind of success, then who could they find that could? They have tried hiring top assistants like Bo Pelini, an ex-NFL head coach, an existing P5 coach, and young up and comers like Scott Frost. What's left? Nebraska is no longer a destination. It's where coaches go to die.

If Nevraska were to offer the job to ISU's Campbell, would he even be interested? Nebraska us screwed at this point if they fire Frost.

Pelini was an excellent coach and I was glad to see him sent on his way. He understood the Big Ten model of recruiting and play and attained Nebraska's consistent high water mark (with maybe an outlier to the upside once a decade which he didn't have time to attain) that they can expect in the Big Ten.

All that aside, the only way Nebraska would hire a guy without HC experience is if it was someone like Bob Stoops or Brent Venables when Oklahoma hired them away from Florida and Clemson respectively. They would have to be a top tier coordinator on a top tier program. Unfortunately for Nebraska, top tier coordinators get jobs at places like Georgia (Kirby Smart) or Oklahoma (Stoops/Venables/Lincoln Riley) and Nebraska would likely be well down their list of choices.

 

[Seth53]

I feel zero remorse for Debbie.

Solich went 58-19 (.753) (National champs 1999)...not good enough
Pelini went 67-27 (.713) (B1G Legends champs)...not good enough

However, I can't crow too loudly as Tom Davis merely went 270-139 (.660) before being unceremoniously pushed out.

 

[okeefe4prez]

However, I can't crow too loudly as Tom Davis merely went 270-139 (.660) before being unceremoniously pushed out.

Sorry, but if you have a candidate like Alford lined up you let go of Davis. It's easy to bitch about with the benefit of hindsight because Iowa couldn't keep Alford when he got a better offer and eventually wound up at one of the premier blue blood programs, but at the time that deal was done it was a no-brainer.

 

[Seth53]

Sorry, but if you have a candidate like Alford lined up you let go of Davis. It's easy to bitch about with the benefit of hindsight because Iowa couldn't keep Alford when he got a better offer and eventually wound up at one of the premier blue blood programs, but at the time that deal was done it was a no-brainer.

I don't disagree that Alfraud was the next Wizard of Westwood on the horizon. So everyone thought.

However, the *way* it happened, leaving TD and the Iowa BB program lame-ducks for an entire season killed that recruiting class and just looked bad from a national perspective.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

Sorry, but if you have a candidate like Alford lined up you let go of Davis. It's easy to bitch about with the benefit of hindsight because Iowa couldn't keep Alford when he got a better offer and eventually wound up at one of the premier blue blood programs, but at the time that deal was done it was a no-brainer.

Yeah that's the context/perspective to it all. There was a not so quiet roar of fans wanting the new young up and coming next hot shot coach and Alford checked all those boxes. Not even the angle of keeping him from ending up Indiana instead was a thing so much as we just wanted a drastic change from what Mr. Davis had been those few yrs at the end there.

What's crazy is Alford was pretty close to having the program take that next step. But between Pierce and everything else that happened there was no chance... Not to mention how Alford was behind the scenes he was (maybe still is I dunno) a grade A douche that just didn't fit here.

 

[SwirlinLingerie]

Pelini was an excellent coach and I was glad to see him sent on his way. He understood the Big Ten model of recruiting and play and attained Nebraska's consistent high water mark (with maybe an outlier to the upside once a decade which he didn't have time to attain) that they can expect in the Big Ten.

All that aside, the only way Nebraska would hire a guy without HC experience is if it was someone like Bob Stoops or Brent Venables when Oklahoma hired them away from Florida and Clemson respectively. They would have to be a top tier coordinator on a top tier program. Unfortunately for Nebraska, top tier coordinators get jobs at places like Georgia (Kirby Smart) or Oklahoma (Stoops/Venables/Lincoln Riley) and Nebraska would likely be well down their list of choices.

Exactly, no top tier coordinator from a top tier program is going to take the gig at Nebraska. At some point (it might already be happening), Woods' name is going to be circulated among smart football folks as a "guy you maybe want to talk to." I think he'll impress in interviews. If he is interested in interviewing for head jobs, my opinion is someone will decide he is their guy relatively soon.

And my guess is Alberts will most likely need to be a little more creative in unearthing a candidate than NE's previous ADs were. I think he'll also be looking for a long term hire to build a program - the idea of a quick fix/return to prominence is probably dead. Alberts strikes me as pretty realistic about the program's strengths and weaknesses.

 

[JoeyLabasForPresident]

I think the correct question is "Does Woods want anything to do with the dumpster fire that is Nebraska?" Penn State should can Franklin and throw the endowment at Woods.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

If Frost gets to 6-6 and a bowl game, he gets another year. Nebbie fans are abused spouses at this point. They can live with a bowl game after 5 years of poop burgers. Tearing it down and starting over is a process. As many on this board have noted, hiring a new coach is a crap shoot. Nebbie knows that better than anyone after failing miserably first with a veteran NFL guy and then with the hottest young coach in the game. Alberts will only fire Frost if he has to, and 6-6 is improvement. Frost benefits from his own inept standard here.

If he does not win 6 games, Woods will not be considered for the job. No way.

 

[99topdawg]

Ferentz is under contract until 2029. He may coach that long, but I have to think his contract will always be 4 or 5 years ahead of his retirement for recruiting purposes, etc. If he's here until 2029, I think it will be tough to keep Woods that long.

 

[okeefe4prez]

If Frost gets to 6-6 and a bowl game, he gets another year. Nebbie fans are abused spouses at this point. They can live with a bowl game after 5 years of poop burgers. Tearing it down and starting over is a process. As many on this board have noted, hiring a new coach is a crap shoot. Nebbie knows that better than anyone after failing miserably first with a veteran NFL guy and then with the hottest young coach in the game. Alberts will only fire Frost if he has to, and 6-6 is improvement. Frost benefits from his own inept standard here.

If he does not win 6 games, Woods will not be considered for the job. No way.

The real problem is it seems nearly impossible to dig out of the cellar in the modern era. It will be possible with NIL cash, but even then it ain't gonna be easy. Michigan had a good year last year, but it took forever, and when the chips were down they found out quickly that they were nowhere near as good as football royalty in the South.

Tennessee has disappeared. Texas has disappeared. Florida State has disappeared. Tennessee and Texas have major advantages over Nebraska and can't get out of the rut. It is WAY easier to go down than up. And with Nebraska's current state, they have to realize that if they somehow do land a miracle hire, years after any level of success are going to be met with massive speculation like we had to deal with Ferentz back around 2004 because it just isn't a "final destination" caliber program for a top level coach anymore.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

If Frost gets to 6-6 and a bowl game, he gets another year. Nebbie fans are abused spouses at this point. They can live with a bowl game after 5 years of poop burgers. Tearing it down and starting over is a process. As many on this board have noted, hiring a new coach is a crap shoot. Nebbie knows that better than anyone after failing miserably first with a veteran NFL guy and then with the hottest young coach in the game. Alberts will only fire Frost if he has to, and 6-6 is improvement. Frost benefits from his own inept standard here.

If he does not win 6 games, Woods will not be considered for the job. No way.

I dunno.... Alberts gave him a restructured contact and it just felt like he was on thin ice. I get the feeling his leash isn't that long. I bet 8 wins would keep him employed 7 being borderline depending how they go and 6 most likely gets him axed. I genuinely think they've had enough of him and looking for a reason. Going to a toilet bowl won't be enough going into year what 6?

So yeah we'll see how it goes I think it's put up or shut up for him now. Alberts didn't hire him and he's under no obligation to keep him. He's trying to start up his own legacy. Usually new ADs are looking for a reason to dump the incumbent and bring in their own.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

I dunno.... Alberts gave him a restructured contact and it just felt like he was on thin ice. I get the feeling his leash isn't that long. I bet 8 wins would keep him employed 7 being borderline depending how they go and 6 most likely gets him axed. I genuinely think they've had enough of him and looking for a reason. Going to a toilet bowl won't be enough going into year what 6?

So yeah we'll see how it goes I think it's put up or shut up for him now. Alberts didn't hire him and he's under no obligation to keep him. He's trying to start up his own legacy. Usually new ADs are looking for a reason to dump the incumbent and bring in their own.

Alberts literally could not afford to fire him last year with the ridiculous buy out that he had (Hoiberg too, but that is another kettle of fish). Asking alums to kick in 20 mill to fire one of their own was just not palatable and Nebbie aint as flush with disposable cash as some.

If you fire him after going 6-6, you lose your recruiting class and a lot transfer out. You almost guaranty another losing season or two. That would basically mean you have a decade of below .500 football. And again, who knows if the next guy will turn it around.

Frost is a dick, but he is their dick. If he gets them to a bowl, Alberts can sell momentum and stability.

Nebbie has learned the hard way that firing good coaches and chasing the next better thing (Solich and Pelini) can turn a very good program into a shit program in half a generation. I think Alberts is smart and patient and will give Frost a chance to keep building; IF he gets them to a bowl this year.

 

[racerhawk]

I don't disagree that Alfraud was the next Wizard of Westwood on the horizon. So everyone thought.

However, the *way* it happened, leaving TD and the Iowa BB program lame-ducks for an entire season killed that recruiting class and just looked bad from a national perspective.

As I sit on a zoom meeting in my office this morning, in Westwood, I almost spit out my coffee because that's just funny! Now people think I'm laughing at what they said. Dual monitors are dangerous.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

Alberts literally could not afford to fire him last year with the ridiculous buy out that he had (Hoiberg too, but that is another kettle of fish). Asking alums to kick in 20 mill to fire one of their own was just not palatable and Nebbie aint as flush with disposable cash as some.

If you fire him after going 6-6, you lose your recruiting class and a lot transfer out. You almost guaranty another losing season or two. That would basically mean you have a decade of below .500 football. And again, who knows if the next guy will turn it around.

Frost is a dick, but he is their dick. If he gets them to a bowl, Alberts can sell momentum and stability.

Nebbie has learned the hard way that firing good coaches and chasing the next better thing (Solich and Pelini) can turn a very good program into a shit program in half a generation. I think Alberts is smart and patient and will give Frost a chance to keep building; IF he gets them to a bowl this year.

Nothing would surprise me too much. I certainly don't have a dog in the race. I root for chaos if anything and them doing another coaching search would be funny to me. Obviously they'd much rather Frost just start winning games but once you get into yr 6 and it's as bad as they've had it the tough convos start being had

 

[ChosenChildren]

I think one of the earlier posts nailed it. Woods should wait for the Iowa job or some other job BETTER than Nebraska. Nebraska is in flames right now; I don't see it changing this year.

Nebraska is at the Maryland, Rutgers, Illinois or Indiana level now. They are a true bottom feeder. They suck. Iowa hasn't been 3-9 in over 20 years.

The real problem is it seems nearly impossible to dig out of the cellar in the modern era. It will be possible with NIL cash, but even then it ain't gonna be easy. Michigan had a good year last year, but it took forever, and when the chips were down they found out quickly that they were nowhere near as good as football royalty in the South.

Tennessee has disappeared. Texas has disappeared. Florida State has disappeared. Tennessee and Texas have major advantages over Nebraska and can't get out of the rut. It is WAY easier to go down than up. And with Nebraska's current state, they have to realize that if they somehow do land a miracle hire, years after any level of success are going to be met with massive speculation like we had to deal with Ferentz back around 2004 because it just isn't a "final destination" caliber program for a top level coach anymore.

okeefe4prez nails it here. Nebraska is the ultimate cautionary tale for Iowa football fans. It is SO EASY to go down, but it is so very difficult to get better.

 

[okeefe4prez]

okeefe4prez nails it here. Nebraska is the ultimate cautionary tale for Iowa football fans. It is SO EASY to go down, but it is so very difficult to get better.

IMHO, there are only two ways to get better on a sustained basis in the new world:

1) Have a massive benefactor or benefactors who give your school a decided advantage. Think Phil Knight (Oregon) or T. Boone Pickens (Oklahoma State). We're talking someone who can stroke checks well into the 9 figure range.

2) Be in a recruiting hotbed and land (and keep) a preeminent coach.

There are a few dozen fairly fungible teams in the P5 conferences that do not have 1 or 2 and will never have those things. If you are one of those teams, your best bet is to be perennially decent to good and then hope to catch lightning in a bottle. Clemson is the only team in the past few decades who has fallen into this luck and they only fell into it because Florida State totally disappeared and the rest of their conference completely sucks. It is not a tenable path for anyone in the Big Ten or SEC.

You need to be decent and then pray that someone like Cam Newton walks through the door. Too many SEC teams swing for the fence every single year and totally whiff. Nebraska did the same. You ain't coming back unless you hit on one of those two things above.

I personally think Iowa and Wisconsin have the right idea. Wisconsin had a puncher's chance of winning the title the year Russell Wilson showed up in Madison but had two heartbreaking losses. Nebraska needs to understand that is the typical ceiling and then hope for the miracle or two every decade.

 

[hawkdrummer1]

I think the correct question is "Does Woods want anything to do with the dumpster fire that is Nebraska?" Penn State should can Franklin and throw the endowment at Woods.

This. While you could argue that a HC position at any P5 school is a great career opportunity... Lavar knows the culture at Nebraska and what he'd be signing up for. Not all promotions are good moves.