GeauxTo
11-28-2007, 07:21 PM
Published Wednesday | November 28, 2007
Husker coaching candidates
Turner Gill
Head Coach, Buffalo
• Upside: Few coaches have a better grasp of Nebraska tradition and Osborne's recipe for success. But Gill has been away from Lincoln for three years and could blend old and new, which may be what Osborne is looking for. Gill, as popular an assistant as Nebraska has ever had, would rally support among the program's supporters
• Downside: Going from Buffalo to Nebraska is a monumental coaching jump. Gill hasn't worked in many systems outside of Nebraska's. And maybe most important, he's not the fiery motivator who could resurrect Nebraska's Blackshirts.
• Nebraska ties: One of Osborne's best quarterbacks, Gill never lost a Big Eight Conference game as a starter. In 1983, he operated arguably Nebraska's best-ever offense. In 1992, he returned to Osbornes side, this time as an assistant coach. He helped develop option specialists Tommie Frazier, Scott Frost and Eric Crouch. He survived coaching transition and worked under Bill Callahan for one year, leaving after the 2004 season.
• Résumé: Gill is still pretty new to the head coaching role. But in just two years at Buffalo, he has begun to flip a losing culture. Buffalo won five games in 2007, compared to 12 total in its first eight years as a member of Division I-A. In the process, Gill has constructed a fan base that previously didn't exist.
• Personality: Gill's honesty and character made him one of Nebraska's best recruiters and one of Osborne's best friends. He's even-keel, understated and businesslike, but popular with players.
Jim Grobe
Head Coach, Wake Forest
• Upside: Start with character. His humility is unusual in the coaching business. "Grobey", as his friends and children call him, still considers himself a hillbilly from West Virginia. He treats his assistants better than some head coaches treat their families. And, of course, he wins at places youre not supposed to with an offense that would appeal to Osborne. It's enticing to think what he could do with elite talent.
• Downside: Grobe, 55, signed a 10-year extension in February, meaning Nebraska would have to pay in the range of $2 million to get him out of the contract. Also, he's kept the same assistants since his days at Ohio and takes pride in that cohesion. The chances of finding room for former Nebraska assistants like Marvin Sanders and Barney Cotton would be unlikely.
• Nebraska Ties: None, although he counts former Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry as a mentor. Osborne and DeBerry have known each other for years.
• Résumé: Program builder. He won at Ohio when it was one of the country's worst programs. He's winning at Wake Forest, one of the smallest schools in Division I. He won national coach of the year honors after leading the Demon Deacons to the 2006 ACC championship.
• Personality: Grobe is relatively laid back by coaching standards, but he knows how to motivate by pushing the right buttons. He reportedly doesn't have an agent, nor does he enjoy hearing his name come up for other jobs. "I think some people have agents that are floating their names all over the place in every job that comes open, whether it's Podunk Hollow or whatever, to get their names mentioned," Grobe told the Winston-Salem Journal last year. "I think that makes some people feel real, real good. But that doesn't have any appeal to me whatsoever." Sounds like a guy Osborne would like.
Brian Kelly
Head Coach, Cincinnati
• Upside: He's an offensive wizard who teaches a no-huddle version of the spread similar to Missouris attack. Hes an experienced head coach, having led three programs. He won national titles at Division II Grand Valley State. Critics say he's winning at Central Michigan and Cincinnati with players he didn't recruit. Fans of Kelly say that makes his success all the more impressive.
• Downside: His bravado may not sell with Osborne and Nebraska. There's also doubt whether he'd be interested - his name has come up in speculation about the Michigan job. And Kelly, for the most part, stays away from the defense. Why's that important? Nebraska could use a defensive emphasis after a disastrous 2007.
• Nebraska ties: None, and his comfort zone appears to be the Michigan-Ohio area into the Northeast. Former Husker and assistant Jimmy Williams assisted Kelly in 2001 at Grand Valley State.
• Résumé: They don't get a whole lot better for a 46-year-old. He won two national titles at Grand Valley State and quickly turned around two Division I programs, winning nine games at Cincinnati this season. People around Central Michigan, where he coached three seasons, call him the next Urban Meyer - the Florida coach was at Bowling Green in 2001-02.
• Personality: Tom Osborne was a coach turned politician. Brian Kelly is a politician turned coach. He could sell water to a whale, one of his Cincinnati players told the New York Times. Those who have worked with Kelly compare him to Steve Spurrier or Rick Pitino. He's not afraid to boast of his accomplishments, but he's shrewd in his delivery. Unlike Bill Callahan, he'd rather be rubbing elbows with boosters than breaking down film. He counts Bobby Kennedy as a role model.
Bo Pelini
Defensive Coordinator, LSU
• Upside: Few coaches get players to perform with the intensity of Pelini's troops. By all accounts, he's a rising star in the business with a desire to match his wit. He's been on the big stage, coaching in the NFL playoffs and in BCS bowl games with Oklahoma and LSU. He prepared the Huskers beautifully for the 2003 Alamo Bowl. And, of course, Nebraska could really use his hard-nosed passion right now.
• Downside: He's never been a head coach at any level, which may put him at a disadvantage in a formal interview. He turns 40 in two weeks and would be learning on the job. He may have to rein in some of his player-friendly qualities to take on a CEO role. And there are always those instances - like ripping Bill Snyder for running up the score - in which Pelini's temper got the best of him.
• Nebraska ties: A close friend of Monte Kiffin, Pelini was hired in 2003 to resurrect the Blackshirts. He won over fans immediately. He was a fan favorite to replace Frank Solich and understands the passion and tradition built by Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne.
• Résumé: Pelini would be completely prepared for Nebraska and, at the same time, entering uncharted territory. He's assisted some of the games biggest names: George Seifert, Pete Carroll and Bob Stoops, among others. No Division I-A team has produced defenses the past three years as good as LSU's. Though Pelini hasn't been a head coach, his former Nebraska players swear he'd excel.
• Personality: No nonsense. No political correctness. Coaches don't get much more popular among players. He'd much rather deliver motivational speeches and teach techniques than schmooze boosters.
Husker coaching candidates
Turner Gill
Head Coach, Buffalo
• Upside: Few coaches have a better grasp of Nebraska tradition and Osborne's recipe for success. But Gill has been away from Lincoln for three years and could blend old and new, which may be what Osborne is looking for. Gill, as popular an assistant as Nebraska has ever had, would rally support among the program's supporters
• Downside: Going from Buffalo to Nebraska is a monumental coaching jump. Gill hasn't worked in many systems outside of Nebraska's. And maybe most important, he's not the fiery motivator who could resurrect Nebraska's Blackshirts.
• Nebraska ties: One of Osborne's best quarterbacks, Gill never lost a Big Eight Conference game as a starter. In 1983, he operated arguably Nebraska's best-ever offense. In 1992, he returned to Osbornes side, this time as an assistant coach. He helped develop option specialists Tommie Frazier, Scott Frost and Eric Crouch. He survived coaching transition and worked under Bill Callahan for one year, leaving after the 2004 season.
• Résumé: Gill is still pretty new to the head coaching role. But in just two years at Buffalo, he has begun to flip a losing culture. Buffalo won five games in 2007, compared to 12 total in its first eight years as a member of Division I-A. In the process, Gill has constructed a fan base that previously didn't exist.
• Personality: Gill's honesty and character made him one of Nebraska's best recruiters and one of Osborne's best friends. He's even-keel, understated and businesslike, but popular with players.
Jim Grobe
Head Coach, Wake Forest
• Upside: Start with character. His humility is unusual in the coaching business. "Grobey", as his friends and children call him, still considers himself a hillbilly from West Virginia. He treats his assistants better than some head coaches treat their families. And, of course, he wins at places youre not supposed to with an offense that would appeal to Osborne. It's enticing to think what he could do with elite talent.
• Downside: Grobe, 55, signed a 10-year extension in February, meaning Nebraska would have to pay in the range of $2 million to get him out of the contract. Also, he's kept the same assistants since his days at Ohio and takes pride in that cohesion. The chances of finding room for former Nebraska assistants like Marvin Sanders and Barney Cotton would be unlikely.
• Nebraska Ties: None, although he counts former Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry as a mentor. Osborne and DeBerry have known each other for years.
• Résumé: Program builder. He won at Ohio when it was one of the country's worst programs. He's winning at Wake Forest, one of the smallest schools in Division I. He won national coach of the year honors after leading the Demon Deacons to the 2006 ACC championship.
• Personality: Grobe is relatively laid back by coaching standards, but he knows how to motivate by pushing the right buttons. He reportedly doesn't have an agent, nor does he enjoy hearing his name come up for other jobs. "I think some people have agents that are floating their names all over the place in every job that comes open, whether it's Podunk Hollow or whatever, to get their names mentioned," Grobe told the Winston-Salem Journal last year. "I think that makes some people feel real, real good. But that doesn't have any appeal to me whatsoever." Sounds like a guy Osborne would like.
Brian Kelly
Head Coach, Cincinnati
• Upside: He's an offensive wizard who teaches a no-huddle version of the spread similar to Missouris attack. Hes an experienced head coach, having led three programs. He won national titles at Division II Grand Valley State. Critics say he's winning at Central Michigan and Cincinnati with players he didn't recruit. Fans of Kelly say that makes his success all the more impressive.
• Downside: His bravado may not sell with Osborne and Nebraska. There's also doubt whether he'd be interested - his name has come up in speculation about the Michigan job. And Kelly, for the most part, stays away from the defense. Why's that important? Nebraska could use a defensive emphasis after a disastrous 2007.
• Nebraska ties: None, and his comfort zone appears to be the Michigan-Ohio area into the Northeast. Former Husker and assistant Jimmy Williams assisted Kelly in 2001 at Grand Valley State.
• Résumé: They don't get a whole lot better for a 46-year-old. He won two national titles at Grand Valley State and quickly turned around two Division I programs, winning nine games at Cincinnati this season. People around Central Michigan, where he coached three seasons, call him the next Urban Meyer - the Florida coach was at Bowling Green in 2001-02.
• Personality: Tom Osborne was a coach turned politician. Brian Kelly is a politician turned coach. He could sell water to a whale, one of his Cincinnati players told the New York Times. Those who have worked with Kelly compare him to Steve Spurrier or Rick Pitino. He's not afraid to boast of his accomplishments, but he's shrewd in his delivery. Unlike Bill Callahan, he'd rather be rubbing elbows with boosters than breaking down film. He counts Bobby Kennedy as a role model.
Bo Pelini
Defensive Coordinator, LSU
• Upside: Few coaches get players to perform with the intensity of Pelini's troops. By all accounts, he's a rising star in the business with a desire to match his wit. He's been on the big stage, coaching in the NFL playoffs and in BCS bowl games with Oklahoma and LSU. He prepared the Huskers beautifully for the 2003 Alamo Bowl. And, of course, Nebraska could really use his hard-nosed passion right now.
• Downside: He's never been a head coach at any level, which may put him at a disadvantage in a formal interview. He turns 40 in two weeks and would be learning on the job. He may have to rein in some of his player-friendly qualities to take on a CEO role. And there are always those instances - like ripping Bill Snyder for running up the score - in which Pelini's temper got the best of him.
• Nebraska ties: A close friend of Monte Kiffin, Pelini was hired in 2003 to resurrect the Blackshirts. He won over fans immediately. He was a fan favorite to replace Frank Solich and understands the passion and tradition built by Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne.
• Résumé: Pelini would be completely prepared for Nebraska and, at the same time, entering uncharted territory. He's assisted some of the games biggest names: George Seifert, Pete Carroll and Bob Stoops, among others. No Division I-A team has produced defenses the past three years as good as LSU's. Though Pelini hasn't been a head coach, his former Nebraska players swear he'd excel.
• Personality: No nonsense. No political correctness. Coaches don't get much more popular among players. He'd much rather deliver motivational speeches and teach techniques than schmooze boosters.