Stormking and Bill Callahan

[Pipe Line]

Stormy got me thinking, can anyone give me somewhat of a history lesson on how Callahan did things around here? Anyone with a little more insight to it than the average fan?


I know he basically stripped away the things that Tom and Frank had established over that run but I've always been curious how Bill recruited, related to players, X's and O's things like that.


I somewhat remember those years but for some reason have quite a bit of it blocked out. I know we still lost a bunch of games and made a Big 12 Title Game appearance.

 

[Bootleg11]

I was talking to a guy who played at Nebraska a little in the 80s. He said that he went to visit soon after Callahan got to Lincoln, the walls were stripped with any memorabilia, basically trying to completely stow away the Osborne years.

Callahan truly tried to run the program like the kids were 25 year old pros. He just was a really bad fit. Heck of an O Line coach and in my opinion was the last coach Nebraska has had that was truly willing to play the modern recruiting game.

 

[MtnHusker]

I had connections with coaches on teams that played against the Callahan led Huskers. I can tell you they thought he was a very difficult coach to game plan against. They thought he was going to build a continual title contending Top 10 team. A combination of high level recruiting and overall good coaching. Obviously he had some flaws, biggest one being his loyalty to buddy and DC Kevin Cosgrove. We had a Top 5 recruiting class coming in if everything didn't implode on him and getting fired. Lots of committed recruits who ended up going somewhere else made the NFL. Since T.O. left he is the only coach I had any hope of winning a National Championship with.

 

[Huskersballz]

Isn’t it a pretty open secret that he was paying recruits? A lot of smoke with John Blake doing dirty stuff on the crootin trail as well.

 

[huskermack]

Isn’t it a pretty open secret that he was paying recruits? A lot of smoke with John Blake doing dirty stuff on the crootin trail as well.

I wish we would get back to doing that.

 

[Jim14510]

Isn’t it a pretty open secret that he was paying recruits? A lot of smoke with John Blake doing dirty stuff on the crootin trail as well.

That's interesting. I'm with opee. I remember but I don't remember. I didn't follow the program like I do now.

 

[dsbigred1]

Isn’t it a pretty open secret that he was paying recruits? A lot of smoke with John Blake doing dirty stuff on the crootin trail as well.

Obviously Blake got busted for doing that, but Clouse was on that staff, and basically makes it seem like Blake was just relentless, AND he had a few rule-bending tricks he’d employ on the reg...
But if we’re being honest, there was likely something going on, at least for a few of the guys.
Having said that, there was some seriously talented recruiters on that staff, and a lot of those guys have recruited well everywhere they’ve been

 

[Cash68847]

I had connections with coaches on teams that played against the Callahan led Huskers. I can tell you they thought he was a very difficult coach to game plan against. They thought he was going to build a continual title contending Top 10 team. A combination of high level recruiting and overall good coaching. Obviously he had some flaws, biggest one being his loyalty to buddy and DC Kevin Cosgrove. We had a Top 5 recruiting class coming in if everything didn't implode on him and getting fired. Lots of committed recruits who ended up going somewhere else made the NFL. Since T.O. left he is the only coach I had any hope of winning a National Championship with.

I thought we were fucked from the beginning. My uncle’s buddy was telling me about Cos. His dad was a college coach and good friends with Barry. When his dad went up to Wisconsin they got on the subject of Cosgrove. Barry said Cos is one hell of a recruiter, but I can find a 100 better coaches than him.

 

[BIGSTICK67]

I was talking to a guy who played at Nebraska a little in the 80s. He said that he went to visit soon after Callahan got to Lincoln, the walls were stripped with any memorabilia, basically trying to completely stow away the Osborne years.

Callahan truly tried to run the program like the kids were 25 year old pros. He just was a really bad fit. Heck of an O Line coach and in my opinion was the last coach Nebraska has had that was truly willing to play the modern recruiting game.

A lot of what you mention about stripping the memorabalia was Pedersen's decision if I recall correctly. He did allegedly call T.O. an old crusty fuck at one point. He also called OU fans Fucking Hillbillies. 🤣

Should've canned his buddy Cosgrove, but if he'd have won big, he'd have been gone to the NFL in my opinion.

 

[Husker_in_OK]

Callahan could have had a top 10 team here if not for Cosgrove. The recruiting class he was on track to sign in 2008 was absolutely sick , most of them decommitting when he was fired ..