Thoughts on the future of the program…

[huskerj12]

I found this interesting from the presser going on right now, according to HOL. Looks like Rhule is bringing in some outsiders to anaylize the Husker offense. I think this is a good step in the right direction. I wonder who that is going to be? Has to be someone retired to do it now during the season.

***Rhule said it's his job to "always consider everything," including potential changes on offense. He said he talked with football people outside the program to get "a fresh set of eyes" to look at what's going on. Those people will come to Lincoln this week and evaluate things in person.

He said he'd always sought outside consultation, but bringing people to campus during the season was rare. "Whatever it takes."

This is a bad sign for Satt and a great sign for Rhule. He's not a phony, he's not going to rest on his laurels. If this post comes back to haunt me in a couple months, so be it, but I still believe in Rhule to give this everything he's got.

 

[RedSavage]

Parts of that make me think Rhule is thinking about making changes to OC. But when he says…we just aren’t playing/running it well enough, that doesn’t really sound like someone who thinks it a philosophical/scheme problem

 

[Driveway Jordan]

My thought on the future is this:

Rhule has tried doing it "his way" and "the only way I know how": He made a calculated decision when he was hired that he could develop and win with the the holdover core group of players, and sprinkle in some transfers and new recruits to supplement that core. The problem with that approch is that core group of players has a very low ceiling...they are as developed and as good as they are ever going to get. By the core group, I mean starters and team leaders such as: Robinson, Hutmacher, Gifford, Buford, Hartzog, The Bullock brothers, Benhart, Corcoran, Prochaska. Lutovsky, Rahmir. Ervin, Fidone, Emmett, etc. That entire group was recruited by the prior staff, and many of them are 2-year starters under Rhule.

I do think the young players in the program have a much higher ceiling than upper-classmen. Guys like Barney, Shavers, McGahee, Dowdell, Lloyd, Brix, Tuamua, Unammielen, Lenhart, Benning, VanPoppel, etc. But ultimately I see this offseaon as a 2 year "reset." There are 3 things he absolutely has to get right if the program is going to get better: 1. Staff Changes. 2. Using the Portal. 3. Revenue sharing and how that improves the roster. He tried "his way" in an era where programs like Indiana, SMU, and Vandy can get good seemingly over night. It's probably time for him to try something new.

 

[Black Dean]

This is a bad sign for Satt and a great sign for Rhule. He's not a phony, he's not going to rest on his laurels. If this post comes back to haunt me in a couple months, so be it, but I still believe in Rhule to give this everything he's got.

This is what I’m hoping for

 

[SolichFan1987]

Bringing back Satterfield as OC would be a sign Rhule’s not serious about winning games

 

[HerbRedman]

Btw I don’t want Satt and didn’t like the hire from the get go…just don’t see him being let go.

I respect you're insight BD, I just done see it.

All signs point to Satt being gone & Rhule (and likely Satt) both know it. Satt is not delivering anywhere near his salary level. You risk losing all of your skill players if you bring Satt back.

To me, it's 95%-5% that Satt is gone. Switching out a WR coach ain't gonna cut it.

 

[Omar Little]

If those are the changes and Satterfield comes back we might as well pull all the NIL money and put it into a fund to buyout Rule

Ya, those are not going to be the changes made and not made.

 

[Pipe Line]

I think we're pretty damn close to Purdue tier in the Big 10

 

[Omar Little]

First thing I would do is put Foley in an office/analyst roll. Replace Foley with the best recruiter you can get here and then bring in a higher paid analyst to take over ST’s.

Foley and Satt should be easy decisions. I’d like to see McGuire go but not sure if Rhule will do it. Barthel I don’t care either way, just don’t want to lose our current RB recruits.

If Rhule brings in an outsider as OC, I’d let him give input on who he wants to bring with him outside of OL coach. Raiola isn’t going anywhere obviously.

I’m curious what Dannen’s thoughts are. Does he want to throw heavier financial resources at assts and/or recruits? Would that help?

 

[vailhusker]

I found this interesting from the presser going on right now, according to HOL. Looks like Rhule is bringing in some outsiders to anaylize the Husker offense. I think this is a good step in the right direction. I wonder who that is going to be? Has to be someone retired to do it now during the season.

***Rhule said it's his job to "always consider everything," including potential changes on offense. He said he talked with football people outside the program to get "a fresh set of eyes" to look at what's going on. Those people will come to Lincoln this week and evaluate things in person.

He said he'd always sought outside consultation, but bringing people to campus during the season was rare. "Whatever it takes."

Great that he realized he needs some outside advice, not so great that it took him until almost game ten to see that he needed it.

 

[greybeardedchild]

I found this interesting from the presser going on right now, according to HOL. Looks like Rhule is bringing in some outsiders to anaylize the Husker offense. I think this is a good step in the right direction. I wonder who that is going to be? Has to be someone retired to do it now during the season.

 

[Irv]

Two thoughts:

1. I’ve been wondering why there’s no heat on Thomas. He was brought on to develop Raiola, who is going backwards. Not solely his fault, but he should definitely be on a hot seat himself.

2. Even though I don’t hate him as much as most of this board, I want Satt gone. I don’t see how you are going to recruit or transfer in any talent with him here. There is no proof of concept of what he wants to do on offense. We aren’t good at anything. There just is nothing to sell anyone on. It feels like a huge own-goal to keep him in this situation.

 

[Mr.Bojangles]

Both coordinators return, but other changes are made:

Foley retires
Barthel new job
Knighton new job
McGuire new job

No way you can retain Satterfield. Oklahomo fired their oc mid season and they were buddies.

 

[Omar Little]

No way you can retain Satterfield. Oklahomo fired their oc mid season and they were buddies.

Ya, and Knighton isn’t going anywhere unless it’s on his own accord.

 

[greybeardedchild]

Ya, and Knighton isn’t going anywhere unless it’s on his own accord.

Mental picture of Knighton trying to squeeze into a 1998 Honda Accord

 

[huskerj12]

Even though I don’t hate him as much as most of this board, I want Satt gone. I don’t see how you are going to recruit or transfer in any talent with him here. There is no proof of concept of what he wants to do on offense. We aren’t good at anything. There just is nothing to sell anyone on. It feels like a huge own-goal to keep him on this situation.

Yeah this is a huge factor, especially in the transfer portal era. Before this season we were dreaming of all the potential recruits/players who would want to come play with 5* future legend Dylan Raiola, and now that factor is basically gone, and if Satt somehow stays then we'll have nothing to sell recruits or transfers on at all.

 

[Mr.Bojangles]

Ya, and Knighton isn’t going anywhere unless it’s on his own accord.

Agreed

 

[Havoc34]

Great that he realized he needs some outside advice, not so great that it took him until almost game ten to see that he needed it.

While I agree that it is good he's doing it, it's also pretty concerning that these guys are making this much and can't figure out how to fix their own offense.

 

[tman87]

There are multiple problems with this Rhule run program.

First and most obvious - his initial asst coaching hires. Good lord they were bad overall, especially with that large of a money pool to hire with.

Second is in-game management. Rhule coaches scared IMO. Pedantic, time-burning mindset limiting the overall score of the game. But unfortunately, we are SO bad offensively, no way we can execute that type of gameplan. Also - special teams are SO bad that we pretty much always lose that 3rd of the game. Bad offense plus awful special teams is a recipe for many losses. We can't run the ball with any consistency, and now passing has flown the coop and turnovers are back on the menu every game. Losing the turnover battle is also an almost sure-fire way to lose games.

But lets look at our coordinators. I am OK with White. The bipolar way his defense plays is concerning. And that is mostly because White has become easy to scout/read, and plays too much bend don't break. Soft coverage with guys like Gifford will get you killed, and lets be honest, the rest of the coverage guys haven't been good for a while. But overall, most of the defensive staff can stay (won't be a surpise if one or two asst coaches leave on that side of the ball, though).

Offensively, this really kills us. Satt is just that bad - and has been consistently wherever he has coached. Honestly, even letting him continue to call even one more game this season (or ever for us), is an almost curtains type of decision by Rhule. A 110th (or whatever it is in the hundreds) ranked offense in CFB is NOT cutting the mustard, or getting much of any ROI on the offensive talent we do have. Satt has to go. McGoober has to go. Barthel can go for all I care. Don Raiola is likely to stay, and not doing a bad job overall IMO (I think O Line has made incremental improvments yearly).

Special Ed teams. Holy shit. Keeping Special Ed on in ANY aspect is a got dayum mistake. Maybe he's a nice guy and all the diner owners love him, but you just don't want someone who is this bad of a coach in even an "advisor" role. Get him out. Find a competent - even average at this point - special teams coach, or don't even have one and fold it in amongst various assistants.

Big changes HAVE to be made, though. We have now lost our goodwill and future shine to sell to recruits. What is there to look at and say: "Damn, I want to play in THAT offense!"? Special teams - pay the $ to get a damn decent kicker. And get a special teams coach who isn't the worst in the country.

Rhule needs to get mean/gritty. This is not hopscotch with friends down at the park on saturday afternoons in the fall. Either have the guts to make the changes needed, or get on getttin on. Because little tweaks are not gonna cut it.

 

[Sous Chef]

There are multiple problems with this Rhule run program.

First and most obvious - his initial asst coaching hires. Good lord they were bad overall, especially with that large of a money pool to hire with.

Second is in-game management. Rhule coaches scared IMO. Pedantic, time-burning mindset limiting the overall score of the game. But unfortunately, we are SO bad offensively, no way we can execute that type of gameplan. Also - special teams are SO bad that we pretty much always lose that 3rd of the game. Bad offense plus awful special teams is a recipe for many losses. We can't run the ball with any consistency, and now passing has flown the coop and turnovers are back on the menu every game. Losing the turnover battle is also an almost sure-fire way to lose games.

But lets look at our coordinators. I am OK with White. The bipolar way his defense plays is concerning. And that is mostly because White has become easy to scout/read, and plays too much bend don't break. Soft coverage with guys like Gifford will get you killed, and lets be honest, the rest of the coverage guys haven't been good for a while. But overall, most of the defensive staff can stay (won't be a surpise if one or two asst coaches leave on that side of the ball, though).

Offensively, this really kills us. Satt is just that bad - and has been consistently wherever he has coached. Honestly, even letting him continue to call even one more game this season (or ever for us), is an almost curtains type of decision by Rhule. A 110th (or whatever it is in the hundreds) ranked offense in CFB is NOT cutting the mustard, or getting much of any ROI on the offensive talent we do have. Satt has to go. McGoober has to go. Barthel can go for all I care. Don Raiola is likely to stay, and not doing a bad job overall IMO (I think O Line has made incremental improvments yearly).

Special Ed teams. Holy shit. Keeping Special Ed on in ANY aspect is a got dayum mistake. Maybe he's a nice guy and all the diner owners love him, but you just don't want someone who is this bad of a coach in even an "advisor" role. Get him out. Find a competent - even average at this point - special teams coach, or don't even have one and fold it in amongst various assistants.

Big changes HAVE to be made, though. We have now lost our goodwill and future shine to sell to recruits. What is there to look at and say: "Damn, I want to play in THAT offense!"? Special teams - pay the $ to get a damn decent kicker. And get a special teams coach who isn't the worst in the country.

Rhule needs to get mean/gritty. This is not hopscotch with friends down at the park on saturday afternoons in the fall. Either have the guts to make the changes needed, or get on getttin on. Because little tweaks are not gonna cut it.

The stench of abject failure is all over this team.