WARNING: THIS IS LONG - What Would Devaney Do? > What Would Osborne Do?

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huskerj12

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(Kickin around a theory here… old-timers and historians feel free to chime in because I have no first-hand experience or memories of the old old days.)

NU fans and admin have been desperately trying to recapture the culture and successes of our past for years and years. We’ve gone about it from all kinds of angles with all kinds of wildly different coaches and administrators and teams. But I think our biggest problem is that we’ve been aiming for the wrong part of our past. Our program has been so focused on recapturing the days of Tom Osborne, when we really should be taking cues from the original NU architect, Bob Devaney.

Before 1962, Nebraska had 5 straight non-winning seasons. (Sound familiar?) Devaney had a good thing going at Wyoming, going 35-10-5 during his tenure, but Nebraska was seen as a higher-profile job, even in the middle of a 20 year downturn. When Devaney was introduced to the press for the first time, OWH sports editor Wally Provost said, "He is a down-to-earth gent who would have no trouble making friends in Nebraska. There also was every indication that he knows exactly what he needs to build winning football — and how to get it.” From that point he got right to work touring the state of Nebraska, meeting fans, HS coaches, boosters, and recruiting. By all accounts he arrived with his hair on fire, and was committed to not only having a good team, but building the best and most innovative athletic program in the country from the ground up. His motto, as he told the LJS at the time, was "recruit like crazy, and organize."

His personality lent itself to doing that. He was famously tough, gregarious and fun-loving, and he knew how to articulate his vision to players and fans and boosters. He was a force of nature and inspired confidence and a renewed sense of energy to a program whose good memories were two decades old by that point (again, sound familiar?). But he wasn't trying to recapture the 1940s, he was trying to create something brand new, and make it fun to be a fan and player along the way. As Osborne said, "He insisted on players being tough... toughness was important to him. He interjected a little bit of levity in the program. He had a good sense of humor. Yes, he had a temper. He could get on people pretty good. But he never left the field mad. He'd have his arm around the guy by the end of the practice. He'd tell a joke or two by the end of the practice. He made it fun for the players."

As we all know, Devaney built Nebraska into a national powerhouse. At that point, Osborne took over and was the perfect guy to lead that national powerhouse. His personality was wildly different - sober, guarded, dry, conservative. But it worked, the foundation stayed strong based on TO's incredible coaching skills, and the player-led leadership that took hold behind the scenes while his stoic personality kept the ship steady.

Fast forward to now - Ever since Osborne retired, a huge chunk of fans seem to think there is only one way to have success at Nebraska - be like Tom Osborne. Don't celebrate too hard, don't let the other team see you have fun, be calm and collected, shake hands, and go home. The Nebraska-ness of Freewheelin' Devaney, the guy who was called a goddamn "raconteur and humorist" in the first line of his New York Times obit, is lost to history. Osborne has influenced our collective psyche so much that Frost himself seemed to drastically change his own personality when he arrived, in order to be more stoic and detached like his hero.

But my theory is that you can't really build up a new program with an approach like that, and a new program is exactly how we have to view Nebraska after the faceplants of the past 20 years. So what lights that fire that spreads and takes hold as the ever-elusive 'culture'? Because a culture can't just appear out of thin air no matter how many times the right words get repeated. It has to be demonstrated into existence. As Benning brought up on his show yesterday, how do the players learn and understand if they don't have the leaders of the program constantly drilling it into them to show them the way? That part has to happen before you can expect the players themselves to carry it on their own. We clearly don't have the foundation built up to pull off the player-led program of the Osborne model, and we also don't have any of his magical culture left over anymore. The last bits dried up two decades ago and it's time to figure out how to start something new again. Ironically, to do that we should look even further to the past and embrace a Devaney-like attitude. An authentic personality that inspires belief and confidence, an innovative organizer working his ass off behind the scenes and leaving no stone unturned, someone who is excited to take some big swings and lead the charge instead of grappling with the expectations of being the caretaker of a mythical program that doesn't exist anymore.

Now, the question is - does that person exist? Can we identify him and persuade him to take on the project? Can the fans and the suits get onboard with someone else's vision the way they did in 1962? And before we put the cart before the horse, is there ANY chance that Frost can learn from his failures, reset, shake off his cobwebs, and become that guy over the next 10 months?

5f597750172e1.image.jpg
 
Good post. If you're not currently a writer, you should look into it.

I agree that the Husker fans and administration need to stop thinking the "Osborne way" is the only way to succeed. That worked great for him, but times are different and there are no Tom Osbornes around.
 
I think Devaney would keep Frost but Devaney would put the black hat on and fire some of the shitty assistants so Frost didn’t have to fire his buddy.

I think Devaney would have Frost hire guys who can coach the position needed OR if other guys can coach that position (ex: Frost can coach QBs) then hire an assistant who’s only job is to recruit and get ballers to Lincoln by hook or by crook.

Quotes-By-Bob-Devaney-A-Z-Quotes.jpg





We don’t need to speculate on what Dr Thom DDS would have done. He has been on record multiple times saying to keep Frost. He will probably do it again before the season is done.
 
(Kickin around a theory here… old-timers and historians feel free to chime in because I have no first-hand experience or memories of the old old days.)

NU fans and admin have been desperately trying to recapture the culture and successes of our past for years and years. We’ve gone about it from all kinds of angles with all kinds of wildly different coaches and administrators and teams. But I think our biggest problem is that we’ve been aiming for the wrong part of our past. Our program has been so focused on recapturing the days of Tom Osborne, when we really should be taking cues from the original NU architect, Bob Devaney.

Before 1962, Nebraska had 5 straight non-winning seasons. (Sound familiar?) Devaney had a good thing going at Wyoming, going 35-10-5 during his tenure, but Nebraska was seen as a higher-profile job, even in the middle of a 20 year downturn. When Devaney was introduced to the press for the first time, OWH sports editor Wally Provost said, "He is a down-to-earth gent who would have no trouble making friends in Nebraska. There also was every indication that he knows exactly what he needs to build winning football — and how to get it.” From that point he got right to work touring the state of Nebraska, meeting fans, HS coaches, boosters, and recruiting. By all accounts he arrived with his hair on fire, and was committed to not only having a good team, but building the best and most innovative athletic program in the country from the ground up. His motto, as he told the LJS at the time, was "recruit like crazy, and organize."

His personality lent itself to doing that. He was famously tough, gregarious and fun-loving, and he knew how to articulate his vision to players and fans and boosters. He was a force of nature and inspired confidence and a renewed sense of energy to a program whose good memories were two decades old by that point (again, sound familiar?). But he wasn't trying to recapture the 1940s, he was trying to create something brand new, and make it fun to be a fan and player along the way. As Osborne said, "He insisted on players being tough... toughness was important to him. He interjected a little bit of levity in the program. He had a good sense of humor. Yes, he had a temper. He could get on people pretty good. But he never left the field mad. He'd have his arm around the guy by the end of the practice. He'd tell a joke or two by the end of the practice. He made it fun for the players."

As we all know, Devaney built Nebraska into a national powerhouse. At that point, Osborne took over and was the perfect guy to lead that national powerhouse. His personality was wildly different - sober, guarded, dry, conservative. But it worked, the foundation stayed strong based on TO's incredible coaching skills, and the player-led leadership that took hold behind the scenes while his stoic personality kept the ship steady.

Fast forward to now - Ever since Osborne retired, a huge chunk of fans seem to think there is only one way to have success at Nebraska - be like Tom Osborne. Don't celebrate too hard, don't let the other team see you have fun, be calm and collected, shake hands, and go home. The Nebraska-ness of Freewheelin' Devaney, the guy who was called a goddamn "raconteur and humorist" in the first line of his New York Times obit, is lost to history. Osborne has influenced our collective psyche so much that Frost himself seemed to drastically change his own personality when he arrived, in order to be more stoic and detached like his hero.

But my theory is that you can't really build up a new program with an approach like that, and a new program is exactly how we have to view Nebraska after the faceplants of the past 20 years. So what lights that fire that spreads and takes hold as the ever-elusive 'culture'? Because a culture can't just appear out of thin air no matter how many times the right words get repeated. It has to be demonstrated into existence. As Benning brought up on his show yesterday, how do the players learn and understand if they don't have the leaders of the program constantly drilling it into them to show them the way? That part has to happen before you can expect the players themselves to carry it on their own. We clearly don't have the foundation built up to pull off the player-led program of the Osborne model, and we also don't have any of his magical culture left over anymore. The last bits dried up two decades ago and it's time to figure out how to start something new again. Ironically, to do that we should look even further to the past and embrace a Devaney-like attitude. An authentic personality that inspires belief and confidence, an innovative organizer working his ass off behind the scenes and leaving no stone unturned, someone who is excited to take some big swings and lead the charge instead of grappling with the expectations of being the caretaker of a mythical program that doesn't exist anymore.

Now, the question is - does that person exist? Can we identify him and persuade him to take on the project? Can the fans and the suits get onboard with someone else's vision the way they did in 1962? And before we put the cart before the horse, is there ANY chance that Frost can learn from his failures, reset, shake off his cobwebs, and become that guy over the next 10 months?

5f597750172e1.image.jpg
That’s well said. And you’re absolutely right that Frost went from this free dealing HC at UCF to trying to be the stoic figure of some program that doesn’t exist any more.

Does that person exist? I don’t know, Chadwell maybe? I actually think Campbell fits that the best. You won’t see him take a job that he can’t make the program his own.

The Nebraska job is no longer a job that you give to a guy to be the steward of this giant power that needs only the be steered in the correct direction. It needs someone that has a vision for the program and can build towards that vision.

I honestly thought that Frost was going to be that guy. They started recruiting very specific player types, specifically up front and in the secondary. But the vision on offense hasn’t taken hold because of inconsistent OL and QB play and bad play calling. And you can tell the culture hasn’t taken hold because of the way special teams is still a dumpster fire.

The Frost regime can be viewed similar to Callahans (with even less success). How so? Callahan wouldn’t swallow his pride and make a change at DC. Frost should’ve swallowed his pride and made a change at OL, QB coach and added a STC and now it’s too late.
 
Captain Obvious here. The most important aspect of the culture needs to be winning. So the next question is how do you get there, and who is the leader that will take us there. Being completely honest, I really don't think Nebraskans generally give a fuck what the personality of the leader is. Bob and Tom were proof that two different personalities can succeed as a major college football coach.

For example, let's say that hypothetically we'd hire Lane or Urban (not likely, but playing hypotheticals here). There will be those squawking about their character -- until they start winning. Once they start winning those complaints would die to a whimper.

What Nebraska needs is a leader that can articulate his vision clearly and consistently. What are their values, and are they able to deliver their message to the coaches, team, fans and media. What is the mission of the program? Is it to be the most physical football team in the conference/country? Is it to be the team that ALWAYS gives the best effort? What is the vision of what you want your program's identity to be? Is it to be the team that averages over 3+ turnovers per game? Is it a combination of these things.

The second thing beyond being masterful at communicating vision is high leadership abilities. We need someone that can be respectful and charming, while also being able to make whatever changes necessary to achieve his vision. Translation - he doesn't give a shit if he hurts feelings because it's just business. High-level leadership abilities are really difficult to identify, but once found can be extremely impactful.

So to answer your question.....does the person exist? Yes they do, and we need to trust Turd to find as many of these qualities as he can. Whether they pound Jaeger shots with their buddies and is as an extreme extrovert, or goes to bible study and is known as an introvert. To me, having both Bob and Tom as coaches is proof that personality doesn't matter as much as leadership ability.

Most good leaders would look at this job as an opportunity. Literally one of the top 5 fan bases in the country in a rich conference, big stadium, blue blood with an overall winning tradition, new facilities and non-depleted roster.

I've told my wife this, but don't you ever scratch your head at some of the leaders the US puts out for Presidential elections? Biden is a fucking joke and Trump was as polarizing as anyone in American history. Meanwhile there are better leaders littered throughout our country that would be better than the ones currently and formerly in charge. Same goes for football coaches.

What is an example of a good leader? Look no further than big balls Ted Carter. The guy is smart, respectful and not afraid to make tough decisions. We need a leader like that as our head football coach.....just my .02 cents. GBR!
 
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Captain Obvious here. The most important aspect of the culture needs to be winning. So the next question is how do you get there, and who is the leader that will take us there. Being completely honest, I really don't think Nebraskans generally give a fuck what the personality of the leader is. Bob and Tom were proof that two different personalities can succeed as a major college football coach.

For example, let's say that hypothetically we'd hire Lane or Urban (not likely, but playing hypotheticals here). There will be those squawking about their character -- until they start winning. Once they start winning those complaints would die to a whimper.

What Nebraska needs is a leader that can articulate his vision clearly and consistently. What are their values, and are they able to deliver their message to the coaches, team, fans and media. What is the mission of the program? Is it to be the most physical football team in the conference/country? Is it to be the team that ALWAYS gives the best effort? What is the vision of what you want your program's identity to be? Is it to be the team that averages over 3+ turnovers per game? Is it a combination of these things.

The second thing beyond vision and being masterful at communicating vision is high leadership abilities. We need someone that can be respectful and charming, while also being able to make whatever changes necessary to achieve his vision. Translation - he doesn't give a shit if he hurts feelings because it's just business. High-level leadership abilities are really difficult to identify, but once found can be extremely impactful.

So to answer your question.....does the person exist? Yes they do, and we need to trust Turd to find as many of these qualities as he can. Whether they pound Jaeger shots with their buddies and is as an extreme extrovert, or goes to bible study and is known as an introvert. To me, having both Bob and Tom as coaches is proof that personality doesn't matter as much as leadership ability.

Most good leaders would look at this job as an opportunity. Literally one of the top 5 fan bases in the country in a rich conference, big stadium, blue blood with an overall winning tradition, new facilities and non-depleted roster.

I've told my wife this, but don't you ever scratch your head at some of the leaders the US puts out for Presidential elections? Biden is a fucking joke and Trump was as polarizing as anyone in American history. Meanwhile there are better leaders littered throughout our country that would be better than the ones currently and formerly in charge. Same goes for football coaches.

What is an example of a good leader? Look no further than big balls Ted Carter. The guy is smart, respectful and not afraid to make tough decisions. We need a leader like that as our head football coach.....just my .02 cents. GBR!
“Once they start winning those (character) complaints will die to a whimper”

Except for Pelini and his psycho, delirious mad-man behavior in public……🙄

.
 
I hate fleck but man does he exude a lot of those qualities. As stupid as his mantras and slogans are to us, the 17/21 year old kids eat that shit up. They believe in what he sells & believe in each other. It’s disgusting to play against but you love it if he’s your coach and it’s working.
 
“Once they start winning those (character) complaints will die to a whimper”

Except for Pelini and his psycho, delirious mad-man behavior in public……🙄

.
That was a little different. Bo and his schtick would've gotten a lot longer leash had he delivered a conference title and not been handed several embarrassing defeats. He was close but didn't quite achieve the " i can do whatever the fuck I want crown"
 
I hate fleck but man does he exude a lot of those qualities. As stupid as his mantras and slogans are to us, the 17/21 year old kids eat that shit up. They believe in what he sells & believe in each other. It’s disgusting to play against but you love it if he’s your coach and it’s working.
Exactly. You have to sell what your current generation of players buy into, no matter how stupid it looks to your fan base or the rest of the college football world.

Scott's mantra of "no fear of failure" would possibly work if he didn't do exactly that with his timid play calling at times, he's almost always the opposite of what he preaches
 
Exactly. You have to sell what your current generation of players buy into, no matter how stupid it looks to your fan base or the rest of the college football world.

Scott's mantra of "no fear of failure" would possibly work if he didn't do exactly that with his timid play calling at times, he's almost always the opposite of what he preaches
Fleck doesn’t give a fuck if some fat 60 year old fan thinks row the boat or whatever tag line is retarded. The players buy it hook, line and sinker and that’s all he gives a fuck about.
 
Fleck doesn’t give a fuck if some fat 60 year old fan thinks row the boat or whatever tag line is retarded. The players buy it hook, line and sinker and that’s all he gives a fuck about.
He coaches a lot like Tressel actually. The slogans are fine and all but it’s his coaching and main principles that is getting it done. Listen to the Schick and nick podcast this week. Shick has an interview with Fleck. It’s good. He talks about how most games are lost not won and how he coaches to that.
 
It's almost as if he made those comments after watching Nebraska Game film for the past week.
Bret Beliema talked about how most games are lost before the season too. Like I said if you get through all the bullshit with Fleck he coaches like his idol Tressel. He credits him with his coaching style and he only spent 7 months with him as a GA.
 
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