Episode Transcript
To two generations of Nebraska football lovers, supporters, fans, alumni,
former players. It was pure torture. It was a daily
dose of what are we doing? The forty one day
agony in November, December, and January of two thousand and
three two thousand and four, when blue blood Nebraska football
seemingly couldn't find anybody to coach a team that just
(00:22):
twenty four months and nine days earlier had played for
the national championship with the Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback,
finally getting a fifth choice who lasted four seasons. The
entire embarrassing episode soured thousands of devoted fans former players,
but worse ushered in an era of poor hires, losing seasons,
(00:43):
blowout losses, staff turnover, fan discontent. Husker football, which had
led the nation in winning percentage over the previous forty years,
fulfilled then athletic director Steve Peterson's prophecy for it had
arrived at mediocrity where it stands today. The parade of
incompetence made Nebraska the laughing stock of college sports and
(01:03):
shed any credibility Peterson or then Chancellor Harvey Perlman had
of leading an athletic department. It was a sobering lesson
that every chancellor, athletic director or aspiring athletic director surely
learned and should swear never to repeat. But somebody is
Penn State, whose college football blood is bluer than their
(01:25):
rich Navy jerseys, is now fifty one days into a
search for its next coach. Athletic director Pat Kraft, surely,
with the blessing of the school administration, fires James Franklin
halfway through October, less than ten months after his team
appeared in the national semi finals. Gave Kraft a one
lap lead on all the other power for programs LSU, Florida,
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Michigan State, UCLA, Virginia Tech, which would ultimately make staff
changes and fill the gig well ahead of signing day.
And yet here sits Penn State on national signing Day,
a drift with no leader, no assistance, know nothing but
unhappy fans and a carnivorous media and all of two commits.
(02:09):
No punting an entire recruiting class can devastate your program. Yes,
free agents are now indoubtedly a part of every recruiting strategy,
but if you lose a whole class, your program can
get set back years. And if you rely solely on transfers,
it's expensive, competitive and put your program in a vicious cycle,
could take years to get out of. And if anybody
(02:31):
knows how pricing no recruiting classes can be, it's Penn
State after the Paterno Sandusky sanctions. They lost several classes
and it showed on the field. But what if Kraft
is waiting on somebody whose team is in the playoffs
or an NFL guy, Well, that's no excuse. Lane Kiffin
and John summerl took new jobs and their schools are
in the playoffs. This is looking more and more like
(02:53):
Nebraska and Steve Peterson. Is it easy to hire a coach? No?
Is it a pleasurably experience? Know? Do the people involve
the coaches, ads, agents act with sincerity? Rarely? So? How
do the good ones do it? Well? Bill Burn, for
my money, the best overall athletic director Nebraska has ever had,
(03:14):
who hired, among others, Dave van Horn, John Cook, Connie Yori.
Mark Manning once explained it to me, said, I spent
at least fifty percent of my time scouting for coaches,
scour results of every sport, read quotes. Follow recruiting. See
how many coaches win without their athletes turning pro be
(03:36):
on the lookout for great assistance. Follow their careers, reach
out to them with personal notes. Develop a list top
five candidates for every head coach job, so when you
have an opening you already have finalists. Keep the circle
of influencers very small. No committees, keep boosters out, just
you and the chancellor. Act quickly and with no fear.
(03:59):
When you have candidate, interview them with the agent, offer
the job or not, and then give them twenty four
hours for a yes with paperwork. The agent will ignore
the non disclosure agreement and share your offer with other schools,
so'll be ready for that. Do not trust their words, handshakes,
or what got Peterson your own ability to close the deal.
(04:22):
Arrogance and hubris are lethal in this process. Keep it unemotional,
all about business, and be ready to move on to
Plan B or C. Seems Kraft never learned or forgot
all of this, which means he may end up like
Steve retired early
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