News last week of the coaching shakeup hit Huskerland like a thunderbolt.
As everyone knows, Scott Frost will stay on as the head coach for at least another year, but his contract was restructured and his buyout package reduced. Scott also fired four assistant coaches: offensive coordinator Matt Lubick, QB coach Mario Verduzco, running backs coach Ryan Held and O-line coach Greg Austin.
Instead of waiting until the end of the season, Trev Alberts and Frost made the changes effective immediately.
Athletic director Alberts maintains he never told Scott Frost to fire any assistants. That is probably true. My experience with Trev is he’s a man of his word. I know some will beg to differ with me because of the way he ended the wrestling and football programs at UNO while he was their A.D. (That’s a subject for a future column.)
It’s hard to imagine any scenario in which Frost wouldn’t make staff changes in order to keep his job. If his plan was to stay on as the Husker head coach and retain all his current assistants, no one would believe Alberts would have accepted that option. In short, Trev didn’t have to say anything about staff changes. Frost’s hand had already been dealt.
Does that make Frost and Trev bad people? No.
“It’s strictly business, Sonny,” as Michael Corleone said in “The Godfather.”
Frost’s only option was to change his staff. Nothing more, nothing less.
The timing of the shakeup at first seemed surprising. But considering Nebraska had a bye last week, the date seemed to be a wise one. Timing is everything.
Remember, Nebraska was supposed to have played Southeast Louisiana on Saturday, November 13th. Instead, that game was dropped in order for Nebraska to add another opponent (Fordham University) to the schedule before the Huskers went on the road to take on the Sooners back in September. We will never know what would have happened had NU not had that date (November 13th) open.
When he was asked last week how the search for a new offensive coordinator was going, Trev said, “You’d be surprised by not only the number, but the quality of the coaches who have contacted Scott Frost.”
A package deal?
Getting a new OC seems to be the most important piece of the puzzle. Why? Because any assistant worth his salt will want to know what kind of OC he will be working for. And conversely, any OC will want to know who the assistants are going to be.
It would seem the OC will be hired and coming with him, will be three assistants he is familiar with.
The trust level for the new OC is going to be imperative. Hiring a stranger isn’t going to cut it.
A “package” hire seems to be the best way to fill the positions quickly and most effectively.
Mark my word
I would have to think Frost’s OC choice is going to be Mark Helfrich, former Chicago Bears OC and former head football coach at Oregon (2013-2016). Frost was Helfrich’s OC when both were at Oregon (2013-2015).
During Helfrich’s four years as the Ducks’ head coach, Oregon had records of 11-2, 13-2, 9-4 and 4-8. Frost left Oregon after the 2015 season to take the head coaching job at UCF.
If Frost picks anyone else, I’ll be surprised. But if Helfrich is the man, the other three assistants will fall in line like a Marine drill team. Helfrich currently serves as a football analyst for Fox.
If I’m right, look for Frost to make the announcement of the new OC and the other three hires within the next couple of weeks. The early signing date for the 2022 recruiting class is next month on December 15th.
The big question is, what effect will the coaching changes have on the final two Husker games – at Wisconsin on November 20th and Iowa’s visit to Lincoln on Black Friday?
Also, what effect will the coaching changes have on the players already on campus and those already committed to Nebraska?
If there are players who decide to leave the program (and that’s an almost certainty no matter what the coaching staff looks like). will Frost be able to find replacements via the transfer portal?
Do the dismissals send a message that the coaching staff and athletic department have given up on the 2021 season? Several players have insisted their intensity levels won’t change, that it’s business as usual.
Obviously, we won’t know until the final two games are played.
Now we hear that Husker linebacker JoJo Domann will miss the final two games of the season due to hand surgery. What effect will his loss have on those games? JoJo is the backbone of the Blackshirts. He might not be the most physically gifted player talent-wise, but he’s the heart and soul of this year’s defense – and maybe of the entire football team.
JoJo is a gamer. If it were possible to have a team made entirely of kids who have his passion, commitment and dedication, you’d be looking at a championship-caliber program.
Next up: Wisconsin
Nebraska is in a difficult situation this coming Saturday at Madison, Wisconsin. Since joining the Big Ten, NU has never won there. And since their initial year in the Big Ten, the Huskers have gone 1-8 against the Badgers. The two teams met for the Big Ten conference championship game in 2012 with the Badgers crushing Nebraska 70-31.
Wisconsin is favored by 10 points. The question is, do the Huskers have anything left in their tank for this game?
You must be logged in to post a comment Login