Football Turmoil

Well, Tom Osborne (the interim athletic director) pulled the plug on the Nebraska football coach this morning. I can't say I blame him. Callahan was a nice guy, but he just was not the right fit at a place like Nebraska, a place that is fanatically devoted to the football team. 2 losing seasons out of 4 at a place that hadn't had a losing season in decades.

Still, I do feel a bit sorry for Callahan a bit. I think a coach should get at least 5 years because it takes that long to get a group of players in place that you completely recruited and trained all 4 years. The 4th year, your seniors are largely people your predecessor recruited.

That having been said, I think Callahan ultimately dug his own grave in terms of recruits. He kept being lauded as this recruiting guru with top 5 recruiting classes every year. With the nasty losing streak this year due to a defense that apparently lacked the ability to tackle 4 year olds carrying inflatable beach balls, he recruiting just couldn't save him, especially after this debacle of a season.

I can also think of about 3 million other reasons I don't feel all that sorry for Callahan, because he had a guaranteed contract.

Bo Pelini and Turner Gill are the names that stand out as potential replacements. I think Bo Pelini would be my pick because he has studied under some incredibly good head coaches. I don't know that much about Turner Gill other than his football skills as a player. He's the current coach at the University of Buffalo. I personally think he's a bit young to be taking over as a head coach, but he does have the Nebraska connection.

We will see...the Nebraska coaching carousel continues.

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