Nebraska
Jeremy Pernell: Three Hires in the Head-Scratcher Category
Yesterday I summarized the job that new Nebraska soccer coach Matt Rhule has finished to date and did an outline of his teaching beliefs. If studying it gave you a Kool-Assist mustache, that is comprehensible. Like I admitted yesterday, I really like the rent for Nebraska.
So all the things should be sunshine and roses, proper? Rhule has a popularity for remaking applications together with his method – and his success speaks for itself. He is afforded the good thing about the doubt, not less than initially. It is my stance to offer any new teaching employees two years. I’d tilt an eyebrow or shake my head right here and there, however I am going to sometimes let a coach have two years on the job earlier than I take purpose with criticism. Heading into 12 months 3, the gloves are off.
With that stated, let’s take a deeper have a look at a few of Rhule’s assistant coaches. I am going to get my considerations out of the best way first.
Okay, let’s deal with the elephant within the room. Retaining Dominic Raiola on employees went over like a lead balloon with the vast majority of followers. Of the ten assistant teaching hires Rhule made, this was one of many two or three I actually questioned.
Raiola’s offensive line was by far the workforce’s worst-performing unit final 12 months. On prime of that, he introduced nothing to the desk as a recruiter. Final season’s portal additions had been the results of Erik Chinander (Hunter Anthony) and Mickey Joseph (Kevin Williams Jr.). Raiola made zero headway with any O-line recruits within the 2023 cycle, exterior of a few month of hype in June surrounding Jr Sia, who ended up signing with – gulp – Utah State. Each big-name nationwide recruit Nebraska flirted with final spring and summer season had been due to different employees members: Cayden Inexperienced (Invoice Busch), Zalance Heard (Bryan Applewhite, Mickey Joseph), Bo Hughley (Sean Beckton).
Let’s be trustworthy; Gunnar Gottula, Sam Sledge, Brock Knutson, Mason Goldman and Jason Maciejczak are signing with Nebraska regardless. None of them are right here explicitly due to Raiola and that is a serious concern I’ve shifting ahead with him on employees. He is answerable for a room that, on common, desires to usher in three or 4 guys each class at a minimal. I feel Rhule will put collectively a heck of a recruiting operation, however I’ve by no means been a fan of getting coaches on employees that do not carry their weight on the path.
Recruiting is new to him. Can he acquire his footing, get right into a groove and alter the narrative? We’ll see. To his credit score, he did safe a dedication a pair weeks in the past from Ben Scott, a 28-game starter at Arizona State who would be the beginning middle for the Huskers subsequent fall. However he nonetheless has a protracted methods to go to ease my thoughts on that entrance.
If Nebraska is ready to shut the deal on his nephew, five-star QB Dylan Raiola, the nation’s top-ranked participant for 2024, him being on employees will definitely be pointed to as an element. If the Huskers finally beat out groups like Georgia, USC, Miami and Oregon, Donovan’s presence can be an enormous motive.
Past that although, let’s attempt to see what Rhule noticed when he determined to maintain him. Rhule informed us Raiola teaches the identical method he believes in. Raiola is a disciple of Harry Hiestand, who is likely one of the most revered academics of the “flat again” fashion Rhule prefers. Hiestand has a reference to Pat Flaherty, whom Rhule labored underneath with the New York Giants because the assistant O-line coach in 2012.
Raiola remains to be fairly inexperienced and Rhule may have the prospect to mildew and groom him. He is been profitable doing that with a number of assistant coaches up to now.
Together with Rhule himself, there are three different coaches on employees with backgrounds teaching the O-line, with Marcus Satterfield and Ed Foley being the others. I feel Rhule will spend time throughout spring and fall camp working with Raiola and the O-line. I additionally anticipate Foley spending numerous time teaching the O-line alongside Raiola as nicely. I anticipate him to be a relative fixture there at practices when he is not dealing with particular groups duties.
I feel it additionally helped having Satterfield go to bat for him. Nebraska’s offensive coordinator, like Rhule, was impressed with Raiola after his preliminary 30-minute interview and inspired Rhule to maintain him on employees.
With that being stated, I used to be underwhelmed by the hiring of Marcus Satterfield to be the offensive coordinator. His two years at South Carolina had been principally disappointing, and there had even been rumblings head coach Shane Beamer was contemplating making a change after the season. If you happen to take away the final two video games of the common season for the Gamecocks, the place they torched Tennessee and beat Clemson, there can be a really totally different narrative.
I am going to give Satterfield a go for 2021 as a result of the quarterback place was ravaged by accidents and poor play. While you’re needing your offensive graduate assistant to make use of his sixth season of eligibility halfway via fall camp as a result of the place is so skinny, you deserve a mulligan.
Even so, Satterfield had an NFL expertise operating his system this previous season and nonetheless sputtered badly for stretches. He ran a a lot totally different system than the one Spencer Rattler was coming from; did it simply take time to click on? Together with the Gator Bowl performed with out Satterfield, the Gamecocks completed the season thirty ninth in scoring (32.2 ppg), forty first in passing (260 ypg), 106th in speeding (118.8 ypg) and 72nd in whole offense (378.8 ypg). Not precisely gaudy numbers for an offense in 12 months 2 of a system.
This can be a state of affairs the place I am going to depend on Rhule and Satterfield’s historical past collectively. It is labored earlier than, albeit in a lesser convention, so it’s important to not less than give it an opportunity to work right here. I belief Rhule to construct an offense with Satterfield that can be recruited to and geared towards profitable within the Massive Ten.
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What’s going to that offense appear to be? Satterfield has talked of a pro-style offense with a bodily operating sport. This workforce will huddle between performs, and so they’ll implement tight ends and a fullback in numerous packages.
With Jeff Sims (possible) at quarterback and a backfield that returns Ajay Allen and Anthony Grant, if it had been me, I’d run a ton of RPO and zone-read ideas. Trying on the receivers at the moment on the roster, even with the latest addition of Virginia switch Billy Kemp, I feel a 60-40 run/go ratio is an effective technique.
One other rent that took me again a bit was Garret McGuire teaching the receivers. I do not know if that was a lingering hangover from the frustration of Mickey Joseph ruining his possibilities of being retained. It did not assist realizing Rhule had a historical past with guys like Frisman Jackson, Jeff Nixon and Joe Dailey, and anticipating him reuniting with one in all them at Nebraska.
The 23-year-old McGuire’s résumé is mainly nonexistent; two years as an offensive assistant with Carolina. Frankly, that is the form of expertise you hope is sweet sufficient to get your foot within the door as a graduate assistant or analyst on the Energy 5 stage.
I imply, have a look at senior defensive analyst Kevin McGarry, who’s following Tony White from Syracuse. The 2 have labored collectively for over a decade courting again to their time at San Diego State. McGarry was a place coach for the Aztecs and was the top coach on the College of San Diego for eight seasons. He is an analyst at a program like Nebraska.
However once more, Rhule deserves the good thing about the doubt till confirmed in any other case. Historical past has proven us that his collegiate hires have largely labored out nicely. Rhule has grown a formidable teaching tree making strikes like this. From all the things I’ve heard, McGuire is taken into account a vibrant up-and-coming coach by his friends. I have to admit, although, I actually tilted my head at this rent.
In an ideal world, you want to see extra assistants on employees who’ve recruiting backgrounds and connections in areas like St. Louis, Kansas Metropolis, Chicago and Denver. However I feel Rhule has confirmed he could make fast inroads in very important recruiting areas.
This can be a coach who arrived at Baylor with zero Texas roots. Rhule was a lifelong Northeast coach, and so had been all of the assistants he introduced with him from Temple. Inside a pair years, he ingratiated himself to the purpose the place he was arguably probably the most revered school coach within the state. That is an enormous accomplishment. Whereas it is not precisely attempting to serve an off-brand salsa as an alternative of Tempo Picante sauce to a bunch of cowboys circa the late Eighties, it is nonetheless not simple to get inside that circle.
Rewind the clock again to when some nationwide pundits had been questioning Rhule’s rent at Baylor, regardless of back-to-back 10-win seasons and coming off an AAC championship at Temple. Everybody thought he was an excellent coach, positive, however cultural match can be vital. Some felt he can be in over his head within the Lone Star State. Most followers and native media needed Mike Gundy or Sonny Dykes – coaches with a background within the area.
Rhule’s rent was particularly unpopular among the many state’s highschool coaches. Right here was an outsider changing a Texas highschool legend. They had been vital and hesitant, and he gained them over in a brief period of time.
If Rhule finally ends up teaching the Huskers for the foreseeable future, I do not suppose he’ll have a problem making inroads in vital areas. Like I stated, ideally you would like a greater place to begin, however he’ll get there. He’ll recruit the state of Nebraska tougher than any coach since Frank Solich. I assure that.
He’ll rebuild a pipeline into Texas, which is a extra sustainable recruiting hotbed for Nebraska than locations like Georgia, Florida, California and Louisiana, the place earlier staffs have tried to plant a flag. The Huskers will definitely proceed to recruit these areas, significantly Florida, however Texas would be the major focus for out-of-area expertise.
Nebraska may have a presence in New Jersey and elements of Pennsylvania, specifically Philadelphia and Harrisburg.
I additionally anticipate that, in time, Rhule will additional prioritize states like Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota and the Dakotas. Mike Riley and Scott Frost leaned on acquainted recruiting areas early of their tenures, however they quickly realized how helpful these locations had been. Each finally shifted extra consideration towards these areas. I feel Rhule will do the identical, finally.
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The last time Nebraska sat out the bowl season for seven years in a row, the Big 12 was still the Big 8, the 10 schools in the Big Ten didn’t include the Cornhuskers, and Yankee Stadium was still the House that Ruth Built.
That slump ended with an appearance in the short-lived Gotham Bowl at the original Yankee Stadium. The ballpark has been replaced, and so has the bowl game played in it.
The Huskers (6-6) will play Boston College (7-5) in the Pinstripe Bowl, ending the longest active bowl drought in any of the power conferences. Nebraska last appeared in the postseason in 2016, a stretch of losing seasons that was its longest in more than 60 years.
“It’s been a while,” athletic director Troy Dannen said after accepting the bowl invitation.
The trip ends Nebraska’s longest bowl drought since the one that ended in 1961. The program would go on to postseason appearances in 56 of the next 60 years, including a 35-year streak that included four national championships.
“Nebraska has a great, storied history,” Dannen said. “A lot of people are making references back to the Gotham Bowl in ’62, which is the last time Nebraska was in the city. For our fans to get back into the bowl mix again, to get to do it in the city in December, there is something special.”
After beating Wisconsin to gain bowl eligibility, coach Matt Rhule said he wants Husker fans to be thinking big again.
“This will be the last time we ever celebrate six wins,” he said.
Keying the Huskers’ turnaround is quarterback Dylan Raiola, who has thrown for almost 2,600 yards and 12 touchdowns as a freshman. More importantly, Raiola has reaffirmed his desire to stay in Lincoln while almost two dozen of his teammates entered the transfer portal, including running backs Dante Dowdell and Gabe Ervin, defensive lineman Jimari Butler and linebacker Princewill Umanmielen.
Cornerback Tommi Hill (foot), offensive lineman Micah Mazzccua (shoulder) and receiver Isaiah Neyor (opt out) have said they will sit out the Pinstripe Bowl, leaving a depleted roster to face an Eagles team that lost coaches after last season and changed quarterbacks in the middle of this one.
After a victory over SMU in last year’s Fenway Bowl, Jeff Hafley left to become the defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers and was replaced by former Penn State and Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien.
O’Brien has the Eagles on the verge of what would be their first eight-win season since linebacker Luke Kuechly led them to an 8-5 mark in 2009. This year’s defense is led by lineman Donovan Ezeiruaku, a consensus All-American and the winner of the Hendricks Award for the best defensive end.
“The guy just had a special, special year,” O’Brien said, standing in front of a wall of Eagles who went on to play in the NFL. “His picture will be up here soon.”
The Eagles switched quarterbacks midseason, with Florida International transfer Grayson James replacing Thomas Castellanos, who started 20 games over the past two years. After losing to SMU in his first start, James led BC to wins over North Carolina and Pittsburgh to end the regular season.
Christmas in the city
As part of their trip to New York, the teams will hit all the Christmas highlights: Checking out the tree at Rockefeller Center, seeing the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, visiting the Sept. 11 memorial and the Statue of Liberty. The captains and head coaches will ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange.
The Huskers will practice at the New York Giants’ stadium and at Fordham’s field, with one walkthrough in Central Park and another at Yankee Stadium.
“We aren’t going there for an experience. We are going there to win the game,” Rhule said. “We will have experiences along the way.”
Nebraska is celebrating the end of its bowl drought by bringing around 150 members of the marching band, cheerleaders and others to root on the team.
“It’s also going to be a new experience for everybody else that gets to be a part of this,” Dannen said. “The band, for Pete’s sakes, is going to be on the field in Yankee Stadium. Who would have imagined when you signed up as a freshman, when you signed up for band at the University of Nebraska, that this is something you get to do in your career?”
O’Brien was also looking forward to experiencing the city’s culinary scene.
“I’m looking forward to eating. I enjoy eating. I know the restaurants and all those things are great,” said the Boston native who has never been to Yankee Stadium. “I think it’s going to be a cool four or five days in New York City. I’m looking forward to the whole thing.”
Nebraska
Walt Radcliffe's friends say lobbyist was part of State Capitol’s ‘fabric' • Nebraska Examiner
LINCOLN — It was 1979, and a college freshman was searching the State Capitol for lobbyist Walt Radcliffe, who was scheduled to speak to young leaders from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Eventually, the freshman, Scott Moore, caught up with Radcliffe, who posed a profane question to the student that was something like, “What the heck am I supposed to say to these kids?”
“I knew right then that this was someone I was going to like,” said Moore, who went on to become a state senator, Nebraska Secretary of State and later, a top executive at Union Pacific.
Stories like that, and many more, circulated across the state as word spread about the death of Radcliffe, 77, on Thursday afternoon.
Work spanned 10 governors
A Lincoln native whose work spanned 10 governors, Radcliffe was the undisputed dean of the statehouse lobbying corps. He had his own padded bench in the Capitol Rotunda.
His firm, Radcliffe Gilbertson & Brady, annually ranked among the state’s top in annual revenue.
He also served as a valuable — and engaging — font of institutional knowledge about the Legislature for lawmakers and governors as such knowledge was disappearing due to term limits.
His storytelling was legendary, as were his counsel and history lessons for lawmakers and others.
“He really cared about the institution,” said Patrick O’Donnell, the former clerk of the Legislature and a long-time friend who met Radcliffe in a UNL fraternity. “The Legislature had a big loss today.”
“Nobody knew the legislative process better than him,” said Lynn Rex, executive director League of Nebraska Municipalities. She said Radcliffe was a mentor to her and many other lobbyists.
Former State Sen. John Stinner, who chaired the budget-writing Appropriations Committee, said Radcliffe once gave him valuable advice on how to tap into a state health care fund to help close a monumental $1 billion shortfall in the budget.
“He was extremely helpful in many instances,” Stinner said. “I’m going to miss him.”
Part of the place
U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., a former speaker of the Legislature, said “people probably think we were too close to Walt as a lobbyist.”
“But he was bigger than a lobbyist,” Flood said. “He was just part of the fabric of the Legislature.”
A graduate of UNL and the NU College of Law, Radcliffe liked to point out that he worked only a couple of miles from where he grew up.
His first jobs at the Capitol were as a legislative page and a proofreader. He later served as an assistant clerk of the Legislature and as legal counsel to the Judiciary and Banking Committees, and as chief legal counsel in the clerk’s office.
Radcliffe’s lobbying career began in 1977 as a partner with former State Sen. David Tews. He purchased the firm a couple of years later, which became Radcliffe and Associates before the latest name change.
He continued to lobby this spring, though his trips to his bench — which for a time had its own Twitter account — became less frequent.
“He was a people person. That job was his lifeblood,” said Korby Gilbertson, a long-time associate at the firm. “We always knew he’d work until he couldn’t, because that’s what he did.”
Known for NU advocacy
His firm long represented the University of Nebraska, fighting for its programs and funding. But Radcliffe also represented liquor, tobacco and gambling clients because, Gilbertson said, he “wasn’t afraid of a good battle.”
In addition, Radcliffe also lobbied free-of-charge for entities opposed to the death penalty, and, his friends said, was genuinely interested in helping the state, and its institutions, do well.
Moore said that Radcliffe’s greatest skill as a lobbyist was his ability to boil down complicated subjects into simple terms. He worked long hours and was a good listener and storyteller, he said, who didn’t seek to “poach” clients from other lobbyists and was very clear where his clients stood.
”He was a man of integrity,” Moore said. “That’s why people respected him, and why he got so many things passed.”
Former Gov. Dave Heineman described Radcliffe as “very professional, very knowledgeable and a very straightforward lobbyist.”
“I enjoyed working with him,” Heineman said.
Petition work got him in trouble
Radcliffe briefly got in trouble in 1986, when he was indicted for hiring and paying petition circulators seeking to get an issue on the statewide ballot to allow a state lottery. But the charge was dismissed on appeal. Paying petition circulators is now legal and commonplace in the state.
Radcliffe received a liver transplant in 1999, but in recent years battled other health issues. Gilbertson said he entered hospice care on Thursday morning after battling an infection for several days. He died hours later from kidney failure and other health issues.
Flood said he spent many hours in Radcliffe’s office across the street from the Capitol as a young state senator and later as speaker, listening and learning about past lawmakers and speakers.
“It wasn’t like he was telling me what to do in a certain situation, but he’d say, ‘We had this same problem, and this is what a past speaker did,’ and how it worked or didn’t work,” Flood said.
“While he was an advocate, he wanted the Legislature to look good, too.”
Funeral arrangements are pending.
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
At first, Nebraska playing in a bowl in late December in New York City sounded like a form of punishment rather than a reward for a successful season.
It’s true, playing in a balmy Florida, Arizona or California might be more appealing. But consider this: NU is playing at noon this Saturday. That’s great day and time for a college football game.
As a result, I believe a lot of people are going to be able to watch the game. TV viewers aren’t going to care a rip about the cold. Most football fans think forty degrees is ideal football weather.
Playing in Florida does have some advantages, but three early bowl games that were played in Florida weren’t seen by many people. Why?
Bad dates and times.
Boca Raton Bowl (Boca Raton, FL)
Wednesday, December 18th 5:30pm (EST)
Western Kentucky vs James Madison
Staffdna Cure Bowl (Orlando, FL)
Friday, December 20th 12:00pm (EST)
Ohio vs Jackson State
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl (Tampa, FL)
Friday December 20th 3:30 pm (EST)
Tulane vs Florida
Raise your hands if you watched any of those games.
I didn’t think so.
My point is, playing in a cold clime in late December is not necessarily a bad thing. The Pinstripe Bowl matchup between Nebraska and Boston College should be a TV ratings success.
The Pinstripe Bowl Matchup
To win the game, NU is going to have to:
1.) Stop the Eagles’ running game and make them one dimensional,
2.) Move the chains consistently on offense.
3.) Be able to pass on BC’s defense (BC is 111th pass defense)
4.) Win the turnover battle (NU ranks 66th while BC is 21st)
If the Huskers are able to do those things, they will come back to Lincoln with another bowl trophy to add to its collection.
What’s a stake: Win the game and NU ends the season with a winning record-its first since 2016. Lose the game and NU limps into ’25 with a 6-7 record.
You may contact me at: HuskerDan@cox.net
MORE: Analytics Preview: Nebraska Football vs. Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl
MORE: 1962 Co-Captain, Gotham Bowl Veteran Dwain Carlson Joins the Common Fans
MORE: Nebrasketball Beats Oregon State, Wins Diamond Head Classic
MORE: Idaho Transfer Defensive Back Andrew Marshall Commits to Nebraska
MORE: Former NFL Running Back Leonard Fournette Shares Praise for Nebraska Quarterback Dylan Raiola
Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.
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