One could build a solid case for either Bo Pelini or Turner Gill being a good fit as Nebraska's next head football coach. Pelini's case would be at least a tad stronger.
Posted: Monday, November 26, 2007 6:00 pm
One could build a solid case for either Bo Pelini or Turner Gill being a good fit as Nebraska’s next head football coach.
Pelini’s case would be at least a tad stronger — just one man’s opinion.
My guess is Pelini or Gill ultimately will get the nod. It’s only a hunch, albeit a somewhat educated hunch, one based on about 47,000 phone conversations in the past week or so.
Or how about Jim Grobe?
Does Grobe jump off the page? Would he cause delirious excitement among Husker fans? Nope on both counts.
Would Grobe be a good fit at Nebraska?
In many ways, yes.
The Wake Forest head coach has talked to Nebraska officials about their opening, according to The Sporting News. Sounds legit to me, although these coaching searches can be awfully secretive, especially when search firms are involved.
At any rate, it might be easy to casually dismiss the 55-year-old Grobe if you’re a Nebraska fan because of his relatively low profile on the national scene. This isn’t exactly Pete Carroll or Urban Meyer we’re talking about.
But the more I learn about Grobe, the more intriguing he becomes.
Grobe in many ways is the antithesis of recently deposed Bill Callahan.
Grobe has made a good living by identifying players that other BCS schools overlook and developing them into starters and, in some cases, stars. For instance, all-Atlantic Coast Conference center Steve Justice attracted one Division I scholarship offer — from Wake.
Under Callahan, Nebraska became quite taken with itself for rising in the national recruiting rankings. Of course, Callahan had a 27-22 record to show for those lofty recruiting rankings.
What’s more, Grobe gives both of his coordinators a lot of leeway. In fact, his reputation is that he doesn’t meddle unnecessarily with any of his staff members’ duties, which helps explain their loyalty to Grobe. In seven seasons at Wake Forest, only two assistants have left the program.
No wonder Nebraska interim athletic director Tom Osborne might like this guy — although hiring Grobe probably would preclude the hiring of assistants with NU ties.
There’s more to like in Grobe: In his first two seasons as head coach at Ohio (1995-96), he stabilized a ragged program by running an option attack. Eventually, the Bobcats evolved into more of a passing team.
Last season at Wake, the Demon Deacons were set to feature a heavy dose of option before No. 1 quarterback Ben Mauk suffered a season-ending injury in the opener. Riley Skinner took over and directed an attack that featured downfield passing and plenty of misdirection in the form of end-arounds and reverses.
Wake finished with an 11-3 record in 2006 and captured the Atlantic Coast Conference crown.
Osborne has made it clear the Nebraska head coach is responsible for the offense, defense and kicking game — “the whole deal,” Osborne said. This season, Wake’s defense ranks 18th nationally against the run and 15th in turnover margin. The Demon Deacons are 8-4 overall and finished 5-3 in the ACC.
Is Grobe looking to leave Wake? Probably not.
But nobody forced him to talk to Osborne and Nebraska Chancellor Harvey Perlman, even if it was just an “informal session,” as was reported.
One thing to ponder: Grobe, Pelini and Gill are similar in that they aren’t high-profile guys. They haven’t coached in a Super Bowl. They’re hardworking and down-to-earth coaches. Another thing to chew on: Unlike Callahan, none of the three is known for being a “grinder” in the office. There’s evidently balance in their lives, a trait that — based on Osborne’s recent comments — seems important to the interim AD.
Osborne’s search is fascinating to watch unfold.
Is it wise to gamble on Pelini, who has never been a head coach? First-time head coaches have had mixed results in the college game. Osborne wasn’t too bad in that role. But for every Osborne or Bob Stoops, there’s a Greg Robinson. For every Chris Petersen, there’s a John Blake.
If Osborne’s trying to unite a fractured fan base, the best choice would seem to be either Pelini or Gill, although both hires would be met with skepticism in some corners.
I’m sticking with Pelini as my first choice, although Grobe is intriguing.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.