Tonight LSU granted Michigan permission to talk to Les Miles about their head coaching job.
The timing of the announcement is why I find this interesting. If the thoughts of most people in the media and around the state are true - LSU Defensive Coordinator Bo Pelini is the leading candidate for the Nebraska job. In fact, the Omaha World Herald speculated that the announcement of a new coach could have come as early as today and the feeling was that Pelini was the guy. Is Nebraska going after Bo hard and is LSU worried about losing him now that Michigan is after Les Miles? We are going to find out now in a hurry as bluffs are about to be called.
LSU fans are going to go crazy if the Tigers lay an egg vs. Tennessee in Atlanta. Their Head Coach and DC might be headed elsewhere and distractions seem to be everywhere. Does LSU want Bo to take over for Les? If so, he's got some serious leverage on Nebraska and maybe he has his pick of jobs. Could LSU's announcement screw up Nebraska's search? Maybe. It for sure gives Bo a chance to look at both situations and see if he would be a possibility at each. For $$, it could gives him a chance to pit Nebraska and LSU up against each other.
If Nebraska was trying to take their time with Bo and look around (as they should), they might have to crap or get off the pot now that LSU might be open in a matter of days. This is a development that I really like because I do not believe that Bo Pelini should be the guy at Nebraska. I want a proven Head Coach to come to Lincoln and maybe Tom Osborne is now crossing Bo off his list. However, he could now be pushing for him to accept an offer before Les Miles meets with Michigan to avoid a bidding war.
Les Miles to Michigan is expected. Bo Pelini to replace him would make sense but not guaranteed. Would LSU fans accept him as their Head Coach? Does Nebraska's interest help him become more popular with the LSU fans as a potential replacement? Does Bo want Nebraska over LSU? Does he have a better shot at NU than LSU? We will find out very soon.
Crazy times in Nebraska and a new story every hour it seems...... I still want Paul Johnson, Jim Grobe or Brian Kelly over Pelini. I'd like Turner Gill over Pelini as well. He's No. 5 on my list....but only Tom Osborne's list matters. Not mine.
3 comments:
Matt, I agree 100%!! Only Tom Osbornes list is what matters and the rest is for entertainment including your list. Osbornes comment of "I didnt just interview 1 or 2 guys in Atlanta but several" that he said in his interview on KLIN 1400 leads me to believe alot of the interviews were via the internet and nobody really has a clue of this outcome.
Here's something to consider. I'm the only person saying this, and I'm not sure why. I don't think Turner was interviewed for the HC position. I think he was interviewed for AD. Why else bring Pearlman to Atlanta? Pearlman said when he fired SP that he was not in the business of hiring or firing coaches - that was the job of the AD. And don't say that Turner isn't interested. He and Osborne talk all the time, Dr. Tom would know if he was interested in the AD job. As far as coach goes, I think its between Bo and Grobe ATM. I think we talk to Johnson at some point (if we have not already). But if you read into what Dr. Tom said, I think he is indeed leaning towards Bo. He said:
"There are two schools of thought. One is that if you have players who played at Nebraska or were at Nebraska at one time or another, they do understand the culture. They understand where North Platte is and where Oshkosh is. They know the importance of football to young people in this state. They know what walk-ons meant to programs in the past.
"And then on the other hand, an experienced coach with a solidified staff can come in here and sometimes save themselves a lot of time and grief simply because they all have a common terminology. They know each other. Their systems are all well in place and they don't have to spend several months trying to figure out what each one is doing. So it's kind of a trade off. But I guess it'd be nice to at least have a couple people with Nebraska ties, because they understand the state and they understand the culture."
I think that sounds an awful lot like he comparing the staff you might get with Bo vs Grobe (or Johnson). The fact that Bo won't be available until after Sat. just made it easier on Dr. Tom and his search, because he gets some time to mull it over. I really think Johnson only gets into the mix if he says he would pull some NU guys into his staff.
Finally, I believe its going to be Bo. I think he comes even if offered more $$$ at LSU (I don't think they offer him at all). I believe Bo wants to be here and he wants to bring in a staff that is Nebraska "friendly".
Tatsu-- I think Osborne's descriptions sound like he has it down to Gill and Grobe, not Bo and Grobe.
Remember, Bo has interviewed elsewhere (like MSU) and didn't get the job. And, LSU's defense hasn't been that great the past 7 games. Washington St., meanwhile, is reportedly going after Gill -- not Bo.
Incidentally, what does Bo have over Gill? Gill was QB coach during the Frazier/Frost/Crouch era -- not bad player development there. He played at Nebraska and appreciates the walk-on program. And he has head coaching experience. Hiring Bo over Gill makes little sense to me.
It'll be either Grobe or Gill, with Paul Johnson as a dark horse.
Bo is the fan's favorite b/c of what he accomplished back in 2003 (probably before this youngster Matt Perrault was even a Husker fan). But, he can't beat Gill -- and certainly not Grobe.
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