Coaching Perspective – Nebraska

Nebraska is one of the all time great programs with 875 wins, 5 national titles and 46 conference titles as well as 9 unclaimed titles.  With all five of the official chips spread between two coaches, it is likely every Husker fan and most football fans know the top spot on this list and probably the second slot.  As for the other contenders?  Let’s find out.

Not In Consideration (Chronological Order):

• Langdon Frothingham: 1890, 2-0
• T.U. Lyman: 1891, 1-1
• J.S. Williams: 1982, 2-2-1 (1-1-1)

This would be the first time they played Kansas.  Despite winning the first two, Kansas has had very little luck in the series, trailing it all time 91-23-3.

• Frank Crawford: 1893-1894, 9-4-1 (3-3)

First league title in 1894.

• Charles Thomas: 1895, 6-3 (2-1)
• Eddie N. Robinson: 1896-1897, 11-4-1 (4-1-1)

Robinson later became a hall of fame coach for a 21 year run at Brown where he went 140-82-12.

• Fielding H. Yost: 1898, 8-3

For more about the legendary Yost, read the Michigan coaching review.

• Alonzo Edwin Branch: 1899, 1-7-1
• Walter C. Booth: 1900-1905, 46-8-1

Booth’s impressive winning percentage is tempting but for coaches this long ago, I really need to see national titles, conference titles or an insanely long run.  Booth coached NU when they were an independent, they won zero titles and he was there just six seasons.  Good coach, just not worthy of consideration.

• Amos Foster: 1906, 6-4
• William C. “King” Cole: 1907-1910, 25-8-3 (5-3-1)
• Ewald O. Stiehm: 1911-1915, 35-2-3 (14-0-1)
• E.J. Stewart: 1916-1917, 11-4 (5-1)
• William G. Kline: 1918, 2-3-1
• Henry Schulte: 1919-1920, 8-6-3
• Fred Dawson: 1921-1924, 23-7-2 (14-1-2)
• Ernest Bearg: 1925-1928, 23-7-3 (16-4-1)

Won their first Big Six title in 1928 under Bearg.

• Biff Jones: 1937-1941, 28-14-4 (17-6-2)
• Glenn Presnell: 1942, 3-7
• Adolph J. Lewandowski: 1943-1944, 4-12 (4-6)
• George Clark: 1945, 1948, 6-13 (4-7)
• Bernie Masterson: 1946-1947, 5-13 (5-5)
• Bill Glassford: 1949-1955, 31-35-3 (23-18-1)
• Pete Elliott: 1956, 4-6 (3-3)
• Bill Jennings: 1957-1961, 15-34-1 (8-24)

Despite an unremarkable career, Jennings’ 1959 team snapped Oklahoma’s 74 game conference winning streak.

• Bill Callahan: 2004-2007, 27-22 (15-17)
• Barney Cotton: 2014, 0-1 – interim
• Mike Riley: 2015-present, 2-2 (0-0)
  

Riley’s record reflects the opening month of this season.

Did Not Place (5th to 4th):

• Bo Pelini: 2003, 2008-2014, 67-27 (39-17)

Won nine or more games every year en route to a gaudy mark.  While his teams were the mark of consistency on the field, Pelini’s personality was anything but consistent off the field.  He rubbed media and boosters wrong too many times.  Struggles against ranked teams and four division titles without ever winning a league increased the pressure on him.  Eventually a late season 1-2 collapse preventing a trip to the Big Ten title game seemed to be the final straw and he was fired before the bowl.  Undoubtedly risky because as mentioned nine or ten wins every year is a tough thing to give up.  It’ll be interesting if Riley can keep that high level of win-loss mark going.

• Frank Solich: 1998-2003, 58-19 (34-15)

Solich had the impossible task of replacing a living legend and the small downturn in play led to mounting fan pressure and ultimately his firing.  Still he won the Big 12 in 1999 and won a Fiesta bowl.  Five teams were ranked in the final polls and three of those were in the top 10.  His ’99 team finished second in the nation.  Despite a 9-3 (5-3) mark in 2003 he was shown the door, bringing about the awful Callahan era and the chaotic Bo Pelini era.  Arguably, the Husker program has never been the same since unceremoniously dumping Solich.

Bronze Medal:

Dana X. Bible: 1929-1936, 50-15-7 (33-3-4)

Bible is a rare 3-team beast of a coach.  Before leading the Huskers he was at Texas A&M for a eleven seasons and won five Southwest titles and two national titles.  After Nebraska he was at Texas for a decade and won three league titles and another national title.  While he never took home a national chip with the Huskers he did lead a Big Six dynasty, winning titles six times in his eight seasons.  Due to the lack of prestige of the Big Six at the time, his teams failed to get much national attention, never attending a bowl or being considered for a national title.  In 1936, the first year of the AP poll, his club did finish the year 9th in the nation.  It is unclear why he would have left Nebraska and research didn’t bring up anything but if I had to guess, it was a combination of the Southwest conference being arguably the best league at the time and Texas offering a lot of money after they just endured a horrible three year tenure of a coach.

Silver Medal:

Bob Devaney: 1962-1972, 101-20-2 (62-14-1)

In 11 seasons, 8 of his teams were in the final polls and 7 of those were in the top-10 so they were always knocking on the door of a national title and two times, 1970 and 1971, his clubs took home the hardware.  In addition to those two national titles he racked up 8 league crowns and a 6-3 bowl mark.  Which Devaney team was best?  Hmm, while the 1970 team were the upstarts, the fact that they tied a game and their title was split gives the nod to the ’71 gang, who were incredible.  They were #2 in the nation to start the year but an opening day dismantling of Oregon pushed them to the top spot.  They never looked back.  They won 12 of their 13 games by 24 or more and shut out 3 teams.  Their title hopes were almost dashed at #2 Oklahoma but they won the game 35-31 and it is one of several games dubbed the game of the century.  Devaney stepped down to let – you know who – take over as well as allow him to focus on being athletic director, a job he would have until 1993.

Gold Medal:

Tom Osborne: 1973-1997, 255-49-3 (160-23-2)

Was there ever any doubt?  The all time legend won nine or more games every year and obviously went to a bowl every year, going 12-13 in those games.  He won 13 league titles and three national titles.  Every team was in the final poll with a jaw-dropping 20 of them in the top 10.  Despite a lot of contenders for best team, I’ve always thought the 1995 team was the best.  The Big Eight was stacked that year with both Kansas schools and Colorado winning 10 games.  Nebraska smoked all three of them, 49-25 (KSU), 44-21 (Colorado) and 41-3 (Kansas).  Osborne, like Devaney, would pass the team off to a trusted assistant.  Osborne’s retirement was an interesting one, first representing the state as a senator and then getting hired as athletic director in 2007.  One of his first actions was to can Bill Callahan.  He retired for good in 2013 having improved basketball facilities, football facilities and guiding the program to the Big Ten.