Whether the Nebraska football head coach has been Bob Devaney, Tom Osborne, Frank Solich, Bill Callahan or Bo Pelini, Husker football coaches will always be subjected to (how can I put this nicely) — public opinion.
Despite the fact that Pelini has guided the Huskers to a 39-16 record (if you include the interim coach Alamo Bowl game in 2003) since taking over for Callahan after the 2007 season, the biggest sticking point with most Nebraska fans is that the program has not taken the next step to becoming BCS Bowl material. Pelini’s initial impact was great as the Huskers went from 5-7 in 2007 under Callahan to 9-4 in 2008 (Pelini’s first season). Though the Huskers were on the doorstep of a Big 12 conference title in 2009 and 2010, they have done no better than 10-4 in his tenure.
There are a segment of Husker fans who want him gone, and those in the media who are also ultra-critical of the Pelini. While some of the criticism has been warranted, sacking the man at this point the answer. I think that he’s earned another year (all you ever do season to season in my opinion). I think a 9-4 performance next year would also secure him another year, however, I wouldn’t feel as good about it. Then again, the 2011 version of 9-4 was not much to crow about either.
The question then becomes, how long would you say that this standard of performance could go along before you’d believe that a change needs to be made?
Though improvement can always be made, I think Pelini is doing a fine enough job at the moment, but that’s on the basis that we all think his teams are going to get better at some point. I’d say that a conference title and a top 10 finish in his first decade as a coach would be acceptable to me.
My overall evaluation of Pelini as our head coach is positive. Of course, there are areas in which I feel he could improve, but I had those feelings about Osborne during his tenure. There is no perfect coach. During his coaching career, Osborne was criticized for not being able to win the big games, for being too one dimensional on offense, for not recruiting well, for his sideline behavior (not being animated enough), for his media presence (being too dull), etc., but he turned out to be a pretty darn good coach.
Pelini is still learning, and has made improvements. He has acknowledged some issues, and worked on them. He took over the program at a tough time, had his hands tied during his first recruiting class, and has gone through a conference change.
Football is cyclical. There are times of prosperity and growth, and there are rebuilding times. You don’t always have a Tommie Frazier in the program, sometimes you have a Mike Grant. That is not a slight against Grant, who was a good quarterback but not the difference-maker that Frazier was.
Pelini has had some special players on his teams (some he recruited and some he coached), and he has done well. I think brighter days are ahead with Pelini, and think if we get rid of Pelini for anything other than NCAA violations, serious transgressions either on the field or off, or horrible losing seasons, we're doomed to repeat our Steve Pederson/Bill Callahan errors.
However, I think that Nebraska needs to eventually be looking to win at least three conference titles per decade. I say this because we should wish to be in the game more often than not and hope to go about .500 in it. I understand that Michigan isn’t going to roll over and neither are Ohio State and Penn State. Still, Nebraska needs to fill in that gap.
That said, I think the Huskers are still recovering to some degree from the last decade and especially the Callahan years, as such I think that we need to allow our young coach with plenty of time, I still think that he’s got to perform at some point. So I don’t think a conference title in the first decade is unreasonable.
It seems to me that Osborne has five rules for Pelini’s continued employment: 1) Maintain good graduation rates; 2) Maintain team support; 3) Limit Woody Hayes-like behavior; 4) Don’t break any rules/embarrass the university; 5) Consistently field a respectable/competitive team.
I think Pelini will be there as long as he doesn’t violate one of these rules and continues to be happy in Lincoln. The blow-out losses in 2011 could be his Achilles heel.
That said, I don’t find 9-4 as acceptable in the long term, I only find it acceptable right now because five years ago the Huskers had a losing record. They’re trying to build the program, I also think that dropping four games every few years is OK, but 9-4 ought to be one of their “down” years. I think that Pelini will have Nebraska on an upward trajectory, he just needs to iron out some of the team break downs, which I think start with him.
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