It is. Look at what Indiana's recruiting rankings were and their players all going top of the draft.
As Coach Switzer once said, "It's not about the X's and O's but rather about the Jimmy and Joes! He was right on! Osborne's running teams allowed for many Midwest kids making the team and excelling. Since then the style the Huskers are trying to play requires much better athletes and NU cannot attract those. At least for now.
Switzer also said about Osborne “he’ll beat you with his guys then he could turn around and beat his team with yours”. Great coaching matters. We were spoiled.
Ok I will play devils advocate here. You honestly think TO was a better coach in 94-97 during our run then he was when he wasnt winning the big games.? No he just got the Jimmies and Joes he always had the Xs and Os . as @Man Woman & Child said you have to have both.
There are so many limits on meeting, practice time plus unlimited transfers that I think "coaching" is overrated. What Indiana did well was talent evaluation, and putting a system together that matched the players they were able to get. This has a lot to do with coaching retention, and system retention but coaches can't really coach-up guys longer than a year or so, and they have limited time with the kids anyway. This isn't like the old days when you wouldn't see a lineman for 4 years and then they would be an all-conference player.
This just seems like a long-winded way to say coaching really matters. You said yourself Mendoza was mediocre at Cal, then goes to Indiana and becomes the #1 player in the country. How does that not involve coaching?
I think you’re right here… better coaching and development will bring “better” recruits and get more kids drafted.
The #1 pick was mediocre at Cal in part because he was surrounded by below average talent. Cal’s facilities are awful and their recruiting hasn’t been good. IF you’re a QB or WR though it’s been a good place to get on the field.
And we have neither.
Yeh, no kidding.
Mendoza was plugged into a perfect situation, he didn't develop suddenly he was just protected, could hand the ball off to good backs, and had an offensive system that required very little of him. Of course, this is system coaching but not development or technique. You will see this when he plays for the Raiders, as we see it for all young qbs. They aren't prepared for the NFL because good teams require very little from them in college.
Yep , If you look at his numbers at Cal . The only stat that really jumped at Indiana was TD passes every other stat Yds , pass Percentage, interceptions etc. were fairly similar.you get recognized more being on the best team.
It’s not even a question. Iowa beats us every year with better coaching. They’re not even great coaches. In fact, KF is the #1 losingest coach in the history of BiG TeN football. We would win these games with even average coaches, but that’s been a real challenge for us the last 10-20 years.
That was Bum Phillips talking about the great Bear Bryant, but maybe Barry borrowed that quote.
It's complicated. Mendoza is very well coached and that offense makes any QB look better. But it's also about surrounding Mendoza with a bunch of 23 and 24 year olds that fit real good around him. Is that coaching or recruiting? A little of both. Indiana knows exactly what they are looking for and they go out and get them. They had a center from Notre Dame- fifth year I believe-- a tight end from Wisconsin also a fifth year.
We've got to get much better at coaching first. And with that I'm talking about player development.
BS on that-TO fcked up some of his best teams with bad coaching. The scoring explosion era comes to mind-Far too conservative in his early years
