When we hired Rhule?

dinglefritz

Heisman
Jan 14, 2011
51,373
12,792
78
Who was available that would have taken the job? I’ve got nothin. I said then I would have been fine with Vigen from Montana State. Former NDSU assistant who coached for Bohl who has done a very good job. That said, I don’t remember guys like Brian Kelly being available. The only big name was the Doofus Wisconsin coach who I REALLY DID NOT WANT.
 

WHCSC

All-Conference
Feb 4, 2002
10,785
3,598
88
Who was available that would have taken the job? I’ve got nothin. I said then I would have been fine with Vigen from Montana State. Former NDSU assistant who coached for Bohl who has done a very good job. That said, I don’t remember guys like Brian Kelly being available. The only big name was the Doofus Wisconsin coach who I REALLY DID NOT WANT.
Every coach was available for the right amount of money
 

redwine65

All-Conference
Jun 23, 2010
10,837
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He wasn’t unemployed but probably could have been had for 8 million.
thats the only one I remember that would have probably been better, the badger, ku, ksu and bc coach haven't been seting the world on fire.
nor the neon deon....houston coach is pretty good
 
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steinek11

All-Conference
Apr 18, 2004
13,481
1,214
113
I also wanted Lance Leipold. I think the guy is a damn good coach. For whatever reason he takes loser jobs though. Didn’t seem to have the balls to roll the dice at a big boy program.
 
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redwine65

All-Conference
Jun 23, 2010
10,837
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You still have the his dad played and coached here we don’t need another Nebraska disciple crowd.

Plus our fan base would go bonkers on all the times he would gamble and go for it on 4th down more times than not.
I wanted gruden
 

dinglefritz

Heisman
Jan 14, 2011
51,373
12,792
78
I also wanted Lance Leipold. I think the guy is a damn good coach. For whatever reason he takes loser jobs though. Didn’t seem to have the balls to roll the dice at a big boy program.
I don’t think he’s ever been offered a big boy job. He might still do okay.
 

moralvictories

Sophomore
Jan 22, 2022
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Who was available that would have taken the job? I’ve got nothin. I said then I would have been fine with Vigen from Montana State. Former NDSU assistant who coached for Bohl who has done a very good job. That said, I don’t remember guys like Brian Kelly being available. The only big name was the Doofus Wisconsin coach who I REALLY DID NOT WANT.
Vigen from Montana State???? Looks like a Scott Frost type of hire to me.
 

dinglefritz

Heisman
Jan 14, 2011
51,373
12,792
78
Vigen from Montana State???? Looks like a Scott Frost type of hire to me.
Nah. He’s built a program that’s knocking heads competitively with NDSU and SDSU. Very good young coach. Better than Frost. If he keeps doing what he’s been doing he’ll get a promotion IF he wants one. IF NDSU ever loses their current coach they’ll go hard after Vigen.
 

Redscarlet

Heisman
Jun 17, 2001
32,753
10,667
113
The question who was available and would have taken the job. Don’t get attitude with me, it might be a dumb idea but he is an appropriate answer to the question.
Remember Klieman, Campbell and Leipold were some of the names they were mention besides Rhule.
 
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Zeke Husker

All-Conference
Aug 23, 2025
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Remember Klieman, Campbell and Leipold were some of the names they were mention besides Rhule.
Do you think we would have fared better with one of them at this point?
I think we would have because, well Rhule there were some assistants that Rhule hired that just were not good. Some have been dismissed and replaced but you can’t throw away a year or 2 with crappy assistants
 
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K Rod

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Oct 1, 2025
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Who did I want? Chris Klieman from K State. Proven winner. I was told NU contacted his agent and got a firm no before Ruhle was hired. He always has good line play, usually a balanced offense. Good hard nose coach in the mold of a Bo Pelini but with out the sideline fireworks. 126-47 record. Has never been at a program with our level of resources. His style of play, player development, would have been a good fit here. No he would not have been a splash hire, but I dare say he would not be a .500 coach three years in either. K State has sent a lot of guys to the NFL during his tenure. Had an off year this year but the guy works and has built a nice program at a place that does not have a lot to work with. NIL has caught up with schools like K State. If the Nu job were open today I think he might come here given how much the landscape has changed.
 

Redscarlet

Heisman
Jun 17, 2001
32,753
10,667
113
Do you think we would have fared better with one of them at this point?
I think we would have because, well Rhule there were some assistants that Rhule hired that just were not good. Some have been dismissed and replaced but you can’t throw away a year or 2 with crappy assistants
No question Rhule needs to make some in house moves, not ready to throw the bath water out yet but Dannen fvcked up giving him that extention.
 

moralvictories

Sophomore
Jan 22, 2022
4,073
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Nah. He’s built a program that’s knocking heads competitively with NDSU and SDSU. Very good young coach. Better than Frost. If he keeps doing what he’s been doing he’ll get a promotion IF he wants one. IF NDSU ever loses their current coach they’ll go hard after Vigen.
Coaching in the B1G is a big step up from coaching in the Big Sky. A lot of successful Big Sky coaches would fail in the B1G.
 

HuskerO58

All-Conference
Sep 11, 2006
14,051
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I don’t think that was the case for us. Tough place to recruit to and a fan base which still had unrealistic expectations. It’s one of the reasons we overpaid for Rhule
Our expectations 3 years ago & now aren't what they were 15+ years ago.

Win 9+ games most every year, make the playoffs every 4-5 years and dont be an a-hole, you have a job for life and will be loved for it.

Those were lower expectations 15+ years ago for a program like Nebraska. Now they're not unreasonable nor unachievable.
 

dinglefritz

Heisman
Jan 14, 2011
51,373
12,792
78
I was told Campbell not only was in play but his agent made contact. It sounded like he wanted the job but we were not interested.
There was some booster resistance but Trev knows him better than us. Rhule was kind of a splash hire and that last season at Baylor made Rhule millions of dollars.
 
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Redscarlet

Heisman
Jun 17, 2001
32,753
10,667
113
I was told Campbell not only was in play but his agent made contact. It sounded like he wanted the job but we were not interested.
Don’t think Trev wanted to move in that direction when Campbell himself wasn’t beating Ferentz at the time.
 
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dinglefritz

Heisman
Jan 14, 2011
51,373
12,792
78
Coaching in the B1G is a big step up from coaching in the Big Sky. A lot of successful Big Sky coaches would fail in the B1G.
No doubt but IF you’re gonna roll the dice you do it with a guy with a low initial cost. I’m not sure there’s much difference between hiring coordinators from other P5 programs and hiring the head coach of Montana State. They’re both gambles. We went big with a failed NFL coach with moderate success in college. That’s looking uncertain right now.
 

dinglefritz

Heisman
Jan 14, 2011
51,373
12,792
78
Our expectations 3 years ago & now aren't what they were 15+ years ago.

Win 9+ games most every year, make the playoffs every 4-5 years and dont be an a-hole, you have a job for life and will be loved for it.

Those were lower expectations 15+ years ago for a program like Nebraska. Now they're not unreasonable nor unachievable.
There are still some people on this board who think it’s logical to think we should be playing in the B1G title game every year.
 

Redscarlet

Heisman
Jun 17, 2001
32,753
10,667
113
No doubt but IF you’re gonna roll the dice you do it with a guy with a low initial cost. I’m not sure there’s much difference between hiring coordinators from other P5 programs and hiring the head coach of Montana State. They’re both gambles. We went big with a failed NFL coach with moderate success in college. That’s looking uncertain right now.
Rhule was hired to be a program builder, we’ll find out the next two years if he can accomplish what he was brought here to do.
 

WHCSC

All-Conference
Feb 4, 2002
10,785
3,598
88
Who did I want? Chris Klieman from K State. Proven winner. I was told NU contacted his agent and got a firm no before Ruhle was hired. He always has good line play, usually a balanced offense. Good hard nose coach in the mold of a Bo Pelini but with out the sideline fireworks. 126-47 record. Has never been at a program with our level of resources. His style of play, player development, would have been a good fit here. No he would not have been a splash hire, but I dare say he would not be a .500 coach three years in either. K State has sent a lot of guys to the NFL during his tenure. Had an off year this year but the guy works and has built a nice program at a place that does not have a lot to work with. NIL has caught up with schools like K State. If the Nu job were open today I think he might come here given how much the landscape has changed.
I think this is where I was as well
 
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Zeke Husker

All-Conference
Aug 23, 2025
1,336
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113
Rhule was hired to be a program builder, we’ll find out the next two years if he can accomplish what he was brought here to do.
I’ve been saying for a long time, it won’t be Rhule that gets us to 10+ wins it will be the next guy. Rhule can get us to 8 maybe 9. Yes that is building up from
What it was when he arrived.
 
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Redscarlet

Heisman
Jun 17, 2001
32,753
10,667
113
To be clear I don’t think that makes Rhule a failure. Thing is, he would need to leave on his own in order to get a great come to come here. Firing a winning coach kept us from great candidates.
If you can’t beat the Herkys, Minnesota and Wisconsin to keep your job you won’t be here that long, we’re on our 3rd coach that can’t beat these teams consistently.