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StinmanskerOct 16, 3:40 PM

I don't think Rhule is leaving, but it got me thinking

When is the last time a Nebraska head football coach left voluntarily to take another job? Anyone old enough to know whether Pete Elliott was fired or left on his own in 1957? Otherwise you have to go all the way back to Dana X Bible in 1937. Pretty remarkable.
27 Replies
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Bigredohio1

Oct 16, 3:43 PM

Bo Pelini left for Youngstown State. Callahan decided to go back to the NFL before that.
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Husker-j

Oct 16, 3:48 PM

Bigredohio1 said:
Bo Pelini left for Youngstown State. Callahan decided to go back to the NFL before that.
Neither left “voluntarily”.
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Stinmansker

Oct 16, 3:49 PM

Bigredohio1 said:
Bo Pelini left for Youngstown State. Callahan decided to go back to the NFL before that.
Both of those coaches were fired. God knows there are plenty of examples of that.
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Jankster

Oct 16, 3:51 PM

So every coach got fired since Osborne retired. No one has left voluntary. Osborne was close to leaving for Colorado.
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Stinmansker

Oct 16, 3:54 PM

Jankster said:
So every coach got fired since Osborne retired. No one has left voluntary. Osborne was close to leaving for Colorado.
Yes. And several before Devaney either got fired or didn't coach again anywhere else. Though there were a few weird one or two year stints because of WWII.
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Huskergasms

Oct 16, 4:02 PM

Even going back to the 60's Nebraska has always been considered a destination job. Nebraska was on a terrible losing streak before Bobfather and like Urban Meyer at Utah-Bob could go anywhere he wanted, He chose Nebraska because he felt this was a place he could win natties at and turned it around almost immediately. Yr 2 we were ranked top 5 at times. Urban kicked the tires here but the issues with TO butt burnt over Franks firing kept him away from the drama and eventually chose Florida for the same reasons Bob chose here. That hasn't changed-Nebraska is unique-Natl level Fan base is unique-Nebraska has more natties than PSU in the last 60 years. Urban Meyer was on a pod cast this week talking PSU and how things have changed with recruiting and how the steel belt used to produce 25-30 D-1 prospects annually each state. Mich-Penn and Ohio all had mainly home grown guys on their rosters and they stayed home. The jobs and population has changed things-Those families have moved south and those same states produce a small % of the D-1 players they did 25-30 yrs ago. tOSU had to adapt-Mich adapted late-PSU hasn't adapted as much. In Urbans opinion PSU has gone from a top 5 job nationally to barely a top 15 at best and its location alienates more than it attracts. He thinks PSU might even be considered to be a step down for Rhule as Nebraska has more going for it than PSU especially if they get their NIL even. Nebraska has always been more of a Natl recruiter and seems to have fan base everywhere. There has never been a reason for a coach to leave Nebraska but there was never a reason for Nebraska to hire some of the bad assistant hires TO made HC's either-Anyone can win 9 games plus at Nebraska-Frost was the first and only one that couldn't do that in 65 years Here is where CNBC the business channel has us ranked in $ value for private investor investing which is getting tossed around=Comfortably top 10 and above PSU https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/19/college-sports-programs-valuations.html
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rswayer1993

Oct 16, 4:05 PM

Yes you would have to go way way way back to before Devaney. This place may be cursed man.
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MrReality

Oct 16, 4:07 PM

Related to this topic, that’s partly why OU fans were pissed when Lincoln Riley left for USC. That was the first time an OU coach voluntarily left for another job.
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🌽

Oct 16, 4:13 PM

Dave Van Horn? Edit: I know this topic was about football, but it seems pretty rare for almost all sports. I think the golf coach left for somewhere else recently, too.
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Zar45

Oct 16, 4:14 PM

Stinmansker said:
When is the last time a Nebraska head football coach left voluntarily to take another job? Anyone old enough to know whether Pete Elliott was fired or left on his own in 1957? Otherwise you have to go all the way back to Dana X Bible in 1937. Pretty remarkable.
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sodbusters

Oct 16, 4:15 PM

Stinmansker said:
When is the last time a Nebraska head football coach left voluntarily to take another job? Anyone old enough to know whether Pete Elliott was fired or left on his own in 1957? Otherwise you have to go all the way back to Dana X Bible in 1937. Pretty remarkable.
Pete Elliot left, Shatel got into it in his column: https://huskerextra.com/news/football/shatel-whatever-matt-rhules-thinking-about-penn-state-nebraska-fans-want-to-hear-it/article_8d8b4911-376e-41f8-a5c8-d8ea2c58100a.html. Otherwise, the most public episode is TO flirting with Colorado. It shows you both just how stable this was and how most of the instability has been self-inflicted. That being said, if Bo ever won a conference title game or got Nebraska to what is now the New Year’s Six he probably gets a bigger look from other programs.
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🌽

Oct 16, 4:17 PM

Zar45 said:
Oh, those sweet summer children.
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corny271

Oct 16, 4:20 PM

@Sean Callahan Was there legit smoke about Bo and Tennessee? Or was that just a ploy by Bo's crew to get more money and make a point?
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Brasky_Pants

Oct 16, 4:21 PM

Pelini was (allegedly) good as gone to Arkansas before the 2012 B1G Championship game. Then the 2012 B1G Championship game happened and Fat Bert was off to Arkansas. Speaking of Arkansas, the only NE coach in any sport that I can think of that left for a "better" job (in the modern era) was DVH to Arky.
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freezersandweezers

Oct 16, 4:25 PM

🌽 said:
Dave Van Horn? Edit: I know this topic was about football, but it seems pretty rare for almost all sports. I think the golf coach left for somewhere else recently, too.
Barry Collier left for the Butler AD job. And Moe Iba handed in his resignation on the court after losing to WKU in the 86 tournament
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Husker-j

Oct 16, 4:41 PM

freezersandweezers said:
Barry Collier left for the Butler AD job. And Moe Iba handed in his resignation on the court after losing to WKU in the 86 tournament
You’re right about Collier. I could have sworn that he had been fired, but I must be misremembering.
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freezersandweezers

Oct 16, 4:43 PM

Husker-j said:
You’re right about Collier. I could have sworn that he had been fired, but I must be misremembering.
Nope, if I remember right he was inducted into their hall of fame and while he was there to accept the honor they talked him into being the AD
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123Hskrmn

Oct 16, 4:44 PM

I'm sure one thing MR is thinking about. If he were to go to Penn St and fail. And when I say fail. I meen like not at least match JFs record. It could get very SF type uncomfortable around there. There won't be much leniency there. At least at Neb. Because Neb hadn't been doing well for a while. Ruhle at least seems to be getting Neb going in the right directions. At least at the moment. With a hell of alot more forgiveness. Then there will not be any forgiveness at University State Park.
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Huskergasms

Oct 16, 4:56 PM

rswayer1993 said:
Yes you would have to go way way way back to before Devaney. This place may be cursed man.
Since TO until now we have never had any coach that any major D-1 team would want to poach!!! That tells you how bad those hires were including Bo and Solich who never either found themselves in a similar coaching position. And Bo shopped!
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Bigredohio1

Oct 16, 5:55 PM

Stinmansker said:
Both of those coaches were fired. God knows there are plenty of examples of that.
The ole sarcasm meter out of commission this morning?
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SSminnow78

Oct 16, 6:15 PM

123Hskrmn said:
I'm sure one thing MR is thinking about. If he were to go to Penn St and fail. And when I say fail. I meen like not at least match JFs record. It could get very SF type uncomfortable around there. There won't be much leniency there. At least at Neb. Because Neb hadn't been doing well for a while. Ruhle at least seems to be getting Neb going in the right directions. At least at the moment. With a hell of alot more forgiveness. Then there will not be any forgiveness at University State Park.
This is my thought on the whole thing. He has a ton more runway here then he would at Penn State. If he doesn't win immediately at PSU he very well could be looking for a job in 3 years. If he wins 10-11 games at Nebraska consistently, I don't think many fans would complain based on our recent lack of success.
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nja13

Oct 16, 6:27 PM

Zar45 said:
Nice pulls! Interesting reads, especially the top one. Interesting to see the debate about "Can you pay a subordinate (coach) more than you pay his boss (the AD)?"
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nja13

Oct 16, 6:38 PM

freezersandweezers said:
Barry Collier left for the Butler AD job.
Husker-j said:
You’re right about Collier. I could have sworn that he had been fired, but I must be misremembering.
As I recall, Collier was getting very close to being fired after six straight losing seasons. The Butler AD job was seen as a win for all involved. Nebraska got rid of him and he saved face by not being fired and got a soft landing spot at a place he had deep connections to. And Barry didn't leave for another coaching job. He got out of coaching with his move back to Butler.
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freezersandweezers

Oct 16, 6:46 PM

nja13 said:
As I recall, Collier was getting very close to being fired after six straight losing seasons. The Butler AD job was seen as a win for all involved. Nebraska got rid of him and he saved face by not being fired and got a soft landing spot at a place he had deep connections to. And Barry didn't leave for another coaching job. He got out of coaching with his move back to Butler.
The general sentiment was he would’ve been fired after 2007 if they didn’t have a winning record, but I don’t think with the Callahan firing they would’ve pulled the trigger. He likely survives until 2008 if he doesn’t take the Butler job. But yes Nebraska didn’t have to pay the buyout for him, so it was seen as mutually beneficial

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