Pelini gone at Nebraska; Morris heading to SMU

Harry · November 30, 2014

Nebraska: Bo Pelini has been let go. AD Shawn Eichorst has announced that he decided to make a change and informed Bo this morning.

SMU: Chad Morris is headed to Dallas. All will be officially official soon enough. We dont expect any full-time assistants from Clemson to join Morris at SMU. We hear his staff is likely have a heavy Texas influence (as it should). Well keep you posted

Read more: http://footballscoop.com/the-scoop/

Cerebus · November 30, 2014

67-27 and at least 9 wins every year isn't good enough for Nebraska. In fact, it's so not good enough that they are ready to payout the nearly 8 million dollars they still owe Pelini.

Must be nice having that kind of money.

UNTFan23 · November 30, 2014

67-27 and at least 9 wins every year isn't good enough for Nebraska. In fact, it's so not good enough that they are ready to payout the nearly 8 million dollars they still owe Pelini.

Must be nice having that kind of money.

The assistant coaches are under contract through 2016 so they will get paid as well.

Must be nice to have piles of cash sitting around with nothing to do.

FirefightnRick · November 30, 2014

Must be nice having that kind of expectations.

fify

Rick

NT80 · November 30, 2014

I never thought Pelini was a good hire for Nebraska. It wasn't the record that got him removed. If you've never listened to one of his interview rants or public tirades he was very abrasive to media, fans and players alike; just low class. Good move!

As for the Smut hire, it is still a hard place to recruit to (legally). The affluent campus culture turns many non-affluent outsiders off, including recruits, parents, and most of Dallas. I hope they go 0-12 every year!!

MeanGreenTexan · November 30, 2014

Chad Morris is what I think Dodge would have been had he taken the proper path (incredible HS coaching resume -> QB's coach -> OC -> HC).

If Chad Morris comes back to Texas as a HC, he's going to do VERY WELL. He's going to have tons of HS contacts due to his brief time @ Lake Travis.

UNTFan23 · November 30, 2014

fify
Rick

What makes you think those expectations don't exist at North Texas?

Coffee and TV · November 30, 2014

"Morris to SMU"

Me: Please be Guy Morris, please be Guy Morris!

Damn.

Harry · November 30, 2014

Our recruiting road in DFW just got a LOT tougher with Morris in that job.

NorthTexan95 · November 30, 2014

I never thought Pelini was a good hire for Nebraska. It wasn't the record that got him removed. If you've never listened to one of his interview rants or public tirades he was very abrasive to media, fans and players alike; just low class. Good move!

As for the Smut hire, it is still a hard place to recruit to (legally). The affluent campus culture turns many non-affluent outsiders off, including recruits, parents, and most of Dallas. I hope they go 0-12 every year!!

I thought Pelini was a much better hire than the previous HC Callahan. However, he is a jerk and doesn't belong at a school like Nebraska. He could probably get away with that at a smaller school.

Dr. Seuss · November 30, 2014

Nebraska fans are a bunch of idiots, it's championship or bust. I'd be pissed off too if everyone wantsed me out. All he's done is win games Yes he's lost some big games but who doesn't??? We gave our head coach a extension after one winning season. Our program is a joke

emmitt01 · December 1, 2014

What makes you think those expectations don't exist at North Texas?

Tony Benford is still employed.

Todd Dodge got four years of employment.

There is no public heat on an AD whose only OOC game in a four year old stadium will probably be a 1AA team.

Shall i continue?

Army of Dad · December 1, 2014

I thought Pelini was a much better hire than the previous HC Callahan. However, he is a jerk and doesn't belong at a school like Nebraska. He could probably get away with that at a smaller school.

He could probably get away with it at a large school if he was winning conference titles.

Tony Benford is still employed.
Todd Dodge got four years of employment.
There is no public heat on an AD whose only OOC game in a four year old stadium will probably be a 1AA team.
Shall i continue?

Boom goes the dynamite.

NorthTexan95 · December 1, 2014

He could probably get away with it at a large school if he was winning conference titles.

Very true.

forevereagle · December 1, 2014

Nebraska fans are a bunch of idiots, it's championship or bust. I'd be pissed off too if everyone wantsed me out. All he's done is win games Yes he's lost some big games but who doesn't??? We gave our head coach a extension after one winning season. Our program is a joke

Not sure that it is championship or bust up there. They expect a certain level of class and maybe do better than 9 wins once or twice. He was there for a long time and hasn't won a conference championship. They expect to win the conference every now and again.

67-27 and at least 9 wins every year isn't good enough for Nebraska. In fact, it's so not good enough that they are ready to payout the nearly 8 million dollars they still owe Pelini.

Must be nice having that kind of money.

Sell out every home game since the 70s and we might be flush with cash too. Edited December 1, 2014 by forevereagle

UNTFan23 · December 1, 2014

Tony Benford is still employed.
Todd Dodge got four years of employment.
There is no public heat on an AD whose only OOC game in a four year old stadium will probably be a 1AA team.
Shall i continue?

Part of telling a head coach to take a hike is paying off the contract. Problem with that is it could limit you to how much you can afford to pay the next coach and/or the assistants. Our school just doesn't have the money or the donors to fire coaches like that even though it is obvious it's not working out.

Regarding scheduling ... I wish scheduling games was easy but it's not. I'd love to see someone better than an FCS school but we're dreaming if we'll see a P5 school just call us up and ask us for something favorable like a 1-and-1. I know people like looking down on the Sun Belt but why throw out some good schools our fans know as potential opponents?

NT80 · December 1, 2014

Part of telling a head coach to take a hike is paying off the contract. Problem with that is it could limit you to how much you can afford to pay the next coach and/or the assistants. Our school just doesn't have the money or the donors to fire coaches like that even though it is obvious it's not working out.

Regarding scheduling ... I wish scheduling games was easy but it's not. I'd love to see someone better than an FCS school but we're dreaming if we'll see a P5 school just call us up and ask us for something favorable like a 1-and-1. I know people like looking down on the Sun Belt but why throw out some good schools our fans know as potential opponents?

When the fans are walking away and not returning because of the product on the field or court something needs to change. The poor scheduling contributes to make them not want to come in the first place.

Change can be very refreshing for a program and it's fanbase.

Edited December 1, 2014 by NT80

UNTFan23 · December 1, 2014

When the fans are walking away and not returning because of the product on the field or court something needs to change. The poor scheduling contributes to make them not want to come in the first place.

Change can be very refreshing for a program and it's fanbase.

So, to promote such a change would you be willing to pay higher ticket prices if donors could not be found to buy out a contract? Remember, we need to raise some funds to somehow to pay off the old coach ...

Edited December 1, 2014 by UNTFan23

NT80 · December 1, 2014

So, to promote such a change would you be willing to pay higher ticket prices if donors could not be found to buy out a contract? Remember, we need to raise some funds to somehow to pay off the old coach ...

The program only gets limited opportunities to keep some fans; others walk and don't come back.

I would think the loss of revenue from disinterested fans and non-ticket renewals should offset a year or two of buyout? Apogee with 10,000 actual fans instead of 22,000 and the SuperPit with 600 vs 4000 fans has to be some kind of revenue loss on not only ticket sales but concessions and merchandise.

Fans are willing to pay more for quality entertainment (that includes quality coaching and opponents). I would expect to pay more to see a P5 at Apogee, but likewise charged less to see a Nicholls St. I would pay more to have a Larry Brown than Benford.

What gets us into these coaching contracts mess is an initial 5-year contract offer for an unproven HC (Benford). A contract extension for a coach off a Bowl year before seeing if he can rebuild and repeat; pay a Bowl bonus instead of an extension until we know for sure what we have. Someone posted a list of coaches (several) that took initial 3-year contracts or less than 5 to get the opportunity, it can be done.

FirefightnRick · December 1, 2014

What makes you think those expectations don't exist at North Texas?

Your kidding, right? Rarely does anyone lose their job for poor performance around here.

Rick

oldguystudent · December 1, 2014

So, to promote such a change would you be willing to pay higher ticket prices if donors could not be found to buy out a contract?

Hell no! That affects MY bottom line! Raise the damn student fee! They deserve it!

Ben Gooding · December 1, 2014

So, to promote such a change would you be willing to pay higher ticket prices if donors could not be found to buy out a contract? Remember, we need to raise some funds to somehow to pay off the old coach ...

I would easily pay double to go watch a winning product. I would happily pay triple to watch that winning product vs a P5 in Apogee. So to answer your question, yes.

untjim1995 · December 1, 2014

5-year contracts are the price to play poker these days at the FBS level--for the most part. The price of poker at most places includes buying out more than two years if needed, but not here, lathough I do admit that Dickey's two-year buyout apparently is the reason we had to hire from a high school instead of paying up to get Jim Harbaugh, who laughed at the fact we could even get in the $400k range. Of course, Harbaugh got hired at Stanford that off-season, so he was probably just using UNT for interview experience and leverage. But since I have followed UNT, CorkyNelson got fired in his contract year, Jimmie Gales got fired in his contract season, Dennis Parker got fired after his last season on contract, Matt Simon got fired with one year left on his contract, Jankovich resigned, Trilli got fired with a year left on his contract, Dodge got fired with a year left on his contract, Johnny Jones left for LSU, and Benford has kept his job with two awful years behind him and three years left on his contract, of which he has at least two years left to go, bare minimum.

And, just in case, you wondered, Tina Slinker stayed here for 19 years as the womens coach, with a record of 241-287 and exactly two postseason berths, the NWIT in 2001 and 2002, which featured two immediate losses. She was finally let go when her contract expired in 2007...

UNTFan23 · December 1, 2014

Your kidding, right? Rarely does anyone lose their job for poor performance around here.
Rick

Um, no. Their's a huge difference between wanting too fire someone and actually being able two fire them. Won thing you knead is cache. Given the situation at the university write now, I doubt their is any appetite for letting any (poorly performing) coaches go. Best option might bee (sadly) to knot renew any contracts when it comes time to renew.

Edited December 1, 2014 by UNTFan23

Cerebus · December 1, 2014

Um, no. Their's a huge difference between wanting too fire someone and actually being able two fire them. Won thing you knead is cache. Given the situation at the university write now, I doubt their is any appetite for letting any (poorly performing) coaches go. Best option might bee (sadly) to knot renew any contracts when it comes time to renew.

The "we're North Texas and there is no way anyone could ever raise money here so we just have to put up with the way we've always handled things" is a great plan if you want to end up playing in front of 8k in the Southland.

Just look at what the ASU AD has done. Have you been to Jonesboro? If he can raise millions, build facilities without debt, hire Hugh Freeze, Guz Malzahn, Bryan Harsin and Blake Anderson, and schedule Mizzou, Miami, Iowa St, etc to home and homes then why can't we?