Huskers Spring Practice: Just like Spring, all is new again!

The 2015 Cornhusker Spring Football practice season began last Saturday and a new head coach was directing the team. Does this sound all too familiar?

(Bruce Thorson-US PRESSWIRE)

I have many fond memories of attending the Husker Spring game with my father since the late 70’s, like when Turner Gill led the white team to victory over the red team in 1981 (Best Spring Game Ever) and we still continue this tradition. I have watched the spring game attendance continue to rise over the years from under 20,000 to over 60,000 finding it amazing that so many Husker fans want to attend a practice game. One thing that rang true in all these spring games up until 1998, was we focused on the players because we already knew the coaches.

Husker fans who grew up during the Osborne era were certainly spoiled. And when Osborne retired, a familiar face (and staff) continued to lead the team, Frank Solich. We were given 6 more years of familiarity with only a few coaching changes, but for the most part we knew the coaches and could still focus on the players. Then former Athletic Director Steve Pederson had to go and fire Frank Solich! Husker nation was split. Many were against the firing and many were for the firing. Football politics began to cast a shadow over the players and the game.

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Enter Bill Callahan. Nebraska head coach for the 2004 Husker Spring Football practice. What exactly did he know about college football, let alone the Huskers? He had no ties to the Husker past and thankfully he retained Turner Gill so the Husker past had some relevance, at least for a short time anyway. A Super Bowl coach for the Raiders coming in to coach the Huskers was exciting for some but how would he run his first Spring practice?

"Callahan was quoted saying, “First and foremost, we have to implement our structure and style of football. To do that, we will devote an hour a day from a unit standpoint implementing the structures of our defense and our offense and special teams in all three phases. That is paramount.”"

This was paramount because the Huskers were installing a completely new system from what they were used to. 4 years was enough! Acting Athletic Director Tom Osborne had enough too, Bill Callahan was fired by the, “Crusty Old (Explicative),” something Bill Callahan allegedly said of Osborne when learning he would be the new AD.

Sep 7, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Bill Callahan on the sidelines during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Enter Bo Pelini, Nebraska head coach for the 2008 Husker Spring Football practice. Bo was the former DC under Solich in 2003, and he hired several coaches with Nebraska ties, which was a good thing. Once again the players had to learn a new system, but this system at least had a little of the old Nebraska feel to it. And as most Husker fans would learn, Bo was always short and to the point. Not a great coach behind the microphone, but he was a players coach and the kids loved him.

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After Bo’s first practice he was quoted saying, “About what I expected, about what we expected. You’re not going to be game-ready on the first day. There were a lot of mistakes, but the effort was great. We taxed them, we challenged them, we challenged them on every play.” And that was pretty much how Bo handled a Husker press conference, short and vague unless pressed. Bo lasted 7 spring games, but ultimately it was his anger that did him in.

Dec 5, 2014; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Mike Riley following his press conference at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

Enter Mike Riley, new Nebraska head coach for the 2015 Husker Spring Football practice. We hope that this will be the last coach for awhile. Husker fans are desperately looking for a coach to be with us for many, many years. A coach to help us to remember the old glory days, and to make the players and recruits long for them. No Pressure Coach Riley! You can see what Coach Riley said here after his first Husker Spring Practice. And just for fun, check out the Husker Hurl Spring Football report while we wait for more Husker Spring Practice news! And Go Big Red!