December 9, 2009

Well its another late night for me but I'd thought I wouldn't break tradition and get a quick post up tonight before turning down for the night.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Suh Award Update
2. Coaching Corner: Kansas/Norte Dame
3. Omaha Regional Volleyball Preview

1. We begin with announcing that Suh has won the Lombardi award presented to the nation's best defensive lineman tonight. Suh became the fifth Nebraska player to win the award and the first since Grant Winstrom won it in 1997. Suh has begun what I feel will be a huge week for him on the award front. He'll be front and center for ESPN's College Football Award show tomorrow night. I feel that when the dust settles we will have seen one of the best defensive lineman ever play the game. He's a unanimous #1 pick in the NFL draft next season. Sit back and enjoy...he's representing Nebraska proudly and can be a huge recruiting tool for the school for the next few seasons. Congrats Suh!!!!

2. The coaching corner is a new segment that I'll be starting as the season ends, universities are looking for new coaches. The highest job on the market this season is the Norte Dame job where Charlie Weis was fired after 5 awful seasons at his alma mater. Norte Dame is in a bad bad situation right now...they feel that they are still and elite program and can go out and hire anyone that they want. The problem is that Norte Dame isn't an elite job anymore...for a better time of 15 plus years the Irish have been far out of the National Title hunt that the country views them as a mid-level program. Look no one can question their tradition, national titles, heismans, but when you haven't collected a major hardware trophy in quite some time. In a day and age where its "what have you done with me lately" you just can't be looked at the same anymore. Norte Dame should hire Brian Kelley from Cincinnati...he's a Ohio guy who's brought the Bearcats to promise. Look who would of thought they would have been in the title hunt this season, turns out there's no respect for them and they get the boot when Bama and Texas went unbeaten. Norte Dame must get smart and hire a mid-level coach at a program who has the attitude of building up programs outta nothing. I love that they are down in the dumps but the elite programs must remember that every year only 1 team takes home the trophy...ONE...you just need to be in the running each year. I think he can make Norte Dame competitive again...but with the poor luck of the Irish..they may have seen the last of their national titles.

Kansas: It's a sticky situation at KU...as clearly the glamor of this job has diminish with the settlement and firing of Mangino who practically made KU something. Kansas would like to hire a big name coach like they can with their basketball team but clearly they will be unable to. Guys like Sumlin for Houston, and Gill from Buffalo are coaches that will get a serious look. Gill has or certainly soon will be interviewed for this job. There are hot coordinators out there that should get a shot like Auburn's offensive coordinator, and Brent Venables from OU. The rumors on the street are that Venables is a horrible people person which will hurt his chances of ever being a head coach. I think Gill will get a strong look but as a Nebraska Fan...I hope this isn't his first major coaching job. He should stay and wait for a job in the ACC or Big East to open. He's started great relationships there and should have the opportunity to stay. If Randy Edsall gets hired at UConn....I feel Turner will get a strong strong look there.

3. The Nebraska Volleyball team heads into a showdown on Friday at the Omaha Regional where Texas, Texas A&M, and Iowa State all have advanced. Nebraska arguably will have the home crowd behind them...they are a hot team sweeping every opponent they have faced since getting beat by Iowa State in Lincoln last October. This regional is a scary one, as Nebraska has lost twice to Texas, and once to A&M and Iowa State. Nebraska saw the unbelievable job that former Nebraska player has done at Iowa State by beating Nebraska for the first time ever this season, but this time the Huskers are clearly the hottest team in this regional where Nebraska can ride is guaranteed home court advantage to the Final Four...I feel that Nebraska comes out on fire and shows Iowa State a taste of their own medicine again like they did in Ames in early November...that sets up the showdown with #2 Texas yet again. This time I feel Nebraska can push them to five sets, but as we have seen with this young team, mistakes are likely and come at just pivotal times for them. They make a few bad mistakes that allows Texas to build a lead in set 5. Texas wins but Nebraska comes out of that match with an understanding that they are clearly one of the best young teams that Nebraska has ever had. They ride the momentum of this game and gear themselves for a big big 2010.

Back Tomorrow...Stay warm...and bundle up...