I've spent the past 20 hours trying to decide if the feeling of dread I have in my gut is justified or not. For better or worse, I haven't felt this stung by Nebraska athletics leadership since the original firing of Solich in 2003. I'm honestly unsure how it's possible to feel optimistic that Nebraska can keep up in the Big Ten if we can't even keep someone like Alberts from seeking greener pastures. It seems to me that the politics of the state and the interests of the football program aren't quite aligned and I'm not sure that's fixable.
All signs point to some sort of power struggle. NU could go and hire the best possible AD out there, and if there's not alignment it may not matter. Best-case scenario, I think, is losing a well-regarded alum in what is basically a lateral move serves as a wake-up call. I don't feel too optimistic on that front right now, but I suppose I should at least wait and see what happens at AD.
As certified Hoi Polloi I am hoping to hear about the palace intrigue. Now I'm going to go cry into my cornflakes and wonder how successful Matt Rhule will be with the resources and funding A&M can provide him.
Brutal. And it really prompts some big questions. Why can't NU keep a Carter or an Alberts? I don't know yet, but it's time to start asking around the industry.
I understand the announced departure of the UNL President last August had an impact on Alberts' comfort level in the job and that the BOR is dragging its feet on a replacement. But no one around the program -- media or alums -- has detailed with specifics what's broken in the relationship between UNL leadership and the AD.
Aside from the absence of a President, you could argue that leadership has invested heavily in the athletics program: $170 million football complex, generous salary to secure Rhule and a larger pool for assistant coaches, doubling of Alberts' salary, a green light to restructure the athletic department, many upgrades to other sports facilities and programs, a strong NIL collective, etc.
Where are the documented and egregious failures in UNL leadership that would chase an AD out the door so quickly after he called it the best job in the country and declared his love for the program only 5 months ago -- well after Carter announced his planned departure?
Not hiring a President in a timely way is legitimate criticism of the BOR, but just doesn't add up to me as the sole rationale and dealbreaker for Alberts to leave Nebraska for A&M in such a clumsy and unceremonious way.
Are we missing some of Alberts' personal ambitions that might lead him to believe that a SEC post on his resume would make him more attractive for a future Commissioner or CFB czar role? I'm just spitballing here because it seems like there must be a convergence of other things beyond poor UNL leadership to make him bolt out the door without talking to his department team or coaches in advance of the announcement?
These are really good questions, and I appreciate you asking them. There's a lot with this situation that still needs to be uncovered in the days and weeks ahead. To just gesture broadly at LEADERSHIP isn't a detailed enough explanation for this departure. There aren't those documented failures, at least none that I've yet found, anyone can point to and say, "Well, there's your problem."
So, I think you're right to bring up the personal aspect of this, and that could go in any number of directions. Maybe the lack of a permanent president wasn't an issue, but the lack of Carter was. Just a hypothetical example, but the sort of trails you have to follow to see where they lead.
I've spent the past 20 hours trying to decide if the feeling of dread I have in my gut is justified or not. For better or worse, I haven't felt this stung by Nebraska athletics leadership since the original firing of Solich in 2003. I'm honestly unsure how it's possible to feel optimistic that Nebraska can keep up in the Big Ten if we can't even keep someone like Alberts from seeking greener pastures. It seems to me that the politics of the state and the interests of the football program aren't quite aligned and I'm not sure that's fixable.
All signs point to some sort of power struggle. NU could go and hire the best possible AD out there, and if there's not alignment it may not matter. Best-case scenario, I think, is losing a well-regarded alum in what is basically a lateral move serves as a wake-up call. I don't feel too optimistic on that front right now, but I suppose I should at least wait and see what happens at AD.
As certified Hoi Polloi I am hoping to hear about the palace intrigue. Now I'm going to go cry into my cornflakes and wonder how successful Matt Rhule will be with the resources and funding A&M can provide him.
I resisted going into the Rhule ramifications in this story, but there's plenty to talk about there.
That picture that is floating around with 3 of the 4 gone now is telling.
Brutal. And it really prompts some big questions. Why can't NU keep a Carter or an Alberts? I don't know yet, but it's time to start asking around the industry.
I understand the announced departure of the UNL President last August had an impact on Alberts' comfort level in the job and that the BOR is dragging its feet on a replacement. But no one around the program -- media or alums -- has detailed with specifics what's broken in the relationship between UNL leadership and the AD.
Aside from the absence of a President, you could argue that leadership has invested heavily in the athletics program: $170 million football complex, generous salary to secure Rhule and a larger pool for assistant coaches, doubling of Alberts' salary, a green light to restructure the athletic department, many upgrades to other sports facilities and programs, a strong NIL collective, etc.
Where are the documented and egregious failures in UNL leadership that would chase an AD out the door so quickly after he called it the best job in the country and declared his love for the program only 5 months ago -- well after Carter announced his planned departure?
Not hiring a President in a timely way is legitimate criticism of the BOR, but just doesn't add up to me as the sole rationale and dealbreaker for Alberts to leave Nebraska for A&M in such a clumsy and unceremonious way.
Are we missing some of Alberts' personal ambitions that might lead him to believe that a SEC post on his resume would make him more attractive for a future Commissioner or CFB czar role? I'm just spitballing here because it seems like there must be a convergence of other things beyond poor UNL leadership to make him bolt out the door without talking to his department team or coaches in advance of the announcement?
These are really good questions, and I appreciate you asking them. There's a lot with this situation that still needs to be uncovered in the days and weeks ahead. To just gesture broadly at LEADERSHIP isn't a detailed enough explanation for this departure. There aren't those documented failures, at least none that I've yet found, anyone can point to and say, "Well, there's your problem."
So, I think you're right to bring up the personal aspect of this, and that could go in any number of directions. Maybe the lack of a permanent president wasn't an issue, but the lack of Carter was. Just a hypothetical example, but the sort of trails you have to follow to see where they lead.
I wonder if Bill belichick would want to be our ad
I asked Bill and he has agreed to come with a caveat: He's going to coach football and Rhule will be the AD.
Do you take this deal?
In a hot minute
Is the search for Ted Carter's replacement a normal duration or long? Is the lack of vision coming from the Regents?
If NU announced a president hire today, it would be almost exactly the same amount of time it took to hire Carter after Bounds retired.