Raiola - no longer in the building
- Thread starter inWV
- Start date
The timing is curious. If Rhule is going to retain Raiola why wouldn't he have made official already so they could send Raiola out on the recruiting trail beginning today with no cloud over his retention? Maybe he's given Raiola some task to complete before he's let go? All the former assistant coaches are still officially on the payroll and obligated to work I guess if the new coach has something he wants them to do.
What some of us think about the worth of Raiola may not match what Rhule thinks about his worth. It's quite possible Raiola is all in on Rhule's vision for the offense. Or that Rhule hasn't settled on an Oline coach and Raiola is seen as a satisfactory safety choice.
I’ve posted from almost the start that I wouldn’t be shocked if he was retained.
He didn’t recruit these guys but has a really good lineman from Texas committed. He also has two area kids committed who fit Rhule’s crteria. Raiola was dealt a crappy hand but had his patchwork line make gradual improvement. 99.9% of Husker fans don’t know much about the job he’s doing. They see their struggles and pin it all on the coach without any consideration for what the OC calls or having to play guys who should probably not be getting the time they’re getting.
Whatever happens with the OL position I guess in Rhule I trust, until a few games in next fall when I'll start to nitpick. 
As is your right as a husker fan.Whatever happens with the OL position I guess in Rhule I trust, until a few games in next fall when I'll start to nitpick.
Tough to make chicken salad out of chicken poop. Raiola took over a line that lost its best player to the draft and was so lacking in depth that they took in a couple very marginal transfers. Then there's the fact that he was teaching new techniques in a new offense under a head coach who would not let them go live contact more than a few times in the preseason. Hell, how many 3 win programs learning a new offense play touch football in their spring game?
Exactly. I'd give Raiola another year rather than Whip who is thankfully gone.
Between Rhule and his staff, there will be plenty of support in helping Raiola incorporate Rhule's training for the OL. There's no doubt in my mind that Rhule believes the new S & C will impact the current OLmen we already have, not including any others that join through the recruits, portal, or JUCO's.
It also could be an issue with assistant budgets. Raiola is pretty cheap so that free's up more money to throw at a DC or other position coaches.
Rhule probably hasn't spent more than 3.5 million of the 7M allotted for staff members. That would allow 3.5 million yet to be spent on a TE coach, DC, LB coach, and WR coach.
Figure less than 2M for the TE, LB, and WR coach and still leaves 1.5M for a DC.
**Edited** Found out from another poster that the OC would also coach the TE's. So more money available to fill out the staff. **
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We’ll see. Raiola could still walk on his own even if Rhule wanted to keep him. I just think Raiola got a bad rap from our fans.
Im supportive of the hire and all but if Raiola is retained, I would be extremely underwhelmed with both the offensive and defensive line hires... Both Raiola and Knighton, prior to getting the Nebraska job, have coached at some small schools, and were assistant line coaches in the league for a couple of years.... Not alot of experience at all on the recruiting trail and not much of a track record in player development at the D1 level... I guess we'll have to watch it play out and hope for the best....
Based on the "types" of OL that Rhule has gone with over the years, it seems like Nouilli, Corcoran, and Piper all fit in his model. It doesn't mean Teddy, Benhart, and Hunter won't be in the lineup, it just means that 3 guys already fit the physical bill.
3 things:
1. the o-line did get a little bit better by the end of the year.
2. Not sure but I feel like in camp SF was calling the shots of how he trained his guys (purely speculation)
3. Strength and conditioning will actually not be garbage.
Bonus: Matt Rhule knows o-line. Not going to keep someone bad at coaching just to say he did.
1. the o-line did get a little bit better by the end of the year.
2. Not sure but I feel like in camp SF was calling the shots of how he trained his guys (purely speculation)
3. Strength and conditioning will actually not be garbage.
Bonus: Matt Rhule knows o-line. Not going to keep someone bad at coaching just to say he did.
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My 2 cents. Maybe Raiola's hands were tied with the way he could develop players with little to no physical contact in the beginning. His best linemen were out for the season and working with youth. The OC did little to nothing to help with playcalling. There were moments when the line did perform when an identity of running was given. MR has coached both lines so I think he knows what he wants.
I trust Rhule knows a thing or two about the OL and the DL and line development is a thing he emphasizes. So we'll see what happens whoever is the OL coach.
That's true scarlet, but IF we plugged in Jurgens and Nouilli from the previous year it would have looked a whole lot different.
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Agreed. Maybe he's a good OL coach....or maybe he sucks. It's damn near impossible to make an informed decision on that with the sh*tshow of the previous four years.
His resume is the kind that Rhule likes to hire. Rhule has coached the position. He can get Raiola up to speed quickly on how he wants his guys coached. It isn’t rocket science.
Don’t forget the sh*tshow he came from, too
If he can fully cleanse himself of the Bears stench, he will be the first
Yep. He may have recognized something in Raiola or his vision he really likes. It also might not hurt that he just may still be a bridge to his nephews.
Rhule also has a budget to work with and a list of targets. MJ out of the picture changes things and probably priorities. Also, maybe his top choices turned him down or aren't available. At any rate, if he didn't think he has something to offer, he wouldn't keep him.
Ya beat me to it.Once he finishes the TPS reports, he's out of there, with or without the stapler.
They may have just moved his office to the basement and stopped his payroll.
Already been reported that Satterfield will be OC and also coach the TEs.
So even more money will be available.
Nice.
Maybe up to 1.5M available for DC and a little more for a higher quality position coach.
Even if this is in bad taste, Mickey probably fashioned himself as close to 1M for his services when a high-quality WR coach should be in the 750-800K range.