What are some attainable names Troy Dannen has
- Thread starter ridge222
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Heard its "elite".....
Don Madden, nephew of legendary John Madden
Will Cowher, youngest brother of legendary Bill Cowher
Cher Bryant, cousin to legendary Bear Bryant and pioneer as female coach in college football
Snot Frost, redemption quest cousin twice removed to Scott Frost
Jack Brown, no relation to Mack Brown just recommended by Damon Benning.
But don't quote me on these. I don't need my source getting mad at me.
Don Madden, nephew of legendary John Madden
Will Cowher, youngest brother of legendary Bill Cowher
Cher Bryant, cousin to legendary Bear Bryant and pioneer as female coach in college football
Snot Frost, redemption quest cousin twice removed to Scott Frost
Jack Brown, no relation to Mack Brown just recommended by Damon Benning.
But don't quote me on these. I don't need my source getting mad at me.
I was wondering who the guy is that would be footing the bill for the $67.5 million buyout. So you are the guy?
By far the most common name I see thrown around is Brent Vigen from Montana State. He might be fine, but I think that name is largely coming from everyone's recent infatuation with Cignetti. People forgetting that for every one Cignetti where lower level success translates up to the higher level, there are 1,000 coaches who can't hack it at the higher level and it doesn't work. And also not taking into account the Mark Cuban impact for Cignetti, which most (or no) other programs have.
It is totally true that more coaches are lame than they are amazing but I would still rather take my chance with a new coach.
100% no question! I'm just not sure Brent Vigen begins and ends that replacement list. He might be the best option and it might not even be close, I don't know. I just think people need to look at the Indiana situation with full context.
You mean the one that Michigan already got?
The current/new Utah coach (Scalley) and those that are still there with him. Couldn't be any worse than what Nebraska has now.
Why, just because that was the last staff to give Rhule a full force butt raping with no lube? By my calculation, seems like that would apply to about 50% of the coaches he's faced
Sadly, I think we can honestly say that about a whole lot of coaches out there.
True, very true.Why, just because that was the last staff to give Rhule a full force butt raping with no lube? By my calculation, seems like that would apply to about 50% of the coaches he's faced
Sadly, I think we can honestly say that about a whole lot of coaches out there.
The first question to ask is whether Dannen will be around to hire Rhule's replacement if this season goes sideways fast.
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This. If the season goes very poorly, there must be consequences for miscalculating the extension. I do not wish a poor (4 wins or less) season, but its possible.
I'd like to think the floor is 5 wins, but if Rhule is fired in the next 2 years, I don't know how you could keep Dannen.
Anybody that isn’t a retread would be acceptable at this point. Someone who is hungry to win and not just interested in getting rich beyond their wildest dreams.
I’d Love to see an FCS coach or even somebody from the Service Academies come here. Run the ******** ball!
I’d Love to see an FCS coach or even somebody from the Service Academies come here. Run the ******** ball!
Cignetti isn’t doing it without the bankroll
Garnish Dannen's wages for the 2 year extension until it is paid in full.
I don’t think Dannen hires the next coach
So what?
Do you really think Indiana spent a crazy more amount than NU?
No chance at all...yet someone NU struggles in every game while IU rolls.
I think the last big name from FCS that I remember being moved up to FBS was Klieman, and he only managed to win the big 12 once while getting slaughtered by Alabama. I guess if we bring in a coach with an actual track record I wouldn't be opposed to the idea.
Beavis and Butthead
That guy from "Remember the Titans"
Darrell Hazell
Front-Butt
Willie Taggart
Kevin Sumlin
Damon Benning
Fred Petito
Mel Tugger
Eric man genius
I do. That Mark Cuban situation just has way too much smoke around it for that not to be the case. I mean, you really think A happens without B here?
A) a 65 year old guy who's had nothing but some lower level coaching success throughout his entire career suddenly becomes the most effective head football coach in the history of the sport and turns the worst team in college football into a national champion almost overnight.
B) a multi-billionaire sports nerd has seller's remorse following the sale of his pro sports franchise, has a great rapport with the new head coach at his alma mater, who's from his hometown, decides to, for the first time in his life, pump an undisclosed amount of money into buying the worst team in college football history a national championship. And that money, although a huge amount by most schools' NIL standards, is probably still chump change to him, but it got him back in the saddle by having a vested interest in a shiny new sports toy.
C) both
Common sense says it's both and all the tea leaves around the Cuban piece tells me it's more than just a small part of the equation. Probably a lot more.
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I guess what I mean is if NU spent, 20 million, how much do you think IU spent?
Because it was not like they had all these big name transfers, so did they maybe spend 5 million more? Is that really the difference between 7 wins and 16 wins?
No clue to the first part. The amount of Cuban's new influx has been undisclosed. But all the parts that are known make me think it's a lot. And it could be a lot more than $5M.
And no, I don't think his extra funds are the difference between 7 and 16 wins. You also have to have a competent coach for that. And we do not. As I said above, it's both lucking into a great coach and getting the added pile of cash.
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I don’t know, I think an entire purging of both the AD and Administrators would be the only thing to save Husker football.
He did it his first year without the bankroll. He can identify talent and coach 'em up.
You don’t believe it’s a possibility if a bowl is not achieved?
Indiana was the oldest team in college football playing in 2025 besides spending more NIL money they were a very experienced team, much like our basketball team was this season..
Why? Seems like a very valid offseason post...especially given the current state of the program.
No doubt about it. So to answer @SuperBigFan69's question from earlier, that Cuban money influx appears to be the difference between 11 wins and 16 wins per season.
The coach rating is derived 60% from a team's performance against that 20-year baseline (so, if your SP+ rating is 10.0 in a given season, and your school's 20-year average rating was 5.0, that's a +5.0) and 40% from the raw SP+ rating. As you might expect, Indiana's performance in 2025 nearly broke the scale.
Indiana produced a 32.4 SP+ rating, not the most dominant in recent history but very good. But that was also 32.6 points higher than Indiana's average over the past 20 seasons. That's good for a 32.5 rating, easily the best of 2025.
Top 20 coach ratings of 2025:
Curt Cignetti (Indiana): 32.5
Joey McGuire (Texas Tech): 23.9
Clark Lea (Vanderbilt): 20.3
Eric Morris (North Texas): 20.3
Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss): 19.9
Ryan Day (Ohio State): 19.5
Dan Lanning (Oregon): 18.8
Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame): 18.5
Kyle Whittingham (Utah): 17.4
Mario Cristobal (Miami): 16.9
Rhett Lashlee (SMU): 16.1
Jedd Fisch (Washington): 15.2
Mike Elko (Texas A&M): 14.9
Kirby Smart (Georgia): 14.6
Kirk Ferentz (Iowa): 14.4
Bret Bielema (Illinois): 13.1
Alex Golesh (USF): 12.1
Tony Elliott (Virginia): 11.8
Kalani Sitake (BYU): 11.7
Ricky Rahne (Old Dominion): 11.6
Indiana produced a 32.4 SP+ rating, not the most dominant in recent history but very good. But that was also 32.6 points higher than Indiana's average over the past 20 seasons. That's good for a 32.5 rating, easily the best of 2025.
Top 20 coach ratings of 2025:
Curt Cignetti (Indiana): 32.5
Joey McGuire (Texas Tech): 23.9
Clark Lea (Vanderbilt): 20.3
Eric Morris (North Texas): 20.3
Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss): 19.9
Ryan Day (Ohio State): 19.5
Dan Lanning (Oregon): 18.8
Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame): 18.5
Kyle Whittingham (Utah): 17.4
Mario Cristobal (Miami): 16.9
Rhett Lashlee (SMU): 16.1
Jedd Fisch (Washington): 15.2
Mike Elko (Texas A&M): 14.9
Kirby Smart (Georgia): 14.6
Kirk Ferentz (Iowa): 14.4
Bret Bielema (Illinois): 13.1
Alex Golesh (USF): 12.1
Tony Elliott (Virginia): 11.8
Kalani Sitake (BYU): 11.7
Ricky Rahne (Old Dominion): 11.6
Lashlee and Rahne are the only two I think Nebraska could legitimately pull and Rahne is a one year wonder at this point. Probably Eric Morris also if he's successful at Okie State.
Outside of that list guys like Jason Eck, Jeff Traylor, Jamey Chadwell. Chadwell had a down year last season but he was also battling cancer (undisclosed serious medical condition) and had surgery in January.
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