As HG notes, his other “bad” defenses were still superior to ours.
Ours is a program that has historically had poor defenses. So poor, in fact, that ranking #81 was a godsend. Cosgrove coached at a school known for its strong defenses, stocked with talent from several top-20 recruiting classes, and still managed to turn out the worst defense in school history. Prior to 2007, Nebraska had allowed 50+ 3 times in school history. Cosgrove managed to do that twice in one season (while also allowing 49 to USC). Nebraska won the Gator Bowl the year after he left. Wisconsin's D went from 43rd to 9th the year after he left.
Also, I think you meant “are not mutually exclusive” otherwise your point makes no sense.
Nope, meant what I said, and it indeed makes perfect sense. He's trying to make it sound like Callahan was fired, and he was faultless in the whole situation. He was fired right alongside him. If he were all that and a bag of potato chips, he would have been retained. Assistants are not always fired along with their bosses. For evidence, note how both Tom Cable and Raheem Morris were promoted to the head job after their own HCs were fired.
1) His D wasn’t last in the nation all 4 years. I’m not going to argue he was fielding great teams but I think your wording is a tad over the top.
Dude.
Worst defense in school history. Death threats. What would he have had to do to make it a more complete failure? Throw his players down on the sidelines and rub dirt in their faces?
2) For all we know his offers were from Tennesee (before Kiffin realized he had money to pay his dad) and Washington. Ridiculous? Of course! So were your suggestions. Why? Because NONE OF US KNOW! So lets argue by making stuff up…sounds good.
He's trying to make it seem as though he had 2 hot offers in his hands, and that the U was lucky he passed them up in order to grace us with his presence. If you want to get technical, he may have had some job offers, possibly even as a position coach within BCS conferences. But if he's trying to claim that he had NFL/college offers on par with/better than co-D coordinator at the University of Minnesota, then yes, I am unequivocally and categorically calling him a flat-out liar.
3) Who are your better hires? Feel free to name some.
I honestly could give myself carpal tunnel doing this, but here's just a few to whet your appetite:
From within:
Ronnie Lee (as sole DCoord)
Tim Cross
From without (some realistic, some not at all, but all available and listening to offers):
Dan McCarney
Jackie Shipp
Romeo Crennel
Ken Norton, Jr.
Larry Johnson
Bo Davis
As for the crony hire bit…if knowing the HC is a crony hire then this is an epidemic around college and pro football. Odd how you might hire someone you know who you think you can trust.
Do you even know what the word crony means? (Thank you, Wikipedia):
Cronyism is partiality to long-standing friends, especially by appointing them to positions of authority, regardless of their qualifications. Hence, cronyism is contrary in practice and principle to meritocracy.
Also, can you please explain how my points are just "venting" or "bloviating"?
