When mike riley first joined the Nebraska Football team, there was quite a bit of talk about what a nice guy he was. Not all of that talk was positive. There was a time when Husker fans especially thought perhaps Riley was too kind for his own good and wasn't willing to get rid of long time friends and assistants who didn't seem to be pulling their weight. For most, the last two years have shown the Cornhuskers' head coach is willing to do whatever it takes to win, even if that means gaining a bit of a cutthroat perception among the media.
No more Mr. Nice Guy for the Nebraska football head coach
ESPN recently wrote an article titled "no more Mr. Nice Guy" where the publication talked about the subtle changes that have occurred in the Huskers' head coach's approach. Sometimes those changes aren't all that subtle, considering the number of changes that have taken place on the Nebraska football coaching staff. Last year, Riley fired his defensive line coach at the end of the season, after just one year of working together. Some said it was because he wasn't friends with him before coming to the Cornhuskers, so it was easy to let him go.
Nobody is saying that this year after Riley fired his long time friend Bruce Read as special teams coach. He followed that move up by jettisoning another long time friend in defensive coordinator Mark Banker. Banker's firing was especially surprising given that it was over the phone, while the assistant was out on the road recruiting.
Are changes going to affect Riley's coaching style as well?
The big question for many in the Nebraska football program now has to be whether or not the changes are going to affect Mike Riley's coaching style as well. Unlike his predecessor, Riley has long had a kind of friendly and fun approach when it comes to his players. Pelini was much more someone who looked to chew out a player. It appears the Huskers current head coach understands the pressure he is under. We'll have to see how that affects the upcoming season.