Husker Dan: Will the Offseason Changes Work?

Time will tell if new assistants, portal additions get Nebraska back on winning track in 2022

Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

The secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the past, but on building the new.
 - Socrates

From 1962 to 2002, the Husker football program was the hallmark of stability. In those 41 years, Nebraska had a total of three head coaches and three athletic directors. That span also produced five national championships, three Heisman winners, several Outland winners, a Butkus award winner and 39 bowl game appearances.

Stability coupled with great players and great coaches made Nebraska a very tough team to beat during that time.

Contrast that to this offseason when Nebraska replaced five assistant coaches who in turn brought in 15 players via the transfer portal.

It's interesting that many of those same Husker fans who applauded stability when the Huskers were steamrolling opponents now are almost giddy over all the offseason changes.

That's understandable. In the aftermath of last year's 3-9 season and the four previous losing Husker seasons, something had to be done. If nothing changed with the Husker football program after 2021, it would have been the classic definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Scott Frost had to act and act quickly. He knows that change is a two-headed monster at times. But far too many of the changes Nebraska made from 2002-2021 were self-destructive. During that time, the Huskers had five head coaches, five ADs, no Heisman winners, zero Butkus winners, zero national championships, zero conference championships, eight losing seasons and 12 bowl game appearances (none since 2016).

The question is, will the changes made by Frost & Company result in a much better team this fall?

The answer is ... drumroll ... No one knows.

We really won't know until Nebraska gets into the meat of its '22 schedule when the Huskers take on the likes of Oklahoma, Michigan, Wisconsin, Purdue, Minnesota and Iowa. Oh, and let's not overlook the Northwestern Wildcats in Dublin, Ireland, on Aug. 27.

Husker fans are hoping (praying) the Husker football program will have at least a winning record. Maybe even eight or nine wins?

Summer is a great time for dreaming. Just sit back on your lawn chair, close your eyes and imagine the Huskers going to a New Year's Day bowl game. The crowd is going wild! Nebraska is back!

Hey, we can dream, can't we?

How ’Bout Them Huskers

After a two-week hiatus, grandson Will and I are back doing our weekly podcasts. This week, we review the Husker wide receivers and tight ends. Here's the link.

Upcoming podcast guests include Heisman winner Eric Crouch, former Husker offensive lineman Cole Pensick, former Husker placekicker Byron Bennett, former Nebraska astronaut Clayton Anderson and former Husker D-lineman Terry Connealy. We are also trying to get Tom Osborne and Dan Whitney (Larry The Cable Guy) on our show.