rvey Perl From: a Sent: Saturday, October 31, 2015 12:31 PM To: Harvey Periman Subject: Please fire Eichorst and Riley They are rui ig NU football. This is ridiculous. Losing to a terrible Purdue team. Lets cut our losses and hire a real athletic director and coach.Harvey Perlman From: vi Sent: Saturday, October 31, 2015 2:54 PM To: Harvey Periman Subject: Re: Coaches Well Harvey what do you think of the Riley hire now? The talent level hasn't dropped, but I can say ‘one thing and that is the coaching level has dropped dramatically! This has gotten totally out of hand, losing to Purdue and being 3-6! NU football will take years to recover from this and you know it as well as | do that statement is so true! Maybe you should send Eichorst packing back to Wisconsin where he belongs! To: David Leegrrr rsa canssamd ‘Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 201 Subject: RE: Coaches And | appreciate your understanding. Let's both hope it goes well. Harvey From: David ‘Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2015 12.05 PM. To: Harvey Periman ‘Subject: Re: Coaches Just the fact that you responded shows you care and | appreciate that alone! | guess | am getting a little frustrated with the way things have gone the last few years with the Pellini regime, | really had high hopes for the football program, Pellini should have been drug tested as everyone knows those kind of temper tantrums are a sure sign of drug abuse! ‘As far as Coach Riley is concerned | think everybody deserves a chance and we will have to see how this works out and I hope your right about his hire being a great hire for NU, he seems like a really great guy! Thank you for your response, it really helps me alot to know you care! GBR David From: nt @unledu> ‘To: David Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2016 6:13 AM Subject: RE: Coaches David, | appreciate your passion for Nebraska football and your disappointment with the last few years. But honestly | think you analysis is just not accurate. First, and most importantly, no Chancellor or President of a University is going to “watch his football coaches” as they recruit. We all have a university to run and while football may be the most visible element itis not the only one. | don’t micromanage my hires and I trust the Athletic Director and the Football Coach to make the right decisions. That said, | do know a little about recruiting. Nebraska looks for kids that are not only good football players but also have the right character and the right academic credentials. Whether we do or do not recruit some highly 1regarded recruit, even if they indicate an interest, is a complex question involving a lot of things besides just how many supposed stars they have. ‘On a couple of other matters. 1d like to know your list of “other quality coaches” that match Mike Riley that were (1) available and (2) might have had an interest in coming here. If you read the national sports press everyone believes our hiring of Mike was a real coup. That he is one of the best and most underrated coaches in the country. ‘And | just don’t understand how you can conclude Shawn Eichorst doesn't have an interest in our football Program. Even assuming he is just waiting to get back fo Wisconsin (which I don’t think is true), do you really think he would improve his chances of doing s0 if he didn't improve our football program? Do you come to your conclusion because he is not from Nebraska? You might remember that “true Nebraskans" were responsible for the last fiteen years of our football program: Frank Solich, Steve Pedersen (AD); Tom ‘Osborne (AD). | appreciate hearing your point of view. But as you can tell just don't agree with it you. Go Huskers a ‘Sent: Monday, Jar To: Harvey Perlman Subject: Coaches You need to keep your eyes on the Football program coaches and make sure they are doing the best job for the University that they cant | personally don't think they are | know NU is not very deep at defensive end so | went to the Rivals recruiting site to check and see what was left for defensive ends in the top 40 and there were a few left and some had offers from NU but under recruited by there are no names! In other words when you ignore recruits they go elsewhere! Yesterday | was going thru the remaining Running Backs and Jordan Cronkrite a 4 star recruit had NU listed in his top five but again under recruited by there wasn't anyone from NU listed and today | check on it and Jordan has taken NU off of his top five list! { stil don't understand the hire of Mike Riley from Oregon St. when there were so many other quality coaches available! And now NU just had one of their biggest recruiting weekends according to the OWH and failed to sign anyone! | don't think Shawn Eichorst has NU's football program at his best interest and maybe Pellini was right and Shawn is just waiting for the Wisconsin AD job to open up, who knows? And this is just for good measure, | think NU's move to the Big 10 was the biggest mistake the University has ever made! Do you realize that since you have been Chancellor NU football has done nothing but gone down hit? And that tells me the previous Chancellor kept a better eye on these coaches and made sure they were doing their job right! I don't think NU's football fans are going to be putting up with this mediocrity by the AD, the coaches or you as far as that goes! was born and raised in West Point Nebraska and now live in Las Vegas NV., and have been an NU football fan for over fifty years and | know there are people in Nebraska that can't stand the football program and | am starting to wonder if you are one of them! Please shed some light on these issue's!Harvey Perlman From: Dave| Sent: Saturday, October 31, 2015 3:58 PM To: Mitzi Lenz ce: Chris Anderson; Harvey Periman. Subject: What Does the "N" Mean to Nebraska Natives and the Nation? Attachments: IMG_1271jpg Mr. Shawn Eichorst, ‘What does the “NY mean to Nebraska Fans in 2015? Average, Mediocre, Losing, etc... What Does the “N” mean to the football nation in 2015? Joke, Embarrassing, We are the new Purdue of the Big Ten, We are the new Kansas of the Big XII, We are the new Kentucky of the SEC, We are the new Oregon State of the PAC (How Ironic) etc..We just got ‘embarrassed on national tv to the worst team in College Football, but atleast we did it with “Class”. Miam’s coach has already been fired this year due to poor performance and I'm sure Purdue's coach is next. Wins over NE even last year ‘meant something and would save a coach's job but this year it doesn't even validate as a good win or saving a coach. Purdue should of been scared of us even with our 4" string QB and Running back but they didn't even fitch at our 1* or 2° teamers. This email isn’t typed out of ignorance but out of frustration from a fan of 35 years that has supported NE football through the good and the ugly (Callahan years). From a fan that drives 7 hours plus to go to home ‘games each year until this year. From a fan that has gone to all the bowls game with his family since Callahan was fired Until last year. Once again a new athletic director fired a winning coach so we could compete and win conference and national titles because that is what we do at Nebraska. Have we had success with that yet? Not all but we Just set new records for the worst teams In NE history but we are doing it with class. | was talking to a former player during the game today that was on the team during the 90's (very well-known and has three rings) and he said the program this year feels like the Callahan years when he has been back both times to visit. And from him talking to players and other is the program it appears there is more issues with players than in previous years as well. We can blame the failures on injuries, new schemes, recruiting, etc.. llexcuses and same obstacles that all coaches face each year that are rookies or veterans, | can go on and on with successes of new coaches at big power house schools over the past 4 years that had 1 players for their schemes and endless amount of injuries. We hired a coach that has been in the game for years and his record is 530% and we expect to compete at the national level and win more than S0%? How do the power houses in college football win now a days, by paying millions to the best coaches. 1 assure you those schools aren’t going after Mike Riley. How long are we going to settle for average or even worst settle for losing to the worst Division 1 Teams in College Football? if we give him another year that is another year we go backwards with losses and recruiting. Good coaches ‘can make impact and win with average talent. Great coaches can turn around programs and win titles. Neither are going to happen this year and neither are going to happen in the future. It is easy to make decisions and have power with other people's money, if ll the decisions you have made in the past 11 months were done on your own dime would they have been done different? If they were on your own dime would you take the risk of having the same results next year? {'m sure you receive a lot of uneducated and personal attacks throughout the season and to have the job you have | know you have thick skin. With that being said don’t take this email out of content a it isn'ta personal attack against ‘you but from passionate fan that for the first time in his life is embarrassed to call himself a Nebraska Fan. See attached...That is just a bit of many things that were taken off vehicles and out of my yard today (never have I don’t that). realize 'm just one fan but that is happening week after week to many other fans. | know I'm just one fan that doesn’t attend games anymore but that is happening to others week after week. I know your problem thinking that 'm 2 bandwagon fan that can’t support change and/or adversity. But that s farthest from the truth, I know what it means to be in a dog fight and have all odds against me and overcome. | grew up ina trailer park on welfare in Lincoln, NE and‘now own 8 national chain restaurants in three states and employ over 450 employees. | know what it’s lke to have my revenues of all my NE stores be in cut in half each Saturday they continue to lose. | know other business owners in NE that go through the same pain on Saturday, personally and financially. We are never going to be the teams of the 70's and 90's and | realize that, But let's not make drastic changes to say we are going to win titles like we have in years past too set the program back even farther and then be too stubborn to say twas the wrong decision and keep letting the program go backwards year after year. The most successful people in life are successful by learning from others mistakes. We knew Callahan wasn’t the guy after one year and still continued down that path. hope for the sake of Nebraska we don’t settle for average and make the decision today to win moving forward! | understand if ! don’t hear back from you personally but hope you and others read this. 1 know just by my email address alone | have put my name and business on the line and hope that doesn’t give this great brand a negative image in the ‘community due to all the great things we do. Regards, wvHarvey Perlman a From: budda Sent: Saturday, October 31, 2015 4:12 PM. To: Harvey Periman Subject: Fire Eichorst Fire Riley and Yourself ‘You are a scumbag. You destroyed the Husker Football program. Look at the state of Miami football and Nebraska and tell me they're not both laughing stocks. Fichorst is a clown, just like you. You sit on your fat butt watching this unfold knowing you are retiring soon. I hope you can leave a better legacy than the one you're leaving. Make a statsment and fire Eichorst and Riley. You don't deserve to breathe the same air as ‘Tom. You are a joke and i hope your retirement is spent drooling alone in a nursing homeFrom: Sent: To: Harvey Perlman Subject: Shawn Eichorst 1am a lifelong Nebraskan who was in dental school at the College of Dentistry from 1994-99. So | was absolutely spoiled as a Husker fan. | have been a $1000.00/yr donor to the athletic department since 2003 | believe. As a benefit to that | was given the opportunity to be a season ticket holder. Someone needs to be held accountable for the mess that is the football program. | do not have any answers. | cannot help but wonder if Bo Pelini should have been dismissed before he actually was. | was optimistic about the hire of Mike Riley. what is unclear to me is the atmosphere the coaching staff is operating with the student athletes. As a donor and a lifelong fan Shawn Eichorst has failed us. | no longer have confidence in his leadership of the athletic department. Many Thanks, | Sent from my iPhoneSubject: Purdue...For right now, "this dog ain't huntin’ (My Spin on things Husker...and more. I hope you enjoy.) Oh where oh where have the fundamentals gone? Can these guys find enough of them to turn this spiral around? My wife tells me that there is very little chatter on Facebook about yesterday's embarrassing loss. The silence speaks volumes. She referred me to a discourse in the book, The Last Lecture, in which the speaker says, "Coach Graham rode you pretty hard, didn't he?" he said. | could barely muster a "yeah." "That's a good thing” the assistant told me. "When you're screwing up and nobody says anything to you anymore, it means they've given up on you." Unfortunately, | think a lot of Husker fans hold this attitude today. And, it's not just ‘year (although the play of this team and the coaching decisions have contributed mightily to this response); rather, it is likely the culmination of the several years when we were sliding slowly downward - through the last two years of Frank, the four years of Callahan, and the seven years of Pelini. Everything from recrulting mistakes and misses, to coaching errors, assistant coaches whose performances backfired, to always seemingly being a step slower, a little less smart, a lot less disciplined, and sometimes (like now) a lot of lethargy....have helped us arrive to the level this program is today. The balloon that we all have called hope, that we embrace every new season and as far into the year that we can, has deflated.....and who knows fit can be inflated to an inspiring level again. And, the question on everybody's mind is do folks finally stop buying the tickets to keep the greatest sell out string in all of football alive? That would be the one tradition lost that likely forces changes at the top and through the program. In 1995 our program was at the very apex of college football and lead by a man who most consider one of the top five coaches of all time. We'llikely not see that level again...at least anytime soon and finding another coach of Tom's caliber could take a long time - if ever. Today, we are near the bottom of college football (certainly in our conference) and not relevant to anyone in the game. We like to point to "obvious" wins on ‘our yearly schedule; now our opponents point to us. | never thought I'd see it. And, a lot of it has to do ‘with poor hiring decisions over the past few years. {don't think firing Mike Riley right now is the solution (as many people want) ... because this really is a three year effort. He should be allowed to adjust and see if he can make the improvements necessary to turn the program around at least for a reasonable period of time. Another reason is that it would likely impact our program negatively at the national level. Let's go from some good recruits to none. That would probably happen. More importantly, | can't remember a guy whose program has experienced more bad luck in a short period of time than Mike Riley. [| am not suggesting excuses because coaches need to deal with these issues all the time; but they are factors.] He inherited a bunch of guys who were still emotionally tied to Bo and were not linked to Eichorst in any way at all. And that has lingered. The injuries....they just keep mounting...yesterday Terrel Newby and DPE - and of course, Tommy was out. And, as ! mentioned above, the long downhill slide has clearly affected the talent level at many positions (like QB, the OLine, the Dline, DEnd, and so on). Finally, trying to integrate new schemes with players of different experiences and skill sets has proven to be much more difficult than any of us thought. 1Mike's sideline demeanor suggests that there is little intensity. He's either bent over with his hands on his knees, or walking around with his arms crossed as if he is cold. But, | don't see him taking a pronounced leadership position with the team in timeouts, when they come off the field, or anytime. Our sideline yesterday, again, had no energy - or so it appeared. His normal approachis to stay cool and not emotional but there are times when you have to step into it with authority. tt makes you wonder who is leading this team? I'm not suggesting he become like Bo; rather, | think it is ok to be mad and demonstrable occasionally to get guys out of their lethargy. | do think Coach Riley has to consider some changes on his staff (or at least insist upon them changing to things that work with these players) - because a lot of scheme and decisions are not working. Mark Banker's defense does not seem to resonate with a lot of our players; and our special teams are not playing well. | use Nate Gerry as a bit of an indicator when | notice his body language on plays that have defeated our defenders. He almost has a slump to his shoulders and an indifferent attitude. He doesn't seem to be buying into whatever they are teaching or calling, Yes, he has to be mature enough (especially as a captain) to act otherwise and lead....and he has not done that well either. When a 1-6 Purdue team with a redshirt freshman in his third game starting can account for 274 yards passing and 4 TDs and another 82 rushing yards and a TD....you know we are in trouble. Yes, Ryker's four INTS and the botched recovery of the bad snap lead to 28 points....and sometimes deep field position. Yet, we had opportunities to make key stops and could not accomplish it. We are at the bottom on pass defense and nearly so in penalties (how about three offsides on ‘two of their kicks). | still observe confusion before snaps from our back seven guys...and that is very perplexing, The front end of the defense can’t get to the QB in regular fashion. Yes, there is also clearly a talent gap and ongoing injuries to key personnel that affect the play. But, when you go back to the Minnesota game, we saw improvements for the whole team and they simply haven't carried forward.....something is lost. Offensively, we faced the worst rush defense in the B1G and still decided not to try and build momentum and ‘establish a rhythm. Our edge plays worked but after Newby went out we got away from it. I mean, when you have a QB in his first start on the road, why do you put him on an island with pass after pass and not seriously trying to force them to get honest by having to stop the run? Sure Fyfe threw for 407 yards and 4 TDs but he also helped give away 28 points with his turnovers. Shades of Callahan's calls in the second haff of that fateful ‘Texas Tech game in his first year. What is Langsdorf going to plan against Michigan State next week? Will he load up on the pass because he has no faith in his Otine; and who will be the trigger man? Fyfe is clearly the better thrower...but does he get thrown into the lions’ den against a very good Spartan defense or does he use Tommy (assuming he can play) and leverage his speed and athleticism....ifhe can go? | just hope he doesn't make either QB a pocket passer because we will surely get beaten badly ifthe does. Danny has to be open minded and flexible.....and even try getting the run going....it can happen. And, he needs to do that every week; the play calling still raises questions from everybody. 1 would say this to Danny Langsdorf..." who are we?” What is our strength and do we try to leverage it?’ What are our weaknesses and how are we trying to fix and turn them into positives. We don't have an offensive identity.....and maybe we can't with the current mix of skills. | just feel that after 9 games there should be something that we hang our hat on or go to when we need a boost. | think we see a Jerry Jones-like approach today in Lincoln with Harvey Perlman who made his choice for an AD to succeed Tom Osborne without apparent input from him or anybody else that might know something about football. Shawn Eichorst went the same way in his hiring of Mike Riley when he took a huge risk on the leadership of the absolute most important part of the athletic program. Mr. Riley is highly respected and very well iked but has been away from having some successful teams for awhile. Is that good or bad; we don't 2know...today. But, many are certainly not as confident in this hire as were a few months ago. Mr. Eichorst, in the meantime, has extended his power by shutting down the very popular Omaha recruiting dinner, the weekly Friday breakfasts which have been a staple of the football program in this city for decades, and now seemingly not allowing his coaches to attend the regular fan gatherings, fund raisers and the like. It seems like It is more about control and less about the fan; | think he needs to listen and take the time to understand the Nebraska fans who have supported this program through good times and bad. All! can say isif it comes down, he'll likely be with it. | think we have to still show support for the team...even with our huge disappointment in their play (and the ‘coaching decisions) so far. The alternative is the potential loss of badly needed recruits and a setback that pushes any turnaround timetable out another 3-4 years. If there are changes at the top....it will happen in good time. Right now a bunch of kids need to know that we want them to play welll and possibly beat MSU. If the same team and attitude we saw at Minnesota shows up next Saturday evening....t will be a good game. I'll do my part. Jerry Kill of Minnesota retired this week due to health reasons tied to a recurrence of his epilepsy. | think this is a great loss to Minnesota and to all of football. Here was a true professional who absolutely loved to coach...at literally any level of football. He turned the Golden Gopher program around to the point where they have become a viable contender in the B1G West. He'll be missed. | watched Trevone Boykin of TCU again the other night. What a player. If he can navigate the last games this ‘year against the cream of the Big 12, he should be seriously considered for the Heisman. My other favorite team, Southern Cal, won again last night against a good Cal team on the road. | was pleased for them and think they can still be in the hunt for the conference championship. lowa, undefeated, and still 10,000 empty seats. But they played Maryland which may have been part of it. I'm liking OU more and more as a favorite in the Big 12. {fso, hats off to Bobby Stoops for a great turnaround. Let's see If the kids regroup and come out with intensity next week against top 5 MSU. All we ask for is a really good game with a minimum of mistakes and fundamental issues. GaRI! Mike]Harvey Periman pis Sony Neen 7 iumeteaton ai Sy acer Food Progen I'll try sending this email again, maybe | had a typo in your address the first time. F Date: Sun, PM Subject: Status of Husker Football Program To: hperhmanl@unl.edu lov 1, 2015 at 5: I've followed Nebraska football since the days of Bobby Reynolds (All American halfback) growing up as a boy in Beatrice. | left Beatrice after high school to serve my country in the U.S. Navy }). Upon my return to Nebraska I've witnessed the many good years under Coach Bob Devaney and Coach Tom Osborne; along with Coach Frank Solich until he was needlessly fired by the incompetent AD Steve Pederson. It has been a continuous merry- go-round for Huskers fans since that period, even though we pay to fill the stadium week after week; all squashed in our seats. | understand you're retiring which can't come too soon, before you have a chance to damage the football program more than you have already. Your hiring of Shawn Eichorst, without any input from Coach Osborne, has turned out to be a disaster. Many Husker fans believe you hired Eichorst to fire Coach Pelini for you, within a certain time frame. |'ll admit Coach Pelini could have used some counseling in anger management, but doubt if that was ever considered; other than by Coach Osborne when he was still the AD.You evidently didn't even consider an excellent person such as AD Trev Alberts at UNO, for the position in Lincoln. We have no one with Nebraska ties anymore who understands the culture of the state, the fan base, etc. AD Eichorst hiring of Coach Mike Riley is starting out as another disaster for the program. There again, no input from Coach Osborne or some one with Nebraska ties; all done on his own. He claims he had Coach Riley in his sights for many years if he ever needed to hire a head coach. Really 22? You gotta be kidding me, with his past record. Coach Riley seems to be a nice folksy grandpa type figure, but walking the sidelines he acts like he is in a position over his head. | imagine some one with Nebraska ties like former Husker great Scott Frost (offensive coordinator for Oregon), wasn't even considered by Eichorst; if not, what a shame. Some might say give Coach Riley three to four years as he needs time to recruit; like we did to Coach Callahan huh? We are beginning to be the joke of various programs who we use to play smash mouth football with, so how is he going to recruit top notch players? | read the article of Steve Sipple in the Sunday Journal Star and as always he is right on target. | could go on and on like many other Husker fans feel, but enough said; | need to type up a letter for the Board of Regents also. Onvilevey Perlman From: | Sent: Sunday, November 01, 2015 9:29 PM To: Harvey Periman Subject: Your reply, status of Husker Football Program >> Glad you care about the football program. So do |. | do and I'm sure for many more years than yourself. You do to, okay, although many of us Husker fans question the sincerity of that; by some of your past actions. Although, one of the best decisions you ever made was hiring Coach Tom Osborne in the AD position. No one measures up to that man. He has more knowledge than all others in the athletic department put together. Problem is, not enough will tap into all that experience. >> But you need to reflect on a couple of things. Steve Pederson was not successful. But if you are worried about someone who understood Nebraska culture (like Trev Albert) consider that Steve was Tom’s protégé in the athletic department, worked in Nebraska, was raised in Nebraska, and Tom strongly encouraged me to hire him. You didn't need to remind me of that, who can ever forget? Yes, Steve worked in the athletic department before Coach Osborne retired from coaching. | remember Coach Osborne recommending his name to you while he was a Congressman. Surely you aren't blaming Coach Osborne for the ego trip that Steve went on, trying to make a name for himself. | was told more than once that the atmosphere in the athletic department became very tense with Steve in the AD position. | take it you were his supervisor who was responsible for his actions and surely you didn't expect Congressman Osborne to keep track of him. Also, surely you wouldn't compare Trev Albert or any other former Husker who has excelled in life, to Steve Pederson? >> You don’t want to give Riley a few years to recruit? Well, consider how this will look when we recruit a replacement. Anyone want to be football coach where you will have half a season to prove yourself and you will have to play with the players the former coaches left. Sure, I'll give him time to recruit, what choice do we have after the fix Eichorst put us in? You think you're going to hire any coach with a proven winning record, when you are known for firing coaches that win nine games a season? >> And don’t try to use excuse of injuries to your top players or that the former coaches didn’t recruit very well. Won't work. Can’t wait to see who we would hire under those circumstances. In such circumstances | hope we would get lucky but I’m skeptical.First time Nebraska has lost six games before the month of November, off to our worst start since 1958. I see you like to play the blame game, guess other uniyersities don't have to deal with such problems. Something is wrong with the people in charge, if good coaches will not consider coming toa university such as Nebraska; with the facilities, fan support, etc. I still don't see why a coach such as Scott Frost (offensive coordinator, Oregon) wasn't considered, for the long term. ovilleHarvey Perlman From: Ve Sent: Monday, November 02, 2015 8:03 AM To: ey Pe ce: Shawn, Shawn, Shawn, Shawn, Shawn. ‘Subject: Dr. Husker AD ‘I don't want to be Iowa’. And that’s A-Ok. Your choice. It's a free society and were not communist, But know Big Red Shawn the clock is clicking. The Grand Pooh-Bah Harvey is about to hit the road making speeches to pad his retirement and sit on countless boards moving his abucas buck and forth keeping track of the money. And it’s fair to say ole Harvey is your last sanctuary for you to take refuge in Lincoln. Shawn I realize when you fired Bo you said with all the confidence you could muster “we don’t want to be Lowa.” Well unlike the extreme right wing conservative state of Nebraska, eastern Iowa is a bastion of loving Uberals. Towa City pretty much takes everybody in. We are a welcoming city. We take your poor, your downtrodden, your unwanted, We also bring in many brilliant students from all over the world who go ‘out and make a difference in the lives of ‘So once the Grand Pooh-Bah Harvey leaves in June we'll take you in, Because Shawn ‘I don’t know to be lowa’ Kichorst will have few *big time” ‘opportunities to submit his resume to. Your semi-mentor and pal the ego maniac Barry Alvarez. no doubt is watching from afar. Don’t assume he'll have his hand out, But I just bet gentlemen Gary Barta could find a position within his department. We are loving and forgiving people in lowa City. Oh sure some of us ( me included) were getting real nervous at the direction of our football program. But silly us. The Captain is having the last laugh on us. And you It Michael From: "Mike To: gari-barta@hawkeyespors.coms "Coach Kirk Ferentz " It is time to CLEAN THE SLATE AGAIN.....and SCOTT FROST.. and so many others would bring back the pride..and make us think things will get better. Who knows, Steve Spurrier who the 95 Huskers. decimated is available now. He makes lots of faces on the sidelines but he IS A WINNER EICHORSTS’s “PEP TALK” ...was a further insult to Husker fans. THINGS WILL NOT GET BETTER because RILEY has NEVER been an above average coach; His bad decisions cost us at least two of our losses and we have NOTHING to look ahead to but more ignominious, leaderless Saturdays.Harvey Perlman —$__. From: bil Sent: ‘Tuesday, November 03, 2015 3:45 PM To: Harvey Perlman Subject: Re: Eichorst That is sad to hear. The two of you fired a coach who was 48-16 over the past 5 years, simply because you did not see eye-to-eye with him, and hired a coach who was 29-33 over a similar time period, simply because he is nice guy. We were in decent shape before, although Bo should have made some coaching changes of his ‘own, Itis you folks caused the mess we are in, and itis current, not inherited. Given your thoughts on the matter, I for one am glad you are leaving next year. I'am also glad I was not and will not have to be in law school during your tenure. Maybe you can take Shawn with you? ‘Thank you for responding. It is at least nice to know where you stand so I do not have to renew my season tickets. 5 (On Tuesday, November 3, 2015 2:02 PM, Harvey Perlman wrote Shawn has my full support. | don't know if this set of coaches is the right one or not but | know very well that one season's results with the mess they inherited is not a fair evaluation for the future. You are, of course, free to disagree. Harvey From: bi is Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2015 2:48 PM. To: hperiman@unl.edu Subject: Eichorst Mr. Eichorst's letter supporting himself was not well received. However, we have not heard from you... ‘Shouldn't the AD be realistic? Shouldn't the AD at least see Coach Riley needs different assistant coaches and/or coordinators? Eichorst is oblivious to the problems. He hired Riley, and let Riley chose coaches who are not qualified at this level. How many games have to be lost, how many articles have to be written for some change to take place? Consider the following. Mike Riley might not be a good coach’, but firing him now** is probably a bad idea***Mike Riley might not be a good coach... As the seconds ticked down to zero on Saturday, most of Husker Nation had come to one of two very specific conclusions: 1. Mike Riley should not be allowed to leave West Lafayette and maybe Shawn Eichorst should be left wherever he was that aftemoon. Probably some oka bar from the look on his face 2. Perhaps this program was left in a much larger crater when we fired Bo Pelini and the future is as dark as it has ever been | would argue that neither of these premises are completely rational, but this seems like a good jumpof point, right? In what is legitimately the worst season in Nebraska's recent history - if not arguably the worst season (heartbreak wise) ever - there is definitely a fallout coming. The degree of difference between winning and losing is razor thin at the Power 5 level, and the Nebraska Cornhuskers have been skating that line for years. Unfortunately, that miniscule margin of error has reared its ugly head in Lincoln, and close wins are now close losses, leading a fanbase to start pointing fingers. And where would you point in that situation? The new variable: Mike Riley. That isn't to say that Riley has been playing with a full deck. The loss to Purdue included injuries to the starting RT, QB, leading WR, most dynamic playmaker on offense, and RB. Defensively, the depth at LB has been made known, but to add to those woes, Nebraska is also thin across the entire secondary with both a suspended CB and missing Safety (due to a family funeral). if you did not see the potential for what happened on Saturday, you weren't paying attention. As has been noted vociferously by our friends at Corn Nation, this team is playing the walk-on game like a champ. If you believed Bo Pelini's biggest weakness was development, then this is the year we are paying the piper. Ironically, Mike Riley is sitting in One Memorial Drive, and Bo Pelini is reaping no further specific repercussions in Youngstown. All that in mind, Mike Riley still might not be a good coach. That statement is absolutely fair despite the protestations of ‘give him time’ and ‘this is Bo's fault’. Especially due to the fact that any of these ‘statements are far from mutually exclusive. Specifically, the question becomes more of a, "Despite the contextual evidence of previous difficulty in his job, is Mike Riley's successes sufficient evidence to point to him being the right man for this job? Is it possible that mistakes were made?” | am not in a position to answer this as even a cratering of this level begs more questions than answers initially. ‘Were we duped? Is this Bo's faut? Is this bad luck? What is the aberration? Regardless of the lack of specific answers, | will say that | am far more open to the discussion of Mike Riley's preparedness for 2016 than | was five games ago. It really has been a tough year. «but firing him now... “The advantages of firing a coach seem to rest on varying incentives for those in power. The first - and generally the most popular - is that by firing a coach, you save your own job as AD. Specifically, you usurp power, prove to a rabid donor and fan base that you believe your school is better than it currently stands, and will not rest until things are made right. This is all fine and dandy, but one would have to also assume that in this scenario, the damage is specifically brought upon by the party is all his - or her depending on the sport - fault. We see this happen all the time, though. Right now, there are close to ten open jobs in football, and we are barely 75% of the way through 2015. In any given year, there are maybe ten really happy fanbases, 15 additional so-so bases, and somewhere 2around 40 fairly unhappy fanbases. If you just happen to fall into that first group, you scoff at the notion that someone would pull the trigger so easily, but in the thick of things, is hard to not see the light at the end of a pink slip. Nebraska fans are specifically accustomed to this approach as we have fought and scratched to national notoriety for the seventeen years since the last time we were notable. Yes, we played for a national championship in 2001, but one would argue that the decline was already on. Getting trucked by Colorado that year was the beginning of the end, but even the most fervent Nebraska fan would hate to believe that. Still, just like you would probably never believe that in fifteen years Ohio State, Oregon, Alabama, or any of the other ‘elite’ teams of the 2010s would falter and pray for their former self, we know these things come and go as they please. Of course, the other side to firing a coach is that sometimes you have to move on. Which brings me back to the firing cycle. Nebraska is on its third coach in nine years, which isn't an absurd clip when you realize one of those guys got seven seasons, but the 60+ wins in that span makes it a tougher pill to swallow. Hubris is not one of Nebraska's strong suits, and it seems the fans in red have been paying their price for years now. Stil, if you fire your new coach, what is the plus side? Notre Dame, a team not unlike the Comhuskers in that they have definitely played that coaching carousel game as well, is a cautionary tale. Yes, the Fighting Irish are more relevant than the Cornhuskers right now, but part of that is that Notre Dame continually asked the question, "Is the next guy better than the current guy, and is the risk worth it?" In what is certainly more of a longterm play, played out in a short term sense, Nebraska could at least benefit from thinking about things from that perspective. Still, Notre Dame has not reached their full potential either. These things are far from an exacting science. Bottom line? Firing a coach is a risky business. Stil, it has to always at least be in play. .uis probably a bad idea One year is not enough time to judge a coach. Yes, Mike Riley's past history is judged by expectations of mediocrity. | understand that, He is also a proven coach who has shown flashes of brilliance, and he - like most coaches - deserve more than a passing chance at righting the ship. Going back to our friends at Notre Dame, you cannot get yoursetf in a place where you are paying multiple staffs, handcuffed by buyouts, different schemes, and inconsistency. That is not a recipe for success. Coaches - especially in the college game - need time to bring in kids that fit their point-of- view, their system, their culture. Starting over puts your team in a place where three classes - the core of your team - are part of three different, distinct camps with loyalties resting where they may. Sure, it's about the N on the helmet, but these are people with human instincts, It’s less than ideal, and ultimately causes as many problems as it may solve. That in mind, changes will need to be made. Whether it is at the Defensive Coordinator position, the Secondary, or even Offensive Coordinator, Mike Riley will have to pay the price for what has turned into an abysmal year. Yes, it seems unfair that a few bounces here or there changes this entire conversation, but the expectation is a bow! game. That is the minimum, not the goal. Beyond being spoiled, Nebraska enjoys advantages in history, finances, facilities, and support that most of America dream of. Cratering is not ideal, and fair or unfair, the clock is on for Riley to show some real strides towards improvement. That doesn't mean he should be fired, but there will have to be some payment for a bad year. Stil, i's not that easy, and these are real people with complex pieces affecting their every day. There doesn't seem like an easy answer. 3>> To: Shawn Eichorst > Subject: Just Checking On You > >> Shawn, ! am just checking in on you. Asis typical in the world of big business, there are always the naysayers, "so-called" experts, and a host of others that believe they can do a better job, make better decisions, and snap their fingers to miraculous success (however that is defined), Trust me, | have been ‘8 CEO for over 20 years and | know exactly how that feels. That said, consistency, communication and calm (my three C's) in the presence of a storm is what makes great leaders. You are doing a great job ‘and have my unconditional support for al you are doing. What the outside world fails to recognize is ‘that success should not always be measured on the field or on the court - nor can it occur there without ‘a foundation of the right people, doing the right things, the first time every time. It takes time to build ‘that foundation, especially with a football program that over the past 10-12 years has been decimated by @ complete lack of coaching leadership, arrogance and attitude unbecoming of a pristine institution, ‘and a general apathy toward the history and tradition that comes with the red "N". >> applaud the direction of the athletic department, including the football program. These coaches {and this team will win a lot of games. But, they will only do it if they stick together, trust one another and focus on the end goal - developing superior athletes into great men that will contribute in a positive way to society. There is no better educational or athletic experience anywhere in the country. Win or lose, there truly is no place like Nebraska, > >> Shawn, not that one person matters, but please know Iam always here for you and your staff, our ‘coaches, and, most importantly, our student-athletes. if there is any way I can be of assistance, please let me know. >> Take care! >>Tom > >> Sent from my iPad