Former Nebraska Athletic Director Trev Alberts speaking to the media (Courtesy of Nebraska Athletics)
April 3rd started just like any other Wednesday... relatively uneventful, yet highlighted by an underlying sense of excitement and optimism for Nebraska Football's spring practices to get started. For the first time in multiple years, I finally allowed myself to once again believe that Nebraska football was turning a corner and back on the right track towards achieving sustained success in the near future. Yea I know, I know... last season was a disappointment and it didn’t end like any of us had hoped for, but I’ll be damned if we didn’t win another offseason championship. Kickstarted by the unexpected flipping of Dylan Raiola's commitment from Georgia to Nebraska just 2 days before December's early signing period, the positive momentum within the football program was palpable and seemed to be growing daily. Hell, the whole athletic department seems to have some momentum. I for one believe they feed off each other. Success breeds success. The men’s and women’s basketball teams will both be in the big dance, both playing some incredible basketball going into the tournament. The baseball team is off to a hot start. Shit, the dodgeball team is in the top 10 in the nation. All aboard the Big Red Train, baby, cuz we ain’t stopping for nothing! It finally seemed, by the grace of God, like the sweet, sweet feeling of normalcy had settled over the program and good vibes were emanating from Lincoln for the first time in a long, long time. Then.... the news about fucking Trev happened.
Big Red Betrayal:
I’ll be honest. It’s hard not to feel betrayed. Lied too. Maybe even a bit used. Fans pump their blood, sweat, tears, and hard-earned money into this program whenever it comes ask, only to repeatedly get bitch slapped over and over again. I mean, what the fuck are we doing, Trev? One minute there “isn’t a better athletic director job in the nation” and the next minute we are packing our bags to join the male cheer squad in College Station? The same athletic department that just paid Jimbo Fisher north of $75 million to never show up to work again. The same athletic department and leadership structure that mutinied against the man you are taking over for because they didn’t like his decision in attempting to hire Mark Stoops. I mean, I don’t blame them…Mark Stoops…but second guessing your decisions, constant looking over your shoulder, sounds like a great setup. You’re stuck with a brand-new football coach you had no part in hiring going into the new SEC, where you aren’t even the biggest show in your own state. Make it make sense.
Trev's Golden Touch... Tarnished?
Trev was our golden goose. Every move Midas-like, turning everything to gold. A world-class athletic facility opened, volleyball thrived, and we even reached a national championship appearance in football. He secured his "guy" as coach, with Rhule crediting Trev for the hire. Everything seemed aligned, fundraising for the biggest renovation in Memorial Stadium history was underway... then, the rug was pulled. The usual suspect, money, doesn't seem to be the culprit here. Trev's an alum, a legend – his name's on the stadium! He just signed a lucrative contract extension. So what gives? What changed in five months? Whispers point to the university's inept leadership – the regents dragging their feet on hiring a president. Maybe Trev felt hamstrung. Was this a desperate attempt to force their hand? The truth, as always, remains elusive. Public pronouncements will shower Trev with praise, masking the real issues that fester beneath the surface. Rinse and repeat.
A Vulnerable Future
The situation is dire. No president, no AD, and a successful football coach ripe for the poaching. We've embarked on a half-billion dollar renovation project, with no one at the helm. Can we even attract qualified AD candidates without a president? Time will tell. Thanks for the steaming pile you left us with, Trev. Part of me is furious. Benedict Alberts, you traitor! You left us high and dry! You're a hired gun, and we don't need you! While I'm tempted to blast your name off the stadium, a deeper yearning exists – for this Nebraska athletics circus to stop. We need answers. Why does every turn bring another blow?
Something is deeply wrong at Nebraska. We hemorrhage talent. We bring in high-caliber individuals, primed for greatness, but something repels them. It's like a cancer they diagnose, attempt to cure, then flee from. Maybe all the finger-pointing is misplaced. Maybe there's no cancer, but a silent poison seeping from the top down. Perhaps the decision-makers, clinging to past glory, need a shot of youthful energy. Whatever it is, it needs fixing, or this program is doomed.
A Fan's Resolve
But what the hell do I know? I’m just a guy that loves the program and always will. I’ll keep taking those groin kicks like a seasoned monk and I will bleed Husker Red till the day I die. But I will tell you one thing. I am grateful we have Coach Rhule in place. A true leader and one that I think can navigate the uncertain waters ahead.
Lastly, sometimes the answer is right under your nose…John Cook is right in our own backyard. Championship DNA.
If we die, we die. #GBR Forever.