Exclusive Tunnel Talk: 3/22/2024
Welcome to the latest edition of HuskerOnline.com’s most popular member feature, Tunnel Talk. Our staff gives you the latest inside information on Nebraska football, basketball, volleyball, and recruiting.
Now, on to the scoop…
Callahan’s weekly nuggets
***I’ve talked to several different people in the last 48 hours about the hiring of athletic director Troy Dannen this week. The response is overwhelmingly positive.
One coach I spoke to has been in several meetings with Dannen over the years on different committees, and his immediate response was, “Wow, that is a really good hire for Nebraska.” This coach was in the SEC and Big 12 over his coaching career. He said his personality and approach is a perfect fit for Nebraska.
***Dannen’s exit from Washington had its own Trev Alberts feel for those in Seattle. I was a guest on KJR Radio in Seattle as the news broke, and their tone sounded like here when Alberts abruptly left for Texas A&M.
What’s interesting was Dannen was at Washington’s big fundraising golf event out of state with all their key boosters this week. Nobody would’ve had any clue he was looking to leave for Nebraska.
One person I talked to spoke with somebody who was golfing with or near Dannen at the Washington party on Tuesday. He said there may have been a couple of times he stepped away for a phone call or two, but nothing out of the norm, considering the Huskies are in the middle of a basketball coaching search.
***One thing I heard this week after Alberts left is NU is nowhere near the $225 million they needed to raise to push the Memorial Stadium project forward. One source I talked to Thursday night said they would be very surprised if the project happened at the level originally introduced.
***People I’ve talked to who have been around Dannen’s leadership style say he will be very hands-on. He’s going to run the department but also be a guy who can sit down and be great with boosters in social situations.
Dannen is also very big on NIL and is cutting-edge in that area. So, I’d imagine he will be pretty impressed with NU already has in place on that front.
***I spoke with a UNL professor who was at a big sports conference with several different people in attendance. They had an NIL summit as part of the conference, and one of the largest NIL sports agents in the country—Patrick Foley from NILX — spoke at the summit. Foley told the crowd that Nebraska has the most organized and well-run collectives he’s seen anywhere in the country in terms of their setup and operation.
***The one guy probably not too happy with the Dannen news is Washington football coach Jedd Fisch. He just left Arizona for Washington. So now the Huskies will have first-year football and basketball coaches heading into the Big Ten with a brand-new athletic director. Earlier this month, Dannen fired long-time basketball coach Mike Hopkins.
***If a key figure from Washington comes with Dannen to NU, I’m told to watch Haven Fields. He was the Deputy Athletic Director of Administration that Dannen hired in Seattle. Fields was the day-to-day football sports administrator and oversaw many external relations functions, including multi-media rights, content strategy, marketing, advertising, video production, merchandise, event promotion, communications services, and public relations.
Fields was hired at UW in January and has a strong background working at Texas A&M, Auburn, Ball State, South Alabama, and Illinois.
***I talked to one person at Nebraska’s Pro Day, who has been to many over the years with his background. He said it was one of the most well-run and organized Pro Day events he’s ever attended.
***And with NIL now, Pro Days have a much different look than before. Agents and personal trainers can attend pro days, where, in the past, they were barely allowed in the building. NIL allows high school athletes to have agents, so it’s no longer forbidden fruit to have agents around.
Pro Days also allows you to have some of your current players take part, which is how Dylan Raiola and Daniel Kaelin were able to throw in from one of the scouts. It was a win-win for all.
***As Dr. Jeff Gold said this week, returning to the AAU is not a deal where you fill out an application. You have to be invited back. Nebraska now has to fix its profile and set up with UNMC to include its medical research dollars at UNMC with what they already do at UNL. It needs to be under one umbrella. What has always hurt Nebraska is that the AAU does not recognize agriculture research, as in most cases, that is money from the government. In contrast, medical research dollars come from true outside sources.
-Sean Callahan
As Sipple sees (and hears) it
***OK, let’s get down to it. I wonder if Dr. Jeff Gold will be as sports-oriented as Nebraska’s last two system presidents — Ted Carter and Hank Bounds. I tend to doubt it.
I wrote last week that Bill Moos, who preceded Trev Alberts as Nebraska’s athletic director, often was frustrated by upper-level administration’s heavy involvement in athletics. There were too many bosses, he said.
His frustration extended to the NU Board of Regents.
My early read on Gold is he won’t thrust himself into the sports fray nearly as much as Bounds and Carter and even former UNL chancellors Ronnie Green and Harvey Perlman.
Bounds frequented football practices and hosted recruits at his home. Green’s wife, Jane, is an enthusiastic Husker fan and it always seemed to me that Ronnie wanted to be seen as a “sports guy” when it was sort of a stretch.
Along those lines, my read is that Green’s successor as UNL chancellor, Rodney Bennett, concentrates on academia and other matters and steers clear of sports. In other words, I think Gold and Bennett will be less involved in the sports realm than many of their predecessors.
Nebraska’s upper-level administration — Perlman, in particular – has fumbled the ball a little too often in the past 20-plus years. Perhaps it’s time to let the new A.D., Troy Dannen, run the show with very limited involvement from above.
***Alberts and Nebraska’s thriving collective, The 1890 Initiative, had virtually no relationship. It doesn’t have to be that way with the new athletic director. In fact, in that sense, Dannen represents an important fresh start.
***Regarding Dannen, he gets strong reviews from Iowa media. He served as Northern Iowa’s athletic director from 2008 to 2015 before going to Tulane (2015-23) and Washington (five months). “He’s not a big-timer, paid his dues,” says Ken Miller of KXNO 1460 AM, a respected voice in the Des Moines market for decades (and a good friend of mine). “Credited with turning the Iowa girls high school union into a real advocate of fair treatment for girls’ sports.
“Worked with a limited budget at UNI and never complained when he had to make a tough decision like cutting the baseball program.”
I’m told Dannen has been known to listen to sports-talk radio frequently.
Good to know. LOL.
***Heard this from a 30-year veteran of the college football scene: “Dannen is very close with Pat Kraft, the A.D. at Penn State who was at Temple when Rhule was the HC there. Dannen, Rhule and Kraft would hang out together at American Athletic Conference events when they were at Tulane and Temple (respectively).”
It seems obvious that Rhule was influential in Nebraska’s hire of Dannen — which I’m comfortable with, for what it’s worth.
***Speaking of sports-talk radio — don’t kill the messenger here — but perhaps you heard Lee Sterling of Paramount Sports this week on “Early Break” pick Texas A&M to reach the Final Four.
“Horrible matchup (for Nebraska),” says the Florida-based Sterling. “This is what Texas A&M has done. It beat (NCAA No. 2 seed) Iowa State without three starters. It lost by four to (top-seeded) Houston without two starters. It beat (No. 3 seed) Kentucky twice.
“They’re playing some really good basketball. I’m sure Nebraska would rather have been a 10 seed and even faced Florida here.”
That’s just one man’s opinion.
I’m leaning hard into a simple notion: A&M has been a poor-shooting team (until recently), and Nebraska plays excellent defense.
The Aggies shoot 39.9% from the field this season and 28.4% from deep. Terrible.
They do have 250 more offensive rebounds than their opponents. Incredible.
So … Nebraska 67, A&M 60.
Bring on Houston (or Longwood).
***To say Matt Rhule is illuminating in news conferences is like saying Memphis has an incredible music scene. No kidding? Well, Rhule was at it again this week, making a series of telling comments regarding the Alberts situation but also about his team.
I was struck by what he said about the receiver corps/passing game.
“When we faced zone teams last season, we threw the football at a reasonable rate,” he said. “When we faced either aggressive quarters (coverage) — match teams — that were physical with us, or (man-to-man) teams, we struggled.”
Marcus Washington’s early season injury was key in that regard, Rhule said. Same goes for Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda’s injury, he said, and even Rahmir Johnson’s injury because he’s a good option-route runner out of the backfield.
Bottom line, Rhule said, the staff feels much better about the receiver corps because of the development of young WRs and the offseason additions of transfers Jahmal Banks and Isaiah Neyor.
Banks and Neyor are big and physical and fast. Nebraska clearly needed the addition of guys who can beat man coverage.
***Spring football talk has gotten lost in the shuffle, obviously.
I’ll make sure it doesn’t get pushed too far back.
-Steven Sipple
Munson’s Musings
*** This past week has been a whirlwind of Husker news unlike any other I can recall. While I haven’t been at the forefront of the coverage like Sean, Steve, Robin, Abby, and others, I’ve had a unique vantage point to witness the team’s execution. Moments like these remind me of the exceptional team I’m associated with.
In this week’s Three & Out, it’s time to unveil The Big Board – Offense Edition, On3 released the On300 rankings for the 2026 class this week, and recruiting fans have a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks. Here is your Three & Out: https://t.co/S0yRYiQhrD #Huskers
— HuskerOnline (@HuskerOnline) March 20, 2024
*** Now, let’s delve into the exciting world of recruiting. I had the pleasure of sharing a lot of intriguing information in Three & Out on Wednesday morning, and the prospect of things heating up in this area is truly exhilarating.
*** It’s a slow process, but rest assured, I’m diligently working on writing all of my In-State content. There’s still one more story to come, and I’m preparing a series of ‘Getting To Know’ articles for the weekend and early next week, specifically for early enrollers in Lincoln. So, bear with me for a few more days as I process everything and clear my backlog. Then, we can shift our focus to spring football and visitors.
*** I have a couple of new offer stories to share. I have Jake Kreul, a 2026 Edge who recently picked up an offer from Nebraska, and 2026 OT Canon Pickett. Both told me they are excited about the offers and want to get to Lincoln to check out what Nebraska has to offer.
*** From the Big Board on Wednesday in Three & Out, there were a ton of data points that I wanted to put in the tables to explain how the board was developed. The table had ten columns, which made it wide. For several players on the list, though, I could not include the data points of those who have scheduled unofficial visits or told me they are currently working with Nebraska to schedule an official visit.
*** One of the names that I wanted to include in the Big Board but didn’t was Millard South quarterback Jett Thomalla. After seeing him work this winter at the high school, I believe Nebraska is very interested in Thomalla. This spring and summer, he has an excellent opportunity to keep the Nebraska staff thinking about how he can fit into the 2026 class.
*** Believe me when I say there is going to be a plethora of thrilling visitor news in the coming days/week. Specifically, a few new official visits will be added to the list. I am also eagerly awaiting updates from Sean/Sip/Robin, who is randomly at practice, or it pops up that day that they were there on social media. I am expecting a multitude of those types of visits.
Four-star linebacker Christian Jones has two visits to Notre Dame locked in, including an official visit
The latest: https://t.co/P2TQuPXybZ pic.twitter.com/2fKvo28uLH
— Mike Singer (@MikeTSinger) March 19, 2024
*** One of Nebraska’s top targets for 2025 is Westside linebacker Christian Jones. I haven’t talked to Jones since he could not make the In-State Tour in Omaha in February. We connected this week, and he shared that he is fully committed to his track season, demonstrating his dedication and focus. He hasn’t set any visits to Nebraska this spring or summer, but he has set an official visit to Notre Dame for 6/7.
When Jones didn’t make it to the In-State Tour in Omaha in February, questions were asked why he wasn’t there. Jones was working out that Sunday, preparing to throw the shot for track season. The source who told me about Jones working out that day said that Jones is always working out and so competitive.
*** When people ask me if it’s really going to be difficult to keep Jones home the quick answer is: yes. The ties there to Teddy Rezac and Anthony Rezac are real. Plus, like Carter Nelson last year, Jones really likes the staff at Notre Dame. It’s going to be interesting to watch how things go with Jones process over the coming months. Nebraska still has a very good chance to keep Jones home, but it will be another roller coaster of a process for fans to endure.
-Bryan Munson
Washut’s Nebrasketball news & notes
***It was no shock that Nebraska made it a point to lock Fred Hoiberg up with a five-year contract extension. This has been one of the most successful seasons in program history and NU is on the brink of its first-ever NCAA Tournament victory.
However, the timing of the extension – which came three days before the Huskers’ first tournament game – was somewhat surprising. That Nebraska also made Hoiberg the nation’s 12th-highest-paid coach at $4.45 million per year also raised a few eyebrows.
But, the Husker brass had a reason to act quickly and leave little doubt about Hoiberg’s future in Lincoln.
For one, the college basketball transfer portal officially opened on Monday. NU won’t know its offseason roster attrition until after its tournament run. But calls are already being made to potential portal targets.
Being able to pitch unquestioned job security to transfers and high school recruits is critical. In fact, Hoiberg’s uncertainty the past few years as without a doubt been used against the Huskers in recruiting.
There’s also the fact that if Nebraska didn’t reaffirm its commitment to Hoiberg, other schools would likely come calling.
I heard from a knowledgeable source that there is some talk that Bill Self could leave Kansas after this season. The word is he might be interested in an NBA job.
If Self left, I’m told KU would at least give Hoiberg a long look. That could still happen, I suppose. But it just got a lot more expensive for the Jayhawks – or anyone else – to do so.
***Speaking of portal season, as I mentioned, Nebraska is already underway in doing its due diligence on potential targets. There isn’t a lot to report right now on players to watch. That should change quickly once NU’s season wraps up.
We know the Huskers need a scorer/shooter to replace Keisei Tominaga and a defensive/rebounding big to replace Josiah Allick.
After that, though, all options depend on who stays and goes from the current roster. Nebraska is more focused on finding the best talent and fits it can get than replacing specific roles.
Don’t be surprised if the Huskers swing for the fences on some big portal names, either. They’ve already come so close with guys like Keyonte Johnson (Kansas State) and Antonio Reeves (Kentucky). That was with little on-court success to pitch.
NU’s staff is banking on this season – paired with the usual selling points – opening the door for some potential game-changing players.
***The one player with confirmed contact from Nebraska thus far is Omaha transfer Frankie Fiddler.
The former Bellevue West transfer certainly caught NU fans’ attention when he hit the portal this week. The Huskers’ immediate interest only further fueled that fire.
I know there definitely is mutual interest there. The issue is that it has to make sense for both parties for Fiddler-to-Nebraska to really heat up.
Again, who transfers out after the season will go a long way in determining that. NU must have a opening in the rotation for Fiddler’s skill set, and he needs a chance to play a prominent role next season.
We’ll see what happens, but I will say this – if it makes sense, I think Fiddler will be a Husker.
***So, this of course leads to the big question: Who all will return to Nebraska next season?
There will always be unique variables with every player in these situations, so it’s nearly impossible to say right now who is staying or leaving.
I never like to speculate on potential departures. I did that a few years ago, and Thorir Thorbjarnarson publicly shot down my report with the classic “I’m not leaving” gif of Leonardo DiCaprio from Wolf of Wall Street.
However, I feel comfortable saying that Nebraska’s top priorities are keeping Brice Williams, Juwan Gary, and Rienk Mast. My guess is at least two of those three – if not all of them – are back next season.
As of today, though, no formal conversations on that subject have taken place between players and NU’s staff. They’re all dialed into the task at hand in trying to win that coveted first NCAA Tournament game.
***ICYMI, On3 published a really interest report on the impact NIL and the portal have on college basketball roster management. The story quotes coaches, agents, and collectives to get an idea of what the business of portal recruiting and player retention looked like now.
If you get time, read the full story here. For now, here are some telling quotes that give an idea of what coaches are dealing with in today’s new world of recruiting.
“You can buy a really good lineup, five players, between $800,000 to $1 million,” an agent with multiple clients planning to hit the portal told On3.
Another agent disagreed.
“I don’t think you can buy an NCAA tournament team,” the agent said. “Some of these programs with the biggest NIL collective budgets bought teams that aren’t making the NCAA tournament.”
“The most valuable positions are generally productive bigs because there just aren’t that many tall enough people in the world, so having productive bigs are harder to come by,” an agent told On3. “I think even backup bigs are hard to come by at the high-major level – guys who can play 10 to 15 minutes and produce. There’s just not that many competent, high-major bigs out there. There’s a premium for that.”
“The NCAA has no input on how NIL collectives operate, and these organizations have come a long way,” a top basketball collective leader told On3. “They are going to be involved in this college basketball transfer portal window and there is a group of them who are prepared to win now.”
-Robin Washut
Abby’s assists
***Nebraska Athletics announced that Husker Women’s Basketball Head Coach Amy Williams agreed to extend her contract through the 2028-29 season. Williams will be making $950,000 plus bonuses during the 2024-25. Her salary will increase annually.
Williams is currently within her best season of eight at Nebraska. The Huskers made the Big Ten Tournament Championship for the first time since 2014 and Williams’ first time as a Husker coach.
Nebraska begins the NCAA Tournament against No. 11 Texas A&M on Friday, March 22 at 9:30 p.m. CT. They have a shot at winning their first NCAA tournament game since 2014, which would also be Williams’ first.
With the contract extension, Williams is now the highest-paid women’s athletics coach at Nebraska. Based on her success with the Huskers, Williams earned a raise. However, she now makes more than four-time National Championship Head Coach John Cook.
Cook, the leader of NU’s esteemed volleyball team, his annual salary for 2024 is $750,000. With the bonuses from winning the Big Ten Championship and advancing to the National Championship, Cook earned $978,750. He is the highest-paid coach in college volleyball. During the 2023 fiscal, the head coach of 23 seasons received $1.42 million in total compensation.
Athletic programs are only capable of paying their head coaches and staff based on the revenue the sport generates. Most universities only have 2-3 sports that turn a profit. In that case, the revenue generated by their top sport, like football in Nebraska, helped fund the rest of the athletic program.
Nebraska is unique in the sense that volleyball is one of the few women’s athletics programs that generates revenue. In 2022, the program turned a $233,454 profit. The number will increase in the 2024 fiscal year thanks to Volleyball Day in Nebraska.
Husker Volleyball smashed the world attendance record for a women’s sporting event, with 92,003 fans filling Memorial Stadium. They have sold out every game in the Bob Devaney Sports Center since 2013. They broke the NCAA record with 255,953 fans at a women’s sport in one season. In Devaney, NU averaged a national leading 8,197 fans per match.
The Women’s Basketball team averaged 4,489 fans at Pinnacle Bank Arena during the 2021-22 season. This season, they sold out one game, which was against Iowa which sells out every arena they play in, home or away.
In conclusion, Cook’s salary is $200,000 less than a coach who has won less and brings in less money to the university. He has been a staple in NU’s athletic department for nearly 25 years. There must be a raise in Cook’s very near future.
***Nebraska Women’s Basketball has a challenge against No. 11 Texas A&M on Friday night.
Aggies Head Coach Joni Taylor has coached her team to be ready for all of Nebraska’s shooters and told them to be disciplined. Texas A&M is typically great at defending three-point shooters.
“They put five scorers on the floor,” she said on Thursday. “You look at their starters and four out of five make the all-tournament team in some way, whether it’s Freshman of the Year, First Team, all-freshman team. Extremely talented. They play with great pace, and then they can also slow you down, pound it inside. They just have weapons all over the floor, and it makes it hard to double because they can hit you from three. Jaz does a really good job of scoring off the bounce. She’s a three-level scorer. They just stretch you defensively.
“Then offensively, they make it really hard, as well. They, in my opinion, from the film that I’ve watched, they’re as good defensively as they are offensively, and I don’t think they get enough credit for how good they are defensively.”
Along with three-point shooting, the Huskers have done well in rebounding this season. However, Texas A&M is also a solid rebounding team. NU is focusing on keeping them off the glass and also slowing the Aggies down in transition.
“They’re a really physical team, and they’re really good at rebounding,” Husker center Alexis Markowski said on Thursday. “I think they average about 14 offensive rebounds. So that’s really important for us to just rebound the ball and keep them off the boards.”
Nebraska has all the qualities on paper to win a few games in the NCAA Tournament. Now it’s about playing up their capabilities under pressure. They did it against Iowa twice. They just need to continue to build on their Big Ten Tournament run.
-Abby Barmore
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