Nebraska football is just a few days into spring practice. Four new assistants and more than a dozen new transfers plan to help the Huskers flip the script from last year’s 3-9 season.
But head coach Scott Frost is still the key to change. After all, he’s the common denominator over the past four seasons.
Where should he look for coaching tips to transform a losing culture into a winning one? To his four new assistants? The new transfer class?
Nope.
AFC Richmond head coach Ted Lasso.
Why? It was Lasso, of course, who led Witchita State to a football national title. So he knows how to win football games. And it was Lasso who helped AFC Richmond break a century-old curse (Nebraska could learn from that as they’re working on breaking their own).
But more than that, three leadership principles from Lasso could help Scott Frost finally get Nebraska on track.
Ask for Help
Since he’s never been a soccer coach before–or even played the game–Lasso isn’t afraid to ask for help. Whether it’s equipment manager Nate, his assistant Beard, or even one of his players, Lasso humbles himself over and over again. He’s not afraid to not be the smartest person in the room.
When Frost arrived at Nebraska, he walked in with a swagger. He wanted to do things his way, particularly on offense. But after a 15-27 record and severe offensive woes each of the past four seasons, it’s obvious Frost’s swagger bit him in the backside.
Now, he’s hired four new offensive assistants he can look to for help. The great news for Frost is that his help is much more qualified than Lasso’s. Offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, for example, has been coaching football since Frost was five years old.
Frost has said he loves the fresh ideas and knowledge in the offensive room. But will he ask for help when lights are at their brightest and the game is on the line?
Details, Details, Details
Coach Lasso pays attention to everything. Names and birthdays. Likes and dislikes. Personalities and idiosyncrasies. How teammates treat each other on and off the field. Nothing is insignificant or forgetful. Everything is a part of a bigger story. This relentless focus on detail is what makes Lasso special. (Granted, paying more attention to the actual details of soccer would help Lasso lead AFC Richmond to more wins, but that’s for another article.)
Unfortunately, for Frost and Nebraska, it’s the little things that have been killing them. “Death by a thousand paper cuts,” a few players have said. On offense, yes, but particularly on special teams. Neglecting details means getting punts blocked and returned for six, like this one. Notice that two protectors are on the right for a left-footed punter:
IOWA BLOCKED PUNT FOR TD pic.twitter.com/twEYd2ifh3
— Heavens! (@HeavensFX) November 26, 2021
Frost hired Bill Busch, a detail freak, as his special teams coordinator this offseason. Nebraska also brought in FCS punter of the year Brian Buschini and experienced kicker Timmy Bleekrode as transfers. With an experienced, trustworthy offensive coordinator like Whipple, Frost can now spend more time working with Busch on the details of special teams to figure out why this unit has been so bad the past four years and fix it.
If Nebraska’s special teams were at least neutral in every game last year, they likely would have won 3-4 more games and been bowl eligible. Can Frost’s new coordinator and specialists emphasize the details enough to take the Husker special teams from a liability into an asset?
Be a Goldfish
“Do you know what the happiest animal on earth is? It’s a goldfish. You know why? Got a ten-second memory.” Lasso passed that gem on to a discouraged player who made a mistake. That’s the thing about Lasso. Never too high; never too low. Stay within yourself. Keep your chip up. Get back to work. It’s going to be okay.
Frost does a good job keeping his emotions stable. But when Frost arrived, he preached the mantra, “No fear of failure.” Unfortunately, there’s been a significant enough sample size that proves Frost has forgotten or just plain ignored his own philosophy.
Most often it’s been seen in playing not to lose, the inability to step on the opponent’s throat when they’re down. His teams often play scared, like they’re thinking too much or worrying about making a mistake.
Nebraska desperately needs a ten-second memory. They need to flush the past four years, especially last year. They need to flush bad plays and go out and make a play. To make it happen, when the first sign of adversity hits in 2022, Frost can do no better than lean on Lasso’s wisdom.
He’s more than capable–he lived it as a player. The big question is, can he preach that message as a coach and get his players to truly believe?
