Where would NU basketball be if Nee had never been canned?

[The Impaler]

Listenting to Nee the other night on the radio got me wondering. I know a lot of people are in the camp of "It was time to go!" But in all honesty, could he have gotten things rolling again or would the last 12 years have turned out the same even with Neebrasketball?

[FeelLikeAStranger]

Nowhere. He could recruit some, but couldn't coach. He couldn't win an NCAA game in 13 years-even as a 3 seed, what makes anyone think he could have done anything more? He went nowhere after he left NU.

Hearing Husker hoops fans wax nostalgic about the Danny Nee era is just sad. They sucked then too...just less than the past decade.

After S. Florida's win, Nebraska is one of two power conference schools to never win an NCAA game. That's the reality. Nee was a big part of that.

[Skunkman1]

Listenting to Nee the other night on the radio got me wondering. I know a lot of people are in the camp of "It was time to go!" But in all honesty, could he have gotten things rolling again or would the last 12 years have turned out the same even with Neebrasketball?

I have these same thoughts about Pres Nixon!

[The Impaler]

Not suggesting we would have done anymore FLAS. Just wondering what peoples thoughts were is all. You have to admit that it's easy to "wax nostalgic" though when he presided over the best runs in the mens program in most peoples lifetimes.

[The Impaler]

I have these same thoughts about Pres Nixon!

[Liberty Husker]

The team was sick of how rude/vulgar he was and staged a walkout. Some were ready to drop their scholarships.
The future wasn't to bright when he left from what I recall.

[RedPhoenix]

We would be screwed.

[redwinghusker]

If Nee would have stayed it would have been just a higher level of mediocrity. Like some have said he could recruit some, but coaching? Meh. At the end of his tenure, he had really lost his team.

[HuskerWeatherman]

There is reason to wax nostalgic about the Nee era -- as it was the best era in Husker hoops history. Not saying it was incredible or anything close to that -- but it was the best in what has been a sorry program for many decades.

The excitement level was nor ever has been as high as it was for several years in the Nee era. He had that arena packed on a regular basis. Students packed the floor level an hour before tipoff (heck, I was one of them). And it was LOUD. I can remember many conference tilts where I absolutely could not hear myself scream. He even had thousands turn out for Midnight madness.

True, he never did bring a NCAA Tournament win to his Husker squads. The real blown opportunity was the 90-91 team that went 26-8 and finished the season #9 and #11 nationally in the two major polls -- but lost to Xavier 84-89 in the first round. But remember, that was the first taste of the NCAA Tournament for those players -- and Xavier was tournament-seasoned (that was Xavier's 6th consecutive Dance). In the other NCAA Tournament appearances, Nebraska was not a heavy favorite. Still, there were four NCAA Tournament appearances -- and again -- how many tournaments has Nebraska appeared in since? Zero.

Nee also did coach a NIT championship team -- and a conference tournament championship team. How many times have we done either since? Zero.

I have a bit of a bias since the 90-91 team was "my team." The seniors on that team were freshman when I was a freshman at UNL. I hung out with King and Reid a bit as we all lived on the 4th floor of Harper Hall my freshman year. Those were my boys. Let's remember -- that team finished higher in the polls than the football team did that season.

All that being said, Nee's time was over. No doubt about it. The team jumped ship on Nee at the end of his tenure. He had lost his players. It was not a pretty finish to the Nee era -- and there was no way it could continue. He had maxed out in Lincoln. And yes, wish there could have been more tournament victories -- but I also wish some coach would come along and top that (as it shouldn't be that difficult) -- but NO ONE has come close to matching Nee's success.

He certainly wasn't a great coach. But yes, he had great talent -- and he new how to attract kids to Lincoln -- and how to keep the Nebraska kids from straying elsewhere. And they played hard for Nee during the glory years of the early-to-mid 90s. He didn't have as long as a tenure as he did by mistake. But yes, enough was enough -- I will never argue that.

We long for days like that -- because simply, we haven't sniffed it since. Not even close. As I've said before, Nee should be the measuring stick for success in Lincoln. If you can't match Nee's level, you must truly suck as a coach -- because the bar is not that high.

[HuskerWheatie]

Didn't Nee have some flirtations with the Pitt job? I seem to remember him making some less than flattering comments about NU when he thought he had that job. My recollection is that things went south after that. The Nee era could not have been salvaged. If my memory is correct, it probably would have been best if Nee had gotten the job at Pitt. The NU job didn't look too bad at that point and we perhaps could have gotten someone in to take it to the next level. As it turned out, things tailed off and the lack of willingness to invest in hoops brought us Barry Collier.

[CombatTargeteer]

Has there been a difference?

[Nebugeater]

That was Rutgers. He all but said he was taking it but the problem was he hadn't been offered.

Didn't Nee have some flirtations with the Pitt job? I seem to remember him making some less than flattering comments about NU when he thought he had that job. My recollection is that things went south after that. The Nee era could not have been salvaged. If my memory is correct, it probably would have been best if Nee had gotten the job at Pitt. The NU job didn't look too bad at that point and we perhaps could have gotten someone in to take it to the next level. As it turned out, things tailed off and the lack of willingness to invest in hoops brought us Barry Collier.

[FeelLikeAStranger]

There is reason to wax nostalgic about the Nee era -- as it was the best era in Husker hoops history. Not saying it was incredible or anything close to that -- but it was the best in what has been a sorry program for many decades.

The excitement level was nor ever has been as high as it was for several years in the Nee era. He had that arena packed on a regular basis. Students packed the floor level an hour before tipoff (heck, I was one of them). And it was LOUD. I can remember many conference tilts where I absolutely could not hear myself scream. He even had thousands turn out for Midnight madness.

True, he never did bring a NCAA Tournament win to his Husker squads. The real blown opportunity was the 90-91 team that went 26-8 and finished the season #9 and #11 nationally in the two major polls -- but lost to Xavier 84-89 in the first round. But remember, that was the first taste of the NCAA Tournament for those players -- and Xavier was tournament-seasoned (that was Xavier's 6th consecutive Dance). In the other NCAA Tournament appearances, Nebraska was not a heavy favorite. Still, there were four NCAA Tournament appearances -- and again -- how many tournaments has Nebraska appeared in since? Zero.

Nee also did coach a NIT championship team -- and a conference tournament championship team. How many times have we done either since? Zero.

I have a bit of a bias since the 90-91 team was "my team." The seniors on that team were freshman when I was a freshman at UNL. I hung out with King and Reid a bit as we all lived on the 4th floor of Harper Hall my freshman year. Those were my boys. Let's remember -- that team finished higher in the polls than the football team did that season.

All that being said, Nee's time was over. No doubt about it. The team jumped ship on Nee at the end of his tenure. He had lost his players. It was not a pretty finish to the Nee era -- and there was no way it could continue. He had maxed out in Lincoln. And yes, wish there could have been more tournament victories -- but I also wish some coach would come along and top that (as it shouldn't be that difficult) -- but NO ONE has come close to matching Nee's success.

He certainly wasn't a great coach. But yes, he had great talent -- and he new how to attract kids to Lincoln -- and how to keep the Nebraska kids from straying elsewhere. And they played hard for Nee during the glory years of the early-to-mid 90s. He didn't have as long as a tenure as he did by mistake. But yes, enough was enough -- I will never argue that.

We long for days like that -- because simply, we haven't sniffed it since. Not even close. As I've said before, Nee should be the measuring stick for success in Lincoln. If you can't match Nee's level, you must truly suck as a coach -- because the bar is not that high.

Nice post.


Wasn't calling your comments out, Impaler. Just some of the 'what if' talk I've heard/read in general is kind of funny.

There is one thing that will win in Lincoln. Talent. Period.

Recruit, or die like the last two coaches.

[Fromunda Cheese]

Iirc, at the very end of Nee's career he was a very tired act with Husker fans. Kinda like having a car salesman live in your house with you.

At first, its all fun and games and good times, but after a while the slaps on the back get old and jokes get stale and its time to move on.l

[carrolltonsker]

Yeah, I liked Danny, but some on this board want to bestow sainthood on him. He was a good coach, but hardly a legend.

[jikastew]

Jaron Boone would be washing the practice uniforms.

[HuskerWheatie]

That was Rutgers. He all but said he was taking it but the problem was he hadn't been offered.

Thanks! I hate it when I can't remember the whole thing (seems to happen more and more but I think it's having kids, not age). I knew something along those lines happened.

[The Impaler]

Thanks! I hate it when I can't remember the whole thing (seems to happen more and more but I think it's having kids, not age). I knew something along those lines happened.

Man you said it! I call my daughter by the dog's name, my dog by my son's name, and my son by my daughter's name. Not to even get into the memory game.

[OPHusker]

No one else since has won a conference championship or an NIT championship but clearly at the time he needed to go

[Huskerwirejay]

NCAA probation.