If Doc Sadler can't get Nebraska's basketball program turned around in time for next year's move to the Big Ten, Huskers athletic director Tom Osborne insists the fifth-year coach shouldn't fear for his job.
Osborne told the Associated Press earlier this week that everyone who listed Sadler among the coaches on a hot seat entering the new season should remove his name because his job is not in jeopardy. Instead Osborne wants to give Sadler the chance to recruit on level ground with his peers when Nebraska's state-of-the-art new practice facility opens in 2011 and beautiful new arena opens in 2013.
"He's never asked for anything," Osborne told the Associated Press. "When you figure most of the schools in the Big 12 have practice facilities or are completing them, it's pretty hard to recruit.
"When you don't have a huge tradition in basketball and your facilities aren't as good as some other people ... We're going to have facilities with the addition of the arena that will be in the upper 10 percent nationally."
Osborne's apparent faith in a coach who has gone 23-41 in Big 12 play and never finished higher than seventh raises two questions.
First, is Osborne really telling the truth that he'd stick with Sadler even if the Huskers finish in the bottom three of the Big 12 again this season as expected? And second, if Osborne's vote of confidence in Sadler truly is legitimate, is it really the right choice to put all your stock in a coach who hasn't made much progress in four years rather than opting for a fresh start?
Osborne certainly knows Sadler better than any outsider could, but forgive Nebraska fans if they have some doubts. After all, Sadler's track record doesn't instill that much confidence considering his only Division I head coaching experience is at UTEP and he parlayed two successful seasons there following Billy Gillispie into the Huskers job.
Ultimately, it's hard to believe Osborne when he says Sadler will get a sixth year even if the Huskers don't improve upon last season's 2-14 conference record in his fifth.
Instead of publicly standing behind his coach at a time when the fan base is growing impatient, perhaps Osborne would have been better off saying nothing at all.
Andrej Sekera Alexei Semenov Kevin Shattenkirk David Shields
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