Nebraska Coach Mike Riley talks about transition, the spotlight and 2015 Huskers

Sept. 1, 2015, 6:45 a.m. ·

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Kevin Kugler of NET Sports, left, with Husker football coach Mike Riley. (NET Television image)

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The Mike Riley-era of Nebraska football begins Saturday against Brigham Young. The former Oregon State coach takes over a recently-challenged but historical successful program. In this NET News Signature Story, Riley talks one-on-one with Kevin Kugler of NET Sports, host of "Big Red Wrap-Up," about the transition, life in the spotlight and the 2015 Huskers.


KEVIN KUGLER, NET SPORTS: Coach, it’s been a while since you’ve walked into a room for the first time as a head coach. Do you have a checklist, a ‘to do’ list that you have to go down for each time that happens for you, as far as the first time in the new position?

Watch Kevin Kugler’s full interview with Mike Riley on NET’s Big Red Wrap-Up. It airs Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 8 and 11 pm CT on NET Television.


Nebraska Head Football Coach Mike Riley. (NET Television image)


Riley talks with Husker receiver De'Mornay Pierson-El before the December 2014 Holiday Bowl. (photo courtesy Hail Varsity magazine)


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MIKE RILEY, NEBRASKA HEAD FOOTBALL COACH: Well yeah, there are things that hit you right between the eyes that you know you have to do. But really, with all the other stuff that's involved, just basically the introduction to all the different people (who) are involved, whether it's administrative, whether it's just people in the state. Whether it's people in the training room, you know all around that surround a football team. One of the most important parts in the checklist has to be the team. So those initial meetings I think are really, really important, but also a little bit awkward. There's been a lot happen to get to that point. The old coaches are gone. There's a new group coming in. I don't know them, they don't know me. So it's a real beginning of a process that is important to get to right away in that checklist.

KUGLER: At this point, though, through a full spring into fall camp, (a) little more familiarity between you and the players. Does that awkwardness, has that dissipated by this point?

RILEY: Pretty much, yeah. I think that we're continuing to learn each other because you go through different segments, right? So what you want to form as a coaching staff is a consistency, so the players know that they're going to see the same guy tomorrow that they saw yesterday. That basically is a trust that is built over a long period of time. But yes, as far as people, (we) tried to do the best we can learning about them, their families, their backgrounds, because we didn't have the benefit of recruiting them.

KUGLER: I've seen you described as intensely private. Is it possible to be intensely private in regards to your family in a place like Nebraska that always seems to want to know everything that Mike Riley is doing at every moment?

RILEY: I've noticed that, and you know, I actually think we're pretty transparent. But I've always been I think fairly aware of not necessarily the meeting of people and kind of the joining in the crowd, but also aware of making sure that we have had with our kids when they were younger, and now I have a grandchild, that we have those times that are our own. That we can spend some good family time and we’re pretty aware of how to do that. We actually like the interaction with the people. I think that sharing what I do and what we do with the fans is really important. So I like that part of it. But I suppose the other part of our lives, and maybe that's why I've been described like that, is so simple. It's not very exciting (laughing). There's not much else out there.

KUGLER: You're about to embark on your first season as the head coach at Nebraska, and a lot of folks are thinking ‘I don't know what to expect from this Nebraska team this year.’ What should people expect from Nebraska football?

RILEY: What we want is a really well disciplined football team that is very efficient in terms of their attitude about how they play the game and how they present themselves, and then the efficiency of just plain, what we’re beginning again now after spring ball to accomplish. Just very, very simple signs of disciplined football. Being onside. No illegal procedure. Assignment perfect. Ball security. Great tackling angles. Big play prevention on defense. You put that recipe, just that together, you’ve got a chance to win. You give yourself a chance to snap the ball, and if you have it to keep it, and then just be efficient in all the parts of the game. The execution of football (has) evolved around discipline. What you're doing assignment-wise. So that's the picture that we want to portray as a football team. That's where all this work now has to come to fruition when we kick off. That's what we look for, and then from there, those give you an opportunity to win. Then you have to make plays and just be better than the other team in doing that.