The Common Fans’ Mount Rushmore series rolls on, and with this latest episode, we’re looking at the men in the headsets. Who belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Nebraska football coaches? And how do you even begin to compare head coaches, coordinators, assistants, strength coaches, and figures from completely different eras of Husker history?
To help sort it all out, the boys are joined by two friends of the program: Henry Cordes, longtime Omaha World-Herald reporter, author of multiple books on Nebraska football, and now investigative reporter for the Flatwater Free Press; and Brandon Vogel of Counter Read newsletter, who is back with us for every episode of this summer series.
Two Obvious Faces on the Mountain
There’s no real suspense at the top. Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne laid the foundation of modern Nebraska football. They are Nebraska football. If you surveyed every Nebraska football fan on planet earth, there would be 100% agreement on this point.
Devaney is the program’s George Washington: the coach who took Nebraska from afterthought to national power and delivered the Huskers’ first two national championships. Osborne is the Abraham Lincoln figure: the coach who preserved, perfected, and elevated what Devaney built, ultimately producing one of the greatest runs in college football history.
Those two are automatic. The real debate starts after that.
How far back should we be looking?
One of the best parts of this conversation is the deep dive into early Nebraska football history. Henry and Brandon both make a strong case for Jumbo Stiehm, whose Nebraska teams from 1911 to 1915 went 35-2-3, won five conference titles, and helped establish Nebraska as a serious football program long before the Devaney/Osborne era.
The question becomes: how much weight should we give to a coach from more than a century ago? If Nebraska fans take pride in being one of the winningest programs in college football history, then the early architects of that history deserve serious consideration.
Which assistant coaches belong in this conversation?
Boyd Epley, Monte Kiffin, Charlie McBride, Milt Tenopir, and Frank Solich all come up in the conversation.
Epley helped revolutionize strength and conditioning, not just at Nebraska but across college football. Kiffin was the first Nebraska assistant to hold the title of defensive coordinator, and helped shape the Blackshirts during the Devaney era. McBride’s defenses became the backbone of the 1990s dynasty. Tenopir helped build the Pipeline. Solich played a massive role as a longtime assistant before taking over as head coach.
Who made the final four?
After plenty of debate, the group lands on four names: Tom Osborne, Bob Devaney, Jumbo Stiehm, and Monte Kiffin.
That leaves some painful omissions, especially Boyd Epley and Charlie McBride. But that’s what makes these conversations fun. The goal is not simply to pick the most familiar names. It’s to identify the most important and consequential figures in Nebraska football history.
And with coaches, that conversation runs deep.
Check out the episode on YouTube, listen on the Common Fan website, or find it on any audio platform where you get your podcasts.
As always, GBR for LIFE!