Husker WR coach Mickey Joseph shares expectations for talented NU receivers
Husker wide receivers coach Mickey Joseph is known for his recruiting skills and he said he’s okay with that.
“I've never seen a bad coach with good players and I've never seen a good coach with bad players,” Joseph said. “I don't mind being known as a recruiter because I know I can coach football, that the reason I'm here to coach football.”
Joseph is among the three new offensive staff hires at Nebraska and also holds the title of an associate head coach and the passing game coordinator along with running the receivers room. The coach left LSU for a chance to coach at his alma mater and brought his high expectation for his wide receivers.
“I'm going to push them to a level that they've never seen before,” the former Husker quarterback said. “I have proof, I tell them I have proof with this that it's going to work.”
His “proof” is recruiting and coaching first-round NFL draft picks Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson during his five seasons at LSU.
Nebraska Head Coach Scott Frost said Joseph is going to be a fresh perspective on the offensive side of the ball, along with new offensive coordinator Mark Whipple.
“(Joseph) is a smart guy first and foremost,” Frost said. “He loves Nebraska. This is where he wanted to be. I am grateful for that. I think he is going to be able to help us on offense. I think he is going to be able to help me as a head coach because of some of his experience.”
In his 25 years of coaching experience, Joseph has learned what it takes for a receiver to be successful.
“First of all, they don't blink, they get after you,” he said. “On every snap, they're coming at you and they’re trying to rip your heart out, and if you have that attitude, you're going to win 90% of the battles.”
Joseph said receivers need to be able to catch the ball when they know a linebacker is “about to knock your head off.” They also need to dial in and run good routes.
“I think the playing field is even on Saturdays so I think you get open with your route running,” Joseph said.
He added that’s what he likes about Oliver Martin is that he’s a “great” route runner and can catch the ball.
As for the other receivers in the room, Joseph listed in order, Zavier Betts, Omar Manning, Martin, Alante Brown and Latrell Neville as some of the receivers in Nebraska’s “talented” room.
“You got some kids in there that can play,” he said. “Now, you got some young kids and you got three older kids that played a good amount of snaps. I think you got to bring them all along at the same time.”
Joseph said his coaching style is to focus on players’ weaknesses and not overcoach their strengths or “coach the athleticism out of them.” He said former Nebraska wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator Matt Lubick was a “little laid back”. His coaching style is more “hands-on” in making sure everyone is held accountable, he said.
As for the dynamic in the receivers group, the coach wants his players to be professional towards each other.
“I don't want it to be friendly, I want it to be professional,” Joseph said. “It doesn't matter if they don't like each other. Now when we get off the field, we like each other. That's keeping it professional. I don't want it to be friendly at all, I want them to be upset at each other.”
Nebraska’s top wide receiver Samori Toure graduated, leaving lots of space for a young player to step up. Joseph’s coaching mentality is each player needs to earn his playing time.
“I already told them that everybody's going to be held accountable, but the best man wins,” Joseph said. “I think with younger kids, they need to hear that because now just because you started last year, doesn't mean that you're even going to play this year if you don't do it my way.”
One of the reasons Joseph returned to Nebraska is because he wanted to coach at his alma mater but now he has a “chance to come back and bring light back to the program.”
“I truly believe Scott (Frost) has got it going in the right direction,” Joseph said, “but we got to tweak some things. Once you do that, you're going to be fine.”