July 27, 2006
LINCOLN, NE- Pushover Husker basketball coach Barry Collier, whose underachievements have blemished his career was overheard talking about leaving the program yesterday. According to John Bauermeister, a 23 year-old bartender at Prairie Life Center, the NU coach said statements like “Everyone’s leaving…It’s like I always said, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Everyone is doing it, I might as well…” Four players/recruits and one coach have left the program since the end of the 2005-2006 season.

“Collier just wanted to be consoled while eating a cookie with a glass of milk” said Todd Johnson, owner of Todd’s lawn mowing service. “I was sitting at the bar eating lunch. Mr. Collier seemed very stressed out about applying for the AD position at Butler.” Mr. Johnson explained “He asked the bartender if he would take the job to be the Athletic Director of Butler University.” Bauermeister replied “Is it easy? Does it pay well? Where’s Butler? Who’s Butler? Need a refill of milk?”

Mr. Johnson also told us about this bad analogy, the coach rambled about. “He said he felt like he was a captain of a ship and that captains usually go down with their sinking ships. But that he wasn’t and ordinary captain. He didn’t understand why a captain would go down with his sinking ship, if he could just jump onto another one?”

When asked about the conversation, Bauermeister explained “Barry comes in while I’m working all of the time…Don’t tell anyone, but I got to pick the starting 5 for the KU game last year.” The bartender said while laughing. “You wouldn’t know it, but that was the genius behind it.” The bartender also explained Colliers game strategy “His strategy is not to have a strategy. It can be confusing at times but he likes giving his players freedom. Don’t tell anyone I told you but here is what really happened to Joe McCray. He did whatever he wanted on and off of the court. Ultimately he wanted to leave, so Barry let him.”

Bauermeister also told us about ex NU coach Danny Nee “Nee used to come in all the time too. He used to say things like “Put in on the Nee account” and we’d be all “What’s your first name again?” He always cursed at his kids and was a lousy tipper. We never talked about his career. Good thing too. He can’t even keep a job a Duquesne University. Where is that, anyway?”