The Five Heart Podcast opens with Greg in Southern Illinois and Minnie reporting in from Pinetop, Arizona, as the crew jokes about time zones, “mountain girls,” and a brutal cold front hitting the Midwest. The chat piles on with weather reports, and the hosts briefly spiral into a funny-but-bleak discussion about rain, wildfires, and the realities of winter.
The big show news is that “Monday Night Therapy” is going on hiatus for the offseason, and Fred is joining the Five Heart Podcast as a regular
panelist—turning the show into a new “tripod” dynamic. After some banter about streaming services replacing cable and costing just as much, the mood shifts: they’re “wearing black” because Nebraska has lost special teams coordinator Mike Eckler, who is headed to USC. Minnie is especially furious and disappointed, arguing Eckler was a major reason special teams improved so fast.
From there, the conversation expands into bigger concerns: staff turnover, Matt Rhule’s culture and talent evaluation, portal strategy, and whether Nebraska is building a real identity or constantly rebuilding mid-flight. They compare Nebraska’s instability to Indiana’s sudden rise, debate NIL and “brand-first” athletes, and land on a familiar Five Heart thesis—Nebraska needs players and coaches who genuinely want to be there, buy in, and play for each other.
