Dec. 2, 2007 | |
Bo Pelini accepts the challenge of righting the ship in Lincoln and will start work immediately, though he still might help LSU in the BCS championship game. Among the immediate tasks: assembling a staff and shoring up the recruiting class. • Commentary: Sipple, McKeever, Brown • Press conference: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 • Players: 1, 2, 3 • Fans: 1, 2, 3 • Photos: 1, 2 • Bio • 2003 season • NU coaching history |
COACHING CHANGE, 2007
These items, listed reverse chronologically, deal with the firings of coach Bill Callahan and athletic director Steve Pederson and the hiring of a new coach and staff.January 2008
• Bo Pelini's performance earns the pundits' praise. And Tom Osborne says LSU's defensive performance should pay dividends for NU.
More about Bo in Monday night's title game: 1, 2, 3
More about Bo in Monday night's title game: 1, 2, 3
• Bo Pelini's hiring in late 2002 began with a call from Frank Solich to Monte Kiffin. After tonight, Pelini is finally back in Lincoln full time.
• Tim Beck is expected to be named running-backs coach next week.
• Texas A&M hires Dave Kennedy as head of its strength & conditioning program.
• A reinstatement of the Unity Council is under discussion.
• TSN's Matt Hayes grades the new hires in college football — and gives NU a C-minus. (Here are his 2004 grades, by the way.)
• Georgia's Mark Richt has been there and doesn't recommend the sort of multi-tasking that Bo Pelini is attempting.
December 2007
• Dennis Wagner lands on his feet as the new head coach at Western Carolina.
• Carl Pelini's big gamble in 2003 has paid off.
• Bo Pelini will make life tougher for the rest of the Big 12, a Denver scribe writes.
• Defensive improvement is the first order of business for Bo Pelini, guided by some core philosophies.
• LSU appreciates Bo Pelini's return for the BCS championship.
• Want to know Bo Pelini? First, understand Youngstown, Ohio.
• John Papuchis has turned a humble start in coaching into a major opportunity.
• Championship coaches Jerry Moore and Lance Leipold recall lessons they learned at NU. And Bo Pelini looks back on the tumultuous weeks of late 2003.
• The assistant coaches' salaries are disclosed.
• Bo Pelini discusses his double-duty role and his fondness for Nebraska.
• Barney Cotton is grateful to have a second chance in Lincoln.
• The StatePaper's Sam McKewon has a chill pill for the Pelini bashers.
• "Interim" is removed from Tom Osborne's title, and he's signed on as athletic director through June 30, 2010.
• A Louisiana paper looks at Bo Pelini as he goes up against his alma mater.
• A robust running game will be one of Shawn Watson's top goals.
• The Husker staff fights to stave off further defections among the 2008 recruits.
• Bo Pelini intends to have some input on the offensive side of the ball.
• Husker players plan to watch LSU-Ohio State with an analytical eye.
• Pelini holds on to his roots and feels a special bond with Nebraska. His NU staff is a mixture of old and new.
• Former Husker commit Trevor Robinson of Elkhorn chooses Notre Dame.
• An Arkansas writer feels the interim title will be removed from AD Tom Osborne.
• Bo Pelini is so busy that his contract might not be finalized until mid-January.
• The university will pay $75,000 to Parker Executive Search.
• John Papuchis discusses the road that led to his new job on the defensive staff.
• Jeff Jamrog may return in an administrative role.
• Maurice Purify says that little things, not bad coaching, led to blowout losses. Cory McKeon looks back at a disappointing '07 and ahead to his NFL chances.
• Bo Pelini has just one full-time staff position yet to fill, Tom Osborne says.
• Running-backs coach Randy Jordan won't be part of the Pelini staff.
• Ron Brown says coaching must be a window, not a mirror.
• Dave Kennedy resigns as strength and conditioning coach. And Trev Alberts won't be joining the Athletic Dept. staff.
• Those who know Tom Osborne don't expect him to keep up his hands-on approach to the football program.
• On Jim Rome's show, Bo Pelini says 2008 will be about winning, not rebuilding. Also, Shawn Watson will put his stamp on the offense.
• Meet Mike Ekeler & John Papuchis, two LSU aides Bo Pelini is bringing to NU.
• The past decade seen big changes in the landscape for coaches' pay.
• On the recruiting trail: Bo Pelini in California, Tom Osborne in Iowa.
• Damon Benning and others discuss the Pelini hire on Big Red Wrap-Up.
• Bo Pelini has Tom Osborne's full support in coaching for LSU in the BCS championship game.
• Let Bo Pelini coach in the big game, Sam McKewon says.
• A phone call to Micah Kreikemeier shows that the change in recruiting philosophy is under way. AP looks at Bo Pelini's background as a recruiter.
• TSN's Tom Dienhart says Nebraska finally has its man in Bo Pelini. Big 12 coaches praise the hire, and NU boosters express enthusiasm. Harvey Perlman says Pelini is better prepared than four years ago.
• In Youngstown, Ohio, Pelini's competitive drive is the stuff of legend.
• Be the first on your block with a Bo, Bo, Bo, Merry Christmas or Bo Big Red T-shirt. Start your Pelini DVD collection with his first win as NU's head coach.
• Bo Pelini accepts the challenge of righting the ship in Lincoln. More here.
• After Saturday's SEC championship game, there are more indications that Bo Pelini is headed to Nebraska. Does LSU's possible shot at the national title complicate matters? LSU fans give Pelini mixed reviews.
November 2007
• According to ESPN, Bo Pelini will be the next head coach, and the OWH agrees all signs point in that direction. More on the BBS. | Commentary: Sipple, Dodd
• Steve Pederson returns to Pitt for a second stint as A.D. And associate A.D. Tim Cassidy returns to Texas A&M.
• Dennis Wagner defends the O-linemen at Friday's Big Red Breakfast.
• The LJS examines the bond between Turner Gill and Tom Osborne. In Buffalo, Gill stays mum about the Nebraska job.
• Tom Osborne takes the title of interim head coach so he can hit the recruiting trail. He says the search for a coach is "pretty much on track."
• Known as Mr. Intensity, Bo Pelini is also a student of intimate details. And he gets Terry Douglass' vote.
• How will the Huskers adapt to a likely change in offensive scheme?
• Brian Kelly dismisses a report that he's been contacted by Nebraska. Here's why many consider him a hot candidate.
• From the OWH, quick profiles of Gill, Grobe, Kelly and Pelini.
• Commentary on the search: John Bishop, Steve Sipple
• The Callahan firing is discussed on Big Red Wrap-Up.
• Collins Okafor joins the list of recruits reconsidering their pledges.
• Tom Osborne returns to Lincoln and says the interview process isn't over.
• The head of the Black Coaches and Administrators says it would be a positive sign if Turner Gill were hired.
• Bo Pelini's status is one of this week's distractions for LSU.
• Associate A.D. Tim Cassidy sets a players meeting for Tuesday afternoon. Tom Osborne interviews
Bo Pelini in Baton Rouge and also gets permission to talk to Turner Gill. Wake Forest's Jim Grobe also might be in the mix. A second booster's plane flies to Atlanta, and a hire reportedly could be made by Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Colonel weighs in on current events.
• The hunt is on for Bill Callahan's replacement as the ax falls 1,415 days, 27 wins and 22 losses after Callahan was hired in early 2004.
• Colorado 65, Nebraska 51. Nebraska's season ends in a flurry of second-half miscues, and Husker Nation awaits word on what happens now with the coaching staff. Commentary: Stryker, Sipple, McKeever, McKewon, Douglass, Shatel. Find lots more coverage on the game page.
• Bill Callahan has guarded his privacy during his four years in Lincoln. What happens come Saturday is anyone's guess.
• Which players will step up and lead the team through the winter and into 2008?
• There seems to be no perfect method of handling coaching shake-ups.
• From the StatePaper's Sam McKewon, 10 triumphs and 10 failures of the Callahan era.
• The Osborne "tree" seems to lack a head-coaching shining star.
• The LJS examines seven popular coaching names being bandied about.
• Tom Osborne hears a lot of opinions but says they're a "very small part" of the evaluation of the staff.
• The Steve Sipple looks at this year's version of the coaching carousel.
• Mike Osborne recalls threats received at home when his dad was coach.
• A reassignment is not an option under Bill Callahan's contract.
• Husker assistants hit the in-state recruiting trail for prospective walk-ons.
• Search firms can add air-tight confidentiality to a coaching search.
• The end-of-the-season coaching evaluation will come at the close of the regular season, the Athletic Department says. | Commentary
• Bill Callahan says of NU's successes at quarterback: "that's development, that's coaching, that's system." | Commentary
• The OWH looks at what makes Bo Pelini tick.
• KMTV's Travis Justice defends his report about what Bill Callahan said. The coach's agent, meanwhile, gets a little testy.
• The staff will focus on in-state recruiting during the coming bye week.
• A TV report says Bill Callahan told the team he has been asked to resign, but players say that's not what he said.
• Coaches' kids become targets of frustrated fans' ire.
• The LJS analyzes the coaching attributes of Turner Gill and Bo Pelini.
• Fixing Nebraska football is a duty and a labor of love for Tom Osborne.
• The uncertainty in Lincoln doesn't faze five-star recruit Simi Kuli.
• Bill Callahan says resignation is "not in our vocabulary." The players are against any staff changes before season's end.
• Dave Rimington says he'd be interested in a leading role in the Athletic Department.
• Paul Meyers returns to the Athletic Dept. as associate AD for development.
October 2007
• The Athletic Department issues a clarification after a remark by Tom Osborne during a TV inverview fuels more speculation.
• Zac Taylor comes to the defense of the coaching staff.
• Buffalo hopes it can hang on to Turner Gill as the coach's stock rises.
• Bill Callahan and players agree that the 2003 Oakland and 2007 Nebraska collapses are entirely different.
• The New York Times takes a look at the developments in Lincoln.
• NU needs to dial up Bo Pelini, says Denver columnist John Henderson.
• Tom Osborne meets with Athletic Dept. staff and hopes to bring back Paul Meyers. He also tries to reassure recruits. (Blaine Gabbert now a decommit.)
• Players say fan negativity is becoming hard to take.
• At Tuesday's press conference, Bill Callahan describes his job performance as "excellent" and bemoans the uncertainty that is hurting recruiting.
• Steve Pederson's severance is being paid largely by season ticket holders.
• Prized running-back recruit Jonas Gray decommits.
• A top headhunter says NU need not rush a decision on Bill Callahan's future.
• The fans deserve straighter talk from the coaches, Sam McKewon writes.
• Nebraska should not go overboard in turning to its past, Lee Barfknecht writes.
• Steve Pederson's hiring of an East Coast consultant helped poison the atmosphere at the Athletic Department, staffers say.
• The OWH looks at Tom Osborne's first game day as interim athletic director.
• The regents see no reason to challenge Steve Pederson's buyout.
• ESPN.com showcases the changes and what Saturday's NU-A&M game might mean.
• A Wisconsin columnist dismisses talk that Barry Alvarez could land at NU.
• Tom Osborne and Bill Callahan try to mend fences after details emerge from a forthcoming book that chronicles the decline of Nebraska football.
• Tom Osborne's first day on the job includes a visit to football practice and some time in The Jungle (1, 2). He also tells former players they're welcome any time.
• Nebraska's gain is Creighton's loss.
• Perspectives on the Nebraska situation from Miami and Detroit. Also, hear what former Huskers have been saying on the radio.
• The legality of Steve Pederson's contract buyout is questioned.
• As Tom Osborne takes the helm at the Athletic Department, the commentary flows: The Colonel | Posnanski | Sipple | Merrill | Brown | LeBreton
• Is it now open season on NU's recruits? Blaine Gabbert is reconsidering.
• Dr. Tom has tried to keep current on college football, and today's players remember his successes.
• Thick skin may be the No. 1 requirement for being an athletic director.
• Turner Gill has Buffalo pointed toward respectability in his second season. And Craig Bohl has North Dakota State gunning for a No. 1 finish.
• Tom Osborne says he will evalute the football program but will make no midseason changes in the coaching staff as he rejoins the Athletic Department as interim athletic director.
• Bill Callahan calls the A.D.'s firing a huge distraction for the team and says he is not considering resigning. Players say the team does not need an overhaul.
• Tom Osborne gets support for the interim A.D. position from Dennis Dodd, and David Max starts a petition. More commentary: Sipple, Barfknecht, McKewon, Douglass (1, 2), Mandel, Dienhart
• Harvey Perlman fires athletic director Steve Pederson and says the decision had to do with leadership deficiencies, not football fortunes. Reaction: Callahan (1, 2, 3), Boosters (1, 2), Osborne (1, 2), Staffers (1, 2), Players, Others (1, 2, 3). Additional coverage: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Big-money boosters sound off about what should happen next as rumors fly. Commentary: McKewon, Russo
• Tom Osborne says leadership was key to the success of the 1997 team.
• As Bo Pelini's stock rises, he talks about his year at Nebraska.
• The Athletic Department's marketing director leaves for the private sector.
• The next two games are as crucial as any in the Callahan era, Blair Kerkhoff writes.
• "This isn't where we hoped we'd be at this point," Steve Pederson says. But the A.D. won't make any decisions on the basis of a "snapshot in time."
• Chase Daniel says NU's defensive scheme Saturday was "high school stuff."
• The OWH's Mitch Sherman says recruiting hype isn't matched by performance.
• Bill Callahan rejects the notion that the players lack intensity.
• Bill Callahan's passion for the game isn't rubbing off on his players, Steve Sipple writes. Sam McKewon has advice for the disgruntled fan.
• Paul Meyers, associate AD for major gifts, has resigned.
September 2007
• Members of the defense reject any notion that Kevin Cosgrove's system is too complex.
• A couple of hot topics: Booing and the Blackshirts.
• Ex-Huskers Phil Ellis and Loran Kaiser aren't ready to give up on NU.
• The OWH's Mitch Sherman sees a disconnect between recruiting hype and on-field results.
• Some specifics of Bill Callahan's new contract are revealed.
August 2007
• Kevin Cosgrove says creativity is needed to counter the Big 12's varied offenses.
• Now's the time to extend Bill Callahan's contract, Steve Sipple says.
• Former sportswriter Randy York joins the reconfigured Athletic Department.
July 2007