Pelini hopes to restore Nebraska tradition
Husker coach makes stop in South Sioux City
By Barry Poe Journal sports writer | Posted: Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini speaks to media at the Marina Center Monday, May 12. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)
SOUTH SIOUX CITY -- "Bo knows football'' and "Bo knows defense.''
Walk around the University of Nebraska campus and you're more than likely to find any number of students wearing t-shirts emblazoned with those particular slogans.
Judging by his track record, there's no reason to doubt that Bo Pelini, named head coach at Nebraska on Dec. 2, doesn't know football and defense.
Pelini, whose first full-time collegiate job came as defensive coordinator at Nebraska in 2003, returned to the Cornhusker state after three seasons as defensive coordinator at LSU. In those three seasons on Les Miles' staff, Pelini's defenses helped the Tigers compile a 34-6 record, culminated by the 2007 BCS national championship.
The 40-year-old Youngstown, Ohio, native who played free safety at Ohio State University from 1987-90, made an appearance in South Sioux City Monday. It's one of a number of stops Pelini has made throughout the state, connecting with arguably the country's most loyal group of fans.
"I think it's real important to try to get around to as much of the state as I possibly can to show how important it is to me and the program to stay in touch with the diffferent cities, people and fan base," said Pelini. "So far I think it's gone well and hopefully we can continue this for a long time."
Pelini took over for Bill Callahan, who was fired after compiling a 27-22 overall record in four seasons, including a 5-7 mark last fall.
Since being named head coach, Pelini has taken a no-nonsense approach both on and off the field, while also embracing the tradition of Nebraska football -- a tradition that includes five national championships.
"One of the great things about being at the University of Nebraska is the tradition and the culture that's been established over a long period of time, said Pelini, who began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Iowa in 1991. "To be able to draw on that and make it a big part of what we are now and what we are going to be in the future, to me it's a no-brainer."
The bottom line, Pelini says, is getting your players focused on what's important and what they need to do on a daily basis.
"There's a number of things we've done to help raise their awareness and stress accountability and the things we feel on a day-to-day basis can separate us from everyone else and establish a culture that we believe in," said Pelini. "It's not saying something they did in the past is wrong or anything like that, but we have certain beliefs and the players are buying in and that's a good thing."
In between his season at Nebraska and his highly-successful stint at LSU, Pelini spent the 2004 season as co-defensive coordinator at Oklahoma. After the one season as graduate assistant at Iowa, he moved on to the high school ranks as quarterback coach at Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown in 1993, before taking a huge leap to the professional ranks.
He broke into the NFL as defensive backs coach for the San Francisco 49ers, helping the 49ers beat San Diego 49-26 in Super Bowl XXIX. Pelini spent a total of nine seasons as an NFL assistant, also working for the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers.
Although it's his first season as a head collegiate coach, Pelini actually as a 1-0 record at Nebraska, serving as an interim head coach for a victory over Michigan State in the 2003 Alamo Bowl. Obviously, he realizes that expectations are high, but that doesn't consume his time.
"What we're focused on is our expectations for the process that's going to get us to September," said Pelini. "All those expectations, that's for the fan base and the media and everybody else to talk about. I believe if we stay focused on the process, the rest of it will take care of itself in time."
Naturally, Pelini said, the offense is ahead of the defense at this particular time, but he said the defense is making progress. That's good news for Nebraska fans, since the once-vaunted Blackshirts fell on hard times last season, allowing 76 points to Kansas and 65 to Colorado.
""They're a lot better now than when we started and we've made a lot of progress, but it's still a work in progress, really, on both sides of the ball," said Pelini. "We're not game ready, but that's to be expected. It's a process and we're in the middle of that process."
Walk around the University of Nebraska campus and you're more than likely to find any number of students wearing t-shirts emblazoned with those particular slogans.
Judging by his track record, there's no reason to doubt that Bo Pelini, named head coach at Nebraska on Dec. 2, doesn't know football and defense.
Pelini, whose first full-time collegiate job came as defensive coordinator at Nebraska in 2003, returned to the Cornhusker state after three seasons as defensive coordinator at LSU. In those three seasons on Les Miles' staff, Pelini's defenses helped the Tigers compile a 34-6 record, culminated by the 2007 BCS national championship.
The 40-year-old Youngstown, Ohio, native who played free safety at Ohio State University from 1987-90, made an appearance in South Sioux City Monday. It's one of a number of stops Pelini has made throughout the state, connecting with arguably the country's most loyal group of fans.
"I think it's real important to try to get around to as much of the state as I possibly can to show how important it is to me and the program to stay in touch with the diffferent cities, people and fan base," said Pelini. "So far I think it's gone well and hopefully we can continue this for a long time."
Pelini took over for Bill Callahan, who was fired after compiling a 27-22 overall record in four seasons, including a 5-7 mark last fall.
Since being named head coach, Pelini has taken a no-nonsense approach both on and off the field, while also embracing the tradition of Nebraska football -- a tradition that includes five national championships.
"One of the great things about being at the University of Nebraska is the tradition and the culture that's been established over a long period of time, said Pelini, who began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Iowa in 1991. "To be able to draw on that and make it a big part of what we are now and what we are going to be in the future, to me it's a no-brainer."
The bottom line, Pelini says, is getting your players focused on what's important and what they need to do on a daily basis.
"There's a number of things we've done to help raise their awareness and stress accountability and the things we feel on a day-to-day basis can separate us from everyone else and establish a culture that we believe in," said Pelini. "It's not saying something they did in the past is wrong or anything like that, but we have certain beliefs and the players are buying in and that's a good thing."
In between his season at Nebraska and his highly-successful stint at LSU, Pelini spent the 2004 season as co-defensive coordinator at Oklahoma. After the one season as graduate assistant at Iowa, he moved on to the high school ranks as quarterback coach at Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown in 1993, before taking a huge leap to the professional ranks.
He broke into the NFL as defensive backs coach for the San Francisco 49ers, helping the 49ers beat San Diego 49-26 in Super Bowl XXIX. Pelini spent a total of nine seasons as an NFL assistant, also working for the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers.
Although it's his first season as a head collegiate coach, Pelini actually as a 1-0 record at Nebraska, serving as an interim head coach for a victory over Michigan State in the 2003 Alamo Bowl. Obviously, he realizes that expectations are high, but that doesn't consume his time.
"What we're focused on is our expectations for the process that's going to get us to September," said Pelini. "All those expectations, that's for the fan base and the media and everybody else to talk about. I believe if we stay focused on the process, the rest of it will take care of itself in time."
Naturally, Pelini said, the offense is ahead of the defense at this particular time, but he said the defense is making progress. That's good news for Nebraska fans, since the once-vaunted Blackshirts fell on hard times last season, allowing 76 points to Kansas and 65 to Colorado.
""They're a lot better now than when we started and we've made a lot of progress, but it's still a work in progress, really, on both sides of the ball," said Pelini. "We're not game ready, but that's to be expected. It's a process and we're in the middle of that process."
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Larry Thiel wrote on Jul 13, 2008 1:20 PM:
The fans booed the team.
It was so much easier cheering for a winning team wasn't it?
But if you have been in fact, the greatest fans, you wouldn't have done it.
That fantasy is over. "
donfl wrote on May 15, 2008 6:23 PM:
Fitzy wrote on May 15, 2008 3:56 PM:
WisHuskerFan wrote on May 15, 2008 12:02 AM:
Hoosker Hank wrote on May 14, 2008 3:09 PM:
Pedersen established his legacy and it was joined at the hip with Callahan's. And sorry, Orifice, but Cally wasn't going to change his staff. Cosgrove should never have been hired in the first place and he wasn't going anywhere; Callahan was loyal to a friend, not to a guy who was once a good coach.
Now, after four years of being absent from this Earth, Nebraska football is back. Soon we'll be able to look at the Pederson/Callahan era for what it was: an aberration which is NOT a part of Husker tradition (and in my mind has no place being mentioned in the Husker history books).
And, Ghost Ruder, Husker fans may not be better than all other fans, but there are none better than Husker fans. GBR!
"