Nebraska Hopes Pelini Will Resurrect Cornhusker Football

Pelini has been defensive coordinator at LSU, helping the Tigers to three consecutive years of a top-three national ranking in total defense.

LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini was named Nebraska's 28th head football coach on Sunday. Photo courtesy: Scott Bruhn/NU Media Relations

LINCOLN, Neb. - University of Nebraska Interim Athletic Director Tom Osborne Sunday named Bo Pelini the school’s 28th head football coach – and only the fifth head coach since 1962.

Osborne said his eight-day search for a successor to Bill Callahan was based on analyzing the qualities of individual coaches and balancing them with the needs of the program.

“We need a head coach with strong defensive credentials and great leadership,” Osborne said. “We were also looking for someone who can inspire confidence and get players to play with great effort. And, of course, we also wanted our new head coach to understand our traditions, including the importance of our walk-on program and the importance of football in this state.”

Osborne said Pelini “fit the bill in all respects.”

According to Osborne, Pelini “made a significant difference when he was defensive coordinator of our (10-3) team in 2003, especially after we struggled considerably on defense the year before. I was particularly impressed with the way we beat Michigan State (17-3) in the Alamo Bowl. As interim head coach, Bo motivated the team on both sides of the ball, and we played with a great deal of passion and intensity in that game – both on defense and on offense.”

In 2004, Pelini was co-defensive coordinator for an Oklahoma team that won the Big 12 championship and lost to USC in the national championship game. The last three seasons, he has been defensive coordinator at LSU, helping the Tigers to three consecutive years of a top-three national ranking in total defense.

“It takes good coaching and good leadership to have a defense ranked either at or near the top of the national charts,” Osborne said. “Last night, I thought LSU’s defense played well and was important in that Southeastern Conference championship game.”

Osborne acknowledged an aggressive timeframe for hiring a new coach. “We wanted to get this done as quickly as possible, so Bo can put together his new staff and concentrate on recruiting,” he said. “These next two weeks are really critical to the recruiting process.”

Source: Nebraska Athletics

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