Nebraska Retreats; Embraces Pelini, Past

On September 4, Nebraska retained Bill Callahan. Callahan signed a three-year extension. Subsequently, USC, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Texas, Kansas, and Colorado defeated the Cornhuskers. Nebraska vacated their principals.

On November 24, Nebraska fired Callahan. According to Interim Athletic Director Tom Osborne, Callahan facilitated the Cornhuskers collapse. “The head coach is responsible for the defense and kicking game and the whole deal,” Osborne said. “That's why you're the head coach. You're responsible for hiring those people, so I was not going to tell Bill Callahan who he had to keep and who he had to let go. Bill Callahan is where the buck stops.”

On December 2, Nebraska hired LSU Defensive Coordinator Bo Pelini. Evidently, Pelini personifies the Cornhuskers. “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.”

During his tenure, Callahan accrued a 27-22 record. He garnered one Big Twelve Northern Division championship (0-1). He secured two bowl appearances (0-2). Within the Big Twelve Conference, he was a mediocre 15-18.

“You have to play with intensity,” Osborne said. “These coaches tried very hard to have that happen. Yet sometimes you didn't see the effort and intensity you like to see in a football game. If you lose a fairly large number of games by a significant margin and you have reasonably good players, which I think we have, then that means there may be some systematic issues, some underlying issues. I don't think the coaches were incompetent. I think they know what they're doing. But there was something missing, as far as I was concerned.”

On November 30, 2003, Nebraska fired Coach Frank Solich. Subsequently, they considered Pelini. They rejected him. Four seasons have passed. Forty-seven contests have subsided. Nebraska has not changed. Pelini has not changed. He remains a simple coordinator. His hiring epitomizes Nebraska’s decline.