Bo Pelini prefers to maintain a low profile, especially during the offseason.
Which is why we appreciated the third-year Nebraska football coach taking time for a Q&A as his team eyed Wednesday’s start of spring practice.
Pelini made it clear the race for the starting quarterback job is wide-open. He also said he deserves at least part of the blame for last season’s struggles on offense.
He discussed the rising expectations for his program and emphasized his excitement about the Huskers’ overall progress the past two seasons.
“I’m hungrier than I’ve ever been because I think we’re getting close,” he said.
Nebraska finished 9-4 in 2008 and 10-4 last season, including a Big 12 North Division championship. Folks anticipate the Huskers taking another step forward in 2010.
Immediately after the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, you told the crowd at Qualcomm Stadium, “Nebraska’s back and we’re here to stay.” When you said “back,” to what level did you mean?
“As a coach, being ‘back’ is when you feel like you can compete with anybody. Does it mean you’re going to win every game? No, it doesn’t necessarily mean that. I just felt like as last season went along, especially toward the end of the year — from the Oklahoma game on — we finally could compete with anybody in the country.”
There has been a lot of discussion during the offseason about Nebraska’s offensive style and the manner in which it’s evolving. In what ways will the offense change compared to last year?
“Let me tell you something: It’s not scheme that’s important in this discussion. It’s never been about the scheme. We have good plays. We had some injuries. We had personnel issues during the year. We had some guys who had some growing up to do. All those things played into the offense. But I’m excited about our offense. Our offense is very capable. I love what we do. But at the end of the day, it’s not what you do, it’s how you do it. It’s about execution. I think we have that realization of where we’re going to be and how we’re going to go about it.
“I like the fact that people probably are questioning what we can do offensively, because I mean it when I say I think we’re going to be really good.”
Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson received ample criticism last season as the offense struggled. What went through your mind when you heard the criticism?
“I thought the criticism was very unfair. Bottom line, I believe in Wats wholeheartedly. People have short memories. The year before last, the offense carried us. It’s the same guy. Nothing changed. The offense didn’t change. And, you know, I take some responsibility for (the struggles). I probably pulled the reins in a little bit on him — maybe a little overreaction on my part after the Iowa State game. I thought we were playing well enough defensively, and I recognized some of the issues we were having personnelwise (on offense) with injuries and such, especially on the offensive line and at running back.
“You just have to play to the strengths of your team at the time. That’s what you try to do as a head coach — look at your personnel and give yourself the opportunity to win each week. I felt like the formula for us to win was to be a little bit more conservative and win on defense, and manage the game.
“In hindsight, especially after the Holiday Bowl (in which Nebraska racked up 396 yards), maybe I didn’t do the right thing in some respects. I don’t know. But the thing is, at the end of the year, we were about four plays from being 13-1. We were pretty close. That’s what gives me a lot of optimism going into this year.”
A lot of people assumed Zac Lee solidified his hold on the starting quarterback job with his strong Holiday Bowl performance. But since then, he underwent surgery on his throwing arm and you’ve suggested the race would be wide-open even if Lee were available for spring ball. Is that an accurate read?
“Our program is built on competition. The best guys are going to play. I don’t know who that’s going to be. It might be. ... Let’s put it this way, there’s not a guy on our team who has a position locked up. That’s just the nature of how we go about it. At the end of the day, the guys who earn it are the guys who are going to play.”
So, we’re talking about week-to-week competition?
“Day-to-day. And there are a lot of things that go into that. It’s not just execution on the field. Bottom line, we’re going to do what we have to do to win championships. We’re going to put those type of individuals on the field.”
Does the fact Lee is sidelined this spring make it unrealistic for him to ultimately win the job again?
“No, that’s not the case at all. He could win it. I mean, it’s not his fault he can’t go in the spring. No one’s going to have a starting job at any position solidified through spring practice. It doesn’t work that way. You have the rest of April and the month of May and the whole summer and then 29 (preseason) practices before you play a game. There’s a lot to do and a lot of improvement to make and a lot of competition to be had.
“People are going to want to anoint this guy or that guy daily and weekly during the spring. But that’s just a small part of the evaluation.”
What will you be looking for from young quarterbacks Cody Green and Taylor Martinez this spring?
“They’re very athletic. I know they’re both very talented. What I’m looking for them to do — and this is what Wats wants — is to see that they can run the offense, manage the offense.”
Watson has told me he wants to see how well Martinez operates in the passing game. Is that the key for him?
“He’s got the talent to play well in every area. But those guys (QBs) have to run the team. They have to manage the offense, control the huddle. They have the ability to do it, as does Kody Spano and L.T. (Latravis Washington). They all kind of bring a lot to the table. But it takes more than talent. It’s a combination of things.
“Zac not being in there, it’s obviously not ideal. But it does give the other guys more of an opportunity.”
The defense obviously is strong. It’s stabilized. Because of that, will you now become more active in helping the offense both in the meeting room and coaching on the field?
“Really, my role hasn’t changed much. I mean, I think I’ve always helped the offense. The longer you go as a head coach, sure, your role changes and develops. It kind of depends on the day. But I’m involved in every facet of our football team. Bottom line, I let my coaches coach. Yes, I’m going to have input. But I’m not an overbearing guy. I’m not going sit there and try to take over, even defensively. I have good coaches and I’m going to let them coach, but I walk hand-in-hand with all of them.
“The thing is, we’ve been together a while now as a staff. I’ve been able to hold on to all these guys. I’m excited about that. I think I now have a better handle on where we’re at as a program and what I feel we have to do to go forward. I just have a lot more confidence. That grows every day because of how much we’ve progressed up to this point. I’m hungrier than I’ve ever been because I think we’re getting close. And that excites me. We’re a lot closer to where we want to be. I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I think the players feel the same way.”
There was offseason discussion about Carl Pelini’s duties as defensive line coach and defensive coordinator perhaps changing and evolving, with perhaps him obtaining more responsibility as a coordinator. Is that the case?
“I don’t necessarily see his role changing all that much. He’s the defensive coordinator, he’s been the defensive coordinator and he’s going to continue to be the defensive coordinator. I don’t see the dynamics of how we go about doing things changing a whole hell of a lot.”
Expectations for your program have been ratcheted up. Nebraska could be a top 10 team entering the 2010 season. Do you talk to the players about rising expectations?
“We’ve always had high expectations. But it’s going to be different. There’ll be more stuff coming from the outside — expectations, influences, per se. But you can’t let that affect you. I’ve already talked to the team about that. It’s the same message our kids get all the time: It’s about the process. It’s about doing what you do on a day-to-day basis to earn your way. Our kids understand that. We don’t get too high or too low around here and we’re very black-and-white about what it takes to win. And I think that approach helps us.
“But you know, when the expectations start changing, and the fans start getting more excited, and there’s more talk about all those things out there right now like possible higher preseason ratings, you have to manage those things within your team. I think it’s a positive rather than a negative as long as we handle it the right way.”
You and Tom Osborne are the most recognizable figures in the state. How much of an adjustment has that been for yourself and your family?
“I’ve kind of dealt with that for a while, you know, to different degrees. Any time you’re in the positions I’ve been in, you’re always representing a lot more people than just you. I don’t always like it. It’s uncomfortable at times, especially some of the things that happen out in public. But you know it’s part of the deal. What are you going to do?”
You’re 42 years old. Do you envision being a major-college head coach for the next 20 years?
“I really don’t know. I literally go year-to-year. I really haven’t given it much thought.”
We’ve watched coaches in big-time programs — Florida’s Urban Meyer, for instance — struggle with the pressure and seemingly never-ending demands of the job. How do you handle it?
“Balance is the most important thing for me. At the end of the day, my No. 1 job is to be the husband and the father. So it’s not hard for me to strike a balance. Obviously, you’re going to have demands otherwise. But my No. 1 priority is what happens at home. You have to find different ways of sticking to that. And I think that’s one of the advantages of being a head coach. One of the things that drove me to wanting to be the head coach is so I can do it the way I believe it needs to be done.
“I really don’t buy into the pressure part. I understand what the deal is. If I win, I’m going to keep my job. If I don’t, I’m not. That’s part of the deal. That doesn’t affect me much. It’s reality. I’m not afraid to lose my job. I’m just not. I’m going to do the best I can and let the chips fall where they may. As long as you can look yourself in the mirror, that’s all I’m worried about.”
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Bo Pelini Q&A: Offense, the QB race and finding balance
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no kool aid needed on that one.
huKSer
All-American
Kool-aid - the state drink of Nebraska. Really.
Isn't it ironic? :koolaid2: :koolaid2: :koolaid2:
What? People have short memories? I forgot where I've heard that before. I don't buy it. There's no way half the people who were calling for Wat's head this year were on his nuts last year as the offense carried the program. Not on the internet. No way, no how. NOPE.
I think Bo is, fortunately, smart enough to know the kind of crowd the intardnet tends to attract.
I think Bo is, fortunately, smart enough to know the kind of crowd the intardnet tends to attract.
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druski_2k5
Five-Star Recruit
Some very encouraging things in that interview, a straight shooter, that's what I like, obviously this has been known for a while.
I think finding balance and having day to day competitions makes everyone better and keeps everyone on their toes.
However, the part I read about how Pelini "literally goes year to year" kind of worries me a bit. Does he think about leaving after each year, or waiting for another opportunity elsewhere? I am one to think, and have read other places, this is his dream job, and that he would only leave for Ohio State, if he leaves at all, and by the time Tressel is done at Ohio State, Pelini will have built something so awesome he won't want to leave Nebraska. Hence why I root for Ohio State to continue to do well and for that one Saturday in November too
Maybe it's just me reading into it too much, but I love Pelini and what he brings to our team, he "gets it" and I don't ever want to going back to where someone "didn't get it." As long as Osborne is around, I think he will stay, but how long will Osborne be Athletic Director? Sure, he can still play a major role in Pelini if he isn't the Athletic Director. I just hope this staff stays in-tact for a long, long, long time. Unrealistic to think of in this day in age, but as long as we have Bo we will be alright.
Besides, we did get him into College Football, and gave him his first head coaching job, so I think he would stay just for that fact alone [as well as we are Nebraska and just that awesome :cheers ] but I hope he doesn't leave too soon, or if at all for somewhere else.
I think finding balance and having day to day competitions makes everyone better and keeps everyone on their toes.
However, the part I read about how Pelini "literally goes year to year" kind of worries me a bit. Does he think about leaving after each year, or waiting for another opportunity elsewhere? I am one to think, and have read other places, this is his dream job, and that he would only leave for Ohio State, if he leaves at all, and by the time Tressel is done at Ohio State, Pelini will have built something so awesome he won't want to leave Nebraska. Hence why I root for Ohio State to continue to do well and for that one Saturday in November too
Maybe it's just me reading into it too much, but I love Pelini and what he brings to our team, he "gets it" and I don't ever want to going back to where someone "didn't get it." As long as Osborne is around, I think he will stay, but how long will Osborne be Athletic Director? Sure, he can still play a major role in Pelini if he isn't the Athletic Director. I just hope this staff stays in-tact for a long, long, long time. Unrealistic to think of in this day in age, but as long as we have Bo we will be alright.
Besides, we did get him into College Football, and gave him his first head coaching job, so I think he would stay just for that fact alone [as well as we are Nebraska and just that awesome :cheers ] but I hope he doesn't leave too soon, or if at all for somewhere else.
If you rewind to 2008, there were plenty of people (many on this board) that were frightened of losing Watson to some other school so he could head coach. In one year's time, people were wishing he had taken that job. There were a lot of people that were with Watson in 2008, and many on this board fit that category.
I for one still believe Watson is a good OC. But here are my only issues with him:
1) His offense doesn't have the same fire and physicality the defense does. Yes, I know, Bo is the "head coach", but most of the offensive responsibilities lie on Watson's shoulders. Even in the VaTech game where the team was relatively healthy, I didn't see the same type of physicality on offense that I was seeing on defense.
2) He is fairly persistent. Even when something isn't working, he often keeps trying to milk it until there really is no going back. By that time, however, it's too late in the game.
3) Mental fortitude and execution. Again, I don't see the same type of execution on the offensive side of the ball that we see defensively. Even in 2008 when the offense "carried" the team, there were plenty of times we just shot ourselves in the foot offensively.
I agree with 1) and 3) slightly disagree with 2). We really did run the ball down VT's throat but I get what you're saying. They don't have the same 'world beating' attitude.
druski_2k5
Five-Star Recruit
Let's hope having a healthy line will make things much better this year. I remember reading that the coaches want us to be the most physical team in the country, so I assume defense AND offense. It starts up front, as well as being healthy.