KC - Cos - kevin cosgrove

[HuskerBob]

Cos seems like a pretty cool dood. hey redout have you got to see him work in person at any of the practices?? whats he like? n your face intense?

 

decent art bouts him from the ljs:

New defensive coordinator looks like Blackshirt material

 

The season opener is just three weeks away, and all outside eyes remain fixed on the intrigue of the Husker offense.

 

That's fine with Kevin Cosgrove. Nebraska's new defensive coordinator likes "keeping it low-key."

 

He is 5 feet, 9 inches of solid and appears to be wrinkle-resistant in demeanor as well.

 

Everyone has a snapping point, though, right? What if, for instance, one of Cosgrove's defensive pupils got a little uppity and dared to interrupt a lesson with the following inquiry?

 

"Excuse me, Coach, that's not the way Coach Pelini did it?"

 

Slightly taken aback by the hypothetical suggestion, Cosgrove showed a hint of a grin, paused, and said, "I would keep my composure."

 

The cool confidence seems familiar.

 

There's some of Husker head coach Bill Callahan in Cosgrove, or perhaps it's the other way around. The two have grown very close since their days playing for rival high schools in the south division of Chicago's Catholic league.

 

"Coz and I have been together for quite a long time," Callahan said.

 

They've helped each other along the way, exchanging coaching invitations at various stops. The first came 25 years ago, when Callahan helped Cosgrove get a graduate assistant position with Illinois.

 

"(Head coach) Mike White came to me and said, 'You got another guy like yourself?' I said, 'Yeah, I got a buddy who would love to come here.'"

 

Ten years later, it was Cosgrove who helped Callahan join a Big Ten staff - under Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin. Then it was Callahan's turn again, as he tried to get Cosgrove away from the Badgers and onto the Oakland Raiders staff.

 

"We couldn't get him out of there," Callahan said. "He was embedded."

 

Cosgrove got another invitation from his pal in January, and this time he accepted.

 

It is no small task to coach a defense under Bill Callahan. With Callahan concentrating more on the offense, Cosgrove essentially has the responsibilities of a co-head coach.

 

And then there's the "P" word. Bo Pelini built up quite a following, with fans and players. The Huskers have a lot of talent on defense - Josh Bullocks, Fabian Washington, Barrett Ruud, etc.

 

The offense is getting some leeway from outsiders who know it's going to take time for things to click with the new system. The defense is expected to stop all comers, starting with Western Illinois on Sept. 4.

 

Sophomore defensive end Adam Carriker, for one, says Pelini fans need not worry.

 

"You don't take a play off (under Cosgrove)," he said. "If you do, you're coming out, or you're going to hear about it big-time.

 

"Their defenses are similar. They just have different names attached to them. Pelini was a lot more vocal, not that Cosgrove's not. Pelini was quite vocal. They're both intense, and they both like to take the bull by the horns. So they're quite similar, actually."

 

The comparisons are unavoidable, because Pelini did good work. He was outstanding at getting his defense prepared strategically and emotionally. He also let his emotions get the best of him on occasion, as Bill Snyder can attest.

 

It's way too early to evaluate Cosgrove as a game-planner at Nebraska, but the early returns on his people skills are positive. He has a reputation as a strong recruiter, and you can see why that could be a strength when you visit with him.

 

He displays an appealing combination of sincerity, humor and confidence, which initially comes across as arrogance until you get him to open the door a little more.

 

The 48-year-old Wisconsin-Oshkosh alum offers a different approach in some areas, like the way he follows pro sports. He claims to like the Bears and the Packers. He pulls for the Cubs and the White Sox. I thought that was a no-no.

 

"A lot of people in Chicago are both," Cosgrove said. "I shouldn't say a lot. I grew up a Sox fan when I was younger. As I got a little older, I found Wrigley Field was a fun place to go."

 

He looked up to Dick Butkus and Mike Ditka as a youngster. Now, he's more into Ben Stiller and Will Ferrell, as evidenced by his rundown of the summer movie scene.

 

"('Anchorman') was pretty good. It was different," Cosgrove said. "Best soundtrack was 'Anchorman.' I really liked the music. Saw 'Spider-Man 2.' Saw 'Dodgeball.'"

 

I like his taste. You have to keep it light sometimes, and Cosgrove can do that, too. It's one of the many characteristics that turned Callahan into such a big fan over the years.

 

"Our friendship means a lot, and trust means a great deal in this business," Callahan said. "Kevin's one of those persons who's been loyal through and through - a coordinator, as an assistant.

 

"Hopefully, he'll get his opportunity to become a head coach someday, because he has that type of ability and talent."

 

Wisconsin senior cornerback Scott Starks agrees. He said it was very tough to see Cosgrove leave Madison.

 

Cosgrove recruited Starks, and apparently did a pretty good sales job. Starks, now one of the top defensive backs in the Big Ten, was all set to attend Northwestern before Cosgrove persuaded him to change his mind.

 

Playing for Cosgrove, Starks said, was "a great experience" because it wasn't just football, football, football.

 

"He always cared about my family," Starks said.

 

And he knew how to loosen things up when necessary. At least he tried anyway.

 

"Some of his jokes were kind of corny," Starks said.

 

Corny, huh?

 

Sounds like Cosgrove has found the perfect home.

 

http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2004/0...ll/10053689.txt