Gill or Pelini

[np_husker]

Speculation abounds that Gill or Pelini in line

By BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star

Thursday, Nov 08, 2007 - 12:13:39 am CST

 

The season drags on, the speculation picks up.

 

Five questions about Gill:

 

Because it’s Turner Gill, that’s why. He’s part of the family, the guy you cried with on Jan. 2, 1984.

 

Here’s another reason. Timing is everything. Gill just happens to be doing a heckuva job coaching this season.

 

His work at Buffalo is being praised nationwide.

 

Talk about a fixer-upper. There weren’t many coaches who relished the situation Gill walked into when he took the Buffalo job in 2006.

 

The Bulls went 10-69 in their first seven seasons in major college football. They had won just five games in the four years before Gill arrived.

 

The 45-year-old Gill has almost matched that win total this year alone. His Buffalo team is 4-6 overall and 4-2 in the Mid-American Conference.

 

The four nonconference losses were to Penn State, Rutgers, Baylor and Syracuse.

 

“I talked about it last week, about being able to handle prosperity,” Gill recently told reporters. “I’m excited that this is happening. I was certain that it was going to happen. But we’ve still got some ways to go here.”

 

Gill is 6-16 as head coach of the Bulls. In most situations, that’d put a guy on the hot seat. In this one, people are stumbling over one another to praise the coach.

 

That Buffalo is not a joke in college football anymore is worthy of applause.

 

2) Who would be on Turner’s coaching staff?

 

Look at his current staff in Buffalo. You’d expect Gill would take some of those guys with him if he came back to Lincoln.

 

You see several names with Nebraska ties on the Bulls’ staff, most notably the Williams brothers.

 

Jimmy Williams, former Husker great, is Gill’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. His brother, Toby, who also played at Nebraska, coaches the defensive tackles.

 

Also on the staff is Aaron Stamm, a grad assistant at Nebraska from 2004-05. He coaches the tight ends and special teams.

 

Then there’s Brian Mohnsen, the defensive ends coach. He’s a former Husker who spent 12 years at Nebraska (1992-2003) as director of the video scouting department.

 

As for Gill, he started calling his own plays this season. The Bulls run a multiple offense that showcases a bit of everything: West Coast offense, option, I-formation.

 

As the Buffalo News described it: “Gill will use schemes that involve four wide receivers, one tailback and no tight end, then come back the next series with a fullback and two tight ends.

 

“Against Temple, the Bulls threw the Owls off-guard by opening in a four-wide set. ... Against Penn State, the Bulls ran a halfback option. ... Against Ohio it was power-I football.”

 

3) What’s he done lately?

 

Before Buffalo, Gill spent 2005 serving as player development director and an offensive assistant with the Green Bay Packers.

 

While some smirked when Gill took the job at Buffalo, a doormat since it joined the fraternity of major college football in 1999, the former Husker quarterback said he saw a major opportunity.

 

“In a worldly standpoint, people look at this as the worst job ever,” Gill recently told ESPN.com. “But I didn’t look at it that way. I had a purpose here. I’d been blessed to be at Nebraska, where they’d already established a program, but I was excited to have an opportunity to build one.”

 

This season, Buffalo beat Ohio, the team coached by Gill’s former boss, Frank Solich. The Bulls won that game 31-10, also claiming its first MAC wins against Toledo and Akron.

 

Gill says he’s focused on his job at Buffalo, despite the constant mention of his name with the Nebraska job.

 

If he were Nebraska’s guy, he’d get quite a pay hike.

 

According to the Buffalo News, Gill’s contract with the Bulls runs through 2011 at an annual salary of $180,000, plus bonuses. Bill Callahan makes $1.75 million a year.

 

4) What’d he do when he was at Nebraska and how would he be received by fans if hired?

 

He was a hero to Nebraskans as a player and highly respected as a coach.

 

His place in Husker lore is forever secured. Being the quarterback of an offense nicknamed “The Scoring Explosion” will do that to you. His record as a starter at Nebraska was 28-2.

 

He came back to his alma mater to be an assistant from 1992-2004, tutoring guys such as Tommie Frazier, Brook Berringer, Scott Frost and Eric Crouch.

 

In 2002, he was a finalist for the Frank Broyles Award, given annually to the top assistant coach in the country. He even stayed on in 2004 to coach the receivers for a season when Callahan arrived.

 

So, certainly, there’d be a buzz about Gill coming back to the Plains to try to save the day. He’d look good with a headset, no doubt. The guy still looks like he could turn the corner on the option and move the chains.

 

Sure, there might be some who would question the decision to hire a guy currently coaching at Buffalo. But you figure his name and saying a few right words at the opening press conference would make this an optimistic offseason in Nebraska.

 

5) Would he be ready to handle the attention and scrutiny that comes with being the head man at Nebraska?

 

No one could possibly have a better understanding of what they’d be getting into than Gill.

 

Some have characterized Callahan as being an outsider, a guy who didn’t understand the traditions of the program and just exactly how much football means to the state.

 

Gill would need no pamphlet to learn those things. He was right in the middle of the heartache in that 1984 Orange Bowl. He was there for the glory run in the mid-’90s, too.

 

He knows what the walk-on program means and would certainly have no problem getting along with Tom Osborne, who was a groomsman in Gill’s wedding.

 

Five questions about Pelini:

 

1) What’s kept him from getting a head coaching job?

 

Pelini’s been a hot name in college coaching since he captivated Nebraska fans in 2003.

 

He’s coached plenty of big games at Oklahoma, and now at Louisiana State, where as defensive coordinator, his team is in serious pursuit of a national championship.

 

His name pops up consistently as a potential candidate for head coaching positions, yet he’s remained a coordinator. Syracuse and Pittsburgh were among the schools that took close looks at Pelini, only to pass.

 

With Texas A&M also seemingly in the running for a new head coach, Kirk Bohls of the Austin (Texas) American-Statesman recently passed on this advice for the Aggies’ search: “LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini’s emotional, but doesn’t like recruiting and isn’t very media-friendly. Let Nebraska make that mistake.”

 

It’s true some have wondered if Pelini’s temperament is suitable for a head coach. They often cite the day Pelini raced across the field after a 38-9 Husker loss and unleashed a verbal barrage on former Kansas State coach Bill Snyder.

 

Then there was the time Pelini was called for a 15-yard penalty for yelling at officials about a questionable call in the 2003 Alamo Bowl, in which he served as Nebraska’s interim head coach.

 

Of course, that fire seemed to only endear him more to Husker fans. They chanted his name as he left the field that night in San Antonio.

 

Wherever he’s gone, fans have loved him. Just look to Cajun country.

 

There have recently been rumors about LSU head coach Les Miles perhaps going to his alma mater, Michigan, if Lloyd Carr retires or is forced out at season’s end.

 

CBSsportsline.com’s Dennis Dodd asked famed political consultant James Carville, an LSU grad, what he thought of Miles potentially leaving.

 

Answered Carville: “If that’s what you want to do, we’ll have a nice banquet for you, say, ‘Thank you very much. Hello, Bo Pelini.’”

 

2) Who would be on Bo’s coaching staff?

 

It’s safe to say at least four coaches with Nebraska ties would be on board if Pelini returned to Lincoln.

 

It’s likely that Marvin Sanders, whom Pelini connected well with in 2003 when Sanders coached NU’s defensive backs, would be on the staff in some capacity.

 

It’s very possible Pelini would coach the defense, yet still name a defensive coordinator. As for his offense, he’s known to favor the spread option, something similar to what’s currently featured at West Virginia.

 

3) What’s he done lately?

 

Time to let the numbers talk. They speak well of Pelini. His LSU defensive unit currently ranks second in the country in total defense, fourth in rushing defense, sixth in passing defense and 10th in scoring defense.

 

“When I take the field, I feel like I’m out there with an army and he’s our leader,” LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey told Yahoo! Sports. “He’s always wired up, always intense. He’s not a big cusser or anything, but he knows how to get you fired up.”

 

After spending a season as co-defensive coordinator with Brent Venables at Oklahoma, Pelini is in his third year at LSU.

 

The Tigers ranked third nationally in total defense in 2005 and 11th in 2006.

 

Since coming to the college game in 2003, his teams have won 10 or more games every season.

 

As a defensive coordinator, he has a record of 51-9.

 

4) What’d he do when he was at Nebraska and how would he be received by fans if hired?

 

Here’s how popular Pelini is with Nebraskans: They liked him even when he was coaching at Oklahoma.

 

They won’t soon forget what he did in 2003, when he transformed a previously mediocre Nebraska defense into the 11th-ranked unit in the country.

 

In the year before Pelini was here, Nebraska was 55th nationally in the total defense. The year after he left, the defense ranked 56th.

 

Pelini’s 2003 Blackshirts also had a knack for stealing the football. Nebraska had 47 takeaways that year, second-most in the country. For perspective, the current NU defense has caused 11 turnovers this season.

 

In his one game as interim head coach, the Huskers held Michigan State to three points.

 

It is important to note that the 2003 schedule set up favorably for the Huskers. When Nebraska did meet good competition that year, Pelini’s defense got torched pretty good. In the three losses, Nebraska gave up 41 points (Missouri), 38 (Kansas State) and 31 (Texas).

 

Still, his fire is what Nebraskans remember most. Former Husker Barrett Ruud has said that players would do about anything for Pelini.

 

The idea of rekindling that passion has many Husker fans wishing for his return.

 

5) Would he be ready to handle the attention and scrutiny that comes with being the head man at Nebraska?

 

Pelini was just 36 when he left Nebraska, the same age Osborne was in his first season as NU’s head coach.

 

Since leaving, Pelini has had the advantage of spending the last four years being around experienced head coaches such as Bob Stoops and Miles. And quite frankly, he’s also been in more big games at LSU this season than Nebraska has been in about the past five years combined.

 

Prior to 2003, he was an assistant in the NFL at San Francisco, New England and Green Bay. He learned about coaching from guys such as George Seifert, Pete Carroll, Ray Rhodes and Mike Shanahan.

 

Given that, Pelini would tell you he was ready to be a head coach even four years ago, when Nebraska passed on him in favor of Callahan.

 

“Oh, yeah, I was ready,” Pelini recently told Yahoo! Sports. “But I’m even more ready now.”

 

1) Why would Nebraska even think about hiring a guy coaching at the University of Buffalo?

 

As Husker coach Bill Callahan fights to end a five-game losing streak, conversations about Nebraska football continually include the names of two coaches many miles from Lincoln’s favorite soap opera.

 

Bo Pelini, 980 miles away in Baton Rouge, La.

 

Turner Gill, 1,040 miles away in Buffalo, N.Y.

 

Pelini: Defensive guru, keeper of many Husker hearts for the way players ran through walls for him in his one-year stop in Lincoln four seasons ago.

 

Gill: Husker hero, longtime NU assistant who was on the staff during the program’s glorious run to three championships in the mid-1990s.

 

When the topic shifts to who might be the next Nebraska coach, there are many names tossed about, but almost always these two.

 

Granted, this is conversation about a job that is not even open, not yet at least.

 

Though the season has turned overcast at 4-6 and seemingly has Callahan on the hot seat, he remains the coach until told otherwise. Tom Osborne, interim athletic director, has said he won’t make a decision about the coach until season’s end.

 

Of course, that nugget of information doesn’t stop the chatter. Bo and Turner. Turner and Bo.

 

So while waiting for the next rumor about Pelini being spotted at Duncan Aviation, here’s a closer look at the two guys Nebraska fans can’t stop talking about:

[seed60]

Just think if both came. Co-Head Coaches...can you say unstoppable!!!!

 

Great post

[Spiderman]

good article.

[LouisianaHuskerFan]

Very good article. Thanks for posting.

[Dan_F_30]

That article put a lot of perspective on these guys for me. Good article.

[HuskerPharaoh]

Like the article also -- can we get both?

[huskernation20]

If you HAD to choose 1 of them...I still go with Pelini on this one. I just really like the idea of a Defensive minded coach. Plus he likes the spread option!

[NPhusker]

can we get both?

 

How awesome would that be. This isnt very likely but it could happen and personnally i like to dream. What if TO hires Pelini as head coach, and then some how sweets talks Gill into being out OC. I would say that the OC at NU is a step up from the HC at Buffalo so hey you never know.

 

Also this would pretty much guarentee that Gill would be the head coach is Pelini jumps to the NFL or gets too excited at a game and his heart explodes. OUCH!!!

[DaveH]

Please make sure you post this kind of stuff in the rumorville forum. I moved this from the Husker Football forum. Most people get it, but there are a few that don't and it's getting tiring moving threads to the right board.

 

Thanks for your cooperation.

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

 

It was a good article with lots of good info and insights.

[junior4949]

I'm still laughing that Pitt and Syracuse passed on Pelini. Pelini could be in a coma and still out coach "Stache" any day of the week. If memory severse me correctly, the Syracuse fans aren't real high on their coach either. Next year, both Gill and Pelin will be head coaches. I have no idea where, but BOTH will be HC's somewhere.

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

I'm still laughing that Pitt and Syracuse passed on Pelini. Pelini could be in a coma and still out coach "Stache" any day of the week. If memory severse me correctly, the Syracuse fans aren't real high on their coach either. Next year, both Gill and Pelin will be head coaches. I have no idea where, but BOTH will be HC's somewhere.

Yes Syracuse has that half wit Greg Robinson as their coach. He was the "genius" as defensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs that convinced Vermeil to let Donnie Edwards go. Vermeil later admitted that was the biggest mistake he ever made and it started the Chiefs defensive spiral. As a result Vermeil had to fire Robinson a couple seasons later due to poor defensive performance.