Old articles about Bo Pelini

[Husker Runner]

Here are two articles about Bo Pelini from 2003, when he was first hired as DC:

 

Pelini says he's fine with Husker hirings

BY ELIZABETH MERRILL

 

WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

 

LINCOLN - Just when things finally seemed to quiet down for Nebraska football, this breaking news is in from Lincoln . . . Bo Pelini just closed on a house. With his wife and young kids in tow, Nebraska's new defensive coordinator

settled in, finally, mercifully, squashing rumors that he was bolting for Seattle, Denver, USC or some other greener pasture.

 

"It's kind of died down over the last week or two," Pelini said. "Once all of the jobs got filled up in the NFL, the rumors stopped. I'm glad that's the case. I'm tired of hearing them."

 

Only in Nebraska can an assistant coach cause such a tizzy. Mere weeks after Pelini was hired in December, the former Green Bay Packers assistant was being mentioned for other NFL jobs. Then came talk that he was butting heads

with Coach Frank Solich over the recent hire of Jimmy Williams to fill out the last defensive staff position.

 

Nebraska had interviewed Pelini's brother, Carl, for the same job. Bo Pelini, speculators said, felt like an outsider. He's the only coach on staff with no Nebraska ties. And while the other five new assistants were settling in, coming home, was Pelini thinking of checking out?

 

In his first interview since Williams' hire in early February, Pelini said he had input on the defensive hires, he's staying put, and he's ready to put the issue behind him.

 

"Coach Solich knew what he was buying when I signed on, and I think we have a good relationship," Pelini said. "Everything is moving along just fine. Jimmy Williams is a quality person. He'll do a good job.

 

"I haven't even thought about (being an outsider) much. I'm not worried about where guys are from. I'm just worried about getting the job done. There is a lot to do in a short amount of time."

 

If there was ever any tension, Nebraska Offensive Coordinator Barney Cotton hasn't sensed it. Cotton said the new staff had an instant chemistry, probably because most of the coaches already knew each other.

 

Pelini, he said, is part of that chemistry. "There hasn't been anything negative as far as any relationships that are being created amongst the staff," Cotton said. "It's been really smooth."

 

Life hasn't exactly been smooth sailing for Pelini lately. His wife, Mary Pat, is seven months pregnant and was finally able to move to Lincoln last week.

 

His job, it seems, is never-ending. Nebraska's defense ranked 55th nationally in a 7-7 season, and Pelini is in the middle of overhauling it. He's watching film, evaluating talent, getting to know the faces.

 

He delivered a fiery get-tough speech to the team in January and later said the meeting got blown out of proportion. Yes, he's taking a hard-line approach with the Huskers. No, he's not out to scare anybody.

 

"I'm a bottom-line person, black and white," Pelini said. "There's not a lot of gray there. I was just being honest with them about what they can expect and what I'm all about - and more importantly, what this staff is all about.

 

"If it put the fear of God in some people, I don't know why that would be the case. I'm not somebody who wants the players to fear me. I want them to know I'm with them and we can build a trust relationship. That's how you win. You have to do things that come from your heart."

 

So far, Pelini said, he's been encouraged by the attitudes. Winter conditioning has been going on for almost a month, and as of late last week, nobody had missed a workout.

 

Pelini calls the defense "a good group of guys." He senses embarrassment from last year and a strong desire to get things turned around.

 

Does that mean the new guy with the steely glare is softening a little? Probably not. As he bounced around town Friday, Pelini was asked if he's versed on the Blackshirts, the coveted jerseys awarded to a chosen few on defense.

 

Pelini said yes, and that he's all for tradition. But there's a catch. "It will be a long time while I'm here before somebody earns a Blackshirt," he said. "Guys have got to prove themselves worthy. There are some traditions that have been here that are a lot bigger than me. I want to keep them alive. "How many guys get them is up to the players. We'll see who earns them."

 

STEVEN M. SIPPLE COLUMN: Pelini ready to make mark at NU

 

Yeah, he's the staff "outsider." But Bo Pelini has no time to ponder the distinction.

 

Nebraska's new defensive coordinator has a system to install as spring practice looms just more than a month away.

 

Of course Pelini would've liked to coach with his brother Carl, whom Nebraska head coach Frank Solich bypassed earlier this month in favor of ex-Husker Jimmy Williams for the job as linebackers coach. Of Nebraska's six new full-time coaches, five had previous ties to the program.

 

Then there's Bo.

 

What's done is done, Pelini says. He's moved on since the Williams hire. That's how he operates. No messing around. No B.S. He has a house in south Lincoln. His wife and two children arrived in town last weekend. He's here, OK. He's working. He's adapting. He's a Husker.

 

Nonetheless, some predict Pelini will leave town after a couple of seasons, maybe even after the coming season. After all, he's regarded as an up-and-comer.

 

"Time will tell, I guess," Pelini said Saturday.

 

But he said a short stint in Lincoln "isn't my intention."

 

As for being the staff "outsider," Pelini said, "I can't worry about that at this point. To me, that's something that can distract you, and there's a lot of work to be done here in a short amount of time. I'm just concerned about

getting the job done."

 

It's a daunting task, indeed. Nebraska's defense ranked 55th nationally as the Huskers stumbled to a 7-7 record in 2002. Intrigued by the challenge, and impressed by NU's tradition, the 35-year-old Pelini was lured from the Green Bay Packers to replace fired coordinator Craig Bohl.

 

It's become clear that Pelini possesses a hard-edged, no-nonsense attitude -- just what Nebraska's defense needed. Pelini is nothing if not succinct. He gets to the point more quickly than a Nolan Ryan fastball, and Pelini can be as intimidating as one of Ryan's high-and-tight heaters.

 

Pelini now has had time to watch film of Nebraska's defense in 2002. Well?

 

"They were 7-7, so they didn't play well enough," he said flatly.

 

However, Pelini said, he's careful to avoid judging his players individually based on last season's performance.

 

"That would be unfair because I don't know exactly what they were being asked to do," Pelini said. "I wouldn't want to put anybody in the doghouse before I see how he responds to the new system and the new style of coaching."

 

Pelini declined to offer detail about the "new system," though he did say Nebraska's base alignment will remain a 4-3. However, there apparently will be significant changes elsewhere.

 

"From what I've seen on film, it'll be dramatically different," Pelini said. "To the naked eye, I don't know how dramatically different it'll look. But it's a different system -- that's all I want to say."

 

Pelini is careful to avoid dwelling on Nebraska's struggle in 2002. "I can't concern myself with that at all," he said. What's more, Pelini insists he didn't harshly criticize the 2002 Husker defense last month when he and his fellow defensive coaches met with the defenders for the first time. According to a widely circulated e-mail, Pelini ripped the players' effort in a profane session. Pelini called the e-mail "bogus."

 

"Ijust introduced myself," Pelini said. "It was a short meeting to let them know exactly what's expected."

 

And that is?

 

"Excellence, top to bottom, in everything they do," Pelini said.

 

Pelini, meanwhile, is getting used to the lay of the land. For instance, he now has a decent understanding of the Blackshirt tradition. But he said those coveted black practice jerseys signifying first-team status won't be

handed out liberally. Last August, Bohl awarded 15 players with the jerseys.

 

"I don't know if we'll give out that many or not," Pelini said. "From what I understand, it's something you have to earn."

 

It'll be interesting to watch how Pelini responds to the scrutiny that goes with his job. At $131,000 per year, Bohl's pay wasn't commensurate with the pressure he endured. At $200,000, Pelini's salary is more appropriate.

 

In 2003, Husker fans will demand improvement. Patience will be in short supply.

 

Pelini is adjusting to life in the limelight. As linebackers coach in Green Bay, he said, Packer fans pretty much left him alone. Here, it's another story. He goes to Nebraska men's basketball games and sees himself on the big screens, the crowd cheering.

 

"I guess I am a little more in the limelight now," Pelini said grudgingly. "It's OK ... It's not something I prefer."

 

Pelini commands respect with his stern and confident demeanorand his coaching background. Remember, he was hired at age 25 as a secondary coach with the San Francisco 49ers. In 1994, his first season with the Niners, they won the Super Bowl.

 

Pelini seldom wears his title ring.

 

"I'm not much of a jewelry guy," he said.

 

Somehow I'm not surprised.

 

Guess I'm getting to know the "outsider."

[Vizsla1]

Earn a blackshirt? Boy that sure would piss off Coz if he was reading that.

[secretasianman]

Thanks for posting those. That was like a "pep rally" for Pelini!