Tom Osborne and Michigan State

[wmsam04]

If this is old news I appologize, but I would be interested in hearing what the long time Husker fans remember about this.

 

Lynn Henning a sports writer with the Detroit News published a book called "Spartan Season's"chronicaling the political turmoil in the Michigan State Spartans football program from the George Perles era of the 80's until a couple of years ago. It was a pretty interesting read for me having grown up as a Spartan fan, and living through all of the coaching changes, and turmoil that defined Michigan State football during that time. One of the most interesting things written about (and I heard nothing about it at the time all of this was to have occured) were the frequent attempts by Michigan State's former President M. Peter McPhereson to lure Tom Osborne to East Lansing. In 1994 before Michigan State had hired Nick Saban and Osborne was under some pressure with a bowl losing streak that was making the fans here anxious he apparently came close to taking the Michigan State job before talking it over with his assistants and declining. Then he was offered it again in 1999 when Saban left for LSU and gave it some consideration before his doctor strongly advised against it. He was even offered the AD job in 2001 according to Henning.

 

Is this something that people were aware of at the time? Do you think that he came close at all to leaving (as the author suggested)? Or was he being offered a job every season like any top coach? I would be interested to read your thoughts on this.

 

The books website:

http://www.spartanseasons.com/seasons2.html

[BigBL87]

I don't know about "at the time," but it is something that has been known for awhile.

[MCAT800]

If this is old news I appologize, but I would be interested in hearing what the long time Husker fans remember about this.

 

Lynn Henning a sports writer with the Detroit News published a book called "Spartan Season's"chronicaling the political turmoil in the Michigan State Spartans football program from the George Perles era of the 80's until a couple of years ago. It was a pretty interesting read for me having grown up as a Spartan fan, and living through all of the coaching changes, and turmoil that defined Michigan State football during that time. One of the most interesting things written about (and I heard nothing about it at the time all of this was to have occured) were the frequent attempts by Michigan State's former President M. Peter McPhereson to lure Tom Osborne to East Lansing. In 1994 before Michigan State had hired Nick Saban and Osborne was under some pressure with a bowl losing streak that was making the fans here anxious he apparently came close to taking the Michigan State job before talking it over with his assistants and declining. Then he was offered it again in 1999 when Saban left for LSU and gave it some consideration before his doctor strongly advised against it. He was even offered the AD job in 2001 according to Henning.

 

Is this something that people were aware of at the time? Do you think that he came close at all to leaving (as the author suggested)? Or was he being offered a job every season like any top coach? I would be interested to read your thoughts on this.

 

The books website:

http://www.spartanseasons.com/seasons2.html

 

Yea I remember reading a news article about TO getting the job offer in 1999. About the only thing that sticks out from that article was TO talking about how he would have had a hard time explaining to his grandkids that they would now have to wear green instead of red, it was a pretty funny statement.

 

I'm glad he didn't go, TO is NU football.

[bbhusker]

I'm sure TO got offers all the time. I'm just glad things have worked out the way they have.

[Touchdown Tommie]

I remember reading about this. I am damn glad he did not leave and decided to stay at NU. I agree with bbhusker, I am sure he other offers to colleges and some pro teams.

[dtbugeater]

TO is so unlike so many other coaches and players. We really were/are lucky to have him. It is scary to think some people might have tried to chase him off before his big run.

[papersun87]

All I know about TO and Michigan State is that in 1995 TO came into East Lansing and thumped Michigan State 50-10.

 

But that is interesting stuff, I hadn't heard about any of that. But I'm obviously glad he didn't take any of the offers; like MCAT800 said, TO is Nebraska Football.

[Blackshirt316]

Osborne had many job offers over the years, Michigan State, Colorado, Wisconsin etc.

 

However most of them were rebuild jobs or schools that wanted him to come in and build the program from the ground up. Luckily none of the other "power" programs came calling, expecially in the mid-late 80's.

[wmsam04]

Osborne had many job offers over the years, Michigan State, Colorado, Wisconsin etc.

 

However most of them were rebuild jobs or schools that wanted him to come in and build the program from the ground up. Luckily none of the other "power" programs came calling, expecially in the mid-late 80's.

 

I appreciate hearing back from you guys. The era of Nebraska football that he oversaw in the 90's was such a big part of college football it would be difficult to imagine what would have been had he left in 94. I was just blown away thinking about what might have been. One thing is certain. You folks are awful lucky to have had a man like that in charge of your program for so many years.