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"proud of nebraska football again"

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Pelini has also been one of the most passionate — some would say out-of-control — head coaches prowling the sideline this year. The walking cliché of a fiery defensive-coordinator-turned-head-coach, he’s been penalized once and become a focal point for fans and media, particularly during the Oklahoma game, when cameras honed in on his sideline outbursts against assistant coaches and the referees.

 

“I regret that,” Pelini told reporters when asked if he was concerned about his behavior. “I was made aware of it by some of my family. I wasn’t as much yelling at a kid as I was on the headset. I am very aware of that. It is something that is kind of out of character for me in that aspect. It’s something I have to be aware of, no doubt.”

 

And yet, in many ways, even that outburst has just made Cornhuskers fans embrace him even more.

 

“I know they say he rides the refs too hard, but it goes back to him promising he has the kids’ backs,” Kreikemeier said. “If a ref screws a kid, that’s what Bo does.”

 

These kinds of good feelings, despite some skepticism, have spread from campus to the rest of the state, where folks say “Callahan” like it’s a bad word and talk with an air of relief about their new coach and the new, good vibes he’s brought with him.

 

“It’s totally different now,” said Jamie Svoboda, a 19-year-old freshman. “For the most part, people are more optimistic. It wasn’t fun last year. Now, finally, it is.”

 

All of this — the winning record, the burgeoning sense that a Nebraska resurgence is at hand, the feeling that the program finally has the right man for the job — seems six years too late.

 

That’s because in 2003, Frank Solich was fired after going 9-3, and Pelini was named the interim head coach. In his one game in charge, he led Nebraska to a 17-3 win over Michigan State in the Alamo Bowl.

 

Then he was passed over for Callahan.

 

“To be honest, I never would have thought when I left here in 2003 that I’d be back working here,” Pelini said. “I didn’t feel like the job should have been open in the first place. But it happened, and I was ready to move on. You can only control in this life what you can control. It’s funny how things work out.”

 

Now he finds himself on the verge of being a statewide hero, credited with what a year ago seemed impossible: making Nebraskans proud of their football team.

 

If Pelini and his players beat Kansas State this weekend, the sense among increasingly optimistic Nebraska fans that they’re back will only grow.

 

“A chance at 8-4? People feel like, ‘Wow,’ ” said Travis Lottman, a 22-year-old fan who lives in Lincoln. “If we win Saturday, it will make us believe in a way we never did under Callahan.”

 

While Pelini isn’t quite ready to buy into the belief that his football program has arrived, he’s well aware that 8-4 would be an awfully good way to start his coaching career. Combine that with folks looking at him like he’s a true Nebraskan — even if he spent only one year with the team before becoming its head coach — and you get all this goodwill.

 

Just don’t expect Pelini to feed such talk.

 

“I’m trying to focus on what needs to happen day by day to get our program where it needs to be, and we’re never satisfied,” he said. “We had higher expectations than (this year so far).”

 

History — and guys like Frank Solich — remind you that Pelini’s answer is a good one. Because in Nebraska, the honeymoons can be short and, if you’re not chasing championships, your time is often limited.

 

“Is he doing well overall?” asked booster Roger Brown. “Hell, doing well, he’s doing terrible! He hasn’t gone undefeated yet.”

 

Then the booster laughed. He was joking.

 

Sort of.

 

Here's page 2.

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link to original article is here.

 

Pelini has Nebraskans proud of their Cornhuskers again

By BILL REITER | THE KANSAS CITY STAR

 

L INCOLN, Neb. | One year ago, Nebraska’s new football coach put his elbows on the conference room table at a high school in West Point, Neb., looked the recruit in the eye and got down to business.

 

It had been one week since Bo Pelini had been tapped to turn around a proud program that, under Bill Callahan, had lost two things so special to Nebraska fans: too many games and much of its tradition.

 

Making the trip to this small town to talk with a future Cornhuskers player — and his dad, a former player — was about the tradition. The games would come later.

 

“I’ve got three rules,” Pelini told 17-year-old Micah Kreikemeier and his dad, Keith. “Go to your classes and you’re always on time. Show up to meetings on time. Keep your butt out of trouble. Do that and we’re going to get along just fine.”

 

Then Pelini leaned back, took his elbows off the table and loosened up.

 

“The last hour or so, we all just sat there and (joked around),” said Keith Kreikemeier, who played football for the Cornhuskers in the ’80s. “He came out and told Micah, ‘You’re going to have the greatest college experience you ever could. We’re not a business. We’re not a steppingstone to the NFL. We’re a college program, and you’re going to be a part of it.’ ”

 

Translation: This isn’t Bill Callahan’s football program. Not anymore.

 

Sitting there and watching Pelini — with his overwhelming intensity, a down-to-earth persona and the fact he’d taken this much of his time to visit with one recruit — Keith Kreikemeier got a feeling in his gut: This guy is going to work out just fine.

 

Eleven months later, all of Nebraska is starting to feel the same way. The Cornhuskers are tied for second in the Big 12 North division at 6-4 and — if they win Saturday at Kansas State and against Colorado next week at home — could finish an improbable 8-4.

 

“He just gave the state of Nebraska a new hope,” said senior defensive end Zach Potter. “Everybody kind of was starting to go away from coach Callahan, and (Pelini) brought the state back together after a couple of tough years.”

 

There’s a strong belief here that Pelini’s team is doing the little things that win over Nebraskans’ loyalty in ways that Callahan’s teams didn’t: Playing hard on every down. Becoming more technically sound each game. Turning to Tom Osborne, now the athletic director, for counsel. Embracing walk-ons, listening to fans, welcoming former players into the fold and embracing the past as much as the future.

 

“The traditions (make) it a unique place and a unique job,” Pelini said. “I just know from being here a short time in 2003 that it’s important to the people, and therefore it needs to be important to the head coach.”

 

Yes, Pelini keeps saying the right things, his teams are winning games and the fans are taking notice.

 

“Fans really feel like this staff is really trying to do the right things for the program,” said Tom Ruud, a former player whose sons also played for Nebraska. “I think the fans feel like there is a genuineness to them that maybe there wasn’t with the last bunch.”

 

This is not to say that things have gone smoothly all year.

 

After Oklahoma had its way with Nebraska in a 62-28 drubbing in Norman earlier this month, Pelini’s anger and frustration were downright palpable. He refused to make players or coaches available to the media and admitted that “I’m embarrassed. I’m just not used to this.”

 

Pelini has also been one of the most passionate — some would say out-of-control — head coaches prowling the sideline this year. The walking cliché of a fiery defensive-coordinator-turned-head-coach, he’s been penalized once and become a focal point for fans and media, particularly during the Oklahoma game, when cameras honed in on his sideline outbursts against assistant coaches and the referees.

 

“I regret that,” Pelini told reporters when asked if he was concerned about his behavior. “I was made aware of it by some of my family. I wasn’t as much yelling at a kid as I was on the headset. I am very aware of that. It is something that is kind of out of character for me in that aspect. It’s something I have to be aware of, no doubt.”

 

And yet, in many ways, even that outburst has just made Cornhuskers fans embrace him even more.

 

“I know they say he rides the refs too hard, but it goes back to him promising he has the kids’ backs,” Kreikemeier said. “If a ref screws a kid, that’s what Bo does.”

 

These kinds of good feelings, despite some skepticism, have spread from campus to the rest of the state, where folks say “Callahan” like it’s a bad word and talk with an air of relief about their new coach and the new, good vibes he’s brought with him.

 

“It’s totally different now,” said Jamie Svoboda, a 19-year-old freshman. “For the most part, people are more optimistic. It wasn’t fun last year. Now, finally, it is.”

 

All of this — the winning record, the burgeoning sense that a Nebraska resurgence is at hand, the feeling that the program finally has the right man for the job — seems six years too late.

 

That’s because in 2003, Frank Solich was fired after going 9-3, and Pelini was named the interim head coach. In his one game in charge, he led Nebraska to a 17-3 win over Michigan State in the Alamo Bowl.

 

Then he was passed over for Callahan.

 

“To be honest, I never would have thought when I left here in 2003 that I’d be back working here,” Pelini said. “I didn’t feel like the job should have been open in the first place. But it happened, and I was ready to move on. You can only control in this life what you can control. It’s funny how things work out.”

 

Now he finds himself on the verge of being a statewide hero, credited with what a year ago seemed impossible: making Nebraskans proud of their football team.

 

If Pelini and his players beat Kansas State this weekend, the sense among increasingly optimistic Nebraska fans that they’re back will only grow.

 

“A chance at 8-4? People feel like, ‘Wow,’ ” said Travis Lottman, a 22-year-old fan who lives in Lincoln. “If we win Saturday, it will make us believe in a way we never did under Callahan.”

 

While Pelini isn’t quite ready to buy into the belief that his football program has arrived, he’s well aware that 8-4 would be an awfully good way to start his coaching career. Combine that with folks looking at him like he’s a true Nebraskan — even if he spent only one year with the team before becoming its head coach — and you get all this goodwill.

 

Just don’t expect Pelini to feed such talk.

 

“I’m trying to focus on what needs to happen day by day to get our program where it needs to be, and we’re never satisfied,” he said. “We had higher expectations than (this year so far).”

 

History — and guys like Frank Solich — remind you that Pelini’s answer is a good one. Because in Nebraska, the honeymoons can be short and, if you’re not chasing championships, your time is often limited.

 

“Is he doing well overall?” asked booster Roger Brown. “Hell, doing well, he’s doing terrible! He hasn’t gone undefeated yet.”

 

Then the booster laughed. He was joking.

 

Sort of.

 

To reach Bill Reiter, sports reporter for The Star, call 816-234-4856 or send e-mail to wreiter@kcstar.com

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