Pelini, Sadler, Manning

[np_husker]

Coaching crew: NU's unlikely trio of Pelini, Sadler and Manning has banded together

BY LEE BARFKNECHT

WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

 

 

LINCOLN — Meet the Three Musketeers of the Nebraska athletic department.

 

Bo Pelini, Doc Sadler and Mark Manning might seem like an unusual band of merry men — a firebrand football coach from Ohio, a folksy basketball coach from Arkansas and a smiling-on-the-outside-boiling-on-the-inside wrestling coach from South Dakota.

 

Yet the three have become fast friends who truly, when it comes to Husker sports, are all for one and one for all.

 

At times on the campuses of such power conference schools, coaches might hunker in their offices under the pressure to win or get caught up in turf wars with colleagues.

 

At Nebraska, staff unity faces the additional hurdle of coaches being scattered among seven venues.

 

"Some places I've been, all the coaches are in one building," Sadler said. "That's really fun. You're always with people who understand what you're going through."

 

Despite the impediment of NU's campus geography, Pelini and Sadler and Manning mingle frequently and razz each other mercilessly.

 

"You should see Manning play golf," Pelini says in mock horror. "He hit one of his assistants in the head."

 

The three also take time to chat up other coaches across the Huskers' 23-sport spectrum.

 

"One thing about the athletic department now," Pelini said, "is all the coaches get along and are really good together.

 

"A good basketball program and good wrestling are going to help us just as much as we can help them. We try to work together, and with the women's sports, too."

 

Sadler, whose dad was a longtime high school football coach, is a regular visitor to Memorial Stadium.

 

Pelini plays full-court pickup basketball at the Devaney Center when time allows. Often, he'll swing through the offices and talk to Sadler and Manning or they'll pop out to see him.

 

"I love basketball," Pelini said. "And Doc and I get along really well. I have a lot of respect for him.

 

"I learn a lot watching how his guys play, and how they get after it."

 

Sadler admitted "I don't know a lick" about wrestling. But that doesn't stop him from visiting Manning's practice room two or three times a week.

 

"It's a way to unwind," he said. "And everybody who thinks I'm crazy needs to go watch Manning practice. He may be the craziest dude on campus."

 

Wrestling coaches and basketball coaches, in particular, have been known to butt heads, but not at Nebraska.

 

"This hallway is pretty fun," Manning said with a laugh as he motioned to the corridor between the two sports' offices. "Doc has been a great friend to me and my staff since he arrived."

 

As much fun and camaraderie as these 40-something golf buddies share, they conduct serious business together, too.

 

"I've used Doc and Bo to ask about how they handle different situations," Manning said. "And we share recruiting advice and information.

 

"Those guys have been great about talking to recruits and meeting with families."

 

Sadler also appreciates the offers of help.

 

"Bo and Mark have always been kind enough after a tough loss to call or text me," he said. "It's nice to know you're with people who understand."

 

You never know where the Three Musketeers might show up.

 

Last month, as Sadler furiously worked the sidelines at Allen Fieldhouse against Kansas, sitting in the row behind him were Pelini and Manning, each with a child in tow.

 

"We all have an interest in each other's programs," Manning said.

 

Sadler appreciated the support but couldn't help himself from adding the needle.

 

"They didn't have anybody to get them there," he said. "So like a couple of typical head coaches, driving themselves, they showed up 30 minutes late."

 

The three also were front and center in a funny episode from a football practice last fall.

 

Pelini made time for Manning and former special teams captain Brandon Rigoni to dress in pads for a contest.

 

Manning, playing goal-line defense, had to stop Rigoni just once in five runs from the 10-yard line to win. The whole team gathered to hoot and holler.

 

Sadler, just back from a recruiting trip, showed up in suit and tie to offer advice — especially after Manning got whipped on the first two tries.

 

"I started to get worried that my man was going to get hurt," Sadler said.

 

But Manning succeeded on the fourth try. And who showed up to honor the winner? None other than Athletic Director Tom Osborne.

 

This is a good spot to bring Osborne into the conversation.

 

For a guy with such a stoic public image, nobody in private liked a practical joke or some horseplay or testing the thickness of somebody's skin more than Osborne.

 

You can see Osborne grow young again when he hangs around these three funsters.

 

Under Nebraska's previous athletic administration, the only fun to be found was the fourth, fifth and sixth letters of "dysfunctional."

 

"Now it feels like one big family," Pelini said. "It's like Coach Osborne wants it, and it has worked out well."

[Touchdown Tommie]

This is very cool. As they said, it helps the entire program out when they can get along with each other. I think it would be great to be in the presence of these three playing golf and listening to razzing that is going on, but also the support they gave to each other.

[hack]

anyone who questions this ought to watch this video again...

 

Enij7fzHOjM

 

it looks like a fun working environment.

[Apathy]

anyone who questions this ought to watch this video again...

 

Enij7fzHOjM

 

it looks like a fun working environment.

 

At the 1:19-1:22 time frame of this video to me is the funniest part of this whole video but I still love the whole video as well. Gotta love the way Bo interacts with the other coaches from the other programs.

[Huskers Forever]

Bo and his staff have put fun back into being a Husker. I just love the team building stuff they are doing, and our team chemistry is so much better now because of it.

 

And the unity between Husker sports is going to help keep our coaches wanting to stay at Nebraska for a long time.

[HuskerTrucker]

You never would have seen anything like this under Callahan...it is stuff like this that makes Husker football what it is, too bad there weren't some recruits there to see some of this.

[redout22]

anyone who questions this ought to watch this video again...

 

Enij7fzHOjM

 

it looks like a fun working environment.

 

At the 1:19-1:22 time frame of this video to me is the funniest part of this whole video but I still love the whole video as well. Gotta love the way Bo interacts with the other coaches from the other programs.

That dive was sweet

[Hunter94]

i could watch that video once a day for the rest of my life...sweet.

[MCAT800]

Great story, I was unaware that there was such a good relationship amongst the three coaches, usually it's just animosty.

[hskrfan4life]

I love how things have gone under Tom, the university and it's coaches are like one big happy family. It's nice to see they all offer each other advice.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

That video is great and that dive by Rigoni was awesome! I never get tired of that video.........

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

I love how Manning's jersey had MANGLER on the back. It is good to see bonding sessions like this.

[NUance]

Wow—that was Coach Manning trying to tackle Rigoni in the youTube vid?? I thought it was one of the NU wrestlers when I first saw it. Great video. I love the leap over the top by Rig on the 3rd try.

[arkiehusker]

You never would have seen anything like this under Callahan.

 

 

Thats true, Callahan and Company obviously didnt have ANY tackling drills!

[Micheal]

i just love this, great to see all the Husker athletics coming together