The Legacy of Tom Osborne

[BIGREDIOWAN]

No words can put his legacy into perspective....................great man, enjoy your retirement T.O. You deserve it................GO BIG RED!

[beanman]

Could you imagine if he was just now retiring from coaching?

We would have about 10 national titles by now.

 

Probably not, but I bet we'd have a couple more. 1999 for sure. Still can't believe we fumbled that season away : (

[T_O_Bull]

Simply put he made us all proud to be Husker fans and showed us how to keep our heads high even in defeat. Hurts every bit as much today as it did in '97.

Thank you Coach.

T_O_B

[Paul in WI]

He's Nebraska's Honest Abe and a good role model for life. Thank you.

[EbylHusker]

Thanks for all the hard work and good times over the years, TO. You'll be missed!

[jsneb83]

I say we start a petition to change the name of Lincoln to Osborne.

[B.B. Hemingway]

Wow, How do you put into words what this man has meant to our state. Without a doubt this man is easy to admire for his football accomplishments, but what is most impressive about Coach is how easy it is to admire him as a person.... Tom is the kind of man we should all strive to become....

 

Thanks Coach, may you have many years to enjoy retirement, and may you be with us when we can all enjoy THE RETURN OF NEBRASKA FOOTBALL....

[RedDenver]

Not to take away from his accomplishments, but Osborne only had one Heisman winner, Rozier.

[deedsker]

I say we start a petition to change the name of Lincoln to Osborne.

I second that

[darkhorse85]

I say we start a petition to change the name of Lincoln to Osborne.

I second that

 

All those in favor?

[Decked]

Today Tom Osborne announced his retirement from Nebraska Athletics. It's a bittersweet day, mirrored by a cold December day in 1997. Today, in Nebraska, it's bright and sunny. But I can't help remembering that day, in the midst of yet another National Championship run, when Dr. Tom announced that he was stepping down from his post as Head Coach at the University of Nebraska. In his 25 years at the helm, Osborne guided the Huskers through good times and bad - more good than bad, by far - and left the program on the highest of highs, finishing his final five years with a 60-3 record. But that's not all he accomplished.

 

We all know the rundown:

 

255 career wins.

Won 250 games faster than any coach in NCAA history

25 years winning 9 or more games

25 straight bowl games

13 Conference Championships

Three National Championships

Two Heisman Trophy winners

Ranked in the Top 25 throughout his career, minus two weeks

National Coach of the Year eight times

Coached 65 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans

College Football Coaching Hall of Fame entry - 1999

Jim Thorpe Lifetime Achievement Award - 2000

Founder, TeamMates Program

 

Throughout his career Osborne coached with class and honor. He retired in 1997 from coaching, taking up a political career in the House of Representatives in 2000-2006, representing Nebraska's 3rd District. Osborne returned to the University of Nebraska when the football program was in disarray, taking on an interim Athletic Director position in 2007. Osborne navigated the football program through some dark times, helping guide it back to stability, if not dominance.

 

As stated in Tom Osborne's bio on Huskers.com, "To put Osborne’s dedication to developing complete student-athletes in perspective, he accumulated more football Academic All-Americans in his 25 years as coach than any other football program in the nation has produced in its history."

 

The legacy Osborne leaves behind is measured as much in the hearts of those he coached, both players and fans, as in his tangible accomplishments. Tom Osborne may, possibly, go down in history as Nebraska's most influential citizen. High School star athlete, Coach, Congressman, Athletic Director of the state's flagship sports program, his is a legacy that will resonate through this state long after his retirement.

 

Now that Tom has retired, and (presumably) officially left the public eye in Nebraska, we can only hope he has many years left to bask in the glow of his accomplishments. If ever a man deserved to, it's Dr. Tom. He's earned it.

 

"Success, as far as I'm concerned, cannot be measured in terms of wins. It's more than winning. To make an effort to win in a manner that reflects well on the university. That has a positive effect on young people."

-Tom Osborne

I think im actually going to cry... .

[Decked]

I say we start a petition to change the name of Lincoln to Osborne.

I second that

 

All those in favor?

I.

[akita]

Not to take away from his accomplishments, but Osborne only had one Heisman winner, Rozier.

I will take the 3 national titles over some Individual award any day!

[Flood]

Wow. We all knew it was coming soon. I just didn't expect it THIS soon. I guess someone would say that no matter when he retired.

 

An amazing run. One man had so much impact on a school and a state.

[Joe_5700]

Not to take away from his accomplishments, but Osborne only had one Heisman winner, Rozier.

 

Wasn't Crouch recruited when Osborne was still at the helm?