Pelini still remembers..

[Guest RockyMtnSooner]

Letting Pelini go could haunt Huskers

By John Henderson

Denver Post Staff Writer

 

 

The second worst thing that could've happened to Colorado football was Nebraska hiring former Oakland Raiders head coach Bill Callahan. The worst thing that could've happened was if Nebraska had retained interim head coach Bo Pelini.

 

Fortunately for Colorado, Nebraska athletic director Steve Pederson had no intention of removing Pelini's interim label. That despite Pelini improving a moribund defense from 55th nationally in 2002 to 11th in 2003 as Nebraska's defensive coordinator, beating Michigan State in the Alamo Bowl as interim head coach and winning over the loyalty of the players and Big Red following.

 

Pederson had no intention of hiring him, Pelini said this past week after finishing spring practice happily devising a defense to stop Callahan's West Coast offense as Oklahoma's new co-defensive coordinator.

 

"I don't think I was really considered for the job for a lot of reasons," Pelini said.

 

The main one, Pelini said, was Pederson had "his own agenda." Meaning, Pederson wanted his own guy, preferably a coach with an NFL background. That's one reason why Pederson dragged out the coaching search almost to the point of program implosion.

 

Luckily for Pederson, Raiders owner Al Davis' ax placed Callahan squarely in Nebraska's lap one year removed from a Super Bowl berth. Pelini could tell something was up during his interview with Pederson.

 

"I've been around long enough to know what a real interview is, and that wasn't a real interview," Pelini said. "It was just something to make the fans happy."

 

Sensing Pelini might not get the job, Oklahoma craftily offered a safety net to replace co-defensive coordinator Mike Stoops, who took the head coaching position at Arizona. Pelini is working with fellow co-coordinator Brent Venables, who has the final say but has meshed much of Pelini's philosophy with his.

 

"There's no problem at all," Pelini said. "We get along very well. The way I go about things, even last year, I was the man in charge but I took everybody's input. It's not like they were working for me. We worked together. You have to be that way."

 

The anger Nebraska's defensive players displayed when Pelini wasn't immediately hired should be testimony for the next school looking for a head coach. Memo to Colorado: Just in case you fire Gary Barnett at month's end, it's not difficult for a coach to get out of a co-coordinator's contract on short notice.

 

Pelini, however, has more pressing matters, namely Oklahoma's matchup against Nebraska, not that he's looking forward to it or anything.

 

"Let's put it this way," Pelini said. "I know it's Nov. 13."

___________

 

Speaking of Nebraska ...

 

While Callahan's a tremendous big-name catch considering how long the Nebraska search dragged out, many in college football wonder if his complicated West Coast offense will work quickly at the college level.

 

First, the Huskers need a top-flight quarterback and they have offered scholarships to two top-10 prospects for 2005: Ryan Perilloux of Destrehan (La.) High, considered the No. 2 QB in the nation behind Greg Paulus of Christian Brothers Academy in Manlius, N.Y.

 

The other is Harrison Beck of Countryside High in Clearwater, Fla.

 

"It'll be tough to get Perilloux away from LSU or Texas," said Jeremy Crabtree of the Rivals.com recruiting service. "They've got a shot at Beck. Nebraska leads on him."

[DaveH]

Of course he still remembers. Last I checked he wasn't an alzheimer's patient .

 

I am sure Pelini is a little bitter towards the administration about the whole thing.

Especially at the "interview". I would be. I am sure he will bring nothing but the best

on Nov 13th. I wouldn't expect anything less.