old boy Jamrog. personally I thought he mostly stunk anyway, but this will make the game even a bit more interesting I guess..
LJS:
Yet another Nebraska assistant football coach from 2003 will coach against the Huskers in 2004.
Jeff Jamrog, a former Nebraska defensive end who spent the past four seasons as a Husker assistant, on Monday took over as Western Illinois' defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.
The Division I-AA Leathernecks will travel to Lincoln on Sept. 4 for the season opener for both teams.
"It's ironic,"Jamrog said. "You have to play the hand you're dealt. Everybody will be excited that day. It's the start of the Bill Callahan era at Nebraska."
On Jan. 12, three days after Callahan took over as Nebraska head coach, he fired seven Husker assistants, including the 39-year-old Jamrog.
Of the seven, two others were hired by schools that will play Nebraska in 2003 - Barney Cotton became offensive coordinator at Iowa State and Bo Pelini co-defensive coordinator at Oklahoma.
Jamrog, a 17-year coaching veteran, said he feels fortunate to have landed at Western Illinois, which finished 9-4 in 2003. The school, which has an enrollment of about 12,000, is located in Macomb, Ill., site of the NFL St. Louis Rams' training camp.
"I can't say enough about Coach (Frank) Solich and Coach (Tom) Osborne for making calls for me," said Jamrog, referring to Nebraska's last two head coaches. "There weren't many jobs out there."
Jamrog had been in the running to become linebackers coach at Kansas State. That job went to former South Carolina defensive coordinator Chris Cosh, who had been a leading candidate to take over as Western Illinois' defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.
Enter Jamrog. After Kansas State hired Cosh, Wildcats defensive coordinator Bob Elliott told WesternIllinois head coach DonPatterson that he ought to strongly consider Jamrog. Elliott and Patterson both were longtime assistants at Iowa under Hayden Fry.
Jamrog's deal with the Leathernecks was sealed last weekend, meaning Jamrog, his wife and three children (ages 13, 11 and 8) are headed to Macomb.
"There's mixed emotions,"Jamrog said of his family's reaction. "Lincoln was our home for four years, and the average stop for a college football coach is about that time span. I would've liked to have been around my alma mater longer. But it's time to move on to another opportunity."
Jamrog said he was attracted to the job stability WesternIllinois offers. The Leathernecks have reached the Division I-AA playoffs three of the last five seasons, twice reaching the quarterfinals, and captured the Gateway Conference title in 2000 and 2002.
Patterson, 41-18 in five seasons at Western Illinois, said Jamrog is a proven defensive coach. Before coming to Nebraska, Jamrog spent three seasons as defensive coordinator at New Mexico State. In 1999, the Aggies finished 6-5, including a 35-7 road upset of then-No. 22 Arizona State.
"It's not always easy to win at New Mexico State," Patterson said. "The other thing that speaks highly for Jeff is the performance of Nebraska's defense last fall. I realize Bo Pelini was the defensive coordinator. But I know how football is, and I'm sure Bo would tell you that staff had a lot to do with the defense's success."
Pelini, a graduate assistant at Iowa in 1991, gave Jamrog a glowing recommendation, Patterson said. The Huskers finished 11th nationally in total defense.
"Bo wouldn't do anything but shoot straight with me on any subject," Patterson said.
Jamrog replaces Rick Courtright, who joined the NFL Arizona Cardinals' staff as a quality control coach. In the last five years, Patterson has seen two defensive coordinators advance to the NFL and another take over as defensive coordinator at Georgia.
Jamrog said he looks forward to the challenge of guiding a defense that returns three starters from a unit that finished 38th nationally in total defense in 2003. He also is thankful he didn't have to sit out a season of coaching.
"No doubt, the way things happened with Nebraska put things in perspective,"Jamrog said. "It's still a game. Your family is the most important thing. I think sometimes people lose track of that."
Former Nebraska receivers coach Ron Brown will announce his future employment today.
http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2004/0...ll/10046475.txt
LJS:
Yet another Nebraska assistant football coach from 2003 will coach against the Huskers in 2004.
Jeff Jamrog, a former Nebraska defensive end who spent the past four seasons as a Husker assistant, on Monday took over as Western Illinois' defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.
The Division I-AA Leathernecks will travel to Lincoln on Sept. 4 for the season opener for both teams.
"It's ironic,"Jamrog said. "You have to play the hand you're dealt. Everybody will be excited that day. It's the start of the Bill Callahan era at Nebraska."
On Jan. 12, three days after Callahan took over as Nebraska head coach, he fired seven Husker assistants, including the 39-year-old Jamrog.
Of the seven, two others were hired by schools that will play Nebraska in 2003 - Barney Cotton became offensive coordinator at Iowa State and Bo Pelini co-defensive coordinator at Oklahoma.
Jamrog, a 17-year coaching veteran, said he feels fortunate to have landed at Western Illinois, which finished 9-4 in 2003. The school, which has an enrollment of about 12,000, is located in Macomb, Ill., site of the NFL St. Louis Rams' training camp.
"I can't say enough about Coach (Frank) Solich and Coach (Tom) Osborne for making calls for me," said Jamrog, referring to Nebraska's last two head coaches. "There weren't many jobs out there."
Jamrog had been in the running to become linebackers coach at Kansas State. That job went to former South Carolina defensive coordinator Chris Cosh, who had been a leading candidate to take over as Western Illinois' defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.
Enter Jamrog. After Kansas State hired Cosh, Wildcats defensive coordinator Bob Elliott told WesternIllinois head coach DonPatterson that he ought to strongly consider Jamrog. Elliott and Patterson both were longtime assistants at Iowa under Hayden Fry.
Jamrog's deal with the Leathernecks was sealed last weekend, meaning Jamrog, his wife and three children (ages 13, 11 and 8) are headed to Macomb.
"There's mixed emotions,"Jamrog said of his family's reaction. "Lincoln was our home for four years, and the average stop for a college football coach is about that time span. I would've liked to have been around my alma mater longer. But it's time to move on to another opportunity."
Jamrog said he was attracted to the job stability WesternIllinois offers. The Leathernecks have reached the Division I-AA playoffs three of the last five seasons, twice reaching the quarterfinals, and captured the Gateway Conference title in 2000 and 2002.
Patterson, 41-18 in five seasons at Western Illinois, said Jamrog is a proven defensive coach. Before coming to Nebraska, Jamrog spent three seasons as defensive coordinator at New Mexico State. In 1999, the Aggies finished 6-5, including a 35-7 road upset of then-No. 22 Arizona State.
"It's not always easy to win at New Mexico State," Patterson said. "The other thing that speaks highly for Jeff is the performance of Nebraska's defense last fall. I realize Bo Pelini was the defensive coordinator. But I know how football is, and I'm sure Bo would tell you that staff had a lot to do with the defense's success."
Pelini, a graduate assistant at Iowa in 1991, gave Jamrog a glowing recommendation, Patterson said. The Huskers finished 11th nationally in total defense.
"Bo wouldn't do anything but shoot straight with me on any subject," Patterson said.
Jamrog replaces Rick Courtright, who joined the NFL Arizona Cardinals' staff as a quality control coach. In the last five years, Patterson has seen two defensive coordinators advance to the NFL and another take over as defensive coordinator at Georgia.
Jamrog said he looks forward to the challenge of guiding a defense that returns three starters from a unit that finished 38th nationally in total defense in 2003. He also is thankful he didn't have to sit out a season of coaching.
"No doubt, the way things happened with Nebraska put things in perspective,"Jamrog said. "It's still a game. Your family is the most important thing. I think sometimes people lose track of that."
Former Nebraska receivers coach Ron Brown will announce his future employment today.
http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2004/0...ll/10046475.txt