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All-Conference
http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2007/1...5f657847611.txt
Office decorating will have to wait.
Bo Pelini found Wednesday better suited for air travel and salesmanship.
After spending a couple days arranging his coaching staff and talking to local high school players, the new Husker head football coach got on an airplane headed for California.
Accompanied by Ted Gilmore, Pelini paid visits to the likes of recruits Simi Kuli, Cameron Meredith and Shaun Mohler, who once was strongly committed to NU but is no longer.
Mohler said Pelini was fiery and came with a blunt sales pitch: “We’re going to win.”
Pelini talked with the 6-foot-2, 225-pound junior college linebacker for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Mohler, who plays for Orange Coast College, said he’s still undecided on his next move. Oregon, Arizona State, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky and Kansas are among the other schools courting him.
“I thought he was a great guy,” Mohler said. “Intense, really defensive-minded. … I’m just trying to see what the coaching staff is going to be.”
It’s believed an official announcement of Pelini’s assistant coaches could come as early as Thursday. Nebraska currently has seven coaches out recruiting.
It now looks like three members of the 2007 Husker staff might be retained under Pelini. Shawn Watson and Gilmore are expected to be on board; and perhaps also Randy Jordan.
Other offensive coaches definitely on the staff are Ron Brown and Barney Cotton, whose son Ben committed to Nebraska on Monday night.
On the defensive side, Marvin Sanders and Bo’s brother, Carl Pelini, appear to be on the staff. Both were in Lincoln on Wednesday.
John Papuchis, a 29-year-old defensive intern at LSU, also could be on the staff, along with Mike Ekeler, a native of Blair and a Kansas State grad.
Ekeler knows Pelini well. He was a grad assistant at Oklahoma while Pelini was a co-defensive coordinator there in 2004. They met up again in Louisiana, where Ekeler was an assistant strength coach while Pelini coached the LSU defense.
Ekeler graduated from Blair High School in 1990 and was a member of the Bears’ 1988 Class B state championship team, playing receiver and linebacker.
“He was a very fiery guy on the field, a lot of enthusiasm, tough kid,” said Mike Lehl, who coached Ekeler in high school and still lives in Blair.
Ekeler had enough talent to play linebacker at Kansas State.
“He loved football,” Lehl said. “He was very dedicated at making himself a good football player.”
It should come as no surprise that Pelini would be interested in having someone with Ekeler’s personality on his staff.
On Sunday, the day he was hired, Pelini said he was looking for passionate teachers and communicators when it came to picking his assistants.
“Obviously we want high-energy people and people who can communicate with the players and build relationships and leadership,” Pelini said. “Those are all things to me that would make up being a great coach. It’s not just about recruiting or X’s and O’s. It’s about the total package.”
Office decorating will have to wait.
Bo Pelini found Wednesday better suited for air travel and salesmanship.
After spending a couple days arranging his coaching staff and talking to local high school players, the new Husker head football coach got on an airplane headed for California.
Accompanied by Ted Gilmore, Pelini paid visits to the likes of recruits Simi Kuli, Cameron Meredith and Shaun Mohler, who once was strongly committed to NU but is no longer.
Mohler said Pelini was fiery and came with a blunt sales pitch: “We’re going to win.”
Pelini talked with the 6-foot-2, 225-pound junior college linebacker for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Mohler, who plays for Orange Coast College, said he’s still undecided on his next move. Oregon, Arizona State, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky and Kansas are among the other schools courting him.
“I thought he was a great guy,” Mohler said. “Intense, really defensive-minded. … I’m just trying to see what the coaching staff is going to be.”
It’s believed an official announcement of Pelini’s assistant coaches could come as early as Thursday. Nebraska currently has seven coaches out recruiting.
It now looks like three members of the 2007 Husker staff might be retained under Pelini. Shawn Watson and Gilmore are expected to be on board; and perhaps also Randy Jordan.
Other offensive coaches definitely on the staff are Ron Brown and Barney Cotton, whose son Ben committed to Nebraska on Monday night.
On the defensive side, Marvin Sanders and Bo’s brother, Carl Pelini, appear to be on the staff. Both were in Lincoln on Wednesday.
John Papuchis, a 29-year-old defensive intern at LSU, also could be on the staff, along with Mike Ekeler, a native of Blair and a Kansas State grad.
Ekeler knows Pelini well. He was a grad assistant at Oklahoma while Pelini was a co-defensive coordinator there in 2004. They met up again in Louisiana, where Ekeler was an assistant strength coach while Pelini coached the LSU defense.
Ekeler graduated from Blair High School in 1990 and was a member of the Bears’ 1988 Class B state championship team, playing receiver and linebacker.
“He was a very fiery guy on the field, a lot of enthusiasm, tough kid,” said Mike Lehl, who coached Ekeler in high school and still lives in Blair.
Ekeler had enough talent to play linebacker at Kansas State.
“He loved football,” Lehl said. “He was very dedicated at making himself a good football player.”
It should come as no surprise that Pelini would be interested in having someone with Ekeler’s personality on his staff.
On Sunday, the day he was hired, Pelini said he was looking for passionate teachers and communicators when it came to picking his assistants.
“Obviously we want high-energy people and people who can communicate with the players and build relationships and leadership,” Pelini said. “Those are all things to me that would make up being a great coach. It’s not just about recruiting or X’s and O’s. It’s about the total package.”
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