Pelini may coach for LSU in title game
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By BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star
Bo Pelini might not be able to remove that purple from his wardrobe completely.
One more night of coaching LSU still could be on the docket.
Following Sunday’s news conference at Memorial Stadium, the new Husker head coach said he was unsure what he would do if LSU ended up in the BCS championship game. It was announced later Sunday that LSU will play Ohio State for the national title.
Pelini said LSU coach Les Miles expressed a desire to have Pelini remain as his defensive coordinator for the bowl game.
“What that would mean here ... that would be something I’d have to get a blessing from Coach Osborne on,” Pelini said soon after interim athletic director Tom Osborne had introduced him as NU’s new coach.
“All my focus right now is putting a staff together and recruiting for Nebraska. That’s what I’m worried about right now.”
Randy York, NU associate athletic director for communications, said Osborne and Pelini had not yet discussed the situation.
“Great coaches are great multi-taskers, but I’m sure a decision like that one would require an awful lot of thought, and I know Coach Osborne’s and Coach Pelini’s thoughts right now are on what’s best for Nebraska,” York said.
On Sunday night, Miles told a Louisiana reporter that Pelini would be coaching in the national title game.
LSU defenders were sure hoping Pelini would be around to take on Ohio State, the school Pelini played free safety for from 1987-90.
“Why wouldn’t they let him coach in a bowl game?” LSU linebacker Ali Highsmith said to the Baton Rouge (La.) Advocate. “He’s their coach now, but he’s still our coach, too.”
Added Tiger safety Craig Steltz: “I hope we get the chance to go to battle with him one more time.”
Georgia coach Mark Richt offered another opinion while being interviewed by FOX on its bowl selection show.
Richt was hired by Georgia at the end of the 2000 regular season after serving as an offensive coordinator at Florida State. With FSU in the national title game that year, Richt elected to stay around and coach the Seminoles in the bowl game.
If he had to do over again, Richt said Sunday night that he would have not coached Florida State in that game.
Still, Pelini said it might be possible to coach LSU in one more game since there is a recruiting dead period (coaches can’t contact recruits) from Dec. 17 to Jan. 1.
“I would want to make sure I do the right thing by LSU for all the things they did for me,” Pelini said. “But that wouldn’t really change anything from now until mid-December. I’m going to work for Nebraska right now.”
Reach Brian Christopherson at 473-7439 or bchristopherson@journalstar.com.
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