Pelini talks about recruiting, Callahan
Small talk included spy novels — Bo Pelini is big on Tom Clancy — and questionable refereeing in the NBA playoffs. He’s not so big on the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Husker head football coach addressed a wide range of topics during an interview Thursday. Along with hoops and espionage, he talked recruiting, preseason magazines (doesn’t read them) and office all-nighters (never done it). He also talked about Bill Callahan.
Pelini stood up for the former Husker coach a bit, saying Callahan inherited a much different situation than what he’s known since taking the job in December.
“Coach Callahan probably came into a situation where, for a place as great as this, there was a lot of turmoil going on,” the first-year head coach said. “Let’s face it, he got into a tough situation. The guy’s a good football coach or he wouldn’t have had the opportunities he’s had to this point. But he came into a tough deal.
“I came into a situation ... where I feel like the backing’s here, there’s more of an excitement in my favor as opposed to the division that was going on back in 2003.”
Pelini hasn’t spoken to Callahan since he left, but said he could see a time when it happens.
“Let’s face it, the way it ended for him wasn’t easy,” Pelini said. “I don’t know him real well. I’ve probably only had two conversations with him in my life, so I don’t know if there’ll ever be a right time for that. I don’t know.”
The way it ended — a 5-7 season — doesn’t exactly make it the easiest time to sell Nebraska football to teenagers wanting the hot new thing.
Consider that some of the recruits were in kindergarten the last time Nebraska was atop the college football universe.
Pelini said recent struggles can’t be an excuse. About those Husker glory years? “It hasn’t been that long,” Pelini said.
“That’s our job, to get out there and tell people about Nebraska, get out there in the communities and the schools and beat the pavement.”
If the kids don’t remember the past successes of NU, older people around them do.
“Fortunately, the coaches and the parents, they all have influence on these kids to a certain degree and they understand the special aspects of Nebraska and its traditions,” Pelini said.
Yes, it’s easier to recruit to Texas than to Nebraska, but to Pelini, that means you just have to scratch a little harder.
“You have to recruit nationally here because of sheer population, so it does make it a challenge. Because you have to cover more areas, you have to cover more kids, you have to do your homework. You have to really watch kids.”
In the upcoming weeks, Pelini will take a vacation, one last recharge of the battery before things get really serious. He said he’ll have a solid scouting report on about half the teams on NU’s schedule by then.
“I have certain ways I’ve done it for a long time and that really hasn’t changed as a head coach,” Pelini said.
There was a bit of locker room fire in the coach as he talked about one of his favorite things about coaching: the challenge of taking a team of so many different personalities and trying to bring them together as part of one culture, willing to play the ultimate team game.
“I told some of the young guys the other night at the end of the day you’re not going to like everybody in this room, but you better respect them, and you better understand that they’re part of the family,” Pelini said. “Disagreements are going to happen but you got to get past them for the good of the team. Because it’s the good of the whole program that matters to me and if there’s one person taking away from that, I’ll show them the door in a second.”
Shortly after the interview was over, Pelini was spotted jogging on an O street sidewalk. Drivers stared and pointed and swerved.
Is that ... ?
Yeah, Mr. Popular. Pelini knows that tag doesn’t remain without the right results.
As he said: “They love me now, but you got to perform.”
Reach Brian Christopherson at bchristopherson@journalstar.com or 473-7439.
The Husker head football coach addressed a wide range of topics during an interview Thursday. Along with hoops and espionage, he talked recruiting, preseason magazines (doesn’t read them) and office all-nighters (never done it). He also talked about Bill Callahan.
Pelini stood up for the former Husker coach a bit, saying Callahan inherited a much different situation than what he’s known since taking the job in December.
“Coach Callahan probably came into a situation where, for a place as great as this, there was a lot of turmoil going on,” the first-year head coach said. “Let’s face it, he got into a tough situation. The guy’s a good football coach or he wouldn’t have had the opportunities he’s had to this point. But he came into a tough deal.
“I came into a situation ... where I feel like the backing’s here, there’s more of an excitement in my favor as opposed to the division that was going on back in 2003.”
Pelini hasn’t spoken to Callahan since he left, but said he could see a time when it happens.
“Let’s face it, the way it ended for him wasn’t easy,” Pelini said. “I don’t know him real well. I’ve probably only had two conversations with him in my life, so I don’t know if there’ll ever be a right time for that. I don’t know.”
The way it ended — a 5-7 season — doesn’t exactly make it the easiest time to sell Nebraska football to teenagers wanting the hot new thing.
Consider that some of the recruits were in kindergarten the last time Nebraska was atop the college football universe.
Pelini said recent struggles can’t be an excuse. About those Husker glory years? “It hasn’t been that long,” Pelini said.
“That’s our job, to get out there and tell people about Nebraska, get out there in the communities and the schools and beat the pavement.”
If the kids don’t remember the past successes of NU, older people around them do.
“Fortunately, the coaches and the parents, they all have influence on these kids to a certain degree and they understand the special aspects of Nebraska and its traditions,” Pelini said.
Yes, it’s easier to recruit to Texas than to Nebraska, but to Pelini, that means you just have to scratch a little harder.
“You have to recruit nationally here because of sheer population, so it does make it a challenge. Because you have to cover more areas, you have to cover more kids, you have to do your homework. You have to really watch kids.”
In the upcoming weeks, Pelini will take a vacation, one last recharge of the battery before things get really serious. He said he’ll have a solid scouting report on about half the teams on NU’s schedule by then.
“I have certain ways I’ve done it for a long time and that really hasn’t changed as a head coach,” Pelini said.
There was a bit of locker room fire in the coach as he talked about one of his favorite things about coaching: the challenge of taking a team of so many different personalities and trying to bring them together as part of one culture, willing to play the ultimate team game.
“I told some of the young guys the other night at the end of the day you’re not going to like everybody in this room, but you better respect them, and you better understand that they’re part of the family,” Pelini said. “Disagreements are going to happen but you got to get past them for the good of the team. Because it’s the good of the whole program that matters to me and if there’s one person taking away from that, I’ll show them the door in a second.”
Shortly after the interview was over, Pelini was spotted jogging on an O street sidewalk. Drivers stared and pointed and swerved.
Is that ... ?
Yeah, Mr. Popular. Pelini knows that tag doesn’t remain without the right results.
As he said: “They love me now, but you got to perform.”
Reach Brian Christopherson at bchristopherson@journalstar.com or 473-7439.
Copyright © 2002-2008 Lincoln Journal Star. All rights reserved.