Turns out, he just couldn’t board that airplane headed to the West Coast, Ted Gilmore said. As a result, the 39-year-old is staying put as Nebraska wide receivers coach.

After accepting the same position Saturday with the NFL Oakland Raiders, Gilmore said he changed his mind late Sunday afternoon and informed new Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin of his turnabout.

“Besides us having unfinished business here at Nebraska, I just couldn’t get on that plane,” Gilmore said Sunday.

Gilmore, who recently completed his second season at Nebraska, had informed his Husker wideouts Saturday that he was headed to Oakland for a new job. He would have replaced 18-year Raider assistant Fred Biletnikoff, who recently retired.

“It’s a combination of everything,” Gilmore said of his late change of heart. “I prayed about it. Although it’s a wonderful opportunity (in Oakland), it’s just not the right opportunity at this point in my life. All I can do is go on my gut feeling.

“I came to Nebraska to win a championship and haven’t done that at this point.”

Nebraska returns its top six veteran wideouts from 2006, including seniors Terrence Nunn (42 receptions for 597 yards in 2006), Maurice Purify (34-630) and Frantz Hardy (14-317) and juniors Nate Swift (22-374) and Todd Peterson (19-307).

The Huskers this past season improved on their 2005 passing-game statistics in several categories, including average yards per catch (11.3 to 14.0) and average per game (224.3 to 244.1).

“It was the hardest thing I ever had to do, to look those kids in the eyes and tell them I was leaving,” Gilmore said of his meeting with Husker wideouts Saturday.

“It’s a good time to be at Nebraska,” the coach continued. “My family is happy. Coach (Bill) Callahan has been wonderful to us.”

A native of Wichita, Kan., Gilmore arrived at Nebraska in January of 2005. At the time, he informed Callahan that his eventual goal was to coach in the NFL. Callahan said he would help Gilmore with that process when the time arose, Gilmore said.

True to his word, Callahan delivered when the Raiders came calling, Gilmore said.

“I was very impressed by that,” Gilmore said. “In fact, it was mighty big of him to do that. In the end, my decision to stay at Nebraska was due in part to that. I gained even more respect for coach Callahan.”

Gilmore said he plans this week to discuss with Callahan the possibility of adding recruiting coordinator to his current duties. The Husker recruiting coordinator position opened two weeks ago when Shawn Watson was promoted to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

“I’m always interested in taking on new responsibilities,” Gilmore said.

Kiffin, in a phone interview early Sunday afternoon, said he had hired Gilmore after interviewing 11 other candidates. Kiffin said Oakland needs a strong presence at wide receivers coach in part because of the personnel at the position, most notably nine-year veteran Randy Moss, notorious for his on- and off-field issues.

“Confidence and knowledge is how you win over people,” Kiffin said. “You don’t B.S. them; you make them better. Ted can do that.”

Turns out, Gilmore will be helping players improve at Nebraska instead of Oakland.

The 31-year-old Kiffin phoned The Lincoln Journal Star early Sunday evening to update Gilmore’s situation.

“I have no problem with (Gilmore’s change of heart),” Kiffin said. “I totally understand everything that goes into these decisions.”

Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.