Blake, 43, was head coach at Oklahoma from 1996-98. He came to the Huskers from Mississippi State, where he was defensive line coach. His recruiting areas are southern California, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and southern Texas.

Blake and his wife, Freda, have a son, Jourdan (8).

FIRST COACHING JOB: "Oklahoma, defensive line student assistant (1985)."

COACHING HERO: "Do I have to? I have a lot of them."

FAVORITE COACHING EXPRESSION: "Don't worry about the mule. Just load the wagon."

FAVORITE COACH CALLAHAN EXPRESSION: "I don't know. He's got so many of them."

ONE OF YOUR PLAYERS WHO LOOKS LIKE COACH MATERIAL: "Really, none of them. They all think they can go into the NFL. … Probably, Adam Carriker."

A PLAYER AT LINEBACKER WHO MIGHT SURPRISE SOME PEOPLE THIS SEASON: "I think they are all going to do really well. Jay Moore is a kid who has kind of raised his number."

— John Mabry