LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -There’s no shortage of “experts” around here willing to give Nebraska coach Bo Pelini advice on how to run his program.
Tom Osborne is one Pelini actually listens to.
“If anything, I wish he would speak up more,” Pelini said.
The 72-year-old Osborne ended his 25-year coaching career in 1997 after winning a share of his third national championship in four years, and has been athletic director for two years.
His interest in football has not waned.
He watches practice almost every day. On Sundays he watches the coaches’ film of the Cornhuskers’ game the day before and of upcoming opponents.
“Just really for my own interest,” Osborne said Wednesday.
He also serves as a sounding board for Pelini and the assistants. But he downplays any influence he might have on what happens on the field.
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Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson credits Osborne for helping him make the shift from the spread to more two-back, two-tight end formations. Osborne, who designed prolific triple-option offenses that flummoxed Big Eight and Big 12 defenses for years, stopped by Watson’s office a couple of weeks ago to drop off film cutups from the national championship years of the mid 1990s.
Watson said he learned a thing or two.
“He never pushes himself on us,” Watson said. “Every once in a while he pops in when he sees something at practice, or he remembers something that may benefit us, he’ll offer it up. If it fits, we use it. If it doesn’t – some things do and some things don’t.”
Nebraska’s offense came out of its funk last week in a 31-17 win at Kansas. Roy Helu Jr. ran for 156 yards and three touchdowns, and Zac Lee looked comfortable throwing play-action passes off the option.
Osborne also gave Watson a nudge during the Oct. 8 game at Missouri. The visiting athletic director’s box is near the assistant coaches’ box, and the two passed by each other at halftime. Osborne casually reminded Watson about a play the Huskers had worked on in practice that week, a pass route that exploited the safety’s tendency to move up in run support.
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Osborne said his involvement doesn’t come close to violating the NCAA rule limiting football staffs to 10 coaches.
“As long as you’re not coaching players on the field, or as long as you’re not recruiting, you’re OK,” Osborne said. “If someone asked you how you ran a certain play, that’s not an NCAA violation. We’ve got probably a million people who send in plays or are experts on plays. They give their input. I give mine.”
Pelini welcomes that input.
“I look at it as a bonus,” he said. “Here’s a gentleman who’s lived it in so many different ways. He’s a Hall of Fame coach. Any insight he can give is obviously helpful and always will be.”
Talks between Osborne and Pelini go beyond X’s and O’s. Osborne has counseled Pelini on how to appropriately get a point across to referees, how to deal with the media, and even on how rigorous practices should be.
All the while, Osborne reminds the 41-year-old Pelini that the team must be run the way Pelini sees fit.
“I feel like sometimes he talks to me the way my father used to talk to me,” Pelini said. “He’s extremely supportive but he’s willing to give his opinion and be real black and white.”
Osborne said he always appreciated that the late Bob Devaney never looked over his shoulder after he took over the team in 1973 and Devaney became full-time athletic director.
“I don’t remember Bob ever saying you need to run this play or you need to play this guy. He was always there if I wanted to run something by him,” Osborne said. “History is replete with former coaches who became athletic directors who tried to still be coaches and begin to mandate certain things happen. It really doesn’t work very well.”
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University of Nebraska-Lincoln athletics: http://www.huskers.com
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