Sports By Brooks relays word that WOWT-TV in Omaha is reporting that Nebraska AD Steve Pederson has been fired: "University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Harvey Perlman announced he asked UNL Athletic Director Steve Pederson to step down from the post he has held since January 2003. Perlman said he believes Pederson is no longer positioned to move the Athletic Department forward."Pederson was the genius behind cutting Frank Solich loose, dumping the option attack that had been Nebraska's bread and butter since the 1950s, and hiring a failed NFL coach whose players nearly revolted in his final year in Oakland.
Assuming this is true, Bill Callahan will no doubt follow him out the door. EDSBS surveyed some of the rumors out there, seizing upon the latest and most improbable: former deranged defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan will be imported to coach out the season in an interim capacity.
Instant, premature, and off-the-cuff shots in the dark at the next Nebraska head coach: LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini and Navy head coach Paul Johnson.
ADVERTISEMENT
_thumbnail.jpg "NASCAR Cowboy Hats")
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. Well, we know who's next. Someone better start preparing the team for a change in coaching.
-Leon S
p.s. Franck Solich didn't turnout to be any better for Ohio. Look where they've gone.
Posted at 6:01PM on Oct 15th 2007 by Leon Spencer
2. Thank God somebody finally had the guts to step up and pull the plug on Pederson's little crackpipe dream. Obviously Callahan has lost this team just like he lost the Raiders 4 years ago.......they should go ahead and fire he and Cosgrove right now and start up the interview process.......there's no use in prolonging the agony. The players stand just as good a chance of winning any of this seasons remaining game calling their own plays.
Posted at 1:17AM on Oct 16th 2007 by rodneylama
3. First off the Huskers had not been running the option since the 50's. Bob Devaney and coordinator Tom Osborne actually ran a modified NFL style attack from the mid-60's up until the early 80's. At that point Dr. Tom now the head coach put in the I formation with the running game and option plays. Prior to that quarterbacks such as Frank Patrick, Jerry Tagge, Van Bronson, David Humme and Vince Feragamo, who were all basically pocket passers who went into the NFL and had various degrees of success.
But back on point, Pederson was out of choices when he hired Callahan, and it was a "knee-jerk" reaction. I have no clue as to who will be the next AD and coach, but I am willing to bet more caution will be used this time around.
Posted at 9:02AM on Oct 16th 2007 by bugeatersteve2001
4. Bring back Turner Gill as coach! He was their best ever QB, a staple on Dr. Tom's coaching staff and he has done a decent job at Buffalo.
Posted at 10:49AM on Oct 16th 2007 by alucard
5. I was just wondering when coach Callahan is going to call this team the dummest in America? I belie ve every player on this (very talented) Nebraska team would have enough smarts to figure out that you can,t beat Chuckie with his own playbook.
Posted at 11:11AM on Oct 16th 2007 by Future Pilot
6. things could definitely get interesting in the coaching carousel this offseason. one scenario...
Michigan: Carr retires, hires Les Miles
LSU: Miles leaves
Nebraska: Callahan fired
Pelini has been talked about as a candidate for LSU, should Miles leave. What if Nebraska also wants Pelini? Who does Nebraska (or LSU, depending on how the Pelini situation works out) go after? Would Jimbo Fisher leave FSU to go back to LSU? I know, I'm talking crazy, but this is just too much fun and so potentially intriguing.
Posted at 11:26AM on Oct 16th 2007 by andrew
7. What 2 million buyout??? Give Steve P. 2 Cents that's all he's worth! Bring Back Tom O.! as AD or Coach!
Posted at 11:44AM on Oct 16th 2007 by Lance not in Nebr. anymore
8. Getting rid of Pederson was a good thing and now the next best thing to do would be get rid of Bill Callahan. His West Coast Offense has really put the Huskers in a bad spot and these College boys are NOT PROS. They need to get back to the smash mouth hard hitting and great passing that Nebraska is famous for. We will always be Husker fans but the disappointment with this new 3-4 year program is really hard to take. Thanks for listening.
THANK YOU
Rich & Shirley Carmichael
Mesquite, Nv
Posted at 9:11PM on Oct 16th 2007 by Rich Carmichael
9. I'm so relieved Steve Pederson was let go, two days earlier I read a blog that said callahan’s hiring by Pederson may have been politically motivated, and that his contract was just renewed through 2011. So I was beginning to wonder if the Huskers football program had some how got too mired in politics to recover any time soon.
I too am a I life long Husker fan, born and raised in Lincoln. My father owned a business three blocks from the stadium and I grew up watching the 10th street foot traffic hoofing it religiously to every home game. Hey one of my brothers lives next door to Frank Solich, should I have him ask Frank if he wants his old job back? Just kidding! Frank was actually my weight lifting coach in high school back in the late 70’s and he was better at that then he was at coaching. I had a lot of respect for him in that job, he reminded me of Robert Conrad from Baa Baa Black Sheep.
I vote for Turner Gill as a head coach any day of the week. I have those infamous Irving Fryer, Turner Gill, Mike Rozier era games on VHS and Turner still has the magic in my book.
I'm just glad to see there is still hope for a program that pumped huge dollars into a stadium renovation that may still some day again have a quality program commensurate with that investment as it deserves, and as is owed to the fans whose ticket sales from a cajillion consecutive sellouts help to finance those programs developments, and who continued attendance is a testament to our loyalty. But dang how long are we expected to be that loyal with out wavering in the face of a seemingly aimless program direction?
Ok now its your turn for all those “First of all” fact correcting responders. Seriously though, we all have a right to post here and I respect all differing opinions same as others should expect mine. Where’s all the “Old School” Nebraska Bugeaters” influence on the current situation?
Posted at 3:30AM on Oct 17th 2007 by Mark Ferguson
10. Paging Bo Pelini!...The main element the Cornhuskers missed this year was the Blackshirts. They did not exist. Last year, yes, you could say that they did but not this year. There was not one single player noted on the entire defense as a standout physical player. That type of player was a staple in all the years prior to the days of the Callahan massacres. Pelini has done a hell of a job at LSU and he knows what it takes to instill pride and character in all players, not just the all-americans. And let's face it, we will never have a team full of those at the University of Nebraska. Bring in Pelini and you reinstate the proud and physical football that the fans in the Great State of Nebraska demand. Oh yeah...can Cosgrove while you're at it...I don't care what he's done in the past...he aint doin it now!
Posted at 9:12PM on Nov 24th 2007 by huskerbear75