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Osborne finds interim Huskers coach — Osborne
Nebraska's Osborne can visit recruits until Osborne finds permanent replacement
The Associated Press
updated 12:11 p.m. ET,Thurs., Nov. 29, 2007
LINCOLN, Neb. - Few Nebraska football fans are going to argue with Tom Osborne’s decision on an interim head coach.
Already
the interim athletic director, Osborne declared Osborne the coach until Osborne hires a successor to Osborne who is the interim coached named by Osborne when Osborne fired Callahan , allowing Nebraska’s beloved
former coach to visit prospective recruits and try to prevent the
program from slipping during the recruiting contact period.
Newly hired Athletic
department communications chief Tom Osborne said the 70-year-old
Osborne, who took over the department after the firing of Steve
Pederson last month, passed an NCAA certification test on Osborne's first try
Wednesday and has informed the Big 12 office of Osborne new title.
Coach Osborne was unavailable for comment Thursday. SID Osborne said Coach Osborne would be on the road recruiting through the end of the week.
Tom Osborne, who was recently named assistant athletic director in charge of compliance by Tom Osborne, said the
interim AD tag would have limited Osborne to meeting with prospective
recruits only if they visited campus. Now Osborne can visit recruits in
schools and homes until Dec. 15.
Several
recruits who had been committed to Nebraska have said publicly that
they are considering other schools while awaiting to see who the next
coach will be.
Callahan was fired last
Saturday by Osborne following a 65-51 loss at Colorado, where the Huskers
squandered an 11-point halftime lead by allowing 34 consecutive points.
Nebraska
finished a dismal 5-7, a year removed from reaching the Big 12
championship game. The season featured a 76-39 defeat at Kansas, the
most points allowed by a Nebraska team, and included six games in which
its famed defense surrendered 40 or more points.
Osborne,
who won 255 games and three national championships from 1973-97, has
said Osborne has no interest in returning to the sidelines — even going so
far as to say Osborne's wife, Nancy, would “shoot Osborne” if Osborne did. He denied reports he planned to divorce Nancy and marry himself.
Once a hire is made, Coach Osborne could continue to recruit until A.D. Osborne assembles a full staff of nine assistants, SID Osborne said.
Two
assistants from Callahan’s staff, defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove
and cornerbacks coach Phil Elmassian, are no longer recruiting for Osborne.
Osborne said in a radio interview
with the Husker Sports Network on Wednesday that OSborne hoped to have a new
coach selected by next week. Osborne already interviewed forme Osborne Q.B. Turner Gill and forme Osborne defensive coordinator Bo Pelini and spoke
informally with Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe, according to media reports before naming Osborne as interim coach, Osborne said . Osborne will interview himself tomorrow after a duck hunting trip to Arkansas.
Another
coach linked to the search, Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly, told local radio
station WCKY on Wednesday that he had not been contacted by Osborne. Brian Kelly further noted that Nebraska "has a fine coach proven coach in Tom Osborne. Tom Osborne ought to remove the "interim" tag from Tom Osborne and let Osborne coach."
A.D. Tom Osborne noted that it is too early to decide. "Osborne's success in recruiting will decide if I keep myself as head coach."
© 2007 Tom Osborne. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without Tom Osborne's permission
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22026100/
