Daily
Nebraskan
Friday, April 1,1994
SPORTS
Tennis coach
hopes men
pick up pace
By Derek Samson
Senior Reporter _
For men’s tennis coach Kerry
McDermott, this weekend marks the
beginning of a new season.
^Nebraska opens its Big Eight sched
ule this weekend when it plays host to
Oklahoma State on Saturday and
Oklahoma on Sunday at the Cathcr
Pound tennis courts, 17th and R Streets.
Both matches begin at 10 a.m.
McDermott said the 4-10 Huskcrs
could concentrate on the season’s sec
ond and more important half.
“It’s like a whole new season now
that wc’rc starting the Big Eight,” he
said. “We basically told our guys that
we’re 4-10, and there will be quite a
few people overlooking us and saying
Nebraska isn’t very good. We don’t
mind going in with that role and play
ing the spoiler. Hopefully we can sur
prise a lot of people.”
McDermott said he was glad the
Huskers would face the Cowboys first.
“I think Oklahoma State is the
weaker of the two schools, so it is nice
to get them first,” McDermott said.
“Hopefully, we can compete well and
get a win, then just see what happens
against Oklahoma.
“It also helps having them both at
home. Since we only have two home
matches, it will be nice to be here. I
think the guys are tired of traveling. It
will be nice to get some home crowd
support.”
A weekend sweep could tum around
the Huskers’ season, McDermott said.
“It would be huge if we could win
both this weekend,” he said. “I think
it would give us the confidence and
show the younger guys what we can do
m thrBfgrPight ’’
Me Dermott and his team were deal t
a major blow when Anthony Kotarac
was declared ineligible during the first
semester.
Kotarac and Matthias Mueller
formed the sixth-ranked doubles team
in the NCAA last season.
MeDermottsaid Kotarac’s absence
had hurt the Huskers.
“That really hurt us,” he said. “I
think with Anthony, we could have
won at least three more.”
McDermott said the Huskers’ in
experience — Jay Segrist and Brad
Bernthal are Nebraska’s only seniors
— had hurt them.
“1 don’t look so much at what has
happened to this point,” McDermott
said. “Our goal was to finish in the top
four of the Big Eight, and we can still
accomplish that. If that doesn’t hap
pen, we want to finish in the top eight
regionally. The season is far from over
for us.”
Nebraska went 1-5 during spring
break, with its only win against South
eastern Louisiana, 4-3.
MeDermottsaid Nebraska was close
to coming back from the break with
three victories.
“The two matches we really had a
chance to get wins were Tulanc and
Rice," he said. “It came down to No. I
singles and No. 3 singles, but we just
couldn’t get it done. On paper, I felt
we showed that we were competing
well.
“We’re very young and inexperi
enced, and it’s been hard coming up
with victories. But one positive is that
we’re showing we’re learning how to
compete.”
Jeff Haller/DN
Nebraska’s Lawrence Phillips, the Huskers' top returner at l-back, catches a pass while
warming up before practice Wednesday.
Ready to run
l-backs prepared to battle for Jones’ spot
By Mitch Sherman
Staff Reporter
After losing the school’s No. 2
all-time leading rusher and No. 3
all-time leading scorer in Calvin
Jones, one would think the Nebras
ka football team was hurting for a
replacement at l-back.
But Comhuskcr coaches aren’t
sweating.
A stable full of young backs
began compel ing for the 1-back spot,
left vacant after Jonesdcclarcd him
self eligible for the NFL draft, as
spring practice opened Monday.
Led by Lawrence Phillips and
Damon Bcnning, who will both be
sophomores next fall, the Huskcrs’
1-back corps is full of talent, assis
tant coach Frank Solich said.
“Even though we lost Calvin, we
feel that we have depth at the 1-back
spot,” Solich said. “It remains to be
seen if they can replace him, but we
feel some guys have some excellent
experience from last year.”
Despite missing most of three
games last year, Jones rushed for
1,043 yards to finish his career with
3,153 yards and 40 touchdowns.
Phill ips was his top replacement
in terms of production last season.
The true freshman from West
Covina, Calif., ran for 508 yards
and scored five touchdowns on 92
carries. He started in place of Jones
against UCLA and ran for 137 yards
in the Huskers’ 14-13 win.
After Jones separated his shoul
der in the first half of Nebraska’s
18-16 loss to Florida State in the
Orange Bowl. Phill ips stepped in to
bring Nebraska back. He rushed for
64 yards on 13 carries in the second
half.
But it remains to be seen if
Phillips can handle the top job over
a long period of time.
“1 played in basically every
game/’ Phillips said, “and I think
that helped me. But if I get the
opportunity to play a lot in every
game, I don’t know how I am going
to handle that at the college level
yet.”
Phillips is ready, Solich said.
“We feel we have an excellent
back in Lawrence ” he said. “He
came in last year and played enough
to get some excellent experience.”
Phillips isn’t the only one ready
to grab the starting I-back spot.
Benning ran for 323 yards and
four touchdowns on 55 carries last
year. But he’s sitting out spring
practiec as he nurses an injured
foot.
Benning may not make it back
until fall practice, Solich said.
Clinton Childs, who will be a
junior in the fall, is listed third on
the depth chart. Marvin Sims, fully
recovered from knee surgery, will
also fight for time.
Brian Knuckles, a transfer from
Coffeyville (Kan.) Community
College, could sec action next sea
son. The 5-foot-1 1-inch, 195-pound
back broke former Huskcr and
Heisman Trophy-winner Mike
Rozier’s rushings records at
Coffeyville.
Knuckles, who has two years of
eligibility remaining, ran for 3,087
yards and 37 touchdowns in two
years at CofTeyville, while averag
ing 140.3 yards per game.
With the number of backs com
peting for the top spot, Phillips
said, the competition will be tough
and may not be decided until fall.
“1 think everyone has the same
chance to start right now,” he said.
“No one is really in front of anyone.
We’re trying to get a clear picture
See l-BACKS on 8
Pro success
is predicted
for Switzer
From Staff Reports
Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said
longtime rival Barry Switzer’s adjust
ment to the professional ranks should
be an easy one.
Switzer, who coached at Oklaho- *
ma for 16 years before leaving in 1989
amid scandal, was named head coach
of the Dallas Cowboys Wednesday.
Former Cowboy coach Jimmy Johnson
resigned after leading the team to two
consecutive Super Bowl titles.
“I’m sure Barry will do fine,”
Osborne said. “He’s a good coach. It
seems like Jimmy Johnson did a good
job.
“But Barry’s been very success
ful.”
In his tenure as Sooner coach.
Switzer won three national titles and
won or tied for 12 Big Eight titles. He
compiled a 157-29-4 overall record at
Oklahoma.
Osborne said he was last contacted
about an NFL coaching job “about six
or seven years ago.” He was last con
tacted in the ’80s about coaching the
Houston Oilers.
“There arc three fairly firm offers
I’ve had,” he said, “but I’ve never
been real serious about it.”
Osborne said he preferred the col
lege ranks anyway.
“One thing about college football
is that the coach is in a little bit more
ofaposition to make a difference,” he
said. “1 think college football is not
‘win at all costs.’
“In pro football, again, you’re bot
tom-line oriented. That’s not too ap
pealing.”
Osborne said Switzer’s coaching
style should appeal to the Cowboy
players.
“I’m sure he’ll relate well to the
players,” he said.
NU coach
still pursuing
UNO spot
From Staff Reports
Nebraska assistant basketball coach
Jeff Smith said he was still pursuing
the coaching position at UNO.
■_m_a
Smith
“They’re in the
process of form
ing a search com
mittce,” Smith
said. “But as far
as I am concerned,
lam still an assis
tant coach at Ne
braska.”
The University
of Nebraska at
Omaha job opened up last month alter
Bob Hanson resigned underpressure.
Hanson had coached UNO for 25 years.
Smith, 33, said his goal was to
become a head coach by the time he
was 35. He has been a Comhusker
assistant since 1988.
“I still have a job here,” he said,
“and I am still doing everything 1
normally do.”
Smith, who is in Charlotte, N.C.,
this weekend for the Final Four, said
he wished UNO would move quicker.
That way, if he received the job.
Smith said Nebraska coach Danny
Nee could Find a replacement.
NU to compete at first outdoor track meet of season
By Trevor Parks
Staff Report* ___
Nebraska’s track and field opponents this
weekend will have a head start on the
Comhuskers, Coach Gary Pepin said.
The other four teams in the field of the UTEP
Spring Time Invitational — Texas Tech, New
Mexico State, Illinois and host UTEP — will
have a jump on Nebraska because they’ve al
ready competed in at least one outdoor meet,
Pepin said.
The meet, which will be held in El Paso,
Texas, marks Nebraska’s first event of the
outdoor season.
Besides not competing, Pepin said, Nebras
ka hasn't been able to practice outside as much
as it would like.
“The weather’s been somewhat of a prob
lem,” Pepin said. “Also, after spring break it
takes us some time to recover.”
Sprinter Shanelle Porter, pole vaultcr John
Nichols and hurdler Willie Hibler especially
will need some time to recover from lingering
injuries, Pepin said. All three are doubtful for
this weekend’s meet.
Just four Huskers have competed outdoors
this season.
Senior Mike Bailey has the first provisional
qualifying time for the men. He finished fourth
in the decathlon at the College Station Decath
lon/Heptathlon on March 17 and 18.
Also, junior Gene Paulsen finished sixth in
the decathlon. Sophomore Colleen McKinney
finished fourth in ncr first heptathlon and fresh
man Jim Garnham finished 13th in the decath
lon.
Pepin said this meet would be the first com
petition this year for the javelin, discus, ham
mer throw, 35-pound weight throw and steeple
chase.
“This will be a good chance for us lo open up
the season,” Pepin said.
Pepin said a few Huskers had decided to
redshirt this outdoor season.
On the men’s side, distance runner Banti
Itcffa and middle distance runner Pat Trainor
have opted to sit out.
For the women, freshman shot putter Trcssa
Thompson and senior Michelle Shoemaker will
sit out also.