Governor, chancellor
I support retirement
T
By Erin Gibson
Senior Reporter
Twenty-five years ago, then-NU
President D.B. “Woody” Varner wrung
his hands and stepped into a press con
ference after making a controversial
recommendation
Together with Nebraska coaching
great Bob Devaney, Varner had sug
gested a young coach lead the Nebraska
football program rolling off two con
secutive national championship titles.
Wednesday, Varner again watched a
i teary-eyed legend step down and a
; promising new coach take the podium.
| But this time, he and wife, Paula, sat
i meekly among throngs of reporters and
television cameras.
“He’s made me look good for 25
I years,” Varner said with a quiet smile,
i adding he and Osborne have remained
| close friends since that first fateful day
: in 1972.
Many state and university leaders
j Wednesday shared stories of Osborne
! and his career. Some recalled the quali
| ty of his character and their surprise at
his leaving the profession. Others noted
his contributions to Nebraska during
his lifetime in the state.
But University of Nebraska
I Lincoln Chancellor James Moeser
J detailed more recent events: The deci
j sion-making process that led to
j Osborne’s retirement and Frank
L Solich’s new coaching position.
T- Moeser said Osborne asked to meet
with him and Athletic Director Bill
Byrne early in the football season. At
that meeting, Osborne expressed his
intent to retire this year, but he said he
I couldn’t leave his coaching position
;■ without a promise his staff would
i remain intact.
“Tom Osborne’s major concern
■ when he spoke with jis was that the
j charaetar ^d |u41ifytifth>to'otbalt
j program remain intact,” Moesersaid.
“He said, ‘I don’t want someone else
coming in here and jerking my kids
! around by the face masks.’”
Osborne asked that, should he step
J down, the university’ name NU
I Running Backs Coach Solich as his
■ successor.
“I made kind of a personal commit
I ment to Tom at that time that I would
; support that,” Moeser said.
After the meeting, Osborne didn’t
| commit to retirement until just before
i the Big 12 championship game in San
! Antonio, Moeser said.
At that time, Byrne asked the
Office of Affirmative Action if he could
J appoint Solich coach, per Osborne’s
| request, without an outside search to fill
i the position. When the office approved
! the bypass of university policy, the
coaching change jelled
Osborne knew he would soon play a
different role in the Athletic
Department
But hepromised to continue his
university roles outside Memorial
Stadium, Moeser said, including con
tinuing to lead the UNL libraries fund
raising effort with his wife, Nancy.
Gov. Ben Nelson said Wednesday
he never knew Osborne played a role in
a library charity.
; “He and Nancy are modest people,”
Nelson said.
They Jiave been, at least since
Nelson attended graduate school with
Osborne in 1964.
That year, the two young families
moved in n&xt door to each other at
1429 and 1431 C St They shared a
small laundry room and a few laughs
when Nelson tried to make homemade
wine there.
Nelson, who said he was surprised
by Osborne’s announcement
Wednesday, wants to see his friend and
ask him one question about retirement:
“Does this mean you and I get to hunt
and fish together more than we have in
the past?”
Now, the two grab their guns and
fishing lines whenever their busy
schedules afford, Nelson said. In July,
the two fished together last on a lake in
McCook. Nelson claims he caught the
biggest fish, but says Osborne - who
wore a silly, floppy hat out on the lake -
would argue otherwise.
But no matter who has caught the
biggest fish or who has brought down
the most birds, Nelson said Osborne
won all contests years ago.
“Tom Osborne has done what is the
most difficult thing in the world,”
Nelson said. “That is to follow a very
successful person in his field and do
even better.”
NU Regent Robert. Alien of
Hastings said he remembered \Hlqnfhe
doubted Osborne could match
Devaney’s coaching prowess. And, after
the second year Nebraska lost a football
game to Oklahoma, Allen told Osborne
about it in a letter.
“I told him he was too predictable,”
Allen said, who worked in a retail busi
ness in Hastings.
Osborne wrote back, ‘I think I
know more about retail than you know
about football,’” Allen said.
Allen said he’s glad Osborne stood
up for himself those many years ago,
because he now knows Osborne as one
of the best college coaches in history.
And he hates to see him go.
Nelson agreed: “Do I wish he was
still coach? Yes. So does everyone else
in Nebraska.”
But, he said, “Itls a wise person who
knows when to'hang it up.”
■
i
i ' -- "
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Congratulations Tom
Osborne on 25 Great Years.
We’ll miss you.
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501N. 10 Street Room 123
(402)472-5787 j
(southwest of the stadium)
Monday-Fiiday 8-5 Tuesday 8-6
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