Mike Kluck
Osborne’s
work here
is finished
I sat with a friend on die night of
Jan. 1,1992, watching the Orange
Bowl.
It was a tough night, my friend
was an Oklahoma fan and the
Comhuskers lost 22-0 to Miami, fur
thering the belief that Tom Osborne
always could get to the big game, but
never win it
The eame was Osborne’s fifth
straight loss in a bcrwl game and NU
finished 15th inThe Associated Press
poll that season.
Nobody is certain when it exactly
happened-maybe it was one of those
sleepless nights Osborne experiences
following a game - but sometime
after that fateful Orange Bowl,
Osborne realized that if Nebraska
was to become a national power
again, the Huskers would have to
change their recruiting style.
So he and the NU coaching staff
renewed their commitment to the
Huskers arxl Nebraskans and recruit
ed speedier defensive players who
could keep up with quick receivers.
The result wasn’t immediate, as
the Huskers went 9-3 in 1992.
But then it started paying off as
NU compiled a 59-3 record over the
next five years, won two national
championships, played for a third and
when Osborne coaches his final
game against Tennessee m this yearb
Orange Bowl game, it could become
his third national title.
So Wednesday, when Osborne
announced his resignation, it was
only prophetic. The rebuilding was
complete - he had put Nebraska back
on top.
OcKnrrv* tnnt nupr a nmoram in
1973 that was one year past winning
back-to-back national champi
onships. He took NU to the brink of a
national championship in 1983
before losing on a two-point conver
sion play that for years defined his
career. He won back-to-back national
championships in 1995 and 1996 and
is one win away from a third national
championship. -
Although 1, like the Huskers,
took a beating on that New Year’s Day
night in 1992, because of Tom
Osborne we can hold our heads high.
Kluckis a journalism graduate
student and die Daily Nebraskan
sports editor.
3 ' •
Coaches
shocked
at loss of
Osborne
By Sam McKewon
Staff Reporter
The Big 12’s eldest statesman
among football coaches, Tom
Osborne, stepped down Wednesday,
leading some coaches around the
nation and within die conference to
express their disbelief about the res
ignation.
“I am in shock at this very
moment,” Kansas State Coach Bill
Snyder said. “The only emotion that
I can really express right now is sur
prise, and I am seldom taken by sur
prise at all. I talked to him
(Tuesday), and he didn’t say any
thing about it.”
Snyder, who has coached at
Kansas State since 1988 but has
never beaten Osborne,, said his
departure will be a serious loss to
the conference.
Osborne should go down as one
of the best coaches in college foot
ball history, Snyder said.
“Legend, that’s the only word I
think of,” Snyder said. “Tom
Osborne represented the very best
this conference had to offer and rep
resented the very best in tollege
football. He’ll be missed by every
___ n
one*
Florida State Coach Bobby
Bowden, who is 5-2 against Osborne
and defeated the Huskefs 18-16 in
1994 for Bowden’s lpne national
championship, said that Osborne
was a definitive winner and great
spokesman for the game.
“He’s an icon in Nebraska and in
this nation,” Bowden said. “And he
was a winner. It’s hard for me to
even think of Nebraska without
Tom.”
Bowden said he and Osborne
often traded ideas about football and
the Cornhusker head coach was a
stalwart in college football strategy.
“When you played a Tom
Osborne-coached team, you knew
you would play as fine a team funda
mentally as there is,” Bowden said.
“They have always blocked and
tackled better than any team we play.
“He and I are pretty close. He
called me quite often to talk about
things and get advice, and I did the
same very often, f probably talked
more to him, more than about any
body in terms of handling problems
and questions I might ask.”
Colorado Coach Rick Neuheisel,
who played against Osborne’s
Nebraska team with UCLA in 1982
and has coached against him the past
two seasons, said Osborne has
' ,c>-;; -;.;v% ^ -7..';
MICHAEL WARREN/1JJN
AFTER WINNING the 250th game of his career, Coach Tom Osborne was introduced to the Memorial Stadium crowd
by Athletic Director Bill Byrne, who complimented Osborne on his amazing feat. Osborne was joined by his wife,
Nancy, and one of his grandchildren.
«
Tom Osborne
represented the very
best this conference
had to offer and
represented the very
best in college
football”
Bill Snyder
Kansas State coach
played a large role in his football
experience.^
“He has certainly earned the
right to be mentioned in the same
breath as the all-time greats,”
Neuheisel said. “It was a thrill to be
on opposite sidelines both as a play
er and a coach.”
Former CU Coach Bill
McCartney, who retired in 1994
after 12 years of coaching and was
3-10-1 against Osborne, said he’ll
remember the NU coach in a posi
tive light all-around.
“My first thoughts are admira
tion and affection,” McCartney said.
‘To maintain the level of excellence
that Nebraska achieved under Coach
Osborne’s leadership is staggering.”
Professional coaches had even
spoke out about Osborne’s resigna
tion.
Miami Dolphins Coach Jimmy
Johnson, who coached at Oklahoma
State and won a national title at
Miami in 1987 and three Super
Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys said
he had great respect his former
adviser.
^ “Osborne was one of the great
coaches in college football, all
Win no. 1- Nebraska 40, UCLA 13, Sept. 8, 1973
Win no. 50 - Nebraska 23, Iowa St 0, Oct 7,1978
Win no. 100 - Nebraska 42, UCLA 10, Sept 24,1983
Win no. 102 - Nebraska 14, Oklahoma St. 10, Oct. 8,1983
Win no. 150 -- Nebraska 47, Arizona St 16, Sept. 24,1988
Win no. 200- Nebraska 27, Oklahoma St 13, Oct. 7, 1993
Win no. 250- Nebraska 64, Oklahoma 7, Nov. 1,1997
TheJaSt25 -
years r
Won 13 conference championships
.Won 254 games (more than 10 wins per year)
Won nine or more games every year (an NCAA record)
Gone to 25 consecutive bowl games (17 consecutive “Major” bowls)
Been ranked every year by The Associated Press
. U 1 ; • - ■ ' -VJ:
time,” Johhsoh said. “He has a
tremendous amoiint of respect from
all of his peers.”
Osborne citedhealth as part of
his decisioh concerning his retire
ment, along with time constraints.
He said 14- to 15-hour days were
becoming tougher to handle.
Snyder concurred with the
notion that coaching a major college
football team can take a serious toll
on the body after awhile.
“It can put some serious damage
on your body over time,” Snyder
said. “If there was a coach that was
30 years bld and he was starting out
todd& he could not last 25 years like
Tom has done at Nebraska. The
pressures of the game are just too
much how.”
Snyder said he was confident
that Nebraska would be able to con
tinue the success it has had in the
past even without Osborne at the
helm.
“When Bob Devaney left, there
were questions about what would
happen, and Tom’s dune a good job,”
Snyder said. “I think Soliph will
continue that tradition at Nebraska.”
'V
- Osborne —-1
the bowls
»
Mncf KawI ooniAfi sail #1 mn
1. JoePaterao 18
2. Bobby Bowden 15
3. Tom Osborne 11
4: John Robinson 7
- La Veil Edwards 7
All-time major bowl
appearances
