Players leading just as important as coaches leading, if not more so

According to a Lincoln Journal Star blog, Nebraska defensive coordinator John Papuchis was one of the featured speakers at the Big Red Academy's Leadership 101 seminar.

Papuchis emphasized how leadership is important but cultivating and developing better leadership has been the Huskers’ biggest objective within the program this offseason. Papuchis went on to say this offseason has been about breaking players into smaller groups, not just necessarily by positions groups, but even groups within the position group. Within those groups, qualified players were picked by coaches to lead:

“For example, the defensive backs, if one of their members is late to a weightlifting session, I’m going to have my say, and Bo’s going to have his say. But what I’d love to have happen is one of the other DBs grab the guy by the shirt and say, ‘That’s not OK. It’s not OK at Nebraska to be late to your weightlifting.’ Because that message resonates a lot longer than me saying, ‘I don’t want this happening.’ … Because players want the respect of their teammates. They want the guys on their team to know that they’re working hard, that they believe in what they’re doing. So giving that responsibility to a teammate to enforce a little bit of discipline that goes a long way.”

The Unity Council was a staple of the Tom Osborne era, particularly the National Championship years of the 1990s. While it still exists, it is no longer decided on a team vote.

“Because whatever you vote on, there’s certain elements of popularity or seniority that goes into it,” Papuchis said. “And that doesn’t necessarily reflect true leadership. It just kind of reflects who's been there the longest or who’s the funniest or whatever. What we’ve kind of gone to is a Unity Council, but a Unity Council that is fluid in its membership. And one that it's a little harder club to get into.”

What Papuchis is saying is very true. Husker head coach Bo Pelini has a persuasive personality but at some point players tune out the coach. I’m not suggesting that Nebraska players have done that to Pelini but if you have vocal leaders that are preaching the same message as the coach, then the coach’s message carries that much more weight as Papuchis suggested.

You can’t help but think back to the Osborne days and the constants that were the heart of the program, this gives me hope that this staff realizes what is lacking today. Osborne said himself that having that upperclassman leadership was vital when playing on the road. When keeping a team sharp after big wins. Paraphrasing, he said to Bob Costas, it was what was missing before that run in the 1990s. Having special players that took control was as big a reason as any why Nebraska went 60-3 from 1993-1997 with three National Championships.

Having the same offense and coaches intact back then, was a much easier proposition than the past decade’s attempts. Osborne always said it was those little things that tripped you up. Starting a freshman at quarterback and underclassmen in the lines meant that the little things were bypassed for expediency. It showed in the penalties and missed assignments too often. Teaching the underclassman was a problem, but having to teach a young coaching staff a new system every season wasn’t a recipe for excellence.

I realize that feel good stories are nice this time of year because this team has far to go. However, at least they are trying to figure out how to get better. That cannot hurt.

Peer accountability, in my opinion, is always one of the most important facets for any team. Coaches will always have a loud say, but you have to have guys within the locker room that aren’t afraid to have their voice heard when in a tight spot or a teammate is stepping out of line.

The officers (coaches) are definitely in charge but a reminder from a Sargent (player) is sometimes needed when in the heat of battle or when a private is shirking his responsibility. Obviously, if it continues the Sargent reports it to the officers and they deal with it but problems can be stopped before they become problems.

You’re not going to have the coach there every second, so it’s another set of eyes and another set of people holding you accountable. Second, the players spend more time with each other than with the coaches and they will relate to each other more than they relate to the coaches as individuals. You expect a coach to ride you on occasion and may discount some of the guidance as them just setting a tone for the whole group and not being directed at you. The people you want to let down least are your peers and if one of them calls you out, you will take it more personally.

Pelini moves quick to hire new DBs coach

So much for Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini not being in a hurry to name a replacement for recently departed Husker defensive backs coach Corey Raymond.


Raymond, who replaced Marvin Sanders, left Lincoln after one season to join the LSU coaching staff Tuesday just one week after denying that he would even as much as interview for the position.

Three days later, after a lot of speculation pointed in such a direction, Pelini replaced Raymond with Terry Joseph. Oddly enough, Pelini said he was in no hurry to fill the position but he did so three days later. According to a Lincoln Journal Star report, Joseph told govols247.com on Friday that he has accepted an offer to become secondary coach at Nebraska, leaving Tennessee after two seasons and thus parting ways with Derek Dooley after a total of five years together following a stint at Louisiana Tech.

Joseph has worked with Pelini and current Nebraska defensive coordinator John Papuchis at LSU. Joseph, the recruiting coordinator and defensive backs coach who would have earned $250,000 this year, was set to have slightly different role with the Vols moving forward thanks to the addition of another body in the secondary with new defensive coordinator Sal Sunseri dividing the responsibilities in the back end. Joseph was tabbed to handle the safeties, and recent hire Derrick Ansley was put in charge of cornerbacks.

The addition of Ansley appeared to complete the staff for Dooley heading into his third season at the helm, but that didn’t even last a full month for a program that has undergone dramatic changes since the end of a 5-7 campaign last November.

Joesph, who is the cousin of former Husker quarterback Mickey Joseph, becomes the seventh coach on Dooley’s staff to vacate.

Nebraska’s staff has also undergone its share of turnover as well. Linebackers coach Ross Els is the only defensive coach returning to the same position he held throughout last season. Papuchis, who was the defensive line coach, was elevated to defensive coordinator after Carl Pelini (Bo’s brother) took the Florida Atlantic job. Pelini then moved quickly to hire Iowa defensive line coach Rick Kazsenski just like he did in hiring Joseph.

On the surface, this is a horizontal step for Joseph but it’s a move that speaks well to Bo Pelini’s ability to recruit coaches as well as players. Though the Volunteers have struggled in going 23-27 the last four seasons, Tennessee’s not exactly a bottom-tier program, plus they’re in the SEC. Pelini must really be preaching a defensive gospel to lure Joseph to Nebraska for essentially the same role.


Despite the Vols’ struggles as a team, their secondary finished among nation's top 20 with 18 interceptions in 2010; fourth in the SEC. Joseph relied on only one starting safety for each game, while the rest of the defensive backs were an ensemble unit that rotated. He also served as a recruiting coordinator and is a New Orleans native. He also had one graduate assistant season at LSU, where he worked under head coach Les Miles and Pelini, who at the time was the Tigers defensive coordinator.

In most cases in any job, people are not going to take a lateral move without a good reason. Tennessee’s aforementioned struggles the last few seasons would definitely put Dooley on the hot seat heading into the 2012 season. If the Vols decide to send Dooley packing, it is very likely that the staff would be fired.

Joseph, however, may very well want to work under Pelini (from what I’ve read, he truly enjoyed and respected him when they were together at LSU) and he may also find the job security greater in Lincoln.

The fact, Joseph has coached high school football in the New Orleans area, having spent three seasons each as an assistant coach at both Archbishop Shaw and Destrehan high schools in the New Orleans area. Joseph was at Archbishop Shaw from 1999 through 2002, and then at Destrehan through 2005. That coupled with the fact that Joseph has five years experience as a recruiting coordinator is an asset.

In one respect the state of Tennessee is a lot like Nebraska in that they do not have a lot of local high school talent from which to draw. Tennessee has a bigger population base (6.4 million to Nebraska’s 1.8 million) but they don’t recruit as nationally as the Huskers. The Vols, however, regularly go to Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, and really the entire southeast for players. That’s where Joseph will be able to bring some new ideas to recruiting. You think it’s tough recruiting against Texas and Oklahoma or now Ohio State and Michigan? Nothing is more competitive than recruiting in the SEC. Try being Joseph and going against LSU, Florida, Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, Georgia, and South Carolina.

The hire looks good on paper. Joseph brings solid credentials and appears to be an upgrade on the recruiting side and the coaching/teaching side.


I like the dual hires of Kaczenski and Joseph. I think the Huskers are going to be better technique-wise next fall. Papuchis may bring something a little different, and the transition is minimized by Pelini's influence.

Final thoughts before the Capital One Bowl

The moment of truth is almost here for the Capital One Bowl. It’s either tinkle or get off the pot.


No. 21 Nebraska (9-3) meets No, 10 South Carolina (10-2) in the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 2. Though it is time for good old fashioned football we still have time for some final thoughts before ringing in the New Year.

Husker fans remember the last time their team took on a squad coached by Steve Spurrier was the 1996 Fiesta Bowl as Nebraska crushed the Spurrier-coached Florida Gators 62-24 for the National Championship. However, that game will zero bearing on the outcome of Jan. 2, 2012. For all of his success as a college head coach (196-75-2 overall record), Spurrier’s teams have had a checkered history in bowl games going 7-10 while Nebraska’s Bo Pelini is 3-1 with the one loss coming in last year’s Holiday Bowl 19-7 to Washington.

The extra time to prepare certainly plays into Pelini’s hands especially since Nebraska is essentially running a new system. That extra preparation will be crucial because if the Huskers young offensive line gets overwhelmed early and has to abandon the running game, it will be a long day. The biggest key to the game and will probably be a requirement for Nebraska to win is to rush for 200 yards. South Carolina is second in the nation in pass defense but 44th against the run (135.9 yards per game). Nebraska averages 223.9 yards per game (good for 13th in the nation).

Defensively, both teams are in the same boat in that they both head into the game having lost their coordinator. Carl Pelini (older brother of Bo) is now the head coach at Florida Atlantis. Defensive line coach John Papuchis has since been elevated to replace Carl Pelini. For South Carolina their defensive coordinator and assistant head coach, Ellis Johnson, has since been hired to become the new head coach at Southern Mississippi. Lorenzo Ward has since replaced Johnson. Ward was the defensive coordinator by title but Johnson actually ran the defense.

However, since Pelini is a defensive oriented coach and Spurrier is offensive oriented, this scenario will seem to affect Nebraska less. The Huskers, however, will have their challenges even though South Carolina lost star running back Marcus Lattimore for the season with a serious knee injury in Game Seven. The Gamecock offensive line has done a serviceable job run blocking, but their pass protection is a question of “what gives” because it has been suspect but so too has the Husker pass rush. Nebraska, however, at least needs to generate enough pressure to make quarterback Connor Shaw throw a fraction of a second too soon.

While in theory special teams is one-third of the game just like offense or defense, this is where the Huskers have an advantage and if they are to become victorious, the edge needs to manifest itself. The Huskers are ranked sixth in kickoff returns, 23rd in net punting and 60th in punt returns. South Carolina is ranked 70th in punt returns, 72nd in kickoff returns and 93rd in net punting. They do not necessarily need returns for touchdowns but a few extra yards on a return or a great punt can be the difference between being within field-goal range or having to kick the ball away on fourth down. Sometimes, it is little things like field position that can give the edge to one team.

The field goal kicking game also falls into Nebraska’s favor as Brett Maher has made 19 of 22 field goals for the Cornhuskers, and his only misses on the season came from 50 yards or further. South Carolina’s Jay Wooten is 7-for-10 with three misses between 40 and 49 yards.

The TV analysts might say that South Carolina has the speed advantage but I’m not as certain. Keep in mind, Pelini has been recruiting speed since he became Nebraska’s head coach in 2008.



I think the Huskers motivation will definitely be better than last year’s bowl game. Could it be worse? Just a matter of do they make the necessary plays to win? As I stated on a previous blog entry, win or lose, I don't look at the season as a huge success but it's about "how do want the season to be defined?" You know as well as I do, you remember your last one the best. What makes college football different from say the NFL is that if you win your bowl game (even you are 8-5 like say Texas) you can still go into the offseason feeling good on some level. Whereas in the NFL, if you go 14-2 and lose in Round One the season suddenly becomes a major failure.

I think it comes down to the type of game - if NU never trails by more than seven, I think they'll be able to wear down South Carolina.

Give me a lunch-pale coach over a CEO anyday

In Tuesday night’s edition of the Lincoln Journal Star, columnist Steve Sipple chronicled how Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini insists he is not looking elsewhere despite rumors the last two seasons to head coaching jobs at Miami, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State.


Sipple also addressed the notion of can Pelini continue to grow as a CEO despite always being so heavily involved on the defensive side of the ball.

“I think that's crazy,” he shot back, refuting Sipple’s stance. He noted South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier’s heavy involvement with the Gamecocks’ offense. There obviously is a long list of head coaches who also serve as coordinators.

Even with John Papuchis being hired as defensive coordinator to replace Carl Pelini, who has since become the Florida Atlantic head coach, rest assured that Bo Pelini will continue to be the straw that stirs the drink for the Husker defense. Keep in mind, there is a large segment of Nebraska fans clamoring for Pelini to make a splash hire with dismissed Arizona head coach Mike Stoops. The fact that Pelini hired Papuchis instead of Stoops created a perception that Pelini would prefer to hire a “yes man” rather than someone who is his equal.

Pelini seems to have the respect of his players and coaches, not to mention athletic director Tom Osborne. So, he must be doing something right. Pelini relied too much on now former offensive coordinator Shawn Watson early-on and learned a hard lesson, hire your own people. Now, he has a lucrative contract, has his own staff, and has at least nine wins each of four years. Hopefully, the Huskers can get No. 10 on Monday in the Capital One Bowl against South Carolina.



Pelini hasn’t done himself many favors in dealing with the media, often choosing the approach of secracy and suspicion and that also goes for fan interaction. His horizons are still too narrow in the PR arena.



Overall, he has been a partial success (39-15 in four years as Nebraska’s head coach), even without any championships but, that needs to change for the long haul. A long term contract would still be appropriate in my opinion to cement his effort here. I think that Pelini has his principles and priorities firmly in place. Sometimes, they just don’t coincide with the fans’ need for information. I doubt Pelini will change much there.



If Watson had done his job in the first place, Pelini would have been fine. The offensive failures have pushed Pelini to expand his horizons, which has been good for him and the team.



The idea that Pelini looks to hire “yes” people, however, is somewhat laughable. Where is the proof in that? Are you saying Papuchis never is allowed to have any personal input, and just says “anything you want, coach.” And current offensive coordinator Tim Beck apparently doesn’t really call the plays?



Newsflash. Any head coach will staff his program with assistants who share the head coach’s visions and wishes. When they don’t, you end up with a Watson situation, where the coach has a vision for an offense that differs from the offensive coordinator’s vision.



I’ve seen nothing in Papuchis’ resume to hint that he’s not ready to step up to be the defensive coordinator. Likewise, isn’t Rick Kaczenski an experienced defensive line coach with a proven record of success in the Big 10?



Always something to complain about, I guess.



Pelini was also confronted with making some disciplinary decisions and he “gathered all the facts available” and made some decisions regarding player involvement in bowl activities. This year as well as last year.



The final point I would make is, Osborne doesn’t seem to have any problems or questions with the manner in which Pelini is managing his program. Given that, I have to acquiesce to Osborne’s coaching experience (offensive minded) and decision making.



Besides, the term CEO sort of conjures up this image of a man in a three piece suit too afraid to get it soiled and wrinkled by placing a shoulder into a blocking sled. Rolls eyes and thinks. Heaven forbid that Pelini give up his baseball cap and sweats. I like that lunch pail attitude and work ethic that Pelini brings and is instilling into the team.

Papuchis, Kazcenski named DC and DLine coaches

It was probably one of the more anti-climatic moves you will ever see made but John Papuchis was promoted to defensive coordinator at Nebraska on Thursday and Rick Kaczenski of Big Ten division rival Iowa was hired as the new defensive line coach, replacing Papuchis.


Huskers head coach Bo Pelini announced the moves Thursday, more than two weeks after former coordinator Carl Pelini (Bo’s older brother) was hired as head coach at Florida Atlantic.

Both moves had been speculated heavily by the Nebraska fan base and media who covers the team on a daily basis.

Though Papuchis is young at 33, he has been at Nebraska four seasons and is an original member of Bo Pelini’s staff. In addition to coaching the defensive line, he has been special teams coordinator and recruiting coordinator.

Kaczenski coached Iowa’s defensive line for five seasons. The 36-year old will coach for No. 21 Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl against No. 10 South Carolina on Jan. 2.

The Nebraska defensive line was hammered with injuries this season but Papuchis coached a front four that ranked among the nation’s best in 2009-10. Ndamukong Suh was Associated Press national player of the year in 2009, and Jared Crick was a two-time all-conference selection before getting hurt this year.

Papuchis also oversaw special teams that included Alex Henery, the most accurate kicker in NCAA history, and Brett Maher, the first player since 2001 to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors as both a place-kicker and punter in the same season.

Kaczenski coached a defensive line that helped Iowa rank sixth nationally in rushing defense and seventh in scoring defense in 2010. The Hawkeyes were in the top 10 in four defensive categories the year before.

Seven of Kaczenski’s defensive linemen have been drafted or signed an NFL free agent contract over the past four seasons.



Thoughts on these hires you ask?

Husker fans were clamoring for Mike Stoops, who was fired by Arizona as the head coach. Papuchis is young, enthusiastic and will spend the entire off season watching film and making the Huskers defense the best it can be next season. There’s no substitute for enthusiasm and he has it in spades. Stoops would have brought experience but let’s face it he would be working after being demoted and while he has experience in the coaching profession I’m not sure he would bring near the fire that Papuchis will bring. Though Papuchis is considered a rising star in the coaching profession, one must wonder if Stoops still has the desire to be a head coach, in which case he might view Nebraska’s defensive coordinator job as a weigh station.

Though the days of coaching staffs staying together for 20 plus years are a thing of the past, the Huskers need staff stability. Though there are no guarantees, the Papuchis/Kaczenski combination is more likely to stay at Nebraska than Stoops.

The big question now becomes, who takes over Papuchis’ role as recruiting coordinator and special teams coordinator?

I am of the opinion that Pelini will be very involved in the defense and will, in essence, be doing his own thing. I think at some point he completely turns Papuchis loose, but I don’t think it’s this coming year.

These moves might not appease a Husker fan base that is starving for the glory days but keep in mind, Bob Devaney and tom Osborne picked assistants who were loyal. They weren’t big names nationally. In fact, most of Devaney's assistants were high school coaches. Nothing wrong with young blood.

Husker coaching staff has one less Pelini

To no surprise, the Nebraska football coaching staff will have one less Pelini entering its Jan. 2 Capital Bowl matchup against South Carolina.
Florida Atlantic’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved the hiring of Nebraska defensive coordinator Carl Pelini (brother of Husker head coach Bo Pelini) as the Owls next head coach on Monday morning. The 46-year old Pelini was formally introduced at a press conference.
Pelini will be the second football coach in FAU history, taking over for Howard Schnellenberger, who coached the final game of his career on Saturday.
According to OwlAccess.com, Pelini will receive a five-year contract with a base salary of $450,000 with the possibility to make more with incentives, such as: Winning the Sun Belt championship and receiving a BCS bowl game invitation: $50,000.00. Winning the conference championship and receiving a non-BCS bowl game invitation: $20,000.00. Receiving an at-large bowl game invitation: $10,000.00. Earning a Top 10 final college coaches’ poll national ranking $25,000.00 and winning the National Coach of the Year Award: $25,000.00.
The question, of course, becomes who replaces Carl Pelini and how soon? The main candidates that are being publicly bandied about are John Papuchis (current Husker defensive line coach/special teams coordinator/recruiting coordinator) along with recently deposed Arizona head coach and long-time Pelini family friend Mike Stoops.
It’s not a given that Bo Pelini will hire either but let’s say for the sake of discussion, do you hire a proven commodity or someone you feel like is a prospect who can grow into the job?
Stoops, who is the brother of Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, comes with a resume having held assistant coaching positions at Iowa, Kansas State and Oklahoma. He went 41-50 in his time as the Wildcats head coach before being fired after a 1-5 start in 2011.
Hiring Stoops would also be a defense mechanism from newly hired Ohio State coach Urban Meyer from hiring Stoops.
Bo Pelini openly backed Stoops after he was fired. Would Bo bring Mike aboard like Bob brought Bo aboard at OU after former Nebraska AD Steve Pederson hired Bill Callahan over Pelini? The Stoops/Pelini family friendship is well-documented but being a good friend does not always equal being a good co-worker. Plus, Stoops is not likely to come cheap and it’s athletic director Tom Osborne (not Bo Pelini) controlling the purse-string. And would Stoops view Nebraska as a weigh station job to eventually become a head coach again?

Papuchis has been a valuable member of Pelini’s staff since 2008 and could potentially grow into the job but the days of coaching staffs staying together for 20 plus years are a thing of the past.
The inexperience aspect would not necessarily be an issue since Papuchis has worn many different hats for Pelini. Plus, Osborne wasn’t born with three national championship rings. Everybody is an up-and-comer at some point in their career.
I think there is a lot of young talent that rises through the coaching ranks. Every big name coach out there was a no name coach at one point. Remember, Kevin Cosgrove was a “proven” defensive coordinator. Bo Pelini when hired by Frank Solich was an “up-and-comer”.
There are no guarantees with any potential hire.
Bo just needs to get the right guy…Anyone who would even get a look from Nebraska is going to be a proven quantity even if he isn’t a media headliner. The big question is do you get a guy who is more recruiter than coach or coach than recruiter?
That’s not an either/or answer. Both are true.

Mike Stoops would be a great catch if Carl Pelini bolts

The notion of “I can neither confirm nor deny it” is essentially like a “non-denial-denial.”


There is nothing publically official from the University of Nebraska or Florida Atlantic but all signs point toward Husker defensive coordinator Carl Pelini (brother of Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini) heading to become Florida Atlantic’s head coach to replace the retiring Howard Schnellenberger.

The Owls went 1-10 this past season which could be good or bad. The former because expectations would not through the roof and Florida is a very fertile recruiting area. Therefore winning four games next year would be considered a great success.
The next question becomes who replaces Carl Pelini? Current Husker assistant John Papuchis? He has been a vital member of Bo Pelini's staff since coming to Lincoln four years ago. He currently wears many hats for the program, including defensive line coach, special-teams coordinator and recruiting coordinator.

Mike Stoops? The recently deposed Arizona head coach would be a splashy hire plus, the Pelini and Stoops families are lifelong friends from Youngstown, Ohio. Plus, it has been rumored that newly appointed Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer might make a play for Stoops in which case Nebraska hiring him would be a defense mechanism as much as anything.

Another subplot, remember in 2003 when Frank Solich was fired and then Husker defensive coordinator Bo Pelini was named interim head coach for the Huskers’ Alamo Bowl win? Most people then were clamoring for him to be the head coach. Then athletic director Steve Pederson hired Bill Callahan, who then chose not to retain Bo Pelini. Not long after that, Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops (Mike Stoops’ brother) hired Bo Pelini as the Sooners defensive coordinator. Would Bo Pelini do the same with Mike Stoops? I think it’s a definite maybe or better.

Perhaps Indiana defensive coordinator Mike Ekeler? Probably the least likely scenario. Ekeler was Pelini’s linebackers coach from 2008-2010 before leaving Nebraska to become the Hoosier defensive coordinator. That was a capacity Ekeler wanted but knew was unlikely to get at Nebraska as long as Carl Pelini was there. The Hoosiers, however, rank at or near the bottom in many national defensive categories. To be fair, it’s not as if Indiana is ever loaded with high end football players. Plus, would Bo Pelini bring him back one year after having left?

Mike Stoops would definitely be a great catch assuming Carl Pelini leaves. The question is, would Mike Stoops stay long term or would he desire to be a head coach again someday?
Stability is something every program desires but Bo Pelini is a young coach (43) and there will be a few changes here and there until it sorts itself out. It’s not about changing to change or keeping to be consistent. Every situation is a little different but if you get the right guys that get things done and work well together at the right place and time with the right attitude and mentality you keep them. There are ways to do that. Right now they need to find and keep the right guys. If your team doesn’t play well, has letdowns or the process isn’t working you have to look at ways to get from Point A to Point B. That’s what this is about. There’s more to it than football and that’s another part of what it’s about. Culture and mentality. There’s a lot to address and this is a good move. This is a team with talent, it's a matter of culture and getting them to respond and reach their potential.
Of course, there is the whole matter of Nebraska has yet to approach Mike Stoops because there is still nothing concrete about Carl Pelini moving onward. However, Stoops would be a great catch.