Football is a big deal in Nebraska. It's a really big deal. It's such a big deal, that when the football team consistently fails to meet expectations, the coach is not immediately fired. His boss is.
Steve Pederson was fired today as athletic director at the University of Nebraska. He is the Nebraska native that came home after a successful tenure as AD at the University of Pittsburgh. Since coming to Nebraska, he led the athletic department to expand facilities, accumulating a large debt. He also fired a football coach after going 9-3 when he fired Frank Solich after the 2003 season. He then hired Bill Callahan, fresh off of being fired by Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders. Pederson's future immediately became tied to that of Callahan. Since the football team is stinking up the field, the donations are drying up. It is job numero uno for the athletic director to raise money. Nebraska needs someone else to do that.
The Callahan era has not been a good one for Nebraska. His teams have been above average. The scandal in Nebraska, though, is the way he has handled the program. He has closed the program off to former players. He has shut down the much-loved and acclaimed walk-on program, which gave Nebraska natives the chance to contribute to and suit up for the Huskers. The natives in Nebraska are restless. The final straw was the 45-14 thrashing delivered by Oklahoma State on Saturday.
Bill Callahan's days are numbered. He will land somewhere next year as an assistant in the NFL. Someone will be asked to go into Lincoln to heal the Husker Nation and to clean up the mess.
2 comments:
They wish the could have their Pope on a Tractor back.
The real Pope on a Tractor was Bob Devaney. He's dead. He's not coming back.
As for Tom Osborne, he is rumored to be the new interim A.D. He tried to run for governor last year, but couldn't get through the GOP primary.
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