Lincoln, Neb. ? The future of Nebraska football is in the hands of its patriarch.
Hall of Fame coach Tom Osborne returned to Nebraska on Tuesday as interim athletic director, a day after the firing of Steve Pederson.
The 70-year-old Osborne will determine whether Bill Callahan stays or goes as Nebraska coach, but he won’t make the decision until after the season.
“I don’t want to be someone who micromanages, watches over people’s shoulders,” Osborne said. “If they want me to come to practice or go to meetings, I’ll go. If they want to stay away, I’ll stay away.”
It was 10 years ago that Osborne finished a celebrated 25-year coaching career that culminated with three national championships in his last four seasons.
But the program has fallen on hard times – by Nebraska standards – having lost no fewer than four games a year in four seasons under Callahan. The Huskers have lost their last two games by a combined score of 86-20, and their defense is one of the worst in the country.
Osborne, who was in the stadium for last week’s 45-14 loss to Oklahoma State, didn’t seem as panicked as some of the Huskers’ fans about the team’s play.
“It’s worth pointing out that we’re 4-3. We’ve won more than we’ve lost,” he said. “There are other programs – some pretty good programs – that haven’t won more than one game. But we’d like the intensity level to pick up to what we’re accustomed to.”
Osborne met with university chancellor Harvey Perlman on Tuesday morning to discuss the job, and Osborne agreed to serve until the chancellor hires a permanent athletic director.
Osborne said he took the job because he cares about Nebraska athletics. He’ll stay on as long as it takes Perlman to hire a permanent athletic director, and his pay will be based on a $250,000 annual salary.
“He’ll be the lowest-paid athletic director in the Big 12,” Perlman quipped.
Perlman said Osborne would be given “full authority” to make decisions about football and other athletic matters.
Since leaving coaching, Osborne has served three terms in Congress, made an unsuccessful gubernatorial run, taught in the university’s business school and worked as a consultant for local college athletic departments.
