Nebraska Coach Bo Pelini: Sorry, Not Sorry!
It’s starting to look very unlikely that Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini will return for a seventh season with the Cornhuskers. And, despite an embarrassing 38-17 loss to Iowa on Friday, it has less to do with his record and more to do with himself.
After all, Pelini’s six-year tenure at Nebraska has been moderately successful—just ask him! He’s coached the team to six consecutive bowl games, winning the first three and losing the last three. Under him, the Huskers have been nationally ranked part of every season except 2008.
Pelini’s .708 winning percentage with Nebraska is pretty good, overall. It’s not along the lines of Alabama’s Nick Saban at .859, but it puts the likes of Charlie Weis to shame. Including his years at Notre Dame, Weis’ career average is .459, but it’s .177 in two years at Kansas.
Point being, the numbers aren’t bad. They may not measure up to the unrealistic standards spoiled Nebraska fans have set based on the epic success they enjoyed in the 90s, but if three national championships in four years is the bar, good luck finding a new coach who can reach it.
Then there are the players, who seem to like him. Said junior wide receiver Kenny Bell, “I would play for Bo Pelini against Satan himself and the demons of the world.” It’s a little overdramatic for sure, but if his teammates share even half that passion, it’s safe to say he hasn’t lost the locker room.
So, Pelini’s numbers are solid and his players like him. Yet his job is very clearly on the line, while many coaches with less to hang their hats on will coast into next season unquestioned. The difference being that those other coaches aren’t dripping with contempt and disdain, whereas Pelini is.
Pelini’s public problems began this past September when Cornhusker legend Tommie Frazier blasted the entire coaching staff after a 41-21 blowout loss to UCLA. Frazier took them to task for routinely failing to make adjustments and said it was “time for a change” in Lincoln.
At his Monday press conference following the loss, Pelini was asked about the comments and responded, “If he feels that way, so be it. We don’t need him.” Dismissing a university legend so curtly wasn’t advisable, but it made a lot more sense three days later.
That’s when Deadspin broke the story of Pelini’s now notorious epic rant, which was recorded at some point during the 2011 season. Not only did he go off on a local reporter about a column he didn’t agree with, but he also had a pretty colorful message for the Husker faithful:
“It took everything in my power to not say, ‘Fuck you, fans. Fuck all of you.’ Fuck ’em. … Our crowd. What a bunch of fucking fair-weather fucking—they can all kiss my ass out the fucking door. ‘Cause the day is fucking coming now. We’ll see what they can do when I’m fucking gone. I’m so fucking pissed off.”
The comments were captured during a pre-interview conversation with the Husker Sports Network’s Greg Sharpe, which was supposedly off the record. But apparently the UCLA blowout and the subsequent Frazier situation was enough to inspire Deadspin’s tipster to finally put it on the record.
In his official statement after the story broke, Pelini said he took “full responsibility” for his words and said he wanted to “sincerely apologize.” He went on to say that they were spoken in the heat of the moment and were “in no way indicative of [his] true feelings.”
That was then, this is now. Pelini is officially done apologizing
After attempting to play it cool on the sidelines and with the media since September, Pelini let it all hang out on Friday. During the game against Iowa he was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after getting up close and personal with an official over a penalty he was less than thrilled about.
When asked about the incident after the game, Pelini called BS on the whole situation. He said he had behaved much worst in the past without getting a flag and even turned the tables on Hawkeyes’ coach Kirk Ferentz, who he said was “acting a lot worse than” he acts.
Not the most mature direction to take that one in, but certainly fitting with what we know to be his character. The real elephant in the room, however, was Pelini’s job status, and he didn’t hold back when asked to address it:
“If they want to fire me, go ahead. I believe in what I’ve done. I don’t apologize to you. I don’t apologize to anybody, myself or this staff. My record, our record since I’ve been here, speaks for itself. And this program is heading in a good direction. You choose not to think so, that’s your prerogative. All I know is myself, this staff, the people who have been associated with this program since I’ve been here can look themselves in the mirror and feel good about what they’ve done.”
It was sweet of Pelini to give his blessing in firing him, but completely unnecessary. Obviously he didn’t have it in him to do any groveling, perhaps because he recognizes the writing is already on the wall. He’s mean as hell, but he’s not stupid.
And if anyone at Nebraska was struggling with the decision to part ways with Pelini, it’s hard to imagine that was still the case after he basically double-dog dared them to fire him during a press conference.
