Great Article on players reactions about Coach Pelini leaving Nebraska.
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Wise Owl
Member since 2007
Great Article on players reactions about Coach Pelini leaving Nebraska.
http://www.omaha.com/article/20111208/BIGRED/712089784
By Jon Nyatawa
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU « Big Red TodayShare Related News
LINCOLN — When the rumors linking Carl Pelini to Florida Atlantic began to surface, Nebraska's defenders weren't surprised.
Most had always known that this sort of thing was only a matter of time. Pelini wasn't going to be a defensive coordinator forever.
"He was ready to take leadership of a whole team on his own," senior linebacker Lavonte David said. "He's a great motivator, a great coach as a whole."
David, interviewed after practice Thursday, hasn't yet had the chance to talk to Pelini since he was named Florida Atlantic's new head coach Monday. Many of the Husker defenders haven't spoken with Pelini either. Defensive end Cameron Meredith said he and Pelini sent each other text messages this week.
The news is bittersweet in the NU locker room. Disappointed to see Pelini go — but happy to see him move up the coaching ladder.
"I'm going to miss him a lot," Meredith said. "But FAU has a great head football coach now. Carl had a big opportunity and he took it, and we can't blame him for that."
Pelini doesn't plan to rejoin the Huskers when they face South Carolina in the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 2.
Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini hinted Thursday that he may even have a replacement for brother Carl Pelini by then.
In a taped interview that aired on "Sports Nightly" on the Husker Sports Network, Bo Pelini said he intends to move "pretty quickly" and that he's already thought about who might fill that position.
"I've had a lot of things going on," Pelini said from Orlando, Fla., where he was touring the bowl site. "I've been flying a lot of different places. I really haven't had time to deal with it. I have an idea of where we're going to go, what I want to do and how I want to do it — but I haven't had time to implement it."
Former Arizona coach Mike Stoops told The World-Herald earlier this week that he'd consider the defensive coordinator position if asked, though he and Pelini hadn't spoken as of Tuesday.
NU assistant John Papuchis is presumably a candidate for the job. Papuchis oversees Nebraska's special teams and has been the program's recruiting coordinator since February.
Has the 33-year-old Papuchis proven that could handle the D-coordinator responsibilities? Redshirt freshman defensive tackle Chase Rome thinks so.
"He's a really smart guy. I don't care how young he is," Rome said. "But if it's not the right spot for him, I'm sure he has as much trust in Bo, (Tom Osborne) and the rest of the 'upstairs' people as I do."
Regardless of who replaces Carl Pelini, though, he will be missed by Rome and the NU defenders.
Rome praised Pelini's teaching ability. He said Pelini had a knack for being able to break down the defensive scheme "into details you could understand."
Safety P.J. Smith said Pelini was one of the best motivators he's been around. "Friday nights in the hotel, the speeches that he gave . it would light a fire," Smith said.
Meredith said Pelini helped him off the field as well. Taught him several life lessons.
"He's had a big influence on my life and I'm sure a bunch of these young men," Meredith said. "He's done so much for me, my family, everyone."
That's why it's tough to see him go, according to Meredith.
"I love Coach Carl — so does the rest of the defense," Meredith said. "You can't blame him for leaving. He's got a great opportunity ahead of him."
I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick @$$ and I'm out of bubble gum.
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Re: Great Article on players reactions about Coach Pelini leaving Nebraska.
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Re: Great Article on players reactions about Coach Pelini leaving Nebraska.
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