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New Coaches Announced
After weeks of anticipation, eight of the nine staff positions have officially been filled. The ninth position (running backs coach) is unofficially filled. That coach that will be announced in the first two weeks of January after completing his current school’s bowl game. There is some speculation out there as to who this coach may be. No matter who it is, it’s undeniable what type of staff Bo is trying to put together for next year. Visit Huskers.com for the Staff Bio’s and official announcement.
The guys hired are at Nebraska now for two very important reasons: to work as a team and bring back tradition. “Our defensive coaches will all have equal input on what we are doing,” Pelini told the press. “This staff plans to build on the tradition of hard-nosed Blackshirt defenses at Nebraska,” he continued. He used the words “one cohesive unit.” This tells a story to our players and potential recruits. It means we don’t need rock stars, we need guys who do their jobs and can work with everyone else.
The top of the list in the rumored Running Back Coach position include Larry Porter and Stan Drayton. Porter would be a great fit because he has been working with Bo the last few years at LSU. In addition, he’s also a special teams coach (which we’re still lacking). Drayton at Florida is from Ohio and has ties to Bo as well. Either one would be an exciting fit for Nebraska. They both understand their part on a team.
Seeing the breakdown of where each of these coaches came from is also an indication of what Pelini’s trying to do. Watson and Gilmore bring in the ability to transition the highlights of 2007 into the offense of 2008. Cotton, Brown, Sanders, and Jamrog are guys that turn back the clock - like the last four years didn’t happen. Carl Pelini, Ekeler, and Papuchis give Bo the comfort of being surrounded by a defensive staff who can probably finish sentences for you, know your terminology, and can practically read your mind when dreaming up plays.
This will all help Bo out. He’s got a staff that can handle administrative duties as well as on field duties. Sharing the load on that can of stuff allows everyone to work on what’s important, namely, molding these players on and off the field.

