What You Need to Know About the Cornhusker's Coaching Staff

Chad RobbJul 23, 2012

Times have changed in Lincoln, Nebraska. For decades Nebraska was coached by Tom Osborne and his assistant coaches remained loyal to the program despite being offered jobs in higher position at other programs.

Today’s college football game is not the same as the past. Very few coaches remain at a school for decades.

Nebraska’s coaching staff has gone through some recent changes, but the group currently in place may be part of the Cornhuskers program for years to come.

So who are the coaches leading Nebraska Cornhuskers football in 2012? It all starts with the man in charge…..

Head Coach Bo Pelini

1 of 4

Fifth Season as Head Coach

39-16 Career Record (.709)

Player for Ohio State from 1987-1990

1991 Iowa Graduate Assistant Coach

1994-1996 San Francisco 49ers Assistant Secondary Coach

1997-1999 New England Patriots Assistant Linebackers Coach

2000-2002 Green Bay Packers Assistant Linebackers Coach

2003 Nebraska Cornhusker Defensive Coordinator

2003 (December) Nebraska Interim Head Coach

2004 Oklahoma Assistant Coach and Co-Defensive Coordinator

2005-2007 LSU Defensive Coordinator

2008-Present Nebraska Head Coach

Pelini is known for his skill as a defensive coach. In 2011 Pelini let his brother, Carl Pelini, have more power over the defense as he began to take on more responsibility with the team as a whole. As Pelini grows in his coaching experience, the Nebraska football team will get closer to restoring the glory.

The one flaw with Pelini is his ability to land the star recruit. The addition of quarterback Johnny Stanton to the 2013 recruiting class may change that idea of Pelini.

Offensive Coaches

2 of 4

Tim Beck

Second Season as Offensive Coordinator

Played for Central Florida from 1984-1985

2005-2007 Kansas Assistant Coach (Wide Receiver Coach)

2008-2010 Nebraska Running Backs Coach

2011-Present Offensive Coordinator

This will be Tim Beck’s second season running the offense for the Cornhuskers. Last year Nebraska went away from the short passing game and implemented more of an option offense. The team looked rusty at times, but should have a better grasp of Beck’s system in their second season.

Ron Brown

11th Season at Nebraska, second as the Running Backs Coach

Played for Brown University from 1975-1978

1982 New Jersey Rams Defensive Coordinator

1983 Brown University Freshman Team Head Coach

1984-1986 Brown University Defensive Backs Coach

1987-2003 Nebraska Wide Receivers Coach

2008-2010 Nebraska Tight Ends Coach

2011-Present Nebraska Running Backs Coach

Ron Brown has been with Nebraska for a long time. He understands what Nebraska football is all about. He has had the opportunity to work with one of Nebraska’s best running back, Rex Burkhead, and will have the opportunity to produce many more great running backs in Nebraska’s run-heavy system.

Barney Cotton

Sixth Season at Nebraska, all as Offensive Line Coach

Played for Nebraska from 1975-1978

Played in the NFL for Cincinnati in 1979 and for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1980-1982

1997-2002 New Mexico State Assistant Head Coach

2003-2006 Nebraska Offensive Line Coach

2008-Present Nebraska Offensive Line Coach

Barney Cotton not only brings his knowledge of coaching the offensive line to Nebraska’s football program, he also has recruited his sons to be good tight ends at Nebraska. His son Ben Cotton will be an important part of the Nebraska offense in 2012.

Rich Fisher

Second season as Nebraska’s Wide Receivers Coach

Played for Colorado from 1989-1992

1995-1996 Oklahoma State Graduate Assistant

1997-1998 Colorado Graduate Assistant

1999-2000 Idaho Wide Receivers Coach

2001-2003 Idaho Linebackers Coach

2011- Present Nebraska Wide Receivers Coach

Rich Fisher has an important job at Nebraska. The Cornhuskers have many talented young wide receivers on their team. It is important that Fisher is able to make these young wide receivers great ones. He is off to a good start by helping wide receiver Kenny Bell become the Big Ten Freshman Player of the Year in 2011.

Defensive Coaches

3 of 4

John Papuchis

Fifth season at Nebraska, first as the Defensive Coordinator

2001-2003 Kansas Graduate Assistant

2004-2007 LSU Graduate Assistant

2008-2011 Nebraska Defensive Line / Special Teams Coach

2012 Defensive Coordinator

The big change in the coaching staff in 2012 is the departure of Carl Pelini and the promotion of John Papuchis as Nebraska’s new defensive coordinator. Papuchis is familiar with the Nebraska system and he will work with Bo Pelini to make the Blackshirts dominant once again.

Rick Kaczenski

First season as Nebraska’s Defensive Line Coach

Played for Notre Dame 1994-1997

1999-2001 South Carolina Graduate Assistant

2002 South Carolina State Offensive Line Coach

2003 East Tennessee State Offensive Line / Tight End Coach

2004 Elon Offensive Line / Tight End Coach

2005-2006 Iowa Graduate Assistant

2007-2011 Defensive Line Coach

2012 Nebraska Defensive Line Coach

Rick Kaczenski will take over for Papuchis as the defensive line coach. Kaczenski is quickly earning a name for himself as one of the best defensive line coaches in the Big Ten Conference. Iowa has consistently turned out great defensive line players. Hopefully he can do the same with the talent at Nebraska.

Ross Els

Second season at Nebraska, both as the Linebackers Coach

Played for the University of Nebraska at Omaha 1984-1987

1989 Northern Iowa Graduate Assistant

1990-1993 Nebraska Omaha Secondary Coach

1994 Northern Iowa Secondary Coach

2001-2004 New Mexico State Defensive Coordinator

2005-2010 Ohio University Linebackers / Special Teams Coach

2011-Present Nebraska Linebackers Coach

Ross Els is a good linebackers coach, but one of his greatest strengths is his recruiting abilities. Fisher will serve as Nebraska’s recruiting coordinator this season, one of the most important positions on a college football team.

Terry Joseph

Played Baseball for Northwestern State and played four seasons in the Chicago Cubs minor league system

2006 LSU Graduate Assistant

2007-2009 Louisiana Tech Secondary Coach

2010-2011 Tennessee Secondary Coach

2012 Nebraska Secondary Coach

Joseph began his coaching career learning form Bo Pelini at LSU. Bo Most have liked what he saw in Joseph as he made him the new Secondary Coach for the Cornhuskers. He is the cousin of former Nebraska quarterback Mickey Joseph.